10 Jan 09
100_0116
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10 Jan 09
Sigur Ros, Live from Reykjavik The reason I went to Iceland in the first place!
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10 Jan 09
Sunset over Gulfoss To get to this vantage point, I had to walk along a narrow, icy path seen to the right. No fence, rope, or wall prevents a fall into the falls. At one point, the path was less than 2 feet wide.
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10 Jan 09
Gulfoss Gulfoss is a waterfall in Iceland. During the winter, as the mist rises, it lands and freezes. The narrow walkway seen to the left can be (very carefully!) be traveled upon to get to the vantage point seen in the next photo. This was a very scary walk, as nothing is between you and a slip on the ice into the falls...
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10 Jan 09
Land of Fire & Ice
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10 Jan 09
Geysirs The word geyser is an Icelandic word that English has adopted. Many geysirs occur naturally throughout Iceland. This particular geysir is called Strokkur.
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10 Jan 09
Volcanic Crater Bjork once performed a concert from the center of the crater.
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10 Jan 09
Icelandic Horses The Icelandic Horse is its own species. the vikings prefered smaller horses so that they could fit more of them on their ships. Since these horses arrived in Iceland, their breeding has come under strict regulation -- so they are still small today. Many horses are wild in Iceland -- and horse is considered a delicacy in many fine restaurants. Note the steam coming off their backs!
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10 Jan 09
Natural Hotspring in Iceland! These are EVERYWHERE! The sulfur in the water would condense and cling to rocks -- Hence the pure white mud!
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10 Jan 09
Sunset in Iceland... or is it? I was in Iceland in the winter -- it was light out for 4-5 hours a day when I was there (and each day had 7 minutes less sunlight than the previous day). The sun never fully rose -- it always hung out near the horizon.
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10 Jan 09
From the bell tower of Hallgrimskirkja Looking over Reykjavik
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10 Jan 09
Tallest building in Iceland: Hallgrimskirkja Prouncounced Hal-grim-skirk-ya -- with a roll of the tongue on the grim and the skirk sylables. The vast majority of Icelanders are Lutherans. This Lutheran church is a symbol of Reykjavik. In front is a statue of Lief Erikson -- whom Icelanders claim is the real "discoverer" of America. The statue was donated to Iceland by the United States Government.
Speaking of "Erikson", Icelanders do not have last names. Their last name is simply their father's first name with "son" or "dottir" added to
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10 Jan 09
Icelandic Sign The lcelandic language is spoken by about 350,000 worldwide. Icelanders are proud of their heritage. Strict immigration regulations mean that over 90% of Icelanders can trace their ancestry back to the Vikings. The language has also been well preserved. In English, this sign is pronounced "Fiskbooth Haflitha"
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10 Jan 09
A street in Reykjavik. Iceland is one of the most beautiful places in the world! Because its currency, the Kroner, has devalued so much over the last year, the American dollar is strong there. Icelandair.com often offers round trips plus 3-night hotel stays for less than $500!
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10 Jan 09
Historic Building It was here in this building, located in Reykjavik, where President Reagan met with Gorbechov to begin peace talks to end the Cold War. The two powers chose Iceland as a meeting location because of it's geographic position and it's neutrality in the Cold War.
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10 Jan 09
This rock found near Reykjavik, contains a fossil The beauty of Iceland is its pureness! I was walking along the shoreline near Reykjavik, looked down, and just saw this rock sitting there with an insect fossil on it!
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10 Jan 09
Mount Esja, near Reykjavik
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