When I got to Iceland, I was immediately struck by
the unique natural beauty and absence of pollution.
These things make the island stand out from other
places, as it is truly untouched by problems that exist in
the rest of the world. One of the reasons that Iceland
is such an amazing place is that about half of the island
is made up of volcanoes and a mountainous lava desert.
Who would imagine that a place with a name like
‘Iceland’ would feature landscape like that? Of course,
Iceland also has several glaciers, or ‘frozen rivers’, and
many fjords. Plus, it has more land covered by glaciers
than anywhere else in Europe. So, when you think of it,
the name Iceland does make sense after all!
When I was told that my trip to Iceland had been
scheduled for the first week in January, what I expected
was extreme cold. However, I was in for a surprise. The
climate of Iceland is milder in winter than most people
think. In Reykjavik, the average temperature in January
is 5oC and although winds and gales are common in
winter, thunderstorms are extremely rare. As it turned
out, the weather was no obstacle to my expeditions to
some fascinating places.
I have been travelling around the world for more
than a quarter of a century, and I have been to several
breathtaking natural wonders. Very few of them can be
compared to the Great Geyser in Haukadalur in South
Iceland. This geyser, or hot spouting spring, spouts
hot water to a height of 60 metres, which is a truly
remarkable and incredible sight! Another extraordinary
sight I visited was the famous volcano of Hekla, one
of the 200 active volcanoes in the country. Its first
recorded eruption was 1000 years ago and since then
there has been a series of eruptions, some of which were
gentle while others caused significant damage to the
nearby countryside.
In addition to volcanic activity, Iceland is richer in hot
springs and high temperature geothermal activity than
any other country in the world! The inhabitants of
Iceland are very creative and technologically advanced,
and they have managed to harness the energy of their
natural resources. They have built a power station
which collects and uses the natural geothermal heat
produced under the ground to meet the energy needs
of the island. The Icelanders have also used geothermal
heat for open-air swimming pools and spas, where
people can enjoy a dip in the relaxing thermal water.
Plus, these thermal spas are famous for their numerous
health benefits. So, who wouldn’t want to indulge in a
stay at one of them? Naturally, I had made a reservation
at one of the most popular spas, and it was an experience
I will never forget!
!
What I found most difficult to get used to was the lack
of daylight. You see in Iceland for two to three months
of the year, there is continuous daylight, but from
November to January there is an intensely dark period
with only 2 to 3 hours of daylight per day. However, the
breathtaking experience of seeing the Aurora Borealis,
or Northern Lights, made up for this state of almost
total darkness. This is a spectacular sight which you can
admire especially well in Iceland on cold, clear nights
from September to March. The sky lights up with many
different colours caused by the interaction of particles
from the sun with the earth’s magnetic field.
About four fifths of the population of Iceland live near
the capital, Reykjavik, and the surrounding coastal
areas. The Icelanders are not characterised only by
high standards of living and a high level of technology
and education. Their culture is very rich with strong
traditions in literature and art. Reykjavik has an annual
cultural event every third week in August which attracts
about 100,000 people from all over the world. This
event offers numerous exciting types of entertainment,
such as art exhibitions, fairs and fireworks displays. Of
course, throughout the year visitors can participate in
a variety of fun activities. I myself particularly enjoyed
riding on a famous Icelandic pony, river rafting, whale
watching and hiking on glaciers.
Iceland is a land of contrasts and quite a unique place
not only in terms of geographical features. The wild
Icelandic landscape invites the adventurous traveller,
and the Icelandic people set an example with their
environmentally-friendly policies