We got up really late today because the only thing we had planned was to go to the blue lagoon. After 2 days of nonstop tours I figured it would be a good idea to unwind a bit. Our entrance time wasn't until 2pm, so it gave us a chance to catch up on our sleep (we have been sleeping a lot since getting here).

In Reykjavik they have special rules regarding the tour buses downtown. The buses are only allowed to stop at very specific areas to pick up and drop off passengers. Often, the tour companies will have a smaller mini bus pick you up and drive you to a different location so you can transfer into a larger coach bus to bring you to wherever you are going. We've gotten used to this after a few go's of it, but I thought it was interesting and thought I would share :D

We did the usual transfer deal to our actual bus and found the nicest damn bus either of us have ever been on. Granted, we only have about two days worth of bus experience... However in that time we have ridden probably 6 different buses. This bus just smelled expensive... You get on to find the floor fully carpeted... Leather seats throughout the entire coach... USB charger between the seats... And some relaxing rendition of California dreaming calmly playing in the background. Blue lagoon is really going the extra mile to get people into that relaxation headspace.

Another short aside... Reykjavik is largely a wifi connected town. Every place we have gone into had its own wifi connection for guests (cafe/stores). This includes all of the tour buses/mini buses we have taken. This bus in particular had a really good connection as well as USB charger (nerds really appreciate these sort of things).  

Driving up the lagoon is pretty impressive. In the distance you see a bunch of steam rising up over the lava fields. As you get closer, you start to see pools of this milky white/blue water next to the road.

The walkway up to the front door is cut right through a lava field.

I'm afraid I didn't take any pictures inside of the lagoon. They give you a bracelet that lets you order drinks and food while you are inside and then they give you a shove towards the water.

We were told the water is anywhere from 90-104 degrees, which sounds pretty hot... But stepping into it, it just felt really warm. A good warm :) you enter the water inside the building (where you are still relatively warm) and then there is a door you open while in the water to get outside. The temperature today was around 44 degrees, but when you are in the water the cooler temperature on your face just keeps you from getting too hot. It started to rain a little bit, and that too wasn't unpleasant. The lava rocks surrounding the pools keep the wind from being a problem.

It should be explained that the entire lagoon is completely enveloped in steam/fog. There were lots of people there, but when you can only see about 20 feet in front of you it feels like there are only a handful at any given moment. Included in our ticket were free drinks at the lagoon bar. It's one of those walk up in the water type dealies, so you never need to leave the warmth of the water. Drinks are really expensive in Reykjavik, I was seeing a single beer costing 17 dollars... Here the drinks were a little cheaper, with a beer costing 10 and cider around 15. Needless to say, our only drinks here in Iceland will be the ones included in our ticket :D

We did the silica mud mask thing. There's another little hut in the water where you get the stuff. As we waded up there was an Icelandic guy with a big beard who whipped up a big spoon of the stuff and jovially questioned "Sil-li-ca???" in the most ridiculous accent I've heard all trip. This was promptly followed by a whole clump of the stuff being plopped into your hands. Amanda probably has more to say about that stuff... Minerals from the volcanos yadda yadda yadda. For me.... I did the thing... and it didn't hurt. *shrug*

Leaving was pretty painless and we made our bus without trouble. I must have been relaxed though, because I actually slept on the bus ride back (which most who know me understand is a rare thing indeed).

We were quite hungry when we got back, so rather than eat the food we have been getting at the grocery store (when in Iceland eat like the locals... From the grocery store) we went out to eat at a nearby fish and chips place. The fish is all freshly caught that day, so it's a revolving list of fish you can choose from. My choice resulted in them scratching "Redfish" off the list (got the last one woo). We both discovered that we like the basic vinegar and salt more than any of the dips we tried which was a slight surprise. All in all a good day.

I write all this the next day, because today we're purposely not doing anything to give time to plan out parts of our next country (leaving for Ireland in just 2 more days!!!).

Tomorrow, we are going on a whale watching cruise. Let's all hope for good weather!