After we followed the Exit to Iceland sign, we weren’t really outdoors just yet, but rather in the baggage area where I looked for a man holding a sign with my name on it. Let me explain. When I was planning this trip, I knew that of course we had to go to the Blue Lagoon, however it’s approximately 45 minutes from Reykjavik. The airport is also 45 minutes from Reykjavik. I hated the idea of being tired and jet-lagged and driving 45 minutes into the city (how? Bus? Taxi? There is no Uber/Lyft in Iceland. Shuttle? Shuttles are the worst, as if I want to stop at every hotel along the way) And if that isn’t bad enough, then we would have to drive 45 minutes back that way to go to the Lagoon. It was 8:30 in the morning in Iceland, but 2:30 in the morning our time, so it wouldn't even be feasible to go to the hotel and rest since it was too early to check in, and we were pretty tired.
But, because of the magic of Mr. Google, everything you could ever want to know is right at your fingertips. I queried Mr. Google as well as his sidekick Chat GPT and found a company that would pick you up at the airport, drive you to the Blue Lagoon (which is only 22 minutes from the airport…so close!) stay with your luggage, wait for 2 hours for you (longer if you wanted, for a further fee of course) and then drive you directly to your hotel. I mean, I couldn’t have asked for more. It’s a very reputable company, the reviews were stellar, so I had no concerns. They say (you know, the “They” that know everything) that stopping at the Blue Lagoon upon arrival will refresh and invigorate you after a long flight. And who am I to argue with “They”?
Anyhow, the fellow was right there, on time as promised (you give them your flight arrival info, and they will wait if your plane is delayed) his vehicle was an immaculate Mercedes and he chatted with us the whole way and gave us the lowdown about volcanoes and lava. When we arrived at the Lagoon, he insisted on walking us right to the door, he must have sensed that otherwise I would have wandered off into a lava field, never to be seen again, as the place is surrounded by huge amounts of solidified lava. It’s quite otherworldly.
I had pre-paid tickets since They say that it often reaches capacity and you can’t get in. They only allow so many at a time. I doubt that that is a concern in the off season, but I was taking no chances. Our ticket included the use of robes, two drinks each at the swim up bar, and three different face mask treatments, and more importantly to me, a dedicated entrance line. The older I get, the less patience I have with lines and people and crowds. *sigh*.
It’s set up extremely efficiently. You get your electronic wristband, head off to the change room, scan a locker and put your stuff in there, shower (and shower naked please, swimsuit goes on afterwards, nothing infuriates the Icelandic more than puritans who do not wash all their parts before getting into the water, they consider it rude, disrespectful to their customs and totally disgusting.🤢) and then off you go.
The water really is that blue. The colour comes from silica, salt and other minerals that sooth, moisturize and strengthen the skin, and honestly, I could not believe how smooth my skin felt afterwards. The water is heated by volcanic aquifers deep underground, and the temperature is anywhere from 37C to 40C year round. It was amazing. We drifted around, grabbed a cold drink, tried the face mask, got a second drink, and just relaxed. It was humorous to see everyone slowly moving around with their faces covered with various colours of face mask on. I’m not a hot tub/heat lover at all, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Everyone there was just so happy and full of smiles. The place is huge and there was no lack of places to sit (benches are built into the edges) and enjoy the scenery. The two hours went by in no time, and for us, two hours was plenty. We changed and headed outside to take a few pictures.
Of course once we had discarded our electronic wristbands and were totally out of the building, I realized I had forgotten my bathing suit inside, and I had to race in, and be “that” person who went to the front of the line, hastily explaining my predicament to people in line who likely didn’t even speak English. I was just another pushy North American to them, The fellow at the desk listened to my babble, and let me through the gates, I ran to the changing room (looking foolish I’m sure, since I had sneakers on a wet floor and was fearing I’d slip and knock myself unconscious, so I was sort of high stepping like a goose) My suit was still there, lying in a wet, crumpled heap, so I grabbed it and ran to the exit, where of course I couldn’t get out because I had no wristband to open the gates. I was wildly gesturing to the attendants, and passersby's and anyone else who would look my way. Finally someone opened the gate and I flew down the walkway, just in time to see our driver coming our way. He must have also intuitively known that I would still get lost even after he took us there once already. To be honest, when he walked us back to the car, it was not in a place where I would have gone, so he was a wise man to come and fetch us.
The 45 minute drive to our hotel went quickly, and we were at the 101 Guesthouse by early afternoon, although it was about 8pm Cranbrook time, so we were sort of in the mood for food. We checked in and holy geez, the room must have been 30C inside, I thought I was going to melt into a puddle within minutes. Air Conditioning is pretty rare in hotels there, it’s seldom needed, and it does cool down a lot at night, but man, there was no way I could have stayed in that room to have a rest, so we closed the curtains, opened the windows and went out to find a restaurant.
First though, the hotel. We both liked it a lot, it had everything you need (other than AC, 😊) and it was very clean, but it was tiny. Two beds that I think were less than single-size, and not much elbow room, you most assuredly could not swing a cat in there. But it was quirky and cute.
We hung our swimsuits to dry, and off we went. Our street is called Snorrabraut, which Steven remembered by calling it sauerkraut. Close enough.
We found a place just a few minutes walk away and had dinner. Iceland is very expensive. He had a fish/shrimp pasta, and I had “Icelandic quesadillas” One coke, and one glass of water (they had no coffee, the machine was broken 😞) The bill for our meal was $141 Canadian. It was just a run of the mill place, nothing fancy. I knew coming into this that it is an incredibly pricey city, so I was not too shocked. Sad, but not too shocked. We walked up and down the streets for a bit, and then the weariness hit us and we headed off to bed. The room had cooled off and we both slept very soundly. It had been a good day, especially the weather. Rain had been predicted, but we were blessed with blue skies and warm sunshine. See you in the morning! 🥱
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