Waterfall Kingdom

Welcome to the vast Icelandic kingdom of Waterfalltopia. I'm absolutely positive that you'd love Iceland if you love waterfalls. On my Grand Circle road trip through Iceland, I passed by and visited countless waterfalls. In fact, while on this journey, I was lulled to sleep by the sound of my family going "Waterfall!" Iceland, in my opinion, is officially the waterfall capital of the world. It just goes to show you the majestic side of this wonderful country! 

Its a good thing Carl Fredricksen, from the movie Up, didn't land in Iceland or he'd be saying "Which waterfall is Paradise Falls?" 

Exhibit A: The Waterfalls on the Hikes

I'd recommend hiking in Iceland, because all of the trails have a glimpse into the natural beauty of Iceland. And when you get lost on the trail, which is inevitable for all people who are as confused reading a map as I am, it's still an amazing view. Just walk slowly and enjoy the walk and the view! Remember when you're going on these hikes, it's extremely important to have a windbreaker and a jacket because you may just get soaked with the mist from the waterfall. And from personal experience, it's not going to be a great hike back down again when you're soaking wet. 

One of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland is Gullfoss! So a very quick lesson in Icelandic, "foss" means waterfall, so if you ever see something that looks like _____foss, it's a waterfall! Most of these waterfalls usually have a hike that can take you to some great views, like right next to the waterfall or to a towering cliff above the waterfall. Not only is waterfall-gazing (this is eventually going to become your favorite hobby after traveling to Iceland) entertaining, but you also get a glimpse into the rugged heart of Iceland. You see the rich green grass covering almost the entire country and the dense mist that rises from these large waterfalls. It's amazing how the water itself just blows around the surrounding areas because of the wind! Warning, you will be soaked at least once when you try either taking pictures of the waterfall, or simply going as close to the waterfall as possible. Am I repeating myself about getting soaked? I guess I'm just looking out for you, because from personal experience getting soaked by a waterfall is anything but fun in

     
                                                                                                                                 
Some trails allow you to go directly behind the waterfall itself. It's an amazing experience! There were times when we were so close to the waterfall that we could touch it! But be warned, this beauty comes with a horrible price. You will return to the car grateful for the warmth (remember the summer in Iceland is still cold), or you may be furious that your camera is completely wet. Ipsita's Tip #1: Bring something to keep your camera dry. Most of the people who were setting up their cameras when viewing this particular waterfall had it covered with a Ziploc bag, so that way the camera would remain dry. Thank god for the sales at a nearby Colombia outlet, otherwise we would have been soaking wet!

Imagine having a waterfall in your backyard! In some parts of Iceland, people had their own personal waterfalls behind them!

Where's the photographer?

Exhibit B: The Photo Opportunities

Whichever waterfall you're near, there's a high probability you'll find at least one photographer somewhere there.  It almost developed into a game, "Where's the Photographer?". At least they didn't ask me for my opinion on the photos. *cough cough mom*. Throughout the trip I constantly heard "Hold that! No not that, this! I need to change my lens!" "I don't care if you fall, as long as my camera is okay!" "Smile!" "Which photo is better?" Yes, you've guessed correctly, I've got a photographer in the house, my mom. But seriously, who can blame her? the photo opportunities are limitless, and I used some of the photos that my mom took and she let me use the camera. (Trust me that's a big deal!)

"OMG. A DOUBLE RAINBOW!"

We "discovered" this waterfall when we were lost on our hike in the Skaftafell National Park. This is one of the most picturesque waterfalls in Iceland, with its unique basalt columns. (early geology introductions) After taking several wrong turns, we finally ended up viewing this beautiful "foss" and spending our time here instead. (You have no idea how long it took to get back to the car).

Here's another waterfall that we found while lost somewhere in the Skaftafell National Park. See? Good things do happen to people who're lost. You always find something that you're not looking for. (Is that why I can never find my keys when I'm locked outside my house?)

I think in my entire family, the one person who never got tired of the waterfalls was my father. He'd simply stare at the larger waterfalls, and would always push the rest of the family to go on hiking to view the waterfalls from different angles. And, this is some intense stuff. Just add a filter and make the picture black and white, and bam! Not only do you have a great photo, but you also look like you're staring into the edge of the world (all the more shocking because the world is round, just in case you didn't know).

This murky brown waterfall right above is Dettifoss, which is apparently the largest waterfall in Europe. I don't know about largest, because then I'd have to go and look at each waterfall in Europe, but I can tell you one thing. Imagine the sound of thunder. Now imagine that sound next to your head, constantly repeating. That was what it felt like standing on the edge of Dettifoss. Because there were no barriers separating the public from the waterfall, there were actually people whose feet were close to the water! Only in Iceland... if it was in the U.S. there would probably be signs saying "Caution!" and ropes or metal bars. But here, it was left as it was first discovered.

Of all the waterfalls I came across in my Iceland trip (and let me tell you, there were MANY waterfalls) Goðafoss (pronounced Godafoss) was my absolute favorite. Not only was the water crystal-clear, but there were little points where you could cross the waterfalls and there was a small beach that was accessible to the public (where this picture was taken). Not only was the water just stunning, this waterfall contained within it several other large waterfalls that remained enclosed in the semicircle you see in the picture above.

Of all the falls that I remember most distinctly, this would be one of them. Hraunfossar was a stunning view that would forever remain in my memory, not only because it was the last waterfall I would see in Iceland, but also because it contained within it multiple waterfalls that were all combined to make a stunning view.

Although I loved the waterfalls in Iceland, I don't think I'll be waterfall-gazing any time soon. The only falling water I want to see right now is from my tap.