Fairly often, someone who has never cruised will raise a standard question. Will one day in port provide them with the opportunity to see and do everything?
Looking back at our photos from Akureyri, I am again amazed by how much we can see in a well-planned day.
You can see the sights on your own, if you do the proper research including transportation options, but a guided excursion with a reputable company makes it much easier to see a lot in a single day.
Once again, we found ourselves unsure of exactly where to meet our Viator Tour, because lots of tour companies flooded the parking lot near the ship.
I took a photo of the street sign with the cruise ship next to it. That was not the corner where we were supposed to be.
We followed some other folks who for all we knew were lost as they walked out of that parking lot to a another parking lot outside of our vantage point. That lot was at the corner of corner of Laufásgata and Gránufélagsgata, where we had been directed to meet.
More buses gathered up tourists for multiple tours. We found a rep for the local vendor used by Viator, who said our coach had not yet arrived. Same story, different day.
Our guide and driver did great jobs taking us to all the places the trip description promised and keeping the group on schedule.
I was at first put off by the soft, breathy voice with halting speech pattern of our Icelandic guide.
 |
| Our guide at the place where Eurasian and NorthAmerican Tectonic Plates meet |
He did not seem to possess the mastery of English that our Hungarian guide demonstrated in Reykjavik, though of course it was much better than my Icelandic.
As I adjusted to his voice, I realized this guide was also fluent in English after all. I kept thinking I had heard someone speak like that, and then it hit me: Vikings.
Once I realized that Ragnar and Floki spoke with similar cadences and tones, I had no trouble understanding him.
First Stop: Godafoss (Goðafoss) Waterfall
Godafoss is incredibly lovely, which is why any tour bus in the area stops there.
It's not hard to guess why this earned the designation as "Waterfall of the Gods."
No doubt many Vikings prayed there in preparation for their epic voyages.
Plenty of legends likely sprung from this awesome location.
We were far from alone, but we could frequently take photos that made it appear that way.
Second Stop: Lake Myvatn (Mývatn)
This beautiful glossy lake set among eerie-looking volcanic fields has a wonderful serenity.
Horses grazing on the hillside enhanced the visual impression.
Third Stop: Dimmuborgir Lava Formations Stroll
Legend says this otherworldly area is the place where Satan fell after being cast from heaven.
It's actually an odd amalgamation of lava blobs piled in odd shapes.
Our guide took us along the paths, spending just the right amount of time to feel we had experienced all we wanted.
 |
| Notice the rock formation resembling one of the trolls that legend say live here. |
We took a short break for any who wanted teatime or a snack at the snack bar before getting back on the road.
Fourth Stop: Namaskard (Námaskarð)
The boiling, bubbling mud pits and steam vents at Namaskard (short video linked here) are what I would call stink pots.
They reeked.
Certainly, Namaskard holds great visual interest, but the smell is disgusting.
Getting back to that standard question about being able to see and do everything, the answer is no, but for most it is sufficient to experience as much as we can possibly absorb and truly appreciate to the fullest.
And if you want to experience more of a great place, plan a return trip.
More of Julie's Photos
More of Wes's Photos
No comments:
Post a Comment