Reykjavík Grapevine - 04.08.2008, Side 32

32 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 10—2008
DESTINATION
“We’ll see if the lights work when we’re inside the
cave and out of the daylight,” the guide told us as
we stood at the entrance to Gjábakkahellir cave
in Þingvellir. “Why do I do this again?” I asked the
photographer, placing my flashlight on my hel-
met and followed the group down the rocky trail.
Claustrophobics aren’t big fans of dark and nar-
row tubes so my unease of going willingly many
metres underground was hard to hide.
Gjábakkahellir, formed by a volcanic erup-
tion thousands of years ago, is open in both ends.
Half way through our guide told us to find a com-
fortable rock, sit down, and turn off the flashlight
to experience total darkness. “There’s no way out
of this one,” I thought, so I did, and it was pitch
dark. Sitting there with my Swiss Miss in hand I
couldn’t help thinking what would happen if an
earthquake would strike at that exact moment
(highly unlikely, the guide assured). Of course
there was no need for my genius escape plan and
after our cocoa-break we continued the rugged
walk. While viewing the incredible rock forma-
tions I got used to the darkness and the narrow
paths. Any thoughts of catastrophes disappeared
and the rest of the walk left me fascinated with the
gloomy walls and the odd shapes in the roof until I
suddenly saw daylight again.
After lunch I was ready to take on the next
challenge, snorkelling in Silfra fissure where the
European and American plates are drifting apart.
Snorkelling has always been a favourite but my
only experience of this relaxing activity was ex-
ploring weird creatures in South East Asia. As this
is Iceland, and we were going snorkelling in gla-
cial water where temperatures hardly go over 3ºC,
we were packed in dry suits from head to toe. Sur-
prisingly, with the flattering costume on, the water
didn’t feel cold at all (my face just got numb).
Silfra ranks among the top diving sites in the
world I’ve been told frequently, and after floating
in the water for an hour I understood quite well
what the fuss is about. The water is so crystal clear
that the visibility can be up to 100 metres. Amazed
by the colours as the incredible underworld land-
scape that appeared underneath me with neon-
green algae, beige rocks and spooky caves, I was
soon lost in my own thoughts, lazily scouting for
curious sights in the water. If someone hadn’t
pinched my shoulder, me and my frozen face
would probably still be there.
Getting Spooked
By Steinunn jakoBSdóttir — pHoto By elli
Fly and discover
/ tel. 570 3030
Air Iceland
destinations
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at hotels, airports or any travel agent.
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