Iceland

The Island of Fire, Ice and Waterfalls


Seljalandsfoss Escape
A visitor tries to take shelter of the heavy irrigation caused by a sudden change in the wind, near Seljalandsfoss.
on the edge of the meander
One of the many rivers and streams that flow through Iceland.
The way to Detifoss
Signpost for the largest waterfall in Europe, almost completely buried by snow.
Svartifoss Standard
Svartifoss, a waterfall that falls over a cliff made of hexagonal columns carved by the rapid solidification of lava.
forced crossing
Icelandic horse crosses an icy stream during the last days of winter on the island.
ET acrobat
A native student dressed as an alien in front of the Seljalandfoss waterfall.
On the edge of Gulfoss
Visitors next to Gulfoss, a majestic waterfall of the Hvítá river.
Next stops
Plate indicates 18 distances from Bardardalur.
Svartifoss stream
Svartifoss's tiny flow drops past what remains of a vast bed of snow and ice that has remained in the past few months.
Godafoss
The waterfall where chief Thorgeir Ljósvetningagodi got rid of the ancient pagan gods.
on the way to Myvatn
Bridge over the river Svarta, in Bardardalur and in the vicinity of the waterfall Godafoss.
seljalandsfoss
Visitors approach the base of one of Iceland's most accessible waterfalls, just a short distance from the roadside and the sea.
The Gulfoss Moat
A geological depression invaded by the voluminous flow of the Hvitá river;, at certain times after rain or melting, much more impressive than in the image.
last jump
Upper section of Skogafoss Waterfall Fall
white water
The Skjálfandafljót river proceeds through its deep bed after falling from Godafoss.
waterfall mirror
Skogafoss' elusive flow is reflected in a pond.
The Gulfoss II Moat
Impressive apex of the flow of the Hvitá river which, after the jump, proceeds through a narrow gorge.
Europe's supreme cascade rushes into Iceland. But it's not the only one. On this boreal island, with constant rain or snow and in the midst of battle between volcanoes and glaciers, endless torrents crash.

We have long since lost sight of the low houses of Akureyri and only tiny patches of the stream that runs along the northern stretch of the Ring Road, which we follow, remains free from the winter suffocation.

The whiteness does not stifle a rising brooding nor the mist we glimpse drifting in the distance.

After many kilometers of vertigo, the Skjálfandafljót river suffers, there, the most dramatic of the geological stumbles that its journey from the supreme domain of Bárdarbunga to the bay of Skjálfandi submits to.

on the edge of the meander

One of the many rivers and streams that flow through Iceland.

The Godafoss Iceland Divine Cascade

We cross the bridge that crosses it and park. We walk without tact or faith about iceland snow with 40 cm in height and, despite the sensation of imminent collapse, we reached the high margin.

From that somewhat treacherous position, we unveil the half-frozen, stalactite splendor of Godafoss, the cascade of the gods.

The amphitheater of this catadupa is about 30 meters. Slightly dampened before the 12-metre drop, the water from the Skjálfandafljót seems to solidify before our eyes and touches up a sculpture that the cold has shaped since the first days of November.

Godafoss

The waterfall where chief Thorgeir Ljósvetningagodi got rid of the ancient pagan gods.

Whatever the temperature, Godafoss will always be an unavoidable natural monument in Iceland. Its mythological name is justified in one of the oldest and most renowned books in the island's history. narrates the Leslendingabók that, around the turn of the first millennium, its population had to decide whether to preserve Norwegian paganism or embrace Christendom.

After a day and a night of silent meditation under a blanket of furs, a lawgiver and chief named Thorgeir Ljósvetningagodi – who until then was a pagan himself – chose to convert to Christendom.

On his return to his farm in Ljósavatn, he threw the divine idols he had discarded into the churning waters of the waterfall.

The route continues through Sprengisandur and takes us to the volcanic stronghold of Myvatn. We explore its now wet and now icy lunar surface and continue east.

The Frustrated Quest of Detifoss, the Queen of the Waterfalls of Europe

At some point, we detected a set of road signs. Despite being huge, only its top remains uncovered from the accumulated snow.

We noticed that Detifoss, the largest cataract in Europe, is just 24 km to the north. We keep the breath of reaching it.

