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Saturday, September 08, 2012

Gullfoss (Golden Falls) - Iceland

8 Gullfoss (Golden Falls) - Iceland 1

After the Mid-Atlantic Ridge - Thingvellir National Park - Iceland, we visited Gullfoss (Icelandic Golden Falls). According to the sign at Gullfoss, some say the waterfall got its name because of the golden hue of the water at sunset. Another story is that a farmer named Gygur couldn't bear to lose his wealth when he died, so he buried his gold in a chest and threw it into the falls.

Gullfoss is big and mighty, reminding me of the power of Niagara Falls. But, as I come from waterfall country, after a few quick snaps I was ready to move on.

We were dropped off at the bottom of the hill and as I headed up a steep staircase to meet everyone at the souvenir shop at the top, I spotted this group of photographers. Big cameras and tripods. Unless they're carrying a big camera too, I usually ask people to take pictures of me with my point and shoot. These guys looked like they knew what they were doing, don't they?

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In actuality, the spray from the waterfall was more like this. So I had to be careful not to get too close or my camera would get wet.

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Since the guys looked like they knew what they were doing, I asked if one of them would take my photo. He managed to snap off this. Despite multiple tries, this was as clear as he could get it.

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So I took a photo of him to prove that it could be done. Hi, random guy in Iceland! Thanks for taking my photo!

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So he said he'd keep my settings, and I got a decent shot of me and Gullfoss.

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It's really hard to convey scale with these photos, but the waterfall was massive and mighty.

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A few more quick snaps and I went to the gift shop to wait for everyone else. Rowan berry?! Crowberry?! Stone bramble?! But they were syrups, not jams and I wasn't quite sure what to do with flavored syrups. They were also rather pricey for such little sample jars so I passed on buying them.

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Iceland moss syrup?! And blueberry and chili jam?!

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Can you believe this "sunset" was at 9:30 p.m.?

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I didn't get any food, but I was amused by the menu. Would you like some hot "curses"?

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No? How about some cold "curses" instead?

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Onward to the last stop, the Great Geysir, from which all geysers got their name.

All Europe posts can be read in Series: Europe, but I suggest reading the Iceland trip in this order:
Saigon's Bakery and Sandwiches - San Gabriel
Kex Hostel - Reykjavik - Iceland
Blue Lagoon - Grindavik - Iceland
Icelandic Phallological Museum - Reykjavik - Iceland
Solfar (Sun Voyager) - Reykjavik - Iceland
Mid-Atlantic Ridge - Thingvellir National Park - Iceland
Gulfoss (Golden Falls) - IcelandGreat Geysir and Strokkur - Haukadalur - Iceland
Icelandic Kea Skyr Drykkur Mango Astaraldin (Passionfruit)
Jokulsarlon (Glacier Lagoon) - Iceland

I did the evening Golden Circle Tour from Iceland Excursions Gray Line Iceland for 8,500 Icelandic krona ($71 USD), which included visits to Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss, and the Great Geysir. There's a 5% discount if you book in advance online.

*****
1 year ago today, Mama's Lu Dumpling House - Monterey Park.
2 years ago today, Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles - Pasadena.
3 years ago today, Shiprock - New Mexico.
4 years ago today, How to Make a Loofah/Luffa Sponge.
5 years ago today, thanh long (Vietnamese dragon fruit) in my youngest uncle's garden.

2 comments:

  1. As always, I love reading about your travels. And great pic - it's nice to put a face to a name (well, to a blog :))

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anna,
    Heh, I've got a few other pictures of me on the blog scattered here and there. Not that you can really make out what I look like on this photo. :P

    ReplyDelete

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