Day 1 - Blue Lagoon
We took an overnight flight into Reykjavik. Becky and Tam flew in from Sacramento and Madhu and I met them in Minneapolis where we continued our flight. When we arrived at Reykjavik the customs was surprisingly easy. There were no forms or even questions about our stay.
Like many people, we had booked our trip to the Blue Lagoon the same day we landed. Although Iceland has many natural hot springs, the Blue Lagoon is actually water heated from the nearby geothermal plant. The airport and the lagoon are about 45 minutes from the city, so it makes sense to go on your way in or way out of Reykjavik. It books up though, so you really need to book a few weeks ahead. We had some time to kill, so we got some breakfast and drove through part of the Reykjanes Peninsula. We tried to reach a cliff to see some Puffins, but the road was flooded over and it was clear our car wouldn't make it.
The Blue Lagoon is very busy. Although we arrived 30 minutes early, by the time we checked in, we probably got into the locker rooms 10 minutes after our booking time. They give you very futuristic bracelets which allow you to lock and unlock the lockers, as well as purchase drinks at the swim up bars (one drink is included with your ticket). They've upgraded their locker rooms in the past few years, but it's still pretty crowded. They've prioritized putting in private shower stalls, since I think there are so many Americans going that were freaked out by idea of public showers. If you are going you can save some money by bringing your own flip flops.
The water in the Blue Lagoon is full of silica, so you have to put as much conditioner in your hair as possible (provided for free), or else your hair will become completely stiff if it comes into contact with the water. It's best to just put it up if possible.
Besides the locker rooms, the Blue Lagoon is a really relaxing experience. The heat of the pool varies depending on how close you are to the pipe outputs. The swim up bar lines are short, and since the lagoon itself is pretty large there is plenty of personal space. It turned out to be a great idea to go after a long flight, especially since we needed to stay awake to get on Iceland time.
After the Blue Lagoon we checked into the Fosshotel Baron in downtown Reykjavik. We had read that because electricity is really cheap in Iceland (something like $60/year), they don't spend much money on insulation, and so the hotels are very noisy and it can be hard to sleep. We chose the quietest hotel we could find based on reviews. It was a bit old, but it wasn't bad. Sometimes the hot water in Iceland smells like sulphur because of the geothermal heating, and this hotel's water was very smelly. I don't recall the water really smelling elsewhere though.
Brigid and her dad happened to be in Reykjavik at same time, so we were able to have a really nice dinner with them at 73 Restaurant (the first of what seemed like endless restaurants with only burgers on the menus) and get some tips on the places they had been so far.
After dinner Madhu and I went to the famous Hallgrimskirkja. It's one of the tallest buildings in Iceland and took 41 years to build. The architecture of the church is inspired by the basalt columns at Reynisfjara Beach (see Day 3's blog).
Like many people, we had booked our trip to the Blue Lagoon the same day we landed. Although Iceland has many natural hot springs, the Blue Lagoon is actually water heated from the nearby geothermal plant. The airport and the lagoon are about 45 minutes from the city, so it makes sense to go on your way in or way out of Reykjavik. It books up though, so you really need to book a few weeks ahead. We had some time to kill, so we got some breakfast and drove through part of the Reykjanes Peninsula. We tried to reach a cliff to see some Puffins, but the road was flooded over and it was clear our car wouldn't make it.
The Blue Lagoon is very busy. Although we arrived 30 minutes early, by the time we checked in, we probably got into the locker rooms 10 minutes after our booking time. They give you very futuristic bracelets which allow you to lock and unlock the lockers, as well as purchase drinks at the swim up bars (one drink is included with your ticket). They've upgraded their locker rooms in the past few years, but it's still pretty crowded. They've prioritized putting in private shower stalls, since I think there are so many Americans going that were freaked out by idea of public showers. If you are going you can save some money by bringing your own flip flops.
The water in the Blue Lagoon is full of silica, so you have to put as much conditioner in your hair as possible (provided for free), or else your hair will become completely stiff if it comes into contact with the water. It's best to just put it up if possible.
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| Getting excited for our drive the next day, or maybe just sleep deprived. |
Besides the locker rooms, the Blue Lagoon is a really relaxing experience. The heat of the pool varies depending on how close you are to the pipe outputs. The swim up bar lines are short, and since the lagoon itself is pretty large there is plenty of personal space. It turned out to be a great idea to go after a long flight, especially since we needed to stay awake to get on Iceland time.
 |
| Only a small portion of the lagoon. |
After the Blue Lagoon we checked into the Fosshotel Baron in downtown Reykjavik. We had read that because electricity is really cheap in Iceland (something like $60/year), they don't spend much money on insulation, and so the hotels are very noisy and it can be hard to sleep. We chose the quietest hotel we could find based on reviews. It was a bit old, but it wasn't bad. Sometimes the hot water in Iceland smells like sulphur because of the geothermal heating, and this hotel's water was very smelly. I don't recall the water really smelling elsewhere though.
Brigid and her dad happened to be in Reykjavik at same time, so we were able to have a really nice dinner with them at 73 Restaurant (the first of what seemed like endless restaurants with only burgers on the menus) and get some tips on the places they had been so far.
After dinner Madhu and I went to the famous Hallgrimskirkja. It's one of the tallest buildings in Iceland and took 41 years to build. The architecture of the church is inspired by the basalt columns at Reynisfjara Beach (see Day 3's blog).
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