Today was our tour into the volcano. Wow, what an experience! A small bus took us from our B&B to the main tour bus terminal, and then we had a 30 minute ride to the cabin for the start of the hike to the volcano. The hike was about 40 minutes on a gravel path which was pretty easy to walk on, and then at the end there was a steep climb to the top of the volcano. Then 5 people at a time crossed a short bridge and stepped onto a window washing platform. We were wearing helmets, and were attached both to the bridge and to the platform with a harness. On the platform we descended 120 meters - twice the height of the Statue of Liberty! The colours inside the volcano were amazing! When you looked up you could see a very fine rain, which is always the case. The temperature is consistent too - plus four degrees. At the bottom we were allowed to walk around in a limited area. I was very happy to have a walking stick, as it was difficult with the ground being wet and slippery, but it helped that our helmets had a light. There were a few flood lights at the bottom, otherwise it would have been very dark. Once back up they served us delicious lamb and vegetable soup, tea and coffee.
I asked our guide about the volcanos that erupted a few years ago. Apparently she was hiking at the time, and very close to it. They had to close the road back to Reykjavík, so she had to drive all the way around Iceland to get back home. She said that a volcano in the south (where we will be next) is due to erupt at any time! Apparently an earthquake precedes the eruption, and at the first sign the residents get a warning on their cell phones to leave the area. Hopefully for our sakes it will hold off for at least a few more days!
No comments:
Post a Comment