Thursday, July 19, 2007


Hot soak anyone? I snapped this photo of a hot pool filled with near-boiling water in Geysir: Iceland's version of our Yellowstone... with hot thermal water pools, gurgling pots and shooting towers of steamy sulfur-smelling water. The hot water is very clear, and looks beautiful with all the different tints of blue and green. Last week I read about a man in Iceland who had to be airlifted via helicopter after getting burned when he accidently stepped into some boiling water - ouch! Unlike in the U.S, Iceland doesn't have a bunch of cumbersome boardwalks and preventative rails to ruin the natural beauty... instead allowing visitors to read the warning signs (also in English) as well as using their own common sense to avoid injury.

10 comments:

SOe said...

But some people don´t have any common sense. Nice picture. I have a similar one. The last time I was there it was difficult to make a photo. The water was not very hot at this point but still a lot of steam above the surface.

Mo'a said...

Poor old Geysir who gave the name to all geysers does not blow his top much these days, however, his brother Strokkur spouts at regular intervals.
I read about the poor person who was burned in Iceland...we do need to use common sense. Are we too protected from ourselves here in the US?

weatherchazer said...

THe US doesn't want the gene pool cleansed.

jillie said...

You know, no matter HOW many signs you put around here there is always SOMEONE dumb enough to still hurt themselves and then they want to sue.

That is such a beautiful picture...looks "steamy"...oooohhhh....ahhhhhhh!!!!!

xo

javajazz said...

did you feel the little quakie this morning?
yikes...in oakland i think.
still dont know where all those towns are...

tsduff said...

Thanks SOe. I loved our visit at Geysir, even though it was on such a small scale from the giant Yellowstone Park in the U.S. The water just calls to you - and fascinates as well as you look into the hot clear depths.

Mo'a - yes, and did you sit endlessly, trying for that perfect picture of the bubble of blue water as Strokkur blows? (I had to rely on a postcard for my picture... couldn't manage to catch it at the single moment).

Weatherchazer - I think you are on to something! Our common sense is fading out after years of no selective genepool weeding.

Jillie - isn't that just the pits? People suing when there is no sane reason other than their own greed. Makes me want to be a hermit.

Lisa - yep - I was rattling and rolling in bed at 4:42 am... and it was a 4.2 earthquake! Tobin was quite unsettled too. The Bear... well, he stirred for a moment and then lumbered back to dreamland. Not bad... I like the earthquakes. I always end up wondering where the epicenter is though... when we had that giant one in 1989, we just caught some of it - while the horrendous damaging center was nearer to Oakland/San Francisco. Oakland is only a 15-20 minute drive from our house via freeway. Say, don't you Canadians ever get shook aboot by an earthquake?

Crazy Me said...

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

I too would prefer it if we did not need all the infrastructure around our natural wonders but if we did not protect the foolish, they may go extinct. Hmmmm. How is that a disadvantage again?

Lovely photo.

G said...

You know I'll be the first to say that without barriers, Americans would go stark raving mad! We were at the Bronx Zoo recently and there were two peacocks on a lawn looking into a gazing ball. Little low fence around with a VERY clear sign not to cross and go on the grass. We counted ten yutzes who chose to disregard and distrub the birds.

We did say something to the offenders though (we couldn't take it!).

Pfew, rant over - beautiful picture.

javajazz said...

sending love...
xoxo