Well, you can't go to Iceland without visiting the famous Blue Lagoon.
Which is just what we did after touring Reykjavik in the morning.
This was one time when we didn't use the car.
I wanted Matt to have a chance to relax and not worry about driving,
so we booked a transfer with BusTravel Iceland. They picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel.
The price was about £13 each which does not include admission to the Blue Lagoon.
They offer loads of other Icelandic Tours, too.
The Blue Lagoon has to be one of the most unusual places I've ever visited.
It's located in an otherworldly lava field next to a power plant.
The lagoon is fed from the runoff of the geothermal plant and renews every two days.
Once the lava-heated water has done its job of generating energy,
it energizes the thousands of visitors to the spa.
We opted for the Comfort Experience (about £50 each) so after picking up our wristband, towels and robes
it was time for me to navigate the Ladies Changing Room.
Now this is the part that I stressed about the most.
As I mentioned before, when going to a spa in Iceland you are asked to bathe in the nude
(usually in a gender-segregated communal shower) before entering.
I realize that for most people this isn't a big deal, but as an American,
I've been trained since high school gym class to avoid being "nekkid" in public at all costs.
Maneuvers include erecting an elaborate pup-tent of towels and the classic removal of the bra through the sleeves.
Let me tell you, there were naked women everywhere in that dressing room.
I wish I had that confidence, but I just can't do it.
So I figured out an elaborate system to avoid the public nakedness.
Sure Matt had to wait an extra 30 minutes for me to exit the dressing rooms,
but whatever. Old habits die hard. If you would like to know my system
just send me an email. I've got you "covered." (See what I did there?)
Eventually, we went outside, hung up our robes and got into the water as quickly as possible.
February in Iceland, it was obviously freezing outside.
B
But oh, that water, so warm! It's a milky color and full of minerals
Good for the skin, but not so great on the hair.
I covered mine with conditioner as advised and didn't get it wet.
The water isn't that deep so you end up duck-walking around.
I kept imagining if you took the water away and just had hundreds of people
duck walking around this lava field. Can't you just picture it? No? Just me?
Another thing I was worried about was camera logistics. I left my camera in my locker until we were about to leave then I went and grabbed it for some photos. I wouldn't leave anything valuable hanging up outside.
My robe got nicked which was pretty aggravating.
Can you spot Matt?
The bottom of the pools is covered in a silt-like substance, kind of slimy on your toes.
The lava rocks around the edges have gone all white from the minerals in the water.
We expected it to be slimy, too, but it wasn't at all. The minerals have hardened into a white shell.
It's a really big space, so after grabbing a beer at the little bar, we duck-walked from one hot spot to the next.
The water varies from about 98 to 102 degrees, the hottest spots are just wonderful.
There are boxes where you can grab some of the mineral mud to smear on your skin.
I put a little bit on my face, but it started itching so I quickly washed it off.
It did feel like we were on a different planet.
The blue sky, black rocks, white silt and the wispy steam.
This is the little bar where you can grab beer, wine or a smoothie.
There was a staff member walking around that took a photo with an ipad and emailed it to us.
He kept dipping his freezing fingers into the hot water to thaw them out,
The staff was really great. The facilities are terrific and the water is so wonderfully warm.
The experience was completely different from our time at the Laugarvatn Fontana.
If I lived in Iceland, I'm not sure I would go there regularly to relax,
but it was a once in a lifetime experience that I wouldn't have missed for anything.
What did you think the Blue Lagoon Iceland?