On January 29, three tour busses took off from the University of Iceland to show us the Reykjanes Peninsula. While driving we passed Kleifarvatn, the biggest lake in Iceland (in some parts it is 100m deep). There was an earthquake in 2000, and the lake began to shrink in size, but in 2008 the cracks closed up and rain refilled the lake. There are no rivers leading into or out of the lake, so it is all dependent on rain water!
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| Kleifarvatn, through the bus window |
Our first stop was at some hot springs, called Seltún, a hot springs and sulfur springs area. Here there are a few signs explaining the phenomenon of hot springs, but our guide gave us a great overview. This area was supposed to be used for electricty years ago, but a hot spring exploded, changing their plans.
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| Seltún |
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| Our guide showing us a new little hot spring that is forming, but that may never grow due to tourists trampling it. |
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| Ice just centimetres away from boiling water! |
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| So many pretty colours, and so much happening! |
After traveling a bit more, we stopped to gather some volcanic rock. The rocks were black, grey, purple, orange, and even green. Some were smooth and looked to me what harded lava should look like, and some were rough amd looked more like coal.
Then we stopped at the Bláa lónið (Blue Lagoon) for a few hours. It was a really cold day, so the hot parts of the lagoon were very welcome! The water averages between 37–39 °C, and is the run-off of a nearby geothermal power plant.
After the Blue Lagoon, we stopped at a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was insanely windy, literally breathtaking. Since my obsession with birds in the country is a bit out of control, I decided that hugging a statue of one was appropriate.
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| The waves were unbelieveable, spitting sea foam all over us! |
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| One of the pipes that run along the highways here. The water system in Iceland is really simple. There is one pipe that brings hot water into houses, and separate one to bring hot water from hot springs. It is difficult to drill into the earth, so the pipes lay on top of the rock. |
