Geysers, hot water and falls (Fire and Ice part 3!)

GEYSERS, HOT WATER AND FALLS

Well it wasn't all about swimming while i was over in Iceland, there are some other natural beauties to be seen as well.

The Geysers are incredible, as you approach the river literally bubbles at you. Steam rises mystically through the last of the days sunshine....then the smell of sulphur hits....yuk, gag, yuk.....its not nasally pleasant but is to be found all over the island.

Warning signs abound not to touch the water....to be honest you would have to be pretty dumb to do so but apparently there are the chosen few who want to try out the temperature despite it visibly bubbling and boiling away in front of them...the tales of skin being stripped from bone was enough to reassure me not to attempt it.....but i will admit that the mind was curious!! Would the normal rational person plunge their hand into a pan of boiling water.....no...but apparently visitors have been known to!!!

The main Geyser was a ten minute walk up the hill, it stand look demure and unassuming, the water rising and lowing without a hint of the formidable strength that will purge boiling water from what looks to be a tiny hole. Even while i was stood waiting for the geyser to display its strength the thought did cross my mind of the sheer power that mother nature was harnessing in the ground below where i stood.

Such is the power that the geyser displays in wondrous splendour roughly every fifteen minutes, surprisingly very little steam appeared to be emitted as if mother nature preferred to surprise you with her power than give you her wonders all in one go. The tiny holes in the earths surface bubbles and cackle as you stand and stare....there really is boiling water less than a meter away from my feet and yet my eyes are mesmerised by it. The river running by bubbles and gurgles as it belches red hot steam into the air.

Cameras at the ready, Roger gearing up his airborn go pro, Shane carefully placing his as close as he dares to go to the waters heat.

The group of people stood  patiently waiting showed me i was in the right place for the big one. Sometimes it goes once, i was lucky to see it shoot its contents skyward three times in a row twice. Mother nature teasing us with her power i am sure. The water exiting was 100 degrees....gulp!


http://youtu.be/Q6-eD887bjE


Its not just the geysers that make the eyes water, the air has the strong odour of sulphur when around the boiling water, and no where was this more apparent than at another visitors spot, no big pools of water but a stream which belched out steam and on closer inspection was surrounded by small bubbling holes in the ground, clay like in appearance

http://youtu.be/fIf1CxAcB10

I still can't get over how the land can beltch out water hot enough to strip the skin from your bones and yet still look so fascinating.

Where the water is not bubbling it is flowing like a steady stream of diamonds glinting in the light from the many waterfalls that you will pass along the way, and one of the best to see was kept until last.



This giant of a fall was special in that we were able to walk behind it....and yes before you thought this was not a swimmy blog...the waterfall was swam in!!!! Roger Taylor taking the lead and stripping off first, his entry into the depths brought those walking round the fall to a compete standstill, once submerged a round of applause and cheering became apparent from the spectators previously frozen in awe of this man...braver than most attempting to get under the pounding water, alas the strength of the water prevented this...

The trip just gets better and better, the landscape as you see allows us to play in it too!!!...next instalment coming soon!!!