Wednesday: Glacier Walk, Waterfalls, and Volcano (Missed the Beach Due to Weather)

Today was an absolutely amazing day here for the Fire and Ice crew. First, after getting to hike on a glacier, which in itself was AMAZING, we were able to see the geology of the land up close on the southern side of the island. This includes the volcano which erupted in 2010. We went to a small museum which is run by a family that owns a farm directly next to this volcano and glacier. It was incredible to see how the eruption had completely changed their lives in a matter of a few days. Their farm was covered in ash and parts of it were destroyed by flooding. But it was inspiring to see how the people fought through it and now run a successful farm again.

-Matt

Today, we could not stop saying WOW. Everything was wonderful. At 10:30, I was standing 300 m above ground. Glacier stretched under my feet. It moves every day and every moment. I couldn't feel it moving but I could see it. The glacier had kept its trace from before human appearance. It contains two main elements: the black ashes from the volcanic eruption and the white snow from the sky. Lava removes life; water gives life. Two opposite powers exist at the same place. The power of earth was pumping my heart. We are living in such a great world. Human power will never be greater than it. Yet, Icelandic people know how to survive with such strong powers. This third day of project week added color to my world more than anything, just as the amazing scene we saw at the waterfall.
-Rikako

Waking up on a snowy and windy morning, we started our third day of exploration in Iceland. As we stepped on the glacier, however, to everyone's surprise and excitement, the sun came out brightly. The pure blue color of the glacier under sunshine amazed us. On the top of the mountains, snow drifted down again with the sun still shining. Well, I guess the weather is indeed unique in Iceland due to its geography. We also observed the volcano ashes on the glacier, a spectacular experience of fire and ice. Afternoon was busy. We went to waterfalls where we could see beautiful rainbows and a museum with historical items in Iceland. We also had an opportunity to watch a video about the volcano eruption in 2010 and how Icelandic people recovered after the natural disaster. And of course, the unpredictable Icelandic weather was another interesting part of our journey. It amazed me when I found it suddenly started to snow heavily right after the sunny and gentle weather. In a word, today, a wonderful day in Iceland, has been one of the best days of my life.
-Yeva

Today I experienced the most exciting part of the trip: the glacier walk. We went to the top of the finger of the glacier and the view was stunning! At first the weather was not that pleasant in the morning and we were not certain if we could go or not, but then the sun just came out and it totally made our day:) The trip was tiring but fulfilling! Each of us was amazed by the beauty of the nature. Then we also went to a local museum where we could discover the history of Icelandic life. The collections in the museum showed how people in Iceland lived hundreds of years ago. And those huts outside of the museum reproduced the scenes of how the Icelandic people lived. This trip is amazing!
-Joyce