So back on the road again. From Eyjafjallajokull we headed to Gullfoss Waterfall (or better known as the Golden Waterfall). This breathtaking beauty is also one of the celebrated natural wonders of the world. Now this was no ordinarily waterfall. At first it reminded me of a scaled down Niagara Falls, but then as I stood there and took in my surroundings, I realized it was nothing like Niagara Falls. There are no tourists hot spots, no casinos, no mega hotels towering above, there was one little cafe/store, and nothing else except lush vegetation, rushing waters, and the scent of crisp clean air with a hint of wild plants, the way natural beauty should be viewed. There were paths that would lead you right within arms length of the raging waters, so without thinking I was off. After about 20 steps into the path I realized that it was a sheet of ice, no problem, so instead of walking, I skied the whole way down, not even giving it a second thought about how I would get back up the path to where my mom and TK decided to wait. I went down and knowing that the sun was starting to set and we still had one more stop to make, I knew I didn't have much time, so I snapped some pictures, took a deep breath , and started my climb back up. I ended up having to hike up on the bit of grass on the outside of the path to get to the top, but all in all it was worth it.
Some interesting facts about Gullfoss. . .
It is situated on the Canyon of Hvita River or the White river. The Hvita River has three large steps ending at the spectacular Gullfoss falls. Gullfoss Waterfalls are two separate falls, one above the other. The top one or the upper step is 11 meters high; the other is 21 meters high. Its water can flow at an approximate 80 cubic meters per second during winter to about 140 cubic meters per second during summer. The greatest flood to strike the falls was recorded to have an astounding 2000 cubic meters per second outflow of water.. The falls was originally planned to supply electric power by turning it into a hydroelectric plant. The Gullfoss falls was found out to have the capability to produce massive amount of electricity. It is believed that because of the devoted pilgrimage of a farmer’s daughter to preserve the natural beauty of the falls, the plan was surprisingly stopped. Instead of a power plant, a nature reserve was built. A monument of this brave woman was erected in the area in 1978.
Our next and final stop was the Strokkur Geysir which means "the Churn". Although this is the main Geysir the whole area is geothermically active, with many trails winding around steaming vents and mud formations. The Strokkur Geysir spits water about every 5 minutes and can reach heights of 66 feet..
Time to head back to Reykjavik, freshen up and head out for a night on the town. One thing that I love to do is try local cuisine, so that was the plan for the night. Although in Iceland I think it's more of an experiment. The menus consist of everything from the freshest fishes, horse meat fillets, whale, puffin, fermented shark, to burgers and pasta. Needless to say with that in mind tonight was also going to consist of plenty of alcohol (local of course).
Our first stop was to get a hot dog. I know it sounds odd, but this place was not only shown on Anthony Bourdains hit show "No Reservations" , but has also been proud to serve President Bill Clinton, claiming to have the best hot dogs in the world. The place was nothing but a mini trailer a few blocks from our hotel, and I have to admit the hot dogs were quite yummy!
Still on the hunt for a Miller light, while my mother was eating her hot dog she noticed about a block away a pub called the "American Bar" and off she went. TK and I just had to laugh, so after finishing our dogs walked down to meet her, only to break out in hysterics when the American Bar did not have Miller Light. We found our way then to a British Pub where we all tried more Icelandic Brew, and Brennivin (Burnt Wine). Brennivin is actually referred to as "Black Death" to the locals.
We moved on to another local spot and this is where things got interesting. The first thing we ordered was Hakarl, better know as fermented shark. This is prepared by burying the shark meat for 3 months, sometimes longer, until the shark becomes acrid, ammoniac, rubbery, and rotten. Hakarl is actually one of the countries most notorious food rituals, so of course we had to partake in this custom. The shark arrived in a tiny jar, and I could smell it before even opening the lid. It consisted of 3 small pieces, and believe it or not, it was quite delicious. Although the smell was potent, it was just salty goodness, and washed down perfectly with an Icelandic brew.
Next we ordered Puffin. That's right, the tiny, colorful little bird, and are considered a delicacy. Again the food arrived in a tiny jar, with thin slices of Puffin on top of mashed potatoes. Out of everything we tried this was my least favorite. The bird tasted like very strong fish (being that is what their diet consists of) and believe it or not would rather eat the fermented shark. We also tried Mink Whale, which is very similar to a rare fillet. The only thing I could not bring myself to try was the Horse fillet.
This was an amazing day. We covered over 300 miles, saw a glimpse of what this Country has to offer, we had drinks, experimented with our taste buds, and laughed. So what better way to end the evening but to actually see the Northern Lights. We had a tour booked and every night it was canceled, so while ordering another drink to wash down the Shark, and Puffin, our waiter told us that we could see the lights outside. So we rushed outside, tried to get a picture, which did not work, and stood there in awe of the green shimmers floating across the dark Reykjavik sky.
No comments:
Post a Comment