But, a board

The way to Detifoss

Signpost for the largest waterfall in Europe, almost completely buried by snow.

at the entrance to the turnoff, he informs that there is no winter snow clearing service and that the secondary road may be impassable.

It only takes a few minutes for us to struggle with invincible layers of snow. We surrender to the evidence. We return to Ring Road.

An inescapable passage through the Jokullsarlon Lagoon

We skirted several of the deep fjords that cut the east coast, including the one that shelters Seydisfjordur. In those parts, more rain than snow irrigates countless wedding veils that flow from the top of green cliffs.

This profusion intensifies with the proximity of the eastern end of the Vatnajökkull glacier, eternal source of life on the island of fire and ice.

We explore it from the Jokullsarlon lagoon, from where its most adventurous icebergs set sail for the Atlantic. Then we travel to Skaftafell.

Loose ice, Jökursarlón lagoon, Iceland

Freshly released ice patches from the Vatnajökull glacier in the Jökursarlón lagoon.

It rains a lot. A notice in the makeshift car park indicates that the continuation of the road is restricted to employees of the national park. Thus, we surrender to the slippery trail and the downpour for almost 2km.

When we reached the confluence with the actual end of the paved road, we realized that we were the only semi-soaked visitors to respect the indication.

The Geological Artwork of Svartifoss

To compensate, the next river target is imminent. We approached and noticed, on a more dignified scale, its polygonal eccentricity. Unlike previous waterfalls, the Svartifoss flow proves to be insignificant.

Svartifoss stream

Svartifoss's tiny flow drops past what remains of a vast bed of snow and ice that has remained in the past few months.

As happened in other rare parts of the world, the solidification of the lava took place there under improbable conditions. It generated arched walls, composed of strange hexagonal columns and in permanent danger of collapse.

It rains again. First, just pitchers. Then, to pitchers, also in the form of a sharp hail. We retreated.

Svartifoss Standard

Svartifoss, a waterfall that falls over a cliff made of hexagonal columns carved by the rapid solidification of lava.

We pass countless agricultural farms alternating with the alluvial vastness left by successive melting glaciers to the north. It's sunny, it's snowing, it's raining, it's snowing again and it's sunny.

The breathtaking scenery also follows as we pass. Even so, we find it difficult to respect the 90 km/h limit of the endless Ring Road.

Skogafoss, an Admirable Waterfall from the Base and the Top

We are on our way to Skogafoss when, hidden on a low curb, the first police car we see outside of Reykjavik pulls us over. "Good afternoon. Where are they from?” asks the blond agent as he goes through the documents. "Portugal? Things aren't exactly going well there, are they? “ continues with elegant sarcasm.

“Over here, the worst is past, but they know that the fines have not even gone down with our crisis. They are guys! Go away but look, it's just this once. You may have noticed that Iceland has things that are much more worth spending money on.”

We are moving away from authority at a theatrical speed. For a while, we managed to stay in line.

seljalandsfoss

Visitors approach the base of one of Iceland's most accessible waterfalls, just a short distance from the roadside and the sea.

A little later, we catch a glimpse of Skogafoss wedged between recessed cliffs. We follow the margin of the rocky course from which it originates and, accompanied on the other side by a fence by a maddened horse, we reach its shadowy base.

We sat down. We admire the 60 meter jump overflown by black swifts. When that thalassotherapy seems to be enough, we head for a steep goat trail.

We conquered a viewpoint erected over the last throes of the Skógá River, on a clear plain border between the southern coast fringe and the interior highlands.

Seljalandfoss's Slim Dancing Neighbor

Seljalandfoss is not far away. We find its meandering drop of 60 m on a cliff perpendicular to the road. We start by looking at it from a side platform.

Seljalandsfoss Escape

A visitor tries to take shelter from the heavy irrigation caused by a sudden change in the wind, near Seljalandsfoss

It doesn't take long to install new weather. The wind, the water from the cataract and the mixture of snow and rain combine to create a vortex that lashes us mercilessly.

We left the observation post. We take shelter in the only covered place, behind its vertical flow, inside the concave base of the cliff.

As quickly as they are gone, the sun and clear skies return. We went back to the car, wanting to regain our body heat. We do it facing Seljalandfoss, which the permanently oscillating northern light tinged with different hues.

