Monday, September 13, 2021
Thursday, April 12, 2018
FOUR DAYS IN ICELAND : DAY 4: THE BLUE LAGOON
DAY 4: The Blue Lagoon
Our alarms ring in unison on our last day in Iceland. Fran and I are both bummed out with the realization that night has passed, and our one and only opportunity to see the Northern Lights is over. We have no time to fret - our driver is picking us up before the crack of dawn.
I wish we had more time here at the Hotel Ranga to explore the grounds in daylight. We arrived at dusk, and we're leaving before sunrise. In retrospect, spending only one night here seems to have been a mistake. But, to be fair, had we seen the Northern Lights last night (optimally, while sitting outside in the hot tub with a glass of wine), we wouldn't have thought twice about staying only one night. We would have been fully satisfied. So goes the best laid plans.
We have our breakfast and focus on the day ahead. Today brings us to the Blue Lagoon geothermal pools! It's about 85 miles from here, and we are paying four arms and four legs to have a private driver take us from here to there. Why? Because there really is no other way, other than renting our own car, which we don't want to do, or taking a bus with multiple connections, which would probably take half a day.
The driver wants to show us a special site along the way. It's a remote area called Strandarkyrkja. Should we be a little nervous that he's taking us off the main road? The thought doesn't even occur to us, perhaps because he is so nice and friendly, but more so because our food tour leader told us there is virtually no crime in Iceland. In fact, murders occur so rarely in Iceland, that if one does happen, the entire country goes into mourning. We follow him, leaving our New York street smarts locked in the car.
A quaint little church sits all alone. It is early morning, so we cannot take a peek inside. We are unaware at the time that the church is said to have special powers in bringing good luck. Maybe if we had stopped here yesterday, we could have prayed to see the northern lights last night.
Our driver leads us up the steps towards the beach, where he is hoping we will be lucky, and see seals lounging on the rocks. The are a few way out, but my camera can't capture them. It's such a peaceful and serene location, and a nice way to start the day.
We're back in the car, and literally the only ones on the road for most of our two-hour ride. After about an hour, the driver pulls over to the shoulder.
He takes us over to the moss that stretches as far as the eye can see. He tells us to touch it -- it is surprisingly soft and springy. We had assumed that it would be hard, as it covers black volcanic rock. We're not supposed to walk on it, as it is easily damaged, and can take a very long time -- if ever -- to recover. Icelanders are very protective of their fragile environment.
A little while more, and we arrive at the Blue Lagoon. Our driver will pick us up in three hours to take us to the airport.
We get a preview of the lagoon before going inside which wows us! Wow!
The contrast of the powder blue water and black lava rocks are striking. The water gets its beautiful color from three active ingredients: silica, algae, and minerals, plus the reflection of the sunlight. Although there is no sun today, it is still beautifully blue. It's overcast and misting. And it's cold........the low 40's........a perfect day for swimming!
The Premium Package we purchased months ago includes a towel, bathrobe, flip flops, silica mud mask, algae mask, and a free drink at the swim up bar. In order to use the lagoon, everyone must shower before going in. I have been stressing for months about showering in a communal locker room, and I'm enormously relieved that we can shower in our bathing suits. Once upon a time I wouldn't have minded such things, but with age, modesty has increased exponentially. I heed the warnings that the lagoon water can wreak havoc on one's hair, and comb gobs of the recommended conditioner into my locks.
We make our way out to the lagoon, soaking wet and shivering under our bathrobes. Brrrrrrr! We hang our robes on the outdoor hooks, and almost run into the water, which is somewhere between 98-104°. It is the most heavenly sensation!
We make our way over to the silica mud, and algae and apply our masks, which is quite a sight, and will absolutely not be shared here. I mean, going for the laugh is tempting, but, no. Creatures of the blue lagoon, I'll tell you! Instead, the masks can be seen on strangers in some of these photos.
I have seen many beautiful photos people have taken while they're in the lagoon, and my goal is to get some perfect shots of my own. The waterproof cover for my cell phone doesn't prevent the steam from fogging up my lens, and most of my pictures are awful. The dreary gray sky doesn't help.
As an add-on to our entrance fee, we purchased in-water massages. For 30 minutes, we float on a mat covered in hot, wet towels while being massaged with mineral oil. The masseuse has to keep submerging us in the water to keep us warm. What an experience!
Exiting the warmth of the lagoon, and trying to find our robes is excruciating - it's freezing! After a hot shower, lunch in the cafe, and a stop in the gift shop, our driver collects us and we are off to the airport.
Four days has gone so quickly, yet it feels like we've been here a long time. We are grateful that the rain has literally held off until we're about to take off.
Our seats are in an upright position, our tray tables are stowed, and New York City is in sight out of the right side of the aircraft. We're home.
I'm honored to have helped Fran celebrate her birthday in Iceland. We are good traveling buddies, and I think we'll do this again........sometime.........somewhere. We'll discuss it over a sushi dinner, no doubt!
Resources:
The Blue Lagoon
You can read about Day 1 here:
You can read about Day 2 here:
You can read about Day 3 here:
Linking With:
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
FOUR DAYS IN ICELAND - DAY 3: THE SOUTH COAST
In fact, my trip to Iceland was five months ago!
Life has been busy, what can I say?
Life has been busy, what can I say?
Considering that I brought a small suitcase, it took me a long time to pack up all my gear last night. I had to make sure that whatever I need for today and tomorrow is easily accessible. It's complicated stuff, this packing thing.
