Okay This is Going to a Long Post....

Well how should I approach the last few days.

Today is the 15th I need to catch you all up.

Okay I think that we all need to "Go Back to the Future" a few days.

June 9th
After taking the Amtrak to NYC and a car service to JFK  I arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland late in the evening and arrived at the Hostel around 1 am. Did not sleep all that great since the three other people in the room were asleep and I did not want to wake them. So I got settled enough to get a couple of hours of sleep and than I had to get up for a very long day.

June 10th
I started a very long day today. The excursion company I went with had a 3 in 1 tour package. We started the day with the Saga Tour. Saga's in iceland are a big thing. It is there written history. These saga's are journals/writings of there than clergy/land owners of the 100's. Some interestin stuff. This first tour took us by the Hvalfjorour Fjord (Whale Fjord) and the Whaling Station there.

Next stop was an interesting museum with an on going exhibit on the history of Iceland and where the settlers settled and who won and died. We than drove on to Reykholt and visited the Snorrstofa museum. This was a museum centered around one of the saga writers, Sorris.

Last stop on this first tour was a geothermal area, Deildartunguhver. This geothermal area was harvested for just its hot water. This hot water is than sent to Reykjavik where it is used to heat the buildings and the hot water.

This is where we had a changed of individuals in the van and we continued on to the Highland Road Tour. We first visisted the waaterfall Barnafoos/Hraunfossar. This is a waterfall where a portion of the water from the river flows over a conventional waterfall and the other waterfall is one where the wate from the river somewhere up stream flows underneath a lava formation known as pillow lava and comes out back into the river in a set of spring/falls.

From here we continued up into the highlands. Here is where you see another Iceland. Cold, barren with little or no vegetation to cut the wind. This is where we hicked up to a glacier in a misty sleet storm. I took a picture but you can barily recognize the difference between the clouds and the snow of the glacier. We hurried back to the car and continued on to the Pingveller National Park.

At this National park the location of Icelands first fomr of government started, The One Body. Interesting and it worked for a very long time. This is where we made a final switch to the last tour.

The Golden Circle Tour continued on through the lower countryside of Iceland. This tour we stopped at the Gelfoss Falls and had dinner, than we continued on to the geothermal area where Geysir (the geysir that named all others) and strokkur are located. I was able to take some great video of the geysire going off.

Than it was a final drive back to Reykjavik. Long day.......

June 11th

This day started with a tour of Reykjavik. We first stopped at the harbor and tried to see the local fish market. To late in the morning already. Icelands GDP is supported by 30% fishing. Than we headed out to Bessastaoir. the presidential residence. Than we drove through the area known as Hafnarfjorour where the "hidden people" live.

Next we take a stop and the restuarant Perlan which is in the "Pearl". The pearl is a struture where they store all the hot water that has been harvested from the geothermal areas. These insulated tanks are than topped with a dome and have an enclosed interior area. some great overlloks of the city can bee seen from atop the viewing platform.

We stopped and visited the Hofoi house.

Last stop on the tour was up to the Hallgrimskirkja church. Very cool church.

After heading back to the office I grabbed a bus out to the Blue Lagoon for some realxation. This attraction for both locals and tourist alike is a geothermal area where the silcas from the geothermal and the ocean water create an effect changing the color of the water to an electric blue. The silcas are supposed to be good for your skin. Thus, I put on a white mask of it and enjoyed a few hours.

Last stop of the day was a tour to the local brewer. Ws a great time. Was able to try some mead and local flavor and learn some intereting hitory of their drinking.

Well those were my tours on the 12 I headed out to Copehagen early in the morning (4:30) and this was after a night of hanging out with people I had met at the hostel. Had a great time.

Now on to studies. Copehagen here I come.

All photos of Iceland can be viewed here -  Iceland