Until, an unexpected visual interference surprises us. Halfway between the car and the cliff, an extraterrestrial-looking green creature performs stunts, photographed by a fellow Earthman.

ET acrobat

A native student dressed as an alien in front of the Seljalandfoss waterfall

At one point, half of the visitors pay more attention to it than to the waterfall.

Being green shows little concern. And intrigued. Since the car he returns to after the session ends is right next to ours, we can't resist questioning it. "It's yours? Not!!" answer us with good disposition. “I'm from here. Icelandic and all."

This monkey business is due to a project at my university in which I had the bad idea to get involved. It's called the Green Channel. Then we'll process the images with TV software. But I have to make these figures in more places symbol of Iceland. Have you seen my luck well?"

Before returning to Reykjavik, we would still pass by other waterfalls. The most emblematic of these finals, Gullfoss, impressed us for its layered configuration, not so much for the volume of the flow of the Hvitá river.

The Gulfoss Moat

A geological depression invaded by the voluminous flow of the Hvitá river;, at certain times after rain or melting, much more impressive than in the image.

Winter was at an end. Soon, the intensification of the melting would feed the endless Icelandic torrents with plenty of water.

Volcanoes

Mountains of Fire

More or less prominent ruptures in the earth's crust, volcanoes can prove to be as exuberant as they are capricious. Some of its eruptions are gentle, others prove annihilating.
Thingvellir National Park, Iceland

The Origins of the Remote Viking Democracy

The foundations of popular government that come to mind are the Hellenic ones. But what is believed to have been the world's first parliament was inaugurated in the middle of the XNUMXth century, in Iceland's icy interior.
Iceland

The Geothermal Coziness of the Ice Island

Most visitors value Iceland's volcanic scenery for its beauty. Icelanders also draw from them heat and energy crucial to the life they lead to the Arctic gates.
Jok​ülsárlón Lagoon, Iceland

The Chant and the Ice

Created by water from the Arctic Ocean and the melting of Europe's largest glacier, Jokülsárlón forms a frigid and imposing domain. Icelanders revere her and pay her surprising tributes.
Cascades and Waterfalls

Waterfalls of the World: Stunning Vertical Rivers

From the almost 1000 meters high of Angel's dancing jump to the fulminating power of Iguaçu or Victoria after torrential rains, cascades of all kinds fall over the Earth.
Husavik a Myvatn, Iceland

Endless Snow on the Island of Fire

When, in mid-May, Iceland already enjoys some sun warmth but the cold and snow persist, the inhabitants give in to an intriguing summer anxiety.
PN Canaima, Venezuela

Kerepakupai, Salto Angel: The River that Falls from Heaven

In 1937, Jimmy Angel landed a light aircraft on a plateau lost in the Venezuelan jungle. The American adventurer did not find gold but he conquered the baptism of the longest waterfall on the face of the Earth
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwee

Livingstone's Thundering Gift

The explorer was looking for a route to the Indian Ocean when natives led him to a jump of the Zambezi River. The falls he found were so majestic that he decided to name them in honor of his queen
Iguazu/Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina

The Great Water Thunder

After a long tropical journey, the Iguaçu River gives a dip for diving. There, on the border between Brazil and Argentina, form the largest and most impressive waterfalls on the face of the Earth.
Seydisfjordur, Iceland

From the Art of Fishing to the Fishing of Art

When shipowners from Reykjavik bought the Seydisfjordur fishing fleet, the village had to adapt. Today, it captures Dieter Roth's art disciples and other bohemian and creative souls.
Esteros del Iberá, Pantanal Argentina, Alligator
Safari
Iberá Wetlands, Argentina

The Pantanal of the Pampas

On the world map, south of the famous brazilian wetland, a little-known flooded region appears, but almost as vast and rich in biodiversity. the Guarani expression Y bera defines it as “shining waters”. The adjective fits more than its strong luminance.
Herd in Manang, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 8th Manang, Nepal

Manang: the Last Acclimatization in Civilization

Six days after leaving Besisahar we finally arrived in Manang (3519m). Located at the foot of the Annapurna III and Gangapurna Mountains, Manang is the civilization that pampers and prepares hikers for the ever-dreaded crossing of Thorong La Gorge (5416 m).
Alaskan Lumberjack Show Competition, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
Architecture & Design
Ketchikan, Alaska

