Geysers, Waterfalls, and Aurora

     Drove out into the Icelandic countryside today. As you drive into the mountains, it is still cold enough that you can see the plumes of steam that mark a geyser or stream of volcanically heated water. Not much snow cover for February. I expected more and have seen pictures of areas with much more snow. Guess we got lucky as far as tourist viewing is concerned. 

Our Icelandic Chariot

     Periodically, along the side of the road, there is pull out with a series of map displays. It helps you have an idea of where you are and the local interconnecting roads. In the picture above, we are located at the red square at the bottom center of the screen along highway 36. Also, the Icelandic alphabet contains letters that are not in the English alphabet. The names can also be pretty long! Makes reading a map or keying into a GPS a challenge sometimes 

     Our first stop was at a town named Geysir (gay-seer). Here were several thermal pools and geysers that erupt every 10-15 minutes or so. As the big geyser begins to erupt, the water in the sinkhole rises and falls repeatedly. Then, just before it blows, a large bubble forms. The superheated water shoots a couple of hundred feet into the air and the hole in the ground is visible where the water was. The water falls back down and the hole begins to fill. The process then begins again. 

The Bubble Dome Rising

Then it explodes upwards...

And Skyward it goes!

The Hole will now refill.

     After watching the eruptions and a BBC film crew shooting a documentary, we headed out and drove to the Gullfoss waterfall. (Foss in Icelandic is waterfall. Gull is Gold. Hence it is translated to Gold Falls.) It is a phenomenal waterfall with two distinct drops and is a "not to be missed" site. Since it is cold, there is a lot of ice near the falls and we couldn’t get very close but it was still very impressive. 

There is a small walkway to the left. Gives you an idea of the size of these falls!

Ice on the sidewalls.

The Falls with a rainbow!

We read somewhere that 60% of power in Iceland is from geothermals, 35% is from hydro, and less than 5% is from fossil fuels. Unlimited hot water and low energy costs for heating is a benefit in Iceland. 

Steinar (right) with Troy (on our tour) with the bottle of Brennavin.

     We drove back to the Hotel and met our tour guide, Steinar, for our evening of Lobster and Aurora’s. We drove cross country in a 4WD Land Rover and ended up on one of many black sand beaches in Iceland. Bad thing was it was too dark to really see much. We sampled the traditional schnapps called Brennavin (also referred to as “Black Death”). It wasn’t too bad, strong but smooth. And it did warm the body! On our way to dinner we pulled to the side of the road and saw a preview of the aurora. It was just a green glow in the sky and not much to speak of as viewed from the car. 

Geoff ready to dig in.

     We next stopped at a small country restaurant and had a homestyle meal of Icelandic lobster. A big bowl of lobsters (the size of large Gulf coast prawns) mixed with potatoes and vegetables along with bread and sides. We really enjoyed the meal. We then drove further up into the mountains, away from city lights and crossed our fingers for a good aurora show. It had been either really quiet or too cloudy to see since November. Tonight it was clear and a small moon. As we stood on the snow nothing much was happening except our feet were getting cold. Then the show started!! 

The light began to glow in bright greens and yellows with some hints of red and blues. It stretched from the horizon to the middle of the sky. It moved and danced as if blown by unseen winds. It was mesmerizing! Our guide was excited and said that this was one of the best displays in a long time. We stood out on the plain for a couple of hours watching, the cold forgotten. We got a lot of pictures. You can see several of them on our web album: Aurora. When it was over (about two hours of show), we all were thankful that we had been so blessed with this show and we can now cross this one off of our bucket list. 

Iceland... In Februrary ?!?

     Feb 10- Left KCI with our friends, Brenda and Geoff, at 6:30 am! Went to Denver and sat around the airport for the day. At around 4:30 pm, we boarded and took off on our adventure. The photo above is from the concourse in Denver. It says "This could be you in 7 hours." The guy is soaking in the hot spring pool known as the Blue Lagoon. We flew from Denver to Reykjavik direct on Icelandair. We arrived about 6:30 am local time!!! Six hours time difference plus a six hour flight made for not much sleep. 

     As it is winter, it is still quite dark at 7:00 am and we also were met with a drizzly rain. We were not due to check in to our hotel until later in the afternoon, so we had to find something to do in the meantime. The Blue Lagoon was nearby but didn't open until 10:00. We drove out there just to see it.  Backtracked to the Northern Lights hotel nearby and partook of their morning breakfast buffet. It was very good and we sat there getting ready for our week's adventure. We then went back to the Blue Lagoon parking lot and napped for an hour in the car with 4 adults, 2 large pieces of luggage, and numerous carry-ons in a compact car. During that time, the weather turned into a rain and sleet mix. Pretty windy also. We were the only folks in the parking lot, but by the time we went in, there were several bus loads of tourists in line. We changed into swim suits and hit the water. 

