The Golden Circle is a popular route for viewing some of the best-known natural sites in Iceland. This route normally takes you to Gullfoss, Geysir and Pingvellir National Park but our tour guide took us to three bonus sites – Moss Heath, Skógafoss and Seljalandfoss, the last two are waterfalls but smaller than Gullfoss. FOSS is the Icelandic word for WATERFALLS.

Our first stop was Moss Heath where we saw moss-covered lava fields as far as the eye can see. The moss is very fragile, so visitors must stay on marked paths to avoid damaging the delicate ecosystem. Weather was cooperating so far!

Next was Skógafoss, considered to be one of the island’s most beautiful waterfalls. It is 50 feet wide and 200 feet high. The air was damp when we arrived at the place, whether it was from the waterfall or drizzle it was difficult to say.

There is a steep walkway that would take you to the mountain top overlooking the valley below; however, my traveling companions declined to climb it. We saw a large group of young people donned in hiking and climbing gear all eager to conquer the mountain. Our guide informed us that they were hiking for 9 miles to another foss.

A couple of folks in our group were late coming back at the designated time since they climbed the mountain. At this time, several of us were asking if there was a restroom nearby. Askje told us to “hold it” for now and we can use one in the next stop.

Seljalandfoss was the next bonus site we visited. It was smaller than Skógafoss. Several in our group dared venture to walk behind the falls. We stayed put. Trini and I had been to the majestic Iguazu Falls in South America that even the more popular Niagara Falls pale in comparison which is the reason why we’re not that excited visiting these waterfalls. (FYI: Iguazu falls width is 1.7 miles compared to Niagara’s 1 mile and it consists of about 275 individual drops whereas Niagara only has 4).

By the time we arrived in our next site, Geysir, it was again drizzling and cold. Geysir is the original term for the English geyser. For those of us who have been to Yellowstone Park and witnessed Old Faithful spew its steam hundreds of feet in the air, Geysir was barely a mist emanating from the earth. Several in our group, including Trini, Oya and Tommy declined to walk the short distance due to the rain and the tour guide was offended. I went along and witnessed one “blow” for a second and went back to the food court to look for Trini.

After about 20 minutes looking for Trini in the very crowded (a refuge from the rain) food court/souvenir store, I saw her sitting with two others in our group. I ordered minestrone soup with bread, potato chips and coke zero which cost me the price of a good dinner in the U.S. (not complaining, I’m in a tourist trap after all).

Our next stop was the two-tiered Gullfoss waterfall. It was raining hard by now so I pulled the folding umbrella from my backpack. The four of us made our way walking very slowly along a rocky path going downhill. I was worried that Trini might slip and fall as she has already a healing knee injury. We were halfway when I realized that I forgot my cellphone in the minibus! We continued on and this waterfall was more spectacular than the other two smaller falls. We witnessed the two-tiered falls plunging 36 feet (11m) then 70 feet (21m) into a rugged canyon. The roaring cascade was loud. The view could have been better had it not been raining. We slowly and carefully slogged our way back which annoyed some younger visitors who walked much quicker than these seniors, but we didn’t care.

As soon as we reached the parking lot, I ran to our mini-bus to get my cellphone and took the above photos.

Our last stop (collective sigh of relief) was the UNESCO World Heritage Site – Thingvellir National Park. Fortunately, the rain has stopped when we arrived. Askje, our guide/driver asked a show of hands who wanted to hike up to the top of the site. Half of us raised our hands, the others decided to stay in the van (including Trini, Oya and Tommy) and meet us in the top of the park. It was a decent incline but my heart was pumping hard by the time we finished the almost one mile hike.

Thingvellir (or, in Icelandic, Þingvellir) is the only place in the world where you can stand between two continental plates (North American and Eurasian), in a distinctive geological landscape that changes every year. Part of the Golden Circle, Þingvellir is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an important historical location in Iceland.

Finally, our 5-day tour was over! It was a lot of hard work for us seniors but well worth it! According to Askje, our guide/driver, we drove a total of 1,000 km (600 mi) during our tours! Would I do it again, maybe not, but I’m glad I booked this unique vacation-of-a-lifetime. We’ve experienced things the average traveler may not.

Iceland is a dramatic island nation known as the “Land of Fire and Ice” for its active volcanoes and large glaciers, characterized by other-worldly landscapes including lava fields, waterfalls, hot springs, and mountains. Geologically unique as it sits atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland has high volcanic and geothermal activity, which provides much of its natural heat and energy. The country also features a unique culture with strong connections to Viking heritage, literature, and outdoor activities like bathing in hot springs and observing the Aurora Borealis. (Google)

DAY 5 – Departure day. I strongly recommend a visit to this great island nation at least once in your lifetime!

After our buffet breakfast, Askej (our tour guide/driver) picked us up at 8:15 am to go visit Iceland’s top gems, the spectacular Jökulsárión glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach. The weather was perfect – dry and occasional sun-peeking out of the fluffy clouds. But I still had to wear my parka jacket though since it was still in the 40’s. We saw several small waterfalls along the way, the almost barren fields dotted with black and white objects which I found out later were sheep. I also spotted horses grazing from a distance that were much smaller than the average equine. Our guide told us that for the last thousand years Iceland’s horses’ small stature was a result of their adaptation to the island’s harsh environment and scarce food supply and demand for long distance travel. We stopped by an area where a glacier was nestled between two mountain slopes. The vistas are very different to the point where you can describe them as “dramatic and otherworldly“.

