Plumes of mist billow like smoke from fire, the rugged terrain swathed in brown resembling a village pillaged and raped. Silver streaks of water weave through the expanse hither and thither. This is Haukadalur, a geothermal field home to over 40 hot springs, mud pots and geysers. It is also where the famous Strokkur and Geysir lie.
Strokkur is perpetually ringed by hordes of visitors conspicuous in their colourful outfits. Their smartphones and cameras poised in mid-air, the visitors try to outsmart nature by timing the next eruption. While Geysir is dormant and hence left abandoned, Strokkur is reliable. Eight to ten minutes, that is the clockwork interval.