under the coconut tree

Sunday, December 19, 2004

Where America and Europe divides

After Reykjavik and the hot springs, we ventured further north. Our first stop was Pingvellir National Park, where the shift in tetonic plates mark the divide between the continent of Europe and Northern America. Posted by Hello



The movement of the plates clearly shown in the photo above and below, continues even today at a remarkable rate of 10cm a year! It is said that in years to come, Iceland will be divided into two. Posted by Hello



Our next stop, the magnificent two-tiered Gulfoss waterfalls was certainly a testament to the power of nature - we could feel the blast from the falls even metres away! We wished however that the weather that day was sunnier with rainbows arching across the sky, instead it was gloomy and wet. Oh well - can't expect postcard-like weather everywhere we go. Posted by Hello



We ended our trip by putting our newly acquired horse-riding skills into practise. We were to test our resolve against the legendary Icelandic horses, favoured by the all-conquering Viking warriors. Thankfully this image of a menacing, fiery steed soon dissolved when we saw the petite, lovable and (what turned out to be) good-natured horses. Posted by Hello


We had an enjoyable ride across the volcanic landscape (except the bit where we encountered a painful hail storm later in the afternoon!) - a great end to the trip as we rode off into the sunset. As KL says," John Wayne would have been proud!" Posted by Hello







No comments: