Study Abroad Iceland Part 1

My brother Javon is an engineering student and got the amazing opportunity to study abroad for 10 days in Iceland.  I asked him to send me pictures and tell me about his experience and I received over 300 pics and an essay detailing everything about his experience.  So Instead of having an extra long post, I am dividing his Iceland experience into two posts. This post discusses his daily activities abroad.

Day 1: I walked across a bridge between two continents.We went to the famous Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa that sits on top of a lava field. We checked in to the Hjardarbol Guesthouse in the countryside for four days.

Day 2: I started classes at Iceland School of Energy at Reykjavik University. We visited a hydro-electric power plant after class to learn how they operate. At night, we hiked to the top of a mountain on an old lava field. At the top was a natural hot spring that we were able to bathe in. The melted glacial water is heated by the heat from the ground. 

Day 3: I took another class today at Iceland School of Energy on geothermal power. After class, we visited Orka náttúrunnar a geothermal plant that was located at the bottom of a dormant volcano. We had dinner at the Kex Hostel in the capital, Reykjavik.

Day 4: We went to The Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is in Þingvellir National Park and features the Gullfoss Waterfall and the geyser called Geysir. Later in the afternoon in Þingvellir National Park we went hiking to different waterfalls and ended the day snorkeling between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The water was freezing cold. I couldn't feel my face or move my fingers.

Day 5: We visited another Hydro-electric power plant today. Afterwards, we ate at Fridheimar greenhouse. They grow tomatoes and cucumbers in their greenhouse. At night, we checked into Midguard Guesthouse fro the remaining nights of the trip. We packed clothes for two nights of camping in Þingvellir National Park. 

Day 6: In the national park we hiked for 6 miles today to the top of a mountain where we could see glaciers and volcanoes.

Day 7: We woke up and got in SuperJeeps that were able to cross rivers with ease. We hiked into a cave that had a hidden waterfall from melting glaciers. Afterwards, we went to Eyjafjallajokull glacier. This is the volcano that erupted in 2010 causing flights to be delayed all over North America and Europe. We also visited a waterfall that we were able to walk behind and a black sand beach. At night we visited another hydroelectric plant that was personally built by a farmer to generate electricity for him in a remote location in the countryside.

Day 8: We tried to go glacier hiking but the weather was too rainy and foggy. We visited a farm that grows soybeans and turns it into fuel for farm vehicles.

Day 9:We had our final exam at the university and we presented our Capstone Projects that we were working on the entire trip. Our group designed a fitness club called PowerHouse Fitness that allowed the members of the gym to generate the power for the lights and heat the water through their normal workout routine.

Day 10: Today was our last day with the group. We packed our clothes and headed to the city for sightseeing. I went into a cathedral that has a large tower in the front of it. We were allowed to pay $9 and take an elevator to the top floor where we could see the entire city. I also went to a couple museums and walked around a lot.