Here begins Alaska

The reality goes unnoticed in most of the world, but there are two Alaskas. In urban terms, the state is inaugurated in the south of its hidden frying pan handle, a strip of land separated from the contiguous USA along the west coast of Canada. Ketchikan, is the southernmost of Alaskan cities, its Rain Capital and the Salmon Capital of the World.
Bungee jumping, Queenstown, New Zealand
Adventure
Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, the Queen of Extreme Sports

In the century. XVIII, the Kiwi government proclaimed a mining village on the South Island "fit for a queen".Today's extreme scenery and activities reinforce the majestic status of ever-challenging Queenstown.
Ceremonies and Festivities
Pueblos del Sur, Venezuela

The Pueblos del Sur Locainas, Their Dances and Co.

From the beginning of the XNUMXth century, with Hispanic settlers and, more recently, with Portuguese emigrants, customs and traditions well known in the Iberian Peninsula and, in particular, in northern Portugal, were consolidated in the Pueblos del Sur.
Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Kitts, Berkeley Memorial
Cities
Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis

A Capital at the Caribbean Sea Level

Nestled between the foot of Olivees Mountain and the ocean, tiny Basseterre is the largest city in Saint Kitts and Nevis. With French colonial origins, long Anglophone, it remains picturesque. It is only distorted by the gigantic cruises that flood it with hit-and-run visitors.
young saleswoman, nation, bread, uzbekistan
Meal
Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, The Nation That Does Not Lack Bread

Few countries employ cereals like Uzbekistan. In this republic of Central Asia, bread plays a vital and social role. The Uzbeks produce it and consume it with devotion and in abundance.
Parade and Pomp
Culture
Saint Petersburg, Russia

When the Russian Navy Stations in Saint Petersburg

Russia dedicates the last Sunday of July to its naval forces. On that day, a crowd visits large boats moored on the Neva River as alcohol-drenched sailors seize the city.
Sport
Competitions

Man: an Ever Tested Species

It's in our genes. For the pleasure of participating, for titles, honor or money, competitions give meaning to the world. Some are more eccentric than others.
Gothic couple
Traveling

Matarraña to Alcanar, Spain (España)

A Medieval Spain

Traveling through the lands of Aragon and Valencia, we come across towers and detached battlements of houses that fill the slopes. Mile after kilometer, these visions prove to be as anachronistic as they are fascinating.

Vietnamese queue
Ethnic

Nha Trang-Doc Let, Vietnam

The Salt of the Vietnamese Land

In search of attractive coastlines in old Indochina, we become disillusioned with the roughness of Nha Trang's bathing area. And it is in the feminine and exotic work of the Hon Khoi salt flats that we find a more pleasant Vietnam.

View of Fa Island, Tonga, Last Polynesian Monarchy
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Got2Globe Portfolio

Exotic Signs of Life

Cilaos, Reunion Island, Casario Piton des Neiges
History
Cilaos, Reunion Island

Refuge under the roof of the Indian Ocean

Cilaos appears in one of the old green boilers on the island of Réunion. It was initially inhabited by outlaw slaves who believed they were safe at that end of the world. Once made accessible, nor did the remote location of the crater prevent the shelter of a village that is now peculiar and flattered.
Seeding, Lombok, Sea Bali, Sonda Island, Indonesia
Islands
Lombok, Indonesia

Lombok. The Bali Sea Deserves such a Sonda

Long overshadowed by the neighboring island's fame, Lombok's exotic settings remain unrevealed, under the sacred protection of guardian Gunung Rinjani, Indonesia's second-largest volcano.
Era Susi towed by dog, Oulanka, Finland
Winter White
PN Oulanka, Finland

A Slightly Lonesome Wolf

Jukka “Era-Susi” Nordman has created one of the largest packs of sled dogs in the world. He became one of Finland's most iconic characters but remains faithful to his nickname: Wilderness Wolf.
Visitors to Ernest Hemingway's Home, Key West, Florida, United States
Literature
Key West, United States

Hemingway's Caribbean Playground

Effusive as ever, Ernest Hemingway called Key West "the best place I've ever been...". In the tropical depths of the contiguous US, he found evasion and crazy, drunken fun. And the inspiration to write with intensity to match.
Okavango Delta, Not all rivers reach the sea, Mokoros
Nature
Okavango Delta, Botswana