     Geothermal mineral water is pulled from deep in the earth and used for powering the city. The water is then run into this facility for bathing. Minerals and algae in the water are said to help with some skin ailments. While in the water, a storm came up and blew rain and sleet on us. We huddled around the various water inlets into the pool, but parts of my hair were frozen (yet my body stayed relatively warm). Finally we got out and showered up for the drive to our hotel.

The Center Hotel-Plaza is right in downtown Reykjavik. Parking is at a premium and expensive. Shades of Sienna or Florence, Italy, as Geoff and I tried to locate a nearby parking spot. Drove around and around and could see where we wanted to get to, but always were met with a one way street... going the wrong way! Never did get there, but finally found out how to get there by parking and walking around. We finally figured out that the nearby garage was a cheaper rate by the hour, but the downtown parking meters were free from 6:00 pm until 10:00 am, so we jumped back and forth and kept our expenses to a minimum.

Big bed and spacious room. 

Had dinner at the Icelandic Fish and Chips. Good homemade fish, but pricey. But then again, everything is a bit pricey here. 

Our dinner stop.

Major Announcement!

      After spending our winter last year at Bella Terra RV Resort in Foley, AL, we have been thinking about having a permanent location where we could park in the motorhome over the winter months. From this location, we would be able to tour around the area, make convenient trips back to Kansas if necessary, and enjoy all that a temperate southern winter location can provide. Additionally, we were looking for a central point from which to jump off on our Spring/Summer/Fall adventure travels. A place where we could just as easily go East or West. Well, we found a great spot. It is called The Preserve and it is located in Cleveland, TX (a little ways northeast of Houston).  We are in at the ground floor of the resort, but they have some fantastic plans and are making rapid progress in development. There are already lakes for fishing and canoeing, the Trinity River running through the 2,000 acre resort, an equestrian center, miles of hiking trails, community shelters, and pools.  They are building a small golf course, plus a club house with another pool. 

    The above photo is an artist's rendition of their "Platinum" level site. It includes a casita, bath house, landscaping with underground sprinklers, a fire pit and the brick pavers on the driveway and common area. Here is a link to their website:  The Preserve of Texas

     The above is a picture we took of the model Platinum site. You are not locked in to these amenities either. If you want to move the building's placement, make it longer or wider, put the firepit in a different location, there's not a problem. They have a great lady on staff who helps you to design your site and then prints out the diagrams for you to review. They also calculate the cost of your wishes beyond what they provide and will help you to make it happen.

     Today, we purchased a lot at The Preserve. Pictured above is our site (# 56) from the street. It is about 300' deep and borders a neat little bayou (not visible in this picture as the far back of the lot drops down to the bayou). We decided not to start construction until after we get back from Alaska this fall. So it will just be a lot with trees and grass until then, but it will be our lot with trees and grass!

     Here I am talking to John, the sales manager. We are about midway down the plot. You can see the cars on the road in the background. We plan to put our fire pit in this little open space in the trees.

     This is along the banks of the bayou at the back of our lot. We have no plans to clear this up in any way. We kind of like its natural beauty. We might trim things up a bit but not much else.

     This thing is just sheer decadence! Inside the bath house it sits. There are shower heads above and along the sides. The bottom is a tub with circulating jets. Now top this off with the fact that the unit will generate its own steam and becomes a steam bath! It is a standard part of the Platinum package. I had never seen one of these before but it is truly impressive.

   So that is our news. Let me be really clear... we are NOT coming in from the road!! We now will have a really nice place to come to, where friends and family can visit. As things get closer and the building commences, we will update the blog with photos.

Mardi Gras in Galveston

     We arrived back from our cruise just in time for the first of several Mardi Gras parades in Galveston. There was one around 1:00 pm along the Sea wall. Then there was another at 3:00 downtown in the Strand. The Seawall version was more family friendly and the one downtown was more akin to New Orleans.

    The folks from Jamaica Beach RV set up this huge smoker along the parade route and serve grilled meat and fixin's to park patrons who venture out to the show. We all sat around eating and enjoying good conversation along the sea wall.

Yes, the plate is empty but not for long!!

     Then after dark, around 7:00 pm there was a third parade. This one featured the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch as the lead element!

     The folks on top of the wagon tossed out a special Bud Light set of beads that yours truly added to our collection. The parades wrapped up around 8:30 or so and we headed back to the park. It was a long day but we had a great time!

Caribbean Adventures

     Upon leaving Galveston on the Crown Princess, we were at sea for two days. Not much to say about that. Lazy days in the growing warmth.

     Day 3 was in Roatan, Honduras. Roatan is a unique port. There is a narrow channel that the ship has to BACK into! The channel is so narrow that if the wind is too high or from the wrong direction, you can't come in. This was the case on our first attempt. 

We joked that this was the last cruise ship that didn't quite back in right!

     We tried to get docked but were forced to cancel our approach. After an hour of waiting, we were finally able to get to the dock. Lucky for us, the Captain moved out our departure time to accommodate the hour we lost waiting to get ashore. 

Our excursion was lunch and snorkeling at Tabyana beach. (BBQ chicken, burgers, rice and beans) We brought our own snorkel gear and were free to snorkel in the bay all we wanted to. 

The beach from our spot!

     Our first snorkel was good. We saw a wide variety of tropical marine life and parrot fish. Some of these fish were pretty good size. Second snorkel we hit the jackpot! Saw a good sized crab crawling across the bottom. Then we came across the largest green Moray eel I've ever seen in the wild. Then we saw what looked like a barracuda. Was shaped like one; had light black stripes like a tiger. Then it was time for a little pampering. Massages on the beach; $20 for 45 minutes!  Had a body that felt like it was filled with jelly after that one!! Drove by the original cruise dock which we inaugurated 11 years ago. We were aboard the first cruise ship to come to Roatan in late 2002. There was a fancy ceremony with music and local dancers. The dock itself wasn't much but a concrete pier that opened onto narrow dirt roads that lined the village. They have built the area up nicely in 11 years and have since built another pier called Mahogany Beach where our current ship docked. Much more modern with several nice tourist shops. Got some good sunset pics.   

Day 4 was in Belize. We had to tender (board a small water taxi and shuttle five miles to the dock facilities) and the morning sea was a bit rough. We set up our own tour on this one and didn't use any offered by the cruise ship, so we didn't have to leave with the "herd". The sun is brutal if you are directly in it and we were feeling the effects of yesterday's adventures (even with using sunscreen and laying around in the shade). We boarded a boat and went out about 40 minutes to a place called Caye Caulker. 

Beachside on Caye Caulker

     From there it was a short jump to the reef. The reef along Belize is second only to the Great Barrier Reef in length. We snorkeled along the reef. Drinking water on our tour boat was not in a bottle as we are used to, instead it was in a plastic bag that looked like a melted ice bag. You nipped off a corner with your teeth and squeezed out a drink. First time I've ever had water like that. Forgot to get a picture however, so I guess that's a good excuse to go back! The surf was really up and it was pretty rough. We did see another eel today, but he was much smaller than the one yesterday and much deeper in silty water from the surf.  Next we moved a short distance and in shallow 4 foot water, we got out and were surrounded by sting rays and nurse sharks. Similar to Stingray City in the Cayman Islands, the stingrays swam in and around you. The difference here was the nurse sharks. 

Coral along the Reef

Conch shell on the bottom...

Conch shell above water with the sand washed off.

     Again, got some good photos. Lunch was in one of the hotels on the island and Brad had a local dish of chicken with rice and beans. The chicken coating was good, flavorful but not spicy. 

The View after Lunch!

     We trooped back to the ship through much smoother waters. The wind had died down and the waves were much nicer to navigate. There were FOUR cruise ships in port. Two NCL ships, us, and a Carnival. One of the NCL ships was the Norwegian Star, a ship we sailed on through the inside passage of Alaska. You know you've cruised a bit when you start running into ships you have previously cruised on!

Check out the size of the wave behind us! Seas were a bit "rough".

     Day 5 Cozumel. Arrived to heavy clouds and the threat of rain. In fact the waves and currents were so bad that the Harbormaster had said that all diving and snorkeling activities were not to be allowed today. As we found out, that affected our excursion but did not ruin it. Arrived at a new pier we had not been to before--Punta Maya. Went out to the main drag with "not so specific" directions where to meet our tour. After asking a couple of folks, and walking farther than the directions said, we arrived at the meeting place. Nobody was there! Found a representative across the street and all was good. Picked up and were transported south of town to a small restaurant that also provided diving and jeep/dune buggy tours (and their lunch special--Fried Lion Fish!).

Our meeting spot for our Jeep tour of Cozumel.

     We had to wait a bit on others to join us and in the meantime the rain arrived. The downpour stopped in time for us to head out on our drive. Brad drove and we had a nice retired couple from Arizona (originally from Wisconsin) along with us. Drove first to the southern tip of the island--Punta Sur. Saw lots of salt water crocodiles and a lighthouse. 

Impressive beach with dramatic waves coming in. Saw a ruin that was a Mayan weather station. The wind would blow through the small openings at the bottom and escape through the holes in the top. The volume and noise of escaping wind would alert the residents to growing or diminishing winds. Ruins aren't very large on Cozumel because the island would get the brunt of hurricanes and the gods were thought to live there, so the normal folk didn't. 

The ruin. Can hardly see him but there is a big Iguana on top of the ruin.

     Stopped at several places to shop. One was on a nice beach made up of craggy volcanic-like rock formations. Not sure if it was volcanic or coral but it was impressive. 

Had to wear shoes to walk here. Otherwise the rock would mangle your feet.

Again, check out the wave action!!

     Toured a place that sold native Tequila. True Tequila is only made from the blue agave plant and only in certain regions of Mexico. Like Champagne, Tequila can only bear the name if it is from these regions in Mexico.  The stuff with the worm in the bottom is mescal.

The region in green is the only place in the world where true Tequila is made.

The Blue Agave, from which Tequila is made.

     Had a nice lunch of fajitas and chips. The skies opened up again and it rained off and on up to and including when we boarded the ship. The storms were in advance of a cold front and the seas were rough all night. The temps the next day (another sea day) were only in the 60's! Tomorrow back in Galveston and on to our next adventure.

Galveston harbor from our ship. The Ocean Star museum is at the top left side of the picture.

Galveston for Some of the Winter

     After leaving Red Bay, we shot across I-10 and ended up in Galveston. "Shot" being a relative term as we took three days to get there. On the afternoon of the second day we met up with a friend (Lane) that we met at the Tampa RV Show a couple years back. He and his wife live in Louisiana near Lafayette. We have corresponded frequently via email and Facebook but our paths and events have conspired against us meeting up face to face. This time however, fate smiled on us and we met at a little restaurant just off of I-10 called Acme Taco. Lane has been to this spot many times (probably too many recently). They serve a unique spin on Margaritas and Tacos. I had a lobster enchilada and Barb ordered a strawberry margarita that had basil in it and was brownish in color. Sounds questionable but turns out that it was really tasty! For desert we had fresh made chocolate chip cookies covered in ice cream and chocolate sauce. This coupled with a lot of catching up conversation made for a great time! All too soon we had to get back on the road.

     As we drove through Galveston on our way to our RV Park in Jamaica Beach we followed the rig pictured above. We had to laugh at the spare tire cover. Where was that when I owned a Jeep?

Our site from the driveway. 

     A short drive down Seawall Blvd. and we arrived at the Jamaica Beach RV Park. This is the largest RV park on the island. It is staffed by Ron and Dora who are friendly and outgoing hosts and our site is such that we have a nice view of the Gulf out our front window.

The View from our front window.

     The park has a small lagoon in the middle and a pirate themed miniature golf course near the office. 

At the entrance of the mini golf course.

     When we arrived it was unseasonably cold, rainy, and windy! We made a quick trip up to Kansas for Christmas and headed back after New Years day. It was still cold, rainy, and windy! By the end of the first week in January we were beginning to question our decision to come here. It was looking like we would have to go about as far as the equator to get warm sunny weather!! Finally however, the weather broke. It got warm and sunny and the wind died down. We could open up the motorhome and enjoy what we expected to find here. Misty was beginning to wonder about the crummy weather and lack of a sunbeam to nap in. Once it warmed up she was a happy camper. Couldn't resist taking the picture below. 

Finally Warm!!!

Moody Gardens     

     After enjoying long walks on the beach we visited some of the local tourist attractions. Moody Gardens has a great Rain Forest and Aquarium both of which are housed beneath their own huge glass pyramid. It was a relaxing and interesting day.

     We also went to the cruise ship terminal area and visited the Ocean Star Museum. The Ocean Star is a retired jackup drilling rig that offers hands on ways to learn about the offshore oil and gas industry. You can view the specialized oilfield equipment and learn about what it takes to drill offshore and how the oil gets from the rig to the refinery. You also learn about the folks who do this job. Scale models of platforms (there are several types depending on the well location and depth), actual drill bits, diving equipment, and other exhibits explain drilling, geology, seismic and oil production. 

The outside of the Museum.

After taking a boat trip to a platform, the worker is hoisted aboard using this sling.

This is a dive suit!

     The above pictured dive suit allows a diver to work at depths up to 2,300 feet and not have to decompress upon surfacing!! As a certified recreational diver myself, I am only certified to go 120 feet deep and would have to make a 10-20 minute safety stop to decompress as I rose to the surface. I can't imagine what it would be like working at those depths.

A model showing how the rig would be placed on the bottom of the ocean.

     We are packing up and getting ready to take advantage of a service that is offered by our RV Park. They will shuttle us to the cruise ship terminal in Galveston free of charge. So we are planning a 7-day Caribbean cruise that leaves this Saturday. We have already visited the ports of call before, but we'll still have a good time.