Into the Glacier

May 16, 2016

Today’s adventures began with a simple bowl of cheerios. As you probably know by now, I have a great appreciation for food. The quality of your food can influence the quality of your day. We hopped in the Golden Gopher and left Grundarfjodur around 10:30. We made a pit stop in Borgarnes an hour later to shop and use the WC (water closet). I took the opportunity to purchase some much needed scenic postcards and international stamps for family and friends. When Jessie and I headed back to the bus, we were sadly informed that the Golden Gopher had broken down. A lot of us pitched in to help push it so that there would be enough space for it to be towed. While we were all waiting on the replacement bus, the Golden Goose, we ate lunch. Jessie and I shared a fabulous carnivore pizza with extra cheese and absolutely no vegetables. After lunch we got to meet our new traveling companion, the Golden Goose, a much larger bus. The Golden Goose has enough rows so that just about everyone can have one to themselves. Despite the extra personal space, the Golden Gopher will be missed.

Our first geological stop was the Dartunguhver Thermal Spring. The spring produces 180 liters of water and it has been used in central heating ever since 1925. The temperature in the spring is 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The total production capacity of the area is 62 megawatts. A distribution pipe connects Deildartunguhver to Akranes, Borgarnes, and Hvanneyri.  Its length is 74 meters, making it the longest of its kind in the world. The steam carried the usual aroma of rotten eggs that I have gradually become accustomed to. I suppose it helps that I am a fan of hard boiled eggs. The smell actually made me a bit hungry. It always feels good to stand near the steam for warmth, but every now and then the wind blows and showers you in water droplets. I got way more excited than I should have to see a fluffy black and white dog trotting about. Of course I had to give him a nice belly rub before we left.

Dartunguhver Thermal Spring

Next up was Snorrastastofa Church and The Old Farmstead. Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241) was a chieftain during the commonwealth period of Iceland. He was also a poet and historian. He is believed to have had a regal home in Reykholt at the height of his career. No one knows exactly what his farmstead looked like, but a hot water bath was discovered on the property. The hot water was sourced from geothermally heated hot springs. An old bathhouse was also excavated. It is possible that it could have been a sauna.

Snorrastastofa Church

Snorri Sturluson

Hot Bath

The highlight of the day, and my favorite place that we have visited so far, was the ice cave inside of Langjokull Glacier, Iceland's second largest glacier. We rode a huge snowmobile to get to the top of the glacier. Once we arrived at the cave we were given snow shoes so that we could walk safely on the ice. It is amazing to think about all the planning that went into its construction. It took four years for engineers, scientists, and architects to design it. The tunnel took us 25-30 meters below the surface. One of the neat things about being so deep in the glacier was being able to see ice and ice bubbles that date back to 800,000 years ago.

-HET