Ísland means Iceland
Today, we arrived in Reykjavík. For six years in a row, Iceland has been rated as the country with the world's smallest gender gap, making it the best country in the world for women! Though only around 330,000 people live on the island, Iceland sees over 1,289,140 foreign visitors. With views like this, it's easy to see one of the many reasons why Iceland is such a desirable location. The below photograph was taken out the airplane window, with beams of sunlight shining through the thick fog layer. The land of the midnight sun is certainly beautiful! Fun fact: in Icelandic, Ìsland (ees-land) means Iceland!
After over 14 hours of traveling and no sleep, we arrived in Reykjavik at 6am... and then proceeded to go on a tour. For the entire day. As much as I love traveling to new destinations, it's hard to be able to enjoy something when you're so tired. However, here are some of the highlights...
We drove across lava fields dotted with hot springs. The weather in Iceland is bizarre, as one minute it'll be perfectly sunny and the next minute you can't even see the car in front of you due to thick fog. Pictured below, fog rolls over the hillside in the country.
After a long drive on a foggy road (seriously, it was like something out of a horror movie. I couldn't even see out the window), we arrived at the Geothermal Power Plant of Hellisheioi. Locals utilize the environment around them, harnessing volcanic activity to heat houses, greenhouses, pools and even sidewalks to produce electricity. The architecture in Iceland is quite different than at home. The below photograph was looking up at the museum's ceiling from the entryway.
Finally, it was time to see some Icelandic horses. We arrived at the Eldhestar ("Volcano Horses") Farm and Riding Centre. Icelandic horses are best known for their five gaits and known for its sure-footedness and ability to cross rough terrain. We watched an introductory horse show where riders demonstrated the different gaits, trotting on wooden boards to increase audibility. We were then allowed to walk around the stables.
After a brief stop at the stables, we headed to the hot spring community of Hveragerdi. This town is known for its hot springs and mud pools and is located on an old magma chamber. At these hot springs, bread is baked in the earth for over 24 hours and eggs are also cooked in the boiling hot springs.
After over 14 hours of traveling and no sleep, we arrived in Reykjavik at 6am... and then proceeded to go on a tour. For the entire day. As much as I love traveling to new destinations, it's hard to be able to enjoy something when you're so tired. However, here are some of the highlights...
We drove across lava fields dotted with hot springs. The weather in Iceland is bizarre, as one minute it'll be perfectly sunny and the next minute you can't even see the car in front of you due to thick fog. Pictured below, fog rolls over the hillside in the country.
After a long drive on a foggy road (seriously, it was like something out of a horror movie. I couldn't even see out the window), we arrived at the Geothermal Power Plant of Hellisheioi. Locals utilize the environment around them, harnessing volcanic activity to heat houses, greenhouses, pools and even sidewalks to produce electricity. The architecture in Iceland is quite different than at home. The below photograph was looking up at the museum's ceiling from the entryway.
Finally, it was time to see some Icelandic horses. We arrived at the Eldhestar ("Volcano Horses") Farm and Riding Centre. Icelandic horses are best known for their five gaits and known for its sure-footedness and ability to cross rough terrain. We watched an introductory horse show where riders demonstrated the different gaits, trotting on wooden boards to increase audibility. We were then allowed to walk around the stables.
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After a brief stop at the stables, we headed to the hot spring community of Hveragerdi. This town is known for its hot springs and mud pools and is located on an old magma chamber. At these hot springs, bread is baked in the earth for over 24 hours and eggs are also cooked in the boiling hot springs.
As I've now been up for over 24 hours straight, I think it's time to call it a day. Tomorrow, we head to Greenland in the afternoon to set sail for the Greenland coast and the Canadian High Arctic. Wifi may be unreliable, so be sure to subscribe to get notified of new posts! Follow my instagram @elissatitle for more photography posts.
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