WELCOME TO OUR BLOGSITE. IT'S MAINLY ABOUT OUR TRIPS. IN A TRUCK.

WHILST TRAVELLING OVERSEAS WE USE THE TRAVELOGUES SECTION OF THE SITE TO DOCUMENT OUR LOCATION, RELAY SOME EXPERIENCES AND, SOMETIMES, TO TAKE A WITHERING STAB AT TRYING TO MAKE SOME SENSE OF THE WORLD.

BY DEFAULT, POSTS APPEAR IN DATE ORDER WITH THE MOST RECENT FIRST BUT NAVIGATING TO OLDER POSTS / TRIPS IS EASILY ACHIEVED BY FOLLOWING THE RELEVANT LINKS.

AS WELL AS MEMORIALISING TRIPS, THE SITE ALSO OFFERS A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO US, OUR TRUCK AND A FEW USEFUL RESOURCES.

WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR VISIT!

Iceland Trip - Day 23 - Iceland


N 64.32646°, W 20.13049°


Having completed the Kjölur crossing without incident and thoroughly enjoying the mountains, glaciers, and desolation, we made the Gullfoss waterfall by lunch.

As did, it seems, almost everyone else in Iceland.

I was here in 1992 with an Icelandic mate and at that time a track led to a small car park where he and I alone marvelled at the falls. Today there is a huge metalled road terminating at a massive car park, sprawling visitor centre, souvenir shop, café, restaurant, a huge building dedicated entirely to toileting, and hoards and hoards of bussed-in tourists.

The falls have sadly become an extreme example of the view, brew, and loo model of countryside recreation management having been 'enhanced' to the point that render the very attraction itself almost incidental.

The falls themselves haven't seemed to notice that a whole industry has been created around them: neither did most visitors seem to particularly care. Far more people thronged the built than natural environment; the eateries and souvenir shops were crammed to the rafters and the queue to pay to use the toilet building was about 50 deep.

The strap-line on the tat in the souvenir shop should more honestly be revised from: 'I ♥ Gullfoss', to: 'Gullfoss, 4,000,000 BC - 2000 AD, RIP'.

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