Traveling in Iceland - Day 1: The Golden Circle
Какво е да видиш истинско изригване на гейзер, да ти предлагат най-обикновена агнешка супа за 25 лв. и спагети за 40лв., да разгледаш топ забележителностите в Исландия за 2 часа и после да се чудиш какво да правиш и какво е да спиш сред нищото, четете в този пътепис, част от поредицата пътеписи: “В Пика на Делта: Пътуване до Исландия през Полша и Чехия”
To the previous travelogue –> ICELAND: USEFUL INFORMATION AND SITES, INTERESTING FACTS AND TIPS
More information about the route, costs and all travelogues of the trip can be found HERE.
DAY 4
Our second day in Iceland started early in the morning. Even before sunrise, we shopped at a local supermarket and stocked up on food for 2 days because we had days to visit only natural attractions and we weren't sure if we would find a suitable store to shop from afterwards.
As a matter of fact, during our entire stay in Iceland, we ate only food bought from the supermarket. We have not sat down at a restaurant, restaurant or cafe. We decided that instead of paying BGN 25 for lamb soup and BGN 40 for spaghetti (per person), we could spend our money on something more useful 🙂 Most often we made sandwiches or bought ready-made ones from supermarkets. It was good for our credit card that in the evening the bakery in some of the big stores cut in half - bagels, croissants and other such baked goods. We, of course, are nursed with the promotions and have taken advantage of them boldly.
Perhaps here is the moment to note that at this time of the year we were in Iceland ie. end of November, The sunrise was at around 10 a.m., and the sunset at around 4 p.m. It is also interesting that during the whole day the sun stands low, near the horizon, and is easily hidden by various elevations. On the other hand, the light that comes from the low sun is perfect for taking pictures. Officially, the sun was rising at 10:20, but at 9:45 it was already light and vice versa - it started to get dark around 3 p.m. and already at 4 p.m. The sun was officially setting and darkness was coming soon after.
The Golden Circle
So, we head to the first landmark - crater lake Kerid, which is about 70 km, an hour's time away. We arrived there right at sunrise. There was some entry fee of ISK 300-400. The walls of the crater were covered with little snow, and in the summer it has green moss and low vegetation. Kerið is located in the southeast and belongs to the attractions of the popular tourist route known as the Golden Circle. There is a stepped path that can be reached right to the shore of the lake. We took a few shots with a drone and smoke.
The next place we spent time at Church skálholt. Very beautiful inside. On the side of the building was a typical Viking house with moss on the roof, and the view around was really impressive. Like almost everywhere in Iceland…
–> Browse and book a budget hotel in Iceland at a discount. See HERE!
После стигнахме до долината Хаукадалур, къдто се намира едно от най-големите геотермални полета в света (Haukadalur geothermal area). Не стига, че температурата навън бе около нулата, но и там се вихреше ужасно силен вятър. Имаше няколко по-големи гейзери, множество бълбукващи “локви” и горещи реки с температура около 100 градуса.
The biggest right now there is Geyser Strokkur. Every 5-10 minutes the blue-green water of the pond about 3 m begins to warm up from the magma below it until it starts Cubes, to rise and bulge like a balloon. After which the water bubble bursts and a giant stream of whistling steam and boiling water with a height of more than 22 m flows to the sky. Seconds later, the steam subsides, the water calms down and the geyser subsides until the next eruption. We personally attended 2 of his eruptions. It was quite interesting.
There was free parking next to the geothermal field, and a souvenir shop next to the parking lot, where one can buy an Arctic fox scarf, deer skin, Viking accessories such as a ring, a necklace, a bracelet, cookware. They also sold t-shirts, blouses, jackets with Viking motifs on them. There were also lava stones and other typically Icelandic souvenirs. The prices are terribly expensive.
The next landmark was Gullfoss Waterfall. It is located a few minutes after the geysers. At the foot of the waterfall there is free parking, and on the hill above, there was, in addition to a parking lot, but also a restaurant + a store like the one next to the geysers with all kinds of souvenirs and food at fabulous prices.
