By Sze Wing Ng
During the half term, 30 students from Year 10 to 13 went to Iceland with Mr Chappory, Miss Sandu and Ms Hales. It was a 5 day trip and we visited many famous and eye opening destinations. Let me walk through the trip with you.
Day 1:
We met at Heathrow airport at 9am and landed at Keflavík airport at around 3pm. Our first destination was Gunnuhver, which is Iceland’s largest mud pool containing huge hot springs. We continued to The Bridge between Continents, in Sandvík. On one side of the bridge we were on the Eurasian plate, and on the other the North American plate. It was a fascinating experience knowing we were on two different continents.
Day 2:
On day 2 we visited many waterfalls, including the famous Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, which were once sea cliffs and are over 60m. You can walk up flights of stairs to admire the waterfall and see how the cliff has eroded over time. Then we visited the Sólheimajökulll glacier (known as the ‘Home of the Sun’ glacier) and marvelled at its surface, covering the volcano Katla. For the last stop of the day, we went to Black Sand Beach, where we learnt about coastal erosion and the formation of sea stacks and stumps. This was a great way to celebrate Mr Chappory’s birthday!
Day 3:
On the 3rd day we visited one of the oldest waterfalls in Iceland, Gullfoss, which is the largest waterfall (by volume) in Europe. We then visited Geysir, an active hot spring that erupts frequently and captured some great videos! Then came the most exciting part of the day – we went snorkelling between the continental plates. My friend Antonia said “Although it was a cold day and the water was freezing, the view underwater was definitely worth it and was a once in a life experience.” We ended our action-packed day by exploring Thingvellir National Park and looking at the mesmerising views.
Day 4:
We started our day by going to Kerio – a volcanic crater lake which is believed to have been formed by an explosive eruption. The water is of a magnificent green-blue colour as a result of the many minerals present, and the volcanic rocks are of an impressive red hue and were immensely fascinating to look at. We continued to Hveragerði, where we saw several tiny hot springs. Afterwards, we were given a chance to explore Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik.
Day 5:
On our last day we got another chance to explore the capital city and then quickly headed off to our most anticipated and last destination – the Sky Lagoon. It was a very enjoyable experience, especially the infinite pool. We then went to Keflavík airport for departure, and landed at Heathrow airport at around 8pm and reunited with our parents.
Overall this was definitely one of my most memorable and enjoyable trips with the school. Although the winds in Iceland were almost unbearable, it was such a great experience for me and other students. My favourite places were definitely the Sky Lagoon and the waterfalls.
Pictures from the trip:
