"Sn" Ragazzo1977's photos around Olafsvik, Iceland

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• published: 19 Feb 2011
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Preview of Ragazzo1977's blog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ragazzo1977/1/1278797975/tpod.html This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Olafsvik, Iceland Entry Title: "Sn" Entry: "On this tour we went to the place where Jules Verne got his inspiration for his "Journey to the Center of the Earth". Snæfellsness National Park is otherworldly indeed and one could see how Verne got inspired. Snæfellsjökull as they call it in Icelandic, is the country's smallest glacier and sits atop a volcano in the western part of the country. Our tour began with a stop off for coffee (what else) in the town of Borgarnes which is on the shore of Breiðafjorður. For this would be our last chance for coffee until we get to Anarstapi. Dear God! The horror! Anyway, after our tour guide and the driver gulped down ten cups of coffee, we headed back on the road to Gerðuberg. Along the way passing streams, waterfalls, farms and volcano after volcano. As our tour guide, Gunner points them out one by one, I grow more and more tense. Now, I have very limited knowledge of volcanology but what I DO know is that they erupt from time to time. Spewing ash, lava and lava bombs. The only thing protecting me from this hodge podge of horrors is a bus. I may as well have put my head between my legs and kiss my ass goodbye at that very moment. Making me even more tense was the fact that we were driving past lava fields with a volcano looming in the distance. Oh joy! With nothing about to erupt (yet), we make it to Gerðuberg. Gunner points out a small house with a church next to it which use to be an old settlement that was completely wiped out by one of the hundred or so volcanoes in the area. Eerily, the only house not engulfed by lava was the one next to the in tact church. Anyway, a short hike later we come up to towering basalt cliffs resembling the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland. We then hiked some more past these unbelievable mountain high cascading waterfalls. We approach a stream with a bubbling puddle along side of it. Gunner tells everyone to drink from it. Um, no **** way. Some other people on the tour took a sip and didn't drop dead so my partner and I tried. Tasted like club soda. Pretty gross. We were then told to go to the stream and drink from it. Okay, now you're asking way too much of me. First you drive us to the middle of nowhere surrounded by hundreds of volcanoes. Then you make me drink from a bubbling puddle and now some random stream! How do I know sheep and horses haven't been **** in the water? Well, monkey see, idiot do. It was actually the cleanest water I ever had. Gunner pointed out that the country has some of the cleanest natural water in the world and if you buy bottled water, you're a fool. Our next stop in the park was Ýtri-Tunga Beach. It was nice and relaxing. We spotted some seals resting on the rocks and getting some sun. We then headed to Anarstapi for lunch and a hike. The hike was along the bird cliff lined coast with caves and amazing views of the glacier in the background. Truly a photographer's wet dream. I felt bad because I kept holding up the tour to take pictures. It got to the point when the tour guide was like, "c'mon, much more interesting things to photograph over here!". He was a great sport though and very patient with me. If I were the tour guide I would have been like, "enough with the **** pictures! Move your ass already!" I have no patience hence why I'm not a tour guide. We then came across the statue of Barður, a hero of one of the Icelandic sagas. We then take another hike along Málarif. Another beautiful hike but a bit more torturous for me. We actually had to climb a steep, high hill with not much except a couple wild flowers against you and a thirty meter plunge. My brain said, "just go you chicken ****" but my legs said "**** you!". I literally froze in fear. Now I'm holding the tour up again because I can't make it to the top of the hill to get back down to where the bus is. My partner, Captain Oblivious was already making his way down the other side of the hill. This other couple on the tour with us from Slovakia actually helped me. So I thank them where ever they are. I'm sure they're still laughing at me. We then made it to Djupalonssandur Beach with its beautiful black sand and green hills surrounding it. We drive some more around the glacier until we reach the ..." Read and see more at: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ragazzo1977/1/1278797975/tpod.html Photos from this trip: 1. "Basalt cliffs" 2. "Snæfellsjökull close up" 3. "Along our hike" 4. "From the beach looking back at the glacier" 5. "Anarstapi" See this TripWow and more at http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-00d0-e262-2777?ytv4=1