Reykjavik, Iceland

Jokusarlon Lagoon

The largest and best known of Iceland's glacial lakes, Jokulsarlon Lagoon is in the south of the country at the end of the Vatnajokull glacier. The lagoon first appeared around 1935 and has been growing ever since with the accelerating melting of the glacier.

 

 

 

These days it looks likely to eventually breach the narrow isthmus and join up with the sea, making it an inlet rather than a lake. The Icelanders are keen to stop this happening as the main highway which circles Iceland passes over this narrow strip of land.

 

 

 

Gulfoss Waterfall

Gullfoss is a massive waterfall on the river Hvita which originates in the glacial lake Langjokull. Gullfoss means 'golden falls' because the glacial sediment in the water turns the falls golden in the sunlight. The water falls 105 feet (32 meters) in two steps. As you approach, you hear the falls before you see the wild, tumbling water as the river valley is a deep, dramatic crevasse. You can stand at the top or walk down the path to the bottom.

 

  

 

 

 

 

The Pearl (Perlan)

Perlan ('The Pearl' in English) is a spectacular landmark which overlooks Reykjavik and can be seen for miles around. Dating from 1991, it is actually a water storage facility (for the geothermal water that comes out of the earth here and supplies the city with its hot water) with a viewing platform, a cafeteria and a revolving restaurant on top. Inside there is a large space which is often used for concerts.

 

 

 

Perlan also houses the Viking Saga Museum which is open everyday.

Videy Island

Across the water from Reykjavik lies Videy Island. Once the main harbor until Reykjavik took over in 1943, the first settlement on the island dates from the 10th century. These days birds are the main inhabitants of the island with around 30 species coming to breed there.

 

 

 

For humans, there is a restaurant, located in Videyjarstofa house, the first stone and cement building in Iceland, which dates from 1755. The island was once home to Augustine monks until 1539 when the reformation began in Iceland. There are also walking tracks and horse-riding.

Cancun, Mexico

Chichen Itza

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza - meaning "At the mouth of the well of the Itza" - is Mexico's most visited archeological site, a magnificent display of Mayan culture and the ceremonial center of the Yucatán.

 

 

The highlight of Chichen Itza is the Kukulkan Pyramid, known as "El Castillo", 24 meters (79 feet) high of step pyramid construction. Mesoamerican cultures occasionally built larger pyramids on top of smaller ones and this is the case for El Castillo where an excavation discovered a temple with an elaborate jaguar throne.

 

Cave of the Sleeping Sharks

Just 30 minutes off the coast of Cancun near Isla Mujeres lies a popular diving destination called Cave of the Sleeping Sharks, which has baffled marine biologists everywhere. Sharks must constantly be in motion in order to breathe through their skins, but in this cave the sharks can use bubbles from underwater springs to breathe, allowing them to "sleep" completely still.

 

 

The Cave of the Sleeping Sharks was discovered in 1969 and lies about 60 feet (20 meters) underwater, formed by coral formations that allow divers to get close to the resting sharks. Nurse sharks are most commonly seen in the cave and although they are harmless it is still exhilarating to be able to swim so close to them.