After about an hour drive we arrived at our destination. It was still early but the parking lot was already full with tourist buses, vans, mini-buses and rental SUV’s. Askej led us along a stony path that led us to to the rugged shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. Like the black beach, this was a unique experience to actually set foot on a beach strewn with “diamond” boulders”! We learned that these huge broken pieces of icebergs came from the glacier lagoon. Again, another group photo!

From the beach, we walked about half a mile to Glacier Lagoon. Surprisingly, the weather was cooperating this morning. It was windy and a sudden strong gust of wind almost knocked me down! The path was noticeably filled with tourists from all over the world! We admired the Asian tourists who wore fashionable cold weather apparels.

A result of global warming no doubt! The floating iceberg come from the glacial mountain and are broken due to increasing temperatures. In some areas, many glaciers have receded hundreds of meters if not thousands!

We were famished from all that walking but we had to wait for the food trucks to open at 11:30 am. I stood in line to buy lobster soup and Oya went to the other food truck to buy fish and chips. By the way, it is very expensive in Iceland more than most European countries! One reason is that they import almost everything. They cannot grow any crops due to the harsh weather. Iceland’s main sources of income are tourism, fisheries, and aluminum production.

Our last stop for the day was in Vatnajökull National Park where we visited another glacier area in Freysnes. Tired from all the walking we did in the morning, reaching this one was a challenge since you had to walk close to a mile in a sloping rocky road! But we did it!

Before we went back to the hotel, we stopped by an old chapel with a beautiful albeit smaller waterfalls in the background. Askje “baptized” each one of us and “christened” us Icelandic names!

We went back to our hotel and that night I enjoyed my lamb stew!

After our cruise with the Regal Princess where my wife, Trini and seven other couples celebrated their 50th Anniversary of their arrival in the U.S., Trini, Oya and Tommy Holgado and myself flew to Reykjavik, Iceland.

Nicknamed the “Land of Fire and Ice,” Iceland is home to volcanoes, glaciers, geothermal hot springs (like the Blue Lagoon), and lava fields. Reykjavik is the only capital city in Western Europe without a McDonald’s franchise, as the last one closed in 2009. The entire population of the island is less than 500,000. According to the Global Peace Index, Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world and has no army, navy, or air force. 

Our travel agent from California, Cesar Gatchalian, booked us this Iceland package. Cesar has been really very diligent with our bookings, the reason why we kept going back to him. We were picked up at the airport and taken to our hotel in the capital city of Reykjavik. The weather was gloomy, windy and cold. That night we were booked to “try” and see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) which we’ve seen before (hazy) during our cruise in Norway and vacation in Maine. We were hoping we’d be able to see a more vivid display of this phenomenon. At 9:00 pm we were picked up from our hotel and driven for about an hour and a half outside the city where lights are minimal or non-existent. We waited and waited freezing under the stars but the elusive Northern Lights refused to appear. Again, we were disappointed.

The following morning after breakfast, we were picked up from our hotel by a mini bus along with 14 other tourists from the Unites States, Spain and Australia. We drove along the southern coast of the island toward Kirkjubaejarlaustur. The rain was on and off and the temperature was heading south. We stopped in a small town called Vik (much shorter than Kirkjubaejarlaustur). From there, two monstrous off-track jeeps took us to one of many glacier areas in Iceland.

Our group of 16 were divided in two groups of 8. The tour guides gave us the mandatory safety lectures and provided us with hard hats and crampons (a shoe contraption with spikes to help your footing on slippery trails).

Around this time, it was again drizzling and getting windy. Our guides led the way uphill with a gradual slope. Then I realized why we were wearing crampons! We were actually treading on ice! Thankfully, they had small ropes to hold on to during the ascent. Our group had to stop occasionally to let other groups going the opposite way pass as the trails were narrow.

I was worried that Trini and Oya might not make it to the Ice Cave, but they did! The tour guide’s great sense of humor immensely helped our morale. The guy was funny constantly cracking jokes up to the very top. And our efforts eventually paid off, the view from the cave was amazing and the cave itself was something we’ve never seen before. The shimmering bluish walls and the roaring river underneath us was too beautiful to describe.

On our way back to our vehicles, the guides stopped and started breaking ice from the ground. They each gave us a plastic shot glass and one of them pulled a bottle of their traditional alcoholic drink called Brennivín, a clear, unsweetened schnapps nicknamed “Black Death“. This was to celebrate that the group made it to the cave safely.

After the quick celebratory toast Skàl (pronounced like scowl), we went back to our vehicles to warm ourselves up. By this time, we were soaking wet and shivering like wet kittens! We headed for Reynisfjara, one of the most famous beaches in Iceland known for its black volcanic sands. When we reached the beach, the rain started to pour! Our enthusiasm was slightly dampened and we were hesitant to leave the warmth and dry environment of the jeep but we got off and were glad we did!

We saw the most beautiful black beach being pummeled by the angry ocean waves. From a distance were two stone figures jutting out from the roiling and turbulent waters. The walls of the cliffs seemed to have been sculpted by a maestro. We didn’t stay very long since the rain was getting stronger. Grudgingly we went back to the our hotel rooms where I immediately took a very hot shower! Our group met at Magma Hotel‘s cozy dining room and enjoyed the sumptuously prepared Icelandic cuisine!