Final Day in Iceland

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Some say save the best for last... for our last day here in Iceland we have something really special planned.  The Vatneshellir Cave tour was a "warm-up" for today's experience...

Our plan is to descend nearly 400 feet into a dormant volcano-

The "Inside the Volcano Tour" takes us for a 1 hour hike to Thrihnukagigur volcano. This unique tour company has made this natural phenomena available to the public via an open air elevator system decent into the dormant crater.

True to itself, Iceland gives us wet, windy conditions...

First, the hike to the base of the Volcano

The wind made the hour long hike feel much longer...

Once "geared up", then to the top

Harnessed in to cross the bridge to the elevator

Ready to descend-
it takes 7 minutes to reach the floor of the chamber

All limbs must be kept inside the basket to make it through the narrow opening!
Descending down 120 meters...

Look at the colors...

Our only way back out!!

Head lamps- ON!

We have about half an hour to explore the magma chamber

Really AMAZING to imagine hot molten lava flowing & blowing out the rock in this very space!

What a volcanic eruption can do...

This hole goes down another 80 meters but is not open for exploring by us novices

Up and back out... heading to "base camp" to warm up and have some refreshments

Icelandic Meat Soup warms us after being in the damp cavern that maintains a year round temperature just above freezing.

 On the hike back, we get the opportunity to go inside another lava tube similar to the cave we explored in Snaefellsnes except this one is very close to the surface.  Our guide tells us tales of "outlaws" who used to live in these caves and one very tragic story of a couple who was falsely accused accompanied by a song sung acapella...

Yes, this is snow still on the cave floor 

You can see the "channels" on the cave walls where the hot lava carved the earth

 Back in Reykjavik we had another very special encounter-

We had the wonderful opportunity to sit and talk with this special man who is bringing the true message of Christ to his own Icelandic people-  Gunnar Gunnarsson.

To learn more about his work go to www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/europes-most-godless-country-may-suprise-you

We closed out our time here with one last dipped ice-cream cone, compliments of Ross!

Tomorrow- Faroe Islands