Reykjavik, Iceland, August 13, 2017

Reykjavik, Iceland, August 13, 2017

Day Two

The Icelandic alphabet has 38 letters. No QWERTY keyboard for these folks. Icelandic is the official language and the first one children learn at home and at school. It's the root of most Scandinavian languages, especially Danish, so that's usually language number two. Then English. Then it used to be Spanish but now Chinese is quite popular. I still remember our guide Kevin in China years ago who was stunned that Americans (and evidently Icelanders) were learning Chinese. He just said, "Why? We're all learning English."

Unlike yesterday's Meanie Beanie (As we were wandering about she included a 45 minute screed on how tourists were ruining the island for Icelanders. Not exactly the usual upbeat, cordial representative), our guide on day two was a pleasant chap named something unpronounceable  (Just call me Randy) who told us that it was a constant effort to keep the Icelandic language alive and unsullied by foreign phrases. "It's hard to learn and hard to speak."

As we set off at 7:30 AM on the classic, all day tour "Best of the Golden Circle: Thingvellir, Gullfoss & Geyser" Jim and I realized we had visited half of the scheduled sites the day before. I'm not quite sure how it happened but, oh well we didn't see the waterfall (Gullfoss) or Geyser yesterday so lead on. The Koningsdam arrived late yesterday afternoon. It's twice as big as the Rotterdam with twice as many people, most of whom seem to be headed on the Golden Circle, too. I counted at least eleven buses being loaded. It's also Sunday in the height of the tourist season. And it's sunny. Every place we visited was mobbed. Fortunately most of them are wide open and vast and can accommodate a lot of people. The parking lots? Not so much. But who cares? I'm not driving and neither is the put-upon Gregor from yesterday. Today's driver is a veteran who could probably handle this blindfolded and is more than happy to hem in the occasional rental car bold enough to park in a Bus Only slot. Hey, life ain't pretty on the lava fields.

Iceland has some cone-shaped volcanoes that spew and bellow but it has more volcanic rifts. They're literally rips in the earth's surface where the lava is released either as rocks or flow. This island is part of the mid-Atlantic range that stretches between the hemispheres. It is part of the constantly growing underwater range that has broken the surface. Geologically it's the newest place on earth. The land stretches out all lumpy and bumpy because those rocks have yet to break down. And in the thermal areas, here and there steam just drifts up from the ground.

The population lives along the coast. Not only is there ice in them thar hills, but Randy keeps calling it the uninhabitable wilderness. It seems that people are lost out there - forever! - every year. It's not that they're eaten by something ferocious. The only native mammal is a white fox. Randy says the wilderness just swallows them up. Yowza.

Geyser is an Icelandic word pronounced with a lot of rolling Rs and th sounds, but it means the same thing in English. The Geyser Geothermal Area east of Reykjavik is in the farming region. In the midst of the multitude of hot springs is a geyser that goes off every five minutes or so. This eruption is dependable enough that the park has enough visitors to support a hotel, restaurant and store. The thermal fields are quite extensive with endless paths to lead one safely around and over the hot water flowing in little streams. There is also a big sign at the entrance alerting that you are here at your own risk with 9 rules and reasons why you should NOT touch the springs, mud or water. The last on the list: The nearest hospital is 62 Kilometers away. I gave up counting the number of people walking through the streams or sticking their hands in the water. It's another Darwinian spot to wean out the idiots.

Hundreds if not thousands of people are wandering all around the park with a number shoulder to shoulder in a big circle around the geyser (ropes to keep everyone at an appropriate distance), cameras, phones and iPads (sorry iPad photo takers, but you always have your machine blocking the view of everyone around you. Use your phone, dammit.) ready to hit the button when it blows. It steams, it steams, it steams and then, boom! It spouts a fountain of water at least 50 feet straight up into the air. Click, click, click......and then everyone lowers their photographic equipment and watches the water fall back down and disappear. Bucket list: Geyser. Check.

There was a great store with tons of stuff but the prices were heart stopping. $50 US for a Tshirt. Made in Portugal! And anything either knitted or with fur was in the hundreds. Pass. I might just be leaving Iceland with memories not merch.

Onward to Gullfoss, which somehow in Icelandic is also pronounced with rolling Rs and Th sounds. However you say it, Gullfoss is rightly labeled the most beautiful waterfall in Iceland. The water is melted glacier ice that flows 180 km down the White River to this canyon with a wide and steep drop. It's clearly set up for the thousands of people who visit with firm gravel paths, wooden walkways and stairs that take you down to River level. Gullfoss means golden shower and when the sun hits the water as it goes over the edge it does look golden. Very impressive. Jim and I walked along the top of the canyon enjoying the sight, sound and mist. I think I like the sound the best. Before you reach the canyon you hear the thunder of the water hitting the rocks. One of the informational signs along the walkway told exactly how much water went over the falls every second or minute. I can't remember the number other than it was big!

There are a lot of sheep and horses in Iceland. 500,000 of the former and a whole lot of the latter. It seems that every field and pasture has horses. Yesterday our guidette kept telling us the sheep were for wool and the horses for recreation. Hmmm. Waaaay too many for wool and riding. She finally conceded that they ate both sheep and horses. And Puffins. Not the Puffins! Intellectually I know that hamburgers come from cattle (finger in each ear, "la la la la la") but the sheep are shaggy, the horses beautiful and the Puffins just too cute for words. I saw a KFC along the way. I can only hope it really is KFC not KFP.

Our last stop was the same power station we visited yesterday. Since I hadn't gained any scientific enlightenment overnight I decided to chillax on the bus while the others went in. After about five minutes or so I decided to turn on my phone and see if there was wifi available. Surprise! Yes! And a strong signal. Let the mail reading and podcast downloading begin. It was all just arriving at lightning speed and then, gradually it slowed to a crawl. I looked up and counted 13 buses that had arrived while I wasn't paying attention. No doubt at least half of them had seized upon the wifi, too. I do hate to share.

We arrived back at the pier on time and in time to watch the Koningsdam slowly pull from the dock and head out. We left 5:30ish for Norway, two sea days east. The seas have been so calm so far. Is that tempting fate to write that?