We are Travelers

In my last post I made fun of being a tourist. In this post I give you an alternative to being a tourist: be a traveller. But before I get to the meat of this post: I MADE IT TO EDINBURGH! Woohoo! More to come on that in my next post.

To round out my time in Iceland, I spent my last full day on a tour of Iceland's Southern Coast. It was definitely my favourite thing from the trip. The tour guide was phenomenal, I saw three magnificent waterfalls, got drenched by the North Atlantic, and saw a glacier that may not exist in a few years.

The tour was run by Iceland Guided Tours with a minibus -- a (nice!) change from the large bus tours run by Reykjavik Excursions and Iceland Excursions. What really made it fantastic was the tour guide. He was very knowledgable, not just on the main sights, but little tidbits about Iceland, its history and natural landscape, wildlife, and people. He was also funny and incredibly passionate about his country and nature, which I appreciated. My hope is to convey that passion and enthusiasm to you.

Skógarfoss

Seljalandsfoss

Urriðafoss

Though the beauty and power of the first two falls above is certainly something to behold, the third waterfall, Urriðafoss, trumps them. Seeing the Urriðafoss was an unscheduled stop on our tour. It is the most voluminous waterfall in Iceland, and because of that, several people and organizations want to harvest its power for electricity. Doing so would redirect the river and make the falls run dry. Not that the proposed power plant couldn't be decommissioned and the falls restored, but it would undoubtedly be many years before anyone gets to enjoy the falls, as I have. For that reason, I urge anyone reading this to consider the value of natural beauty over a desire for profit, not just in Iceland but wherever you live. Don't just consider. Talk about it. Vote for public officials who will support the preservation and protection of our natural resources and planet.

Just 10 years ago, where I stood
when I took this was covered in ice.

On a similar note, another stop on our tour was the Sólheimajökull glacier. This was perhaps one of the most disappointing legs of the tour. Not just because it was raining--I was prepared to march the kilometer, through the pouring rain, to get right up next to the glacier. The most disappointing thing is that the other members of my party were not as willing to get a little wet to see up-close a natural beauty that is quickly disappearing. And it seems there is nothing we can do to stop it. The glacier retreats, on average, about 50 meters a year and is not being replenished. It could be gone entirely within 20 years. It might be too late to save Sólheimajökull, but it is not too late to save other natural landmarks. The U.S. and China ratifying the Paris climate deal is a good step towards doing that on the national scale. But most of the work will have to be done by people like you--talking about it, voting, donating, anything you can do to preserve this planet so that the next generation has a chance to enjoy it as we have.

Enough of my harping. It's time you know how to be a traveler. Part of it is not just seeing the sights, but truly appreciating them. The other part can be summarized by something our guide said as he passed a car on the highway.

"We are not tourists; tourists drive too slow. We are travelers. Tourists are always on their way home. But travelers are always on their way to the next destination."

-- Howser, travelers' guide

And with that, I'll let you ponder your next destination until my next post on my arrival in Edinburgh. Until then...

Stay informed. -NLD