GeysirPersonal travel impressions in stories and pictures from Geysir, Iceland. Click on the pictures to enlarge, send as a free e-card, or download for personal use. You can locate Geysir and navigate the world using Google Earth Show on map
N 64° 18.775
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First, there was the smell of rotten eggs; shortly thereafter, the sight of steam blowing over the landscape. I knew I had arrived and parked my car to visit the Geysir area. Here, you can find not only the mother of all geysers, but also other geysers, as well as hot pools, bubbly baths, and steam vents. Steam comes from the earth everywhere, which gives the place a special appearance. While I was walking up, I secretly looked ahead to check if the most active geyser of the area was already hurling its boiling water into the air.
This active geyser, Strokkur, is a reliable one: you can just wait for the eruption which occurs every few minutes. Part of the fun is of course to try and imagine when it will strike next, as the intervals are not regular. You look into the pool of restless water, seemingly coming up and down, until at one moment it seems to be gulped inside the earth, followed by an impressive eruption of boiling water high above you and high into the air. Strokkur has stricken again! But the eruptions are so impressive, that it is easy to be tempted to stay tuned for the next one to strike. Besides, every eruption is different. Strokkur has taken over from Geysir, the bigger geyser of the two and the name giver of the area. Frankly, I am happy that this Icelandic word made it to languages worldwide. Just imagine we would call geysers strokkurs now!
The Great Geysir is the famous example of an eruption of boiling water caused by seismic activity. Its activity is not regular, though, and has changed over time. From time to time, it is activated again by earth quakes, but it can also have periods in which it stops erupting altogether. It looked very dormant during my visit. Fortunately, there are also hot pools, and holes in the ground filled with boiling water. Together with the fascinating activity of Strokkur, this makes for an exciting visit. If there is a place in Iceland where you can clearly see the very active and restless character of the country, this is certainly a clear example.
