Gene and Jan's Long Trip Too

We sailed for another 20 hours north through the Chilean fjords until we reached the tidewater glacier Amalia located in the Bernando O'Higgins National Park   on the edge of the Sarmiento Channel.   The weather was uncooperative giving us poor visibility and low hanging clouds. We strained our eyes attempting to see where this gigantic glacier met the sea. This 13-mile long glacier originates in the Southern Patagonia Ice Field.  From 1945 to 1986, its terminus retreated 4.3 miles, the most dramatic retreat of any glaciers of this ice field during that period. 

Day twenty we arrived in Reykjavik.  Since leaving the Faroe Islands, the weather had not been favorable; rough seas and rain the entire way.  It looked like we would be facing more of the same as we prepared for our day's 8-hour excursion.  We were headed for Iceland's 2nd largest glacier. In 50 degree temperature, which felt much colder because of the 35 MPH wind and rain, we boarded our "Super Truck" and headed out.  The $250 thousand vehicle was luxurious inside yet designed to handle the most difficult terrain imaginable. On our way to the glacier we stopped at the Deildartunguhver Hot Springs.   Hot boiling water at 212 degrees was erupting  from the spring at the rate of 180 liters per second.  This is the highest discharge of any hot spring in the world.   Some of the hot, mineral-rich water is used by a nearby spa resort. At this same geothermal location, two bore holes produce large quantities of h...