We had a great last full day in Iceland exploring more of its beauty! Our first stop was at a crater which was formed by gas trapped under lava that exploded. Ground water filled the crater.
While driving through the countryside we saw greenhouses which are Iceland's way of producing fruits and vegetables. We also learned a bit about salmon fishing in Icelandic rivers. Many famous people come to fish in Iceland.
Our second stop was at the most famous church in southern Iceland. Our bus driver (and also a famous Icelandic musician) sang the Icelandic national anthem there.
Our third stop was at Gullfoss (or the Golden Falls). There were two separate waterfalls, the upper one with a drop of 11 meters, and the lower one with a drop of 21 meters. The waterfalls have been pursued for hydroelectric power purposes, however many are reluctant to allow man to alter one of Iceland's most beautiful sights.
Our fourth stop was at Geysir, which is the most famous geyser in the world. The geyser shoots hot water 60-80 feet up in the air. We ate a buffet lunch at Hotel Geysir. Once again, we tried many different traditional Icelandic foods which included lots of fish. We went to a museum where there was an earthquake simulation.
Our fifth stop was at another waterfall. Lastly, we viewed Hekla, a 4,892 foot volcano which was known as the gate to hell during the Middle Ages.
Tomorrow we head to Copenhagen, Denmark. We have all made some great memories in Iceland, but we look forward to learning about wind energy in Denmark this upcoming week.
