Iceland Day 2b - Nike Ride-Rift Valley

Iceland 2009

BIKE RIDE ACROSS THE REYKJANES PENINSULA : THE RIFT VALLEY

DAY 2 : MONDAY AUGUST 10, 2009 (2/3)

Lava, water and lichen everywhere you looked. That is basically what the bike ride through the rift valley on the Reykjanes Peninsula presented to us. Most of the ride itself was very pleasant with an overcast sky and very comfortable temperatures. There were a few small hills to climb that were pretty steep. As usual, I had to go for making it to the top of each without stopping or falling over :)

From the pictures you can see the green covering everything - this is not a moss but mostly lichen. It covers lava all throughout this peninsula. Walking on it was like walking on pillows - very strange.

Looking at individual lava chunks, you could see other colors of ‘traditional’ lichen types along with low flowers scattered about.

What appeared to be a road sign was actually pointing to geological formations. You can see that the road went flat for a long ways, following the rip between the continental plates.

Further along the ride, we passed a small lake with a cabin tucked into its side. Then, as we got closer to the ocean, you could start to see small volcanic cinder cones.

Before lunch we ran into our first experience with local wildlife - sheep. Big wooly types; just had to think about sweaters and Icelandic blankets.

Finally, it was time for a light and delicious lunch which included different local meats, cheeses, and breads.

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