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Our
Beautiful World
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ICELAND 2004
Day 12 and 13
Next morning was the time for another waterfall. We don't know any longer which one was the most spectacular. All of them were something special, like this one: Goðafoss.  History tells us that in the year 1000, Þorgeir, chieftain of Ljósavatn district, and Lawspeaker of the Althing, was entrusted with the momentous task of deciding whether Icelanders should adopt the Christian faith. When this decision was formally accepted, he went home and threw his statues of the pagan gods into the waterfall. Goðafoss (Waterfall of the gods) is said to derive from this event.  Goðafoss is only 12 metres high, even though it feels much higher when you stand up there on the side. Skjálfandafljót is the country's fourth longest river with about 180 km length.  What is coming up next is one of the places we really looked forward to visit. The beautiful lake Myvatn.  (Photo unknown) Lake Myvatn covers about 37 square kilometres. Numerous bays and creeks incise its coastline and the lake comprises some fifty islands and islets.  The lake is not very deep, its average depth being 2.5 metres, and the maximum depth is 4 metres. (Photo: Erik Braun)  One more, showing you how beautiful it is during the summer time. (Photo from the pages of Nordic Science Parks Conference 2003) The natural environment of the area is very diverse and the landscape has a unique character, being formed by volcanic activity.          
Bird life is extremely diverse and more species of duck are believed to live around Lake Myvatn than anywhere else in the world.  Ever tried to ask a bird to come and pose for your? Even when they did come to you, it was a fight to get them into the camera, as the small flies (?) where behind your glasses, on them and before them, in your nose, in your ears and so on. They even bite!  So at last we had to give it up, and changed our schedule. Originally we should have spent a whole day here, and then straight back to Seydisfjörður to catch the ferry back home. Now we decided to go North instead. and we certainly did not regret that decision.  At Mánárbakki we had a wonderful experience. So wonderful that we gave it it's own page HERE. Day 13  As we are always interested in birdlife, we wanted to go out to Rauðinúpur, north of Kópasker. We were told that that was the right place for bird-viewing.  On the way out, by an old farm at Grjotnes, we found this old wagon. Note that wheels and other things were made only of wood. Problably drifting wood collected on the beaches. Age? Old. 
However, the nice old lady on this farm did not appreciate very much people going further out on the tip, as most birds were lying on their nests. So all we got was the fellow above.  After passing Langanes Peninsula, we got close to the coast again, and more birds showed up.  On one of the small islands off Þorvaldsstaðir, there were a colony of cormorants  They often like to get together like the 16 (?) above.  No more comments to commorants at this time. 
No more happenings that day. Vopnafjörður was chosen for the night. Continue to day 14 Return to the menu |
 ANIMALS over 250 |
 BIRDS over 500 |
 FLOWERS over 225 |
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