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Location: Golden Circle
After a restful night, the squad woke up for some Rice Krispies and granola with Icelandic yogurt that was good fuel for the activity-packed day. We met our guide for the day Jammi (pronounced like Yummy- which is awesome), who drove us around the Golden Circle. Our first stop was a volcano called Kerið with beautiful clear blue water in the crater. We circled the ridge and even walked down to touch the water while taking ~artsy~ pictures the whole time.
Next, we were on our way to the geysers. First came a walk with a lot of lupine and “hot pots” smelling like hard-boiled eggs. And after that, we worked our way over to see the third biggest active geyser in the world. We were lucky enough to see it erupt a couple of times! After a nice lunch, we got back on the road to the stunning Gullfass waterfalls. We took a short walk down to the edge. People were glad to be in the midst of the crashing water and to see the incredible views and scenery.
Lastly, we headed to Þingvellir National Park, where we were introduced to our enemies of the days… black flies. They don’t bite, but they swarm your face like nothing we’ve ever seen. We walked down the hill chased by the flies to Silfra. Everyone had been looking forward to snorkeling this geological marvel. Snorkeling in 38 degrees Fahrenheit is not something you get to do every day. We met our second guide, Ele, and suited up in our warm layers and dry suits. Then we hopped in the water to swim between the tectonic plates of North America and Europe! We floated over jagged rocks while swimming in the fresh, drinkable, bright blue water. Delicious cookies and hot chocolate awaited us as we emerged and freed ourselves from the skin-tight suits. We said goodbye to Ele and were off again.
Before we made our way home, we stopped quickly at Öxarárfoss, which is a waterfall where they would execute the criminals of the past in a multitude of ways including chopping off heads or drowning people. And at this point, we had seen all of the Golden Circle and drove home with a sleepy crowd after a long day. We were dropped off at our house, said goodbye to Jammi, then made our dinner that we are about to enjoy right now! It was a jam-packed day, but we all had a great time.
p.s. More Iceland photos from the Silfra snorkel to come! Keep reading our Iceland blog to see our volunteer work.