Wednesday, Touring the Reykjanes Peninsula

The Reykjanes Peninsula is on a drift zone between the North American plate and the Eurasian plate. These plates are separating at a rate of about two centimeters a year, so it's pretty active.

 
Our hotel Racks for drying fish heads

It seems that dried and powdered fish heads are an important export, as they are largely protein. I don't remember who Siggi said buys them.

As usual, a lot of driving was involved. We went to Seltun, with mud pits and a very pretty lake.

 
Bubbling hot mud Paula with mud pits in background

There was a definite smell of sulfur, but it wasn't nearly as strong as I expected.

Hot mud

What more is there to say about mud pits?

 
More mud Black sand, and lake

The Bridge Between Two Continents is a footbridge across a major fissure. It's intended as a symbol of the connection between North America and Europe (or maybe just as a tourist attraction). In any case, it's an impressive example of tectonic plates.

 
Bridge Fissure

It looks easy enough to climb down into the fissure, and people were doing so. I don't know why there is black sand at the bottom (and didn't think to ask, since black sand is everywhere).

 
Fissure Map, with "You are here" marked

We went through large stretches of land that Siggi says he finds very depressing. Just miles of jagged rock, black as coal but less shiny, that the moss hasn't gotten to yet.

 
Beach near lighthouse Typical landscape

We went to see the Reykjanes Lighthouse. It's a very traditional lighthouse--I didn't take a picture. The beach, however, reminded both Isaac and me of the beach in Dunghai (sp?) South Korea.

The last stop of the day was at the Blue Lagoon. No photos, because I didn't want to risk my phone in the lagoon, and there was nothing to see outside it. Our driver managed to take us the short way, past the evacuated houses that were threatened by the volcano--I don't know how he convinced the guard--and there we were forbidden to take pictures (but it was just a typical suburb anyway.

We spent about two hours in the lagoon. It looks just like the pictures--blue, very cloudy so you can seen only three or four inches down into it. I enjoyed it much more than expected. It ranges from about three to four feet deep, and although it's warm everywhere, there are warmer and cooler spots.

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