Not all rivers reach the sea

Third longest river in southern Africa, the Okavango rises in the Angolan Bié plateau and runs 1600km to the southeast. It gets lost in the Kalahari Desert where it irrigates a dazzling wetland teeming with wildlife.
Sheki, Autumn in the Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Autumn Homes
Autumn
Sheki, Azerbaijan

autumn in the caucasus

Lost among the snowy mountains that separate Europe from Asia, Sheki is one of Azerbaijan's most iconic towns. Its largely silky history includes periods of great harshness. When we visited it, autumn pastels added color to a peculiar post-Soviet and Muslim life.
Vila Velha Paraná, Paraná Tropeirismo Route
Natural Parks
Vila Velha Park a Castro, Paraná

On the Paraná Tropeirismo Route

Between Ponta Grossa and Castro, we travel in Campos Gerais do Paraná and throughout its history. For the past of the settlers and drovers who put the region on the map. Even that of Dutch immigrants who, in more recent times and, among many others, enriched the ethnic assortment of this Brazilian state.
Cambodia, Angkor, Ta Phrom
UNESCO World Heritage
Ho Chi Minh a of Angkor, Cambodia

The Crooked Path to Angkor

From Vietnam onwards, Cambodia's crumbling roads and minefields take us back to the years of Khmer Rouge terror. We survive and are rewarded with the vision of the greatest religious temple
Heroes Acre Monument, Zimbabwe
Characters
Harare, Zimbabwewe

The Last Rales of Surreal Mugabué

In 2015, Zimbabwe's first lady Grace Mugabe said the 91-year-old president would rule until the age of 100 in a special wheelchair. Shortly thereafter, it began to insinuate itself into his succession. But in recent days, the generals have finally precipitated the removal of Robert Mugabe, who has replaced him with former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Bather rescue in Boucan Canot, Reunion Island
Beaches
Reunion Island

The Bathing Melodrama of Reunion

Not all tropical coastlines are pleasurable and refreshing retreats. Beaten by violent surf, undermined by treacherous currents and, worse, the scene of the most frequent shark attacks on the face of the Earth, that of the Reunion Island he fails to grant his bathers the peace and delight they crave from him.
Jerusalem God, Israel, Golden City
Religion
Jerusalem, Israel

Closer to God

Three thousand years of history as mystical as it is troubled come to life in Jerusalem. Worshiped by Christians, Jews and Muslims, this city radiates controversy but attracts believers from all over the world.
Executives sleep subway seat, sleep, sleep, subway, train, Tokyo, Japan
On Rails
Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo's Hypno-Passengers

Japan is served by millions of executives slaughtered with infernal work rates and sparse vacations. Every minute of respite on the way to work or home serves them for their inemuri, napping in public.
San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Zapatismo, Mexico, San Nicolau Cathedral
Society
San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico

The Home Sweet Home of Mexican Social Conscience

Mayan, mestizo and Hispanic, Zapatista and tourist, country and cosmopolitan, San Cristobal has no hands to measure. In it, Mexican and expatriate backpacker visitors and political activists share a common ideological demand.
Fruit sellers, Swarm, Mozambique
Daily life
Enxame Mozambique

Mozambican Fashion Service Area

It is repeated at almost all stops in towns of Mozambique worthy of appearing on maps. The machimbombo (bus) stops and is surrounded by a crowd of eager "businessmen". The products offered can be universal such as water or biscuits or typical of the area. In this region, a few kilometers from Nampula, fruit sales suceeded, in each and every case, quite intense.
Sheep and hikers in Mykines, Faroe Islands
Wildlife
Mykines, Faroe Islands

In the Faeroes FarWest

Mykines establishes the western threshold of the Faroe archipelago. It housed 179 people but the harshness of the retreat got the better of it. Today, only nine souls survive there. When we visit it, we find the island given over to its thousand sheep and the restless colonies of puffins.
Passengers, scenic flights-Southern Alps, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand

The Aeronautical Conquest of the Southern Alps

In 1955, pilot Harry Wigley created a system for taking off and landing on asphalt or snow. Since then, his company has unveiled, from the air, some of the greatest scenery in Oceania.