Our plane touched down in Reykjavik at about 6:00 AM this morning. We had a very long wait for our luggage because it was delivered on carousel #2 when we were told it was be on carousel #1. I suppose we should have anticipated that since when we left New York we were told to board at Gate #2 but actually entered the plane at Gate #1. Getting through customs took seconds. I have to admit I was a little concerned because we hired a driver to pick us up and have had problems with that in the past. Last year, in London, we looked all over for our driver. When we finally found him he said he was sitting in the cafe. Now why didn’t we think of looking for him at the cafe rather than at baggage claim WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MEET HIM! So upon exiting the Reykjavik baggage claim area I was very relieved to see a young man holding a sign that read, “Robert Reiss”. He was standing next to another young man with a sign reading “Robert Reiss”. I suppose two drivers are better than none. We got that mystery solved and were on our way to the Blue Lagoon .
The Blue Lagoon has been described as one of the most famous sights in Iceland. We were told that the Lagoon was formed by an industrial accident. In an attempt to harness the geothermal power created by the mixture of volcanic lava, fresh water and ocean water this wonderful bed of warm (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit) water was created. Mother Nature met Corporate America (oops I mean, Corporate Iceland) to create the park. The facility is very well run. Upon arrival you are given a robe, sandals, towel, identification bracelet and taken to showers where you cleanse prior to entering the Lagoon. You then move very quickly from the warm shelter of the dressing area into the water. No one is shy about getting into the water when they are outside in a bathing suit with an ambient temperature of 36 degrees.
Once in the water you feel amazing immediately. You then wade yourself over to the the “Mud Bar” where you apply a “Silica Mud Mask”. After 10 minutes roaming around the water looking like a monster you remove the the mud and apply an “Algae Mask”. These treatments are supposedly very therapeutic for your skin. I don’t know if they do anything but they do make you feel great. I am ready to return for another dip right now. And I do think it helped my skin? What do you think? See below.
After the Lagoon we were escorted to our hotel in Reykjavik. Having not slept on the plane we were exhausted and decided to take a nap. Upon awakening we took a free city walking tour. We learned a lot about the history and culture of Iceland. For example we were told that spelling of all Icelandic words is determined by grabbing letters from a bag of “Alpha Bits” cereal and then placing them down in a random sequence. We also saw some interesting sights. Our guide pointed out some typical Icelandic eating spots. See below.
After the tour we went back to the room to warm up. Dinner was at the hotel tonight because one of us was too wimpy to get his toes cold again. Did I say “his” toes? …………Yes.
Robert Reiss Travel Blog and Other Ramblings 