Having been stuck at home for two years during the pandemic, my parents were eager to go on a cruise trip and they invited me and my sister to go with them. This was the very first time the four of us were able to take a vacation together.
We took a red-eye flight and arrived in Reykjavik early in the morning. After we picked up our rental car (super expensive), we headed straight to Thingvellir National Park. Although I had been to Reykjavik before, this was the first time for the rest of the family. I wanted to take them to as many sites as possible. But since my parents were tired after a long flight and we had limited time, we were not able to do the full Golden Circle tour. But being a UNESCO Heritage Site with historical, geological, as well as ecological significance, Thingvellir National Park was a must do.
Thingvellir was the site of Iceland’s first parliament. It is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a tectonic boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates. It’s also home to a large fissure zone, where the two plates are moving apart.
We took a short hike to Oxararfoss Waterfall. This trail started at Almannagjá fault which was where the two tectonic plates met. Walking through two tectonic plates was incredible, even though this was the second time for me.
I loved how organized the dumpsters were in iceland.
After Thingvellir National Park, we visited Gullfoss Falls. This was one of the largest volume waterfalls in Europe.
By the time we were done at Gullfoss, my parents were very tired and it was almost time to check in. So we went back to the cruise ship, settled in our rooms, and had lunch. My parents decided to stay on the ship and rest. But my sister and I were not done. We headed out to see the new volcano eruption.