A little trip to heaven or hell?
POSTED IN Travels 31.08.2008
We took a small trip to Þeistareykir to photograph the test drilling sites.
This is an area not visited by tourists since it lies a good bit off the main roads. To get there you need to go to Reykjahlíð by Lake Mývatn, take the Hólasandur road and turn right on the 2nd road from the main Hólasandur road. Do not take the 1st road unless you have a big 4×4. That “road” leads you to Gæsadalur/Geese Valley and the beautiful Gæsatjarnir/Geese Ponds. (see photo for that road)
Once you have turned off the main gravel road and onto the 2nd on your right you have ahead of you a slow drive over the sands of Hólasandur. A desert like area. The road up by Bæjarfjall and Þeistareykir is a gravel road, but is easily passable by an ordinary car. Daníels KIA Clarus made it all the way!!
The Þeistareykir area is full of fumaroles, boiling mud springs and steam coming from underneat just about any rock, so be careful where you step. This is no place to be watching the clouds while having a walk!
An area full of hot springs, all the colors in the world under your feet, the earth bubbling with energy and heat. A wonderful place to visit and photograph.
In fact, we did go there on a friday, and again on a saturday to stay over night.
Þeistareykir used to be a farmstead in Reykjaheiði, now there stands a hut available for travellers to sleep in. The hottest “hotel” in the country, since the hut is heated with steam/hot water coing straight from the ground. A place loved by all travelling during winter, a place cursed by those who can not tolerate room temperatures of °30C while sleeping in the summer!
Once we got to the hut, Andri, Birkir and Daníel, set the bathtub to good use. For some reason there is a bathtub with cold water sitting outside the hut. Perfect for cooling drinks since there is no chance anywhere in the are to find a cool stream to store your drinkables.
Völundur fired up the BBQ and we had lamb, potatosalad, tomatoes, beansalad and red wine, while discussing the finer points (with a few sidetracks) of photography.
For those of you interested in Icelandic cooking, here is a recipe for roast leg of lamb ( we had bbq-ed slices of leg of lamb):
Take a leg of lamb with bone (approx. 1 1/2 kg.). Wash under running cold water and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. I also like to use Aromat (flavour enhancer), Season-All, garlic and coriander. Quarter an onion and put in a roasting pan with the meat. It’s good to rub the meat with the onion before seasoning. Cover and insert into a heated oven (175-200° C.). Allow the meat to brown on the outside, about 15-20 minutes. Pour in some water to cover the bottom of the pan, and add more water as it evaporates. Baste the meat with the water and juices. The roast should stay in the oven for about 2 hours. After about 1 1/2 hours, take the roast out and pour off the cooking liquid. Return to the oven without covering, to brown. Use the cooking liquid to make the sauce.
Hungry yet? -I know I am!!
The day ended with a marathon session of The Þeistareykir Trivial Pursuit Championships, where it really didnt matter who won or lost.
Þeistareykjamóri, the local ghost of a dog, probably was roaming somewhere in the nearby Gjástykki lavafield because he left us in peace that night to sleep until the sun came up again.
víííí, thanks for a terrific trip!
Helga, I’m amazed we didn’t have better results in Trivial Pursuit. It must have been the heat or something! :-S
I am constantly amazed at your ability to capture emotion and adventure, not only in words, but especially in the incredible photos you share.
Thank you.
úff!
Þessi staður hljómar draumkenndur!
Og ég eiginlega verð að taka undir með Juliet!
hmmm…
hvernig er það… á ekkert að bjóða manni í heimsókn þegar maður er þarna fyrir norðan eða?
(uber myndir og skemmtileg ferðasaga
Jiii,
Þú bara bjallar þegar þú ert í nágrenninu, eða rúllar við. Það er þá aldrei verra en svo að við erum ekki heima 
ég upplifði áður óþekkta þynnku þegar ég vaknaði í þessu hitamóki. einungis hnitmiðaður hausverkur svona… aftast einhverstaðar í hausnum.
I love your work and the place where you live has such beauty that the world should see more of it.
I wish you lots of success
best regards
Esther
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