Day 9
We saved the last full day we had in Iceland to tour the Golden Circle, a name given to the 300 km circular route which includes some of Iceland's most famous landmarks: Þingvellir National Park, Geysir, and Gullfoss.

1. Þingvellir National Park. According to Wikitravel: The park is home to the world's longest running Parliament, first established in 930 AD, and also has a dramatic landscape formed as a result of sitting along the border between the North American and European tectonic plates. The tectonic plates are moving apart by 1 inch/year.


2. Þingvellir National Park.


3. Þingvellir National Park.


4. Þingvellir National Park.


The English word "geyser" is derived from the Icelandic word "geysir" which means gusher. Though the Great Geysir itself is now inactive, the area surrounding it is geothermally very active with many smaller hot springs.

5. Litli Geysir (Little Geysir).


6. Does it look like a pair of glasses?


7. Strokkur geyser which erupted every 4 - 8 minutes provided constant entertainment. People yelled in anticipation when they thought it would erupt and moaned all together when it didn't. A group of Filipinos were especially animated when we were there. Everyone was laughing and having a good time thanks to them.


8. Strokkur geyser.


9. Strokkur geyser.


10. Strokkur geyser.


11. Gullfoss.


12. Gullfoss.


13. Kerið crater along route 35. The caldera is approximately 55 m (180 ft) deep, 170 m (560 ft) wide, and 270 m (890 ft) across. The steep circular slopes resemble an ancient amphitheatre. It's said that in the summer of 1987, a concert was held here, with the performers (including Björk) on a raft on the lake and the audience sitting on one of the slopes of the crater.


(To be continued)