Gone to Iceland!
Most Brits like to go to sunnier surroundings for their holidays, so it was no surprise when I received the ‘are you crazy?!’ looks when I announced that Iceland was my destination of choice for my annual holiday. A twist on a certain famous supermarket slogan, which bears the name of the country, was banded around. But I was certainly going to Iceland!
One day I was looking out of the window at the miserable British rainy weather. The next I was standing on top of the canyon staring down into the plunging depths of one hundred and five feet into the crevice of Gullfoss waterfall. With the fresh air against my face, the spray of the waterfall and the sound of the velocity of water gushing over the edge, I had been catapulted into the very heart of nature. I felt on top of the world!!
And suddenly the clock was ticking. Everyone was holding their breaths waiting, waiting in great anticipation for nature to produce one of its finest displays. And almost without warning it came, whoosh! Just like that. Blink and you missed it. But the wonderful thing about the geyser in Iceland is that if you really did miss it, nature gives you the chance to see it again. This is a show that has been going on for over 10000 years and yet I could never grow tired of it. Eight minutes later, just like that, earth erupts shooting out water to up 30 metres high with temperatures reaching to 200 degrees Celsius. Amazing! Something that technology could never match.
And then my heart was pounding as I walked across the mid-ocean ridge at Thingvellir in trepidation. You see this is the point at which the North American and Eurasian plates meet. Mother Nature by her very nature is unpredictable and so I moved along with my fingers crossed hoping that she had not chosen today to move the plates! Phew! I got through that walk in one piece. Another trail I wanted to hike was the famous Laugavegur Trail - this will have to wait until next time though. There will be a next time and soon as I just cannot wait to get back to this incredible place.
So to summarise, a day sightseeing in Iceland embodies a roller coaster of emotions- excitement, thrill, anticipation and fear. For a country that receives very little limelight, it certainly has some hidden gems. All in a day’s work as they say!
R. Da Costa.
