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Gulfoss
Gulfoss is quite windy and gigantic and apparently so is my head!Today, Cara and I traveled out of the city and into the countryside. We toured "The Golden Circle" (No, Greg Breault, this "Golden Circle" is nothing like the one you had in Bangkok with 3 Thai hookers). Active volcanos, glaciers, bubbling mineral pools, geysirs. fuming steam vents, and crystal clear crater lakes make Iceland a geologists' playground. We had an incredible experience visiting a geological grand-slam that includes the American and Eurasian continental rift, Gulfoss- a massive cascading waterfall, and a geysir field.
The edge of the American continental plate ripples along the terrain like the sharp spine of a prehistoric serpent. Standing at the edge of what amounts to over 5 mile wide crack in the earth was awe-inspiring. This is where the American and Eurasian continental plates meet and drift apart, sinking the cooled lava field between them 2cm every year. This is also where the Vikings who first settled ruled Iceland convened their Parliment once a year beginning in 930 A.D. Cara and I also learned how to tell when a geysir is about to erupt (and also how to run)!
Lastly, we visited a small town outside of Reykjavik which is a model of self-sufficiency.
Pingvellir
The American-Eurasian Continetal Rift. The landscape here defies my ability to capture it in photography or description. I feel like I'm watching the formation of the earth. Each home has tapped its own thermal spring which provides all the homes' heating and water needs but also sustains a greenhouse.
Icelanders use a patrynomic system of naming which means that everyone is listed in the phonebook by their first name. Their language is also virtually identical to the language of the original Viking settlers and differs only in pronounciation and with the addition of words like "internet." Let me tell you, at first, I was worried since I left my Bjork cd's in Boston, I wouldn't be able to listen to her music. Thankfully, my worries were soon alleviated as every shop, cafe, restaurant, museum, bus, airport and bus terminal was more than happy to pipe Bjork constantly and uninterrupted for my easy-listening pleasure.
That's all for now. My short stay in Iceland has been fantastic. I can't wait to return. We have a 7am flight to Paris tommorrow so goodnight everyone.
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