The waterfall was very beautiful. The name Gullfoss means Golden Waterfall. The water drops to 32 meters in two stages in a deep canyon with a depth of 70 meters. Gullfoss is one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe with its double cascade of 105 feet.
Like my page on FACEBOOK to be the first to hear about new travel stories and great deals!
I personally was very happy that there were several different points of view from where we could enjoy the sight of the falling water jets. At the foot of the waterfall the weather was cold but no wind. However, climbing up the steep metal stairs and reaching the highest point of view, a chillingly cold and strong wind appeared. For all drones - there is a sign that drone photography is prohibited in the area of the waterfall.
The whole time we were in Iceland, every time I got out of the car or the hotel, I was 100% wearing gloves on my hands. Even at times I was wearing two pairs of gloves. I also wore ski gloves just in case. Well, you want gloves to 🙂 Funny but rational solution, to cut off the tip of the index finger of one glove so that I can take pictures with the phone more easily.
A landmark that we decided to skip, however, is located in this same area of Iceland is Secret Lagoon. It is the oldest natural lagoon in the country, as its working hours in summer are from 12:00. until 8 p.m., and in winter - from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. The entrance is 3000 ISK/person.
If you also want to get back part of the paid amount for hotels, flights or products, register at this link HERE and every new user receives a $10 bonus in the account.
So, after all the sights listed so far, we checked the clock and it only showed 12:30. At lunch, and we had already seen so many and different views! It was too early to go to the hotel, so we wondered where else to hang around this interesting country. Looking at the map of Iceland, we marked a landmark named Gaukshöfði. The road there was about an hour to the south and was a panoramic road along a river. Finally, we turn left and we climbed a steep dirt road to the top of a steep cliff, from where a truly impressive sight opened before us. It was definitely worth coming!
Icelandic Horses
In this area we stopped taking pictures with these uniquely beautiful creatures - Icelandic horses. They are the most popular animal in Iceland that can be seen almost everywhere. As a matter of fact, there was almost no Ring Road on the ring road, but the route of the Golden Circle was full of horses let freely grazing. These are the most beautiful horses I've ever seen. They are characterized by short stature, slightly taller than pony, low legs. Their lush thick, curly mane and feather win everyone's sympathy, along with their friendly personality. They are used to posing with tourists and taking selfies.
The breed is still used for working with livestock as well as for recreation and racing. Not a few horses are also bred for food... Icelandic horses weigh between 330 and 380 kilograms and average 132 and 142 cm tall, which is often considered a pony size, but breeders and breeds in the registers are listed as Icelandic horses. An interesting fact is that a horse that has been taken outside Iceland is not allowed to return again, and this makes it almost impossible for Icelandic horses to participate in international competitions outside the country. The importation of horses into the country is also prohibited.
That's why the Icelandic horse is believed to be the most purebred breed - simply because it has no contact with other breeds. They are the only breed of horse that can feed on fish. The earliest settlers in Iceland (Norwegian Vikings) revered the horse as a symbol of fertility, and white horses were carried in sacrifices and ceremonies.
Iceland has a whole horse law like we do for cyclists. In many places, we met signs on the road that horses may suddenly appear on the road or a sign that we are approaching a city where a person rides a horse, he must get off the horse, walk about 500m. Until the end of the settlement and then he can get on the horse again. Other animals we saw were here and there cows and very rarely sheep.
Our hotel was called Hotel Vatnshol and was generally located in the middle of nowhere. I had booked a self-contained bungalow and it turned out to be small and very narrow inside. At the same time, the bungalow was beautifully furnished, clean, with its own bathroom and toilet, heating, and there was a large window just above the bedroom from where we could see the Northern Lights (which, unfortunately, we couldn't see tonight, nor the next, no evening...) Check out others Budget hotels in the area here.
“Комплексът” на хотела включваше 3 подобни на нашето бунгало, няколко сгради с различни видове стаи, ресторант и зала за игри, където можехме да прекарваме времето вечер. Топлите напитки (кафе, чай, горещ шоколад) и използването на игрите бе безплатно.
КЪМ СЛЕДВАЩИЯ ПЪТЕПИС —> Traveling in Iceland - Day 2: From Vic to Hofn