Multiple alarms make sure I'm out of bed on time, and I head downstairs to meet Fran for breakfast. We briefly talked about going back to Braud for pastries and a cup of coffee instead of paying a crazy amount of money for the breakfast buffet here. That would have meant getting up even earlier, and for once, food didn't win. It's a toss-up when it comes to choosing between food and sleep.
After a satisfying breakfast of skyr, fruit, granola, bread, cheese and meats (we ate all that just in case the lunch offerings were meager, I swear!), we make our way back to Hallgrimskirkja Church to meet our tour van. Baldwin is our guide today, and seriously, the only reason I can remember this is that his first name is the same as my ex-boss' last name.
We head back in the same direction as yesterday's tour, along Iceland's the southern coast, about an hour outside of Reykjavik.
The sun rises a little after 9:00am, just as we reach the waterfalls called Urrioafossi. Just a side note......because Iceland is so far north, by winter solstice there will be only 4 hours of sunlight between 11:30am and 3:30pm. But, I digress.
If I have one problem with our tour guides, it's that for the most part, they don't explain the site while we are actually at it. They do tell us about it as we are as we are on our way, and then they drop us off to explore on our own. I'm a visual learner, so once we get to our destination, I can barely remember anything. I google everything when I get home, which is how I know that Urrioafossi translates to Salmon Falls, and is the most voluminous waterfall in all of Iceland. Although it doesn't have a dramatic drop, the rush of water over the black lava rocks makes it particularly striking.
Our second stop is Skogafoss. It's massive, and in fact, one of Iceland's largest waterfalls.
There are steps.......many, MANY steps.......leading to the top where we can view Skogafoss from above, but Baldwin suggests that we skip that, since we don't have enough time. Such is one of the downsides of a guided tour, but frankly, I'm relieved to have an excuse to avoid that climb. I bet the view is spectacular, though. Helicopter beanies would come in handy right now to zoom us up to the top.
We are not fortunate enough to catch a rainbow which are apparently quite frequent here, because the day is not sunny. This may seem like a disappointment, but we're just so happy it's not raining and freezing, that the no-show rainbow is a small price to pay.
The magnificent Icelandic horses just off to the side of the falls are an entertaining sideshow. My camera doesn't know what to look at first.
Katla Geopark, home to Myrdalsjokull Glacier, is our next destination. Myrdalsjokull is the fourth largest glacier in Iceland. One of Iceland's most famous volcanoes lies underneath the glacier. Yep, it can erupt - it does so every 40-80 years, and Baldwin says that if the park rangers say it's time to leave the area, run like hell! He's not messing with us -- this warning is for real. Nope, we're not scared -- our teeth are chattering because it's cold!
Our trek starts along the river.
Soon we are able to see the glacier, which Baldwin says is a mere fraction of the humongous mass of ice. It's the tip of the glacial iceberg, so to speak.
Jaw-dropping is the only way to describe the view ahead of us. We've both seen glaciers in Alaska, but I have never been so up close and personal.
Between us, Fran and I can't remember what time Baldwin tells us to come back to the bus. He gives us directions on how far to walk, but did he mean all the way to the black sand beach? Before that? We've lost sight of our bus mates, and I am certain we are walking way too far. Fran is sure we haven't walked far enough, but my paranoia wins, and we head back, only to find that we are the first at the bus, proving Fran right after all. I must remember to buy her a "you are right" drink later on.
Baldwin tells us that we are one lucky group, because the weather in fall is typically windy and rainy. But the day is clear, so he is able to take us to the top of a cliff over yonder......the one we can see from here with the red topped lighthouse (yes, it's that little blip of red on top of that mountain).
We don't know this at the time but Dyrholaey Lighthouse is actually a hotel. Well, blow me down! Actually, the winds are typically strong enough to do just that, but not today, fortunately.
The views in all directions may be the most breathtaking I have seen anywhere.
To our right, we can see the volcano/glacier we just came from.
The proximity of the volcano to the ocean accounts for the spectacular black lava sand beaches stretching out beneath us.
In the opposite direction is the Dyrholaey arch jutting out of the sea.
All of this beauty works up an appetite, and we are off to the town of Vik for lunch. We stop at a large souvenir shop/cafeteria (pretty much the only thing in town, except for a few hundred houses and a church), where the temptation is to shop first, eat later. The sweet potato soup and bread doesn't even come close to yesterday's.
Vik is in all of the tour guides, but we are mystified as to why until Baldwin drives up the hill. A perfect view of Reynisdrangar, the three basalt sea columns protruding from the sea spreads out before us.
As we drive to our next destination, we keep an eye on the sky, as we are spending the night in the countryside in hopes of catching sight of the Northern Lights. But clouds roll in, and Baldwin thinks our chances are slim to none.
Next, we are off to walk on the gorgeous black sand beaches. We are given strong words of caution not to get too close to the water's edge. Huge waves literally come out of nowhere, sweeping unsuspecting tourists out to sea. Yikes! Who knew how many hidden dangers were lurking on this tour?
Fear of tsunamis aside, I am sure that I am standing on one of earth's most wondrous expanses.
We make it safely back to the bus, without any tidal waves crashing the shore. Our final stop is Seljalandsfoss, another magnificent waterfall. Baldwin saves this stop for last because we will have the chance to walk behind the waterfall, which means getting soaked. Better to be drenched at the end of a cold day than the beginning. Finally, a reason for bringing all that waterproof clothing and camera shields!
As it turns out, I hear the word "slippery," and chicken out. I know myself -- slippery footing is not my strong suit. Fran, thankfully, chickens "in" and gets the most extraordinary shots of the entire trip from behind the falls. Okay, so I made a mistake that I'll only regret, like.......forever.
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| Photo by Fran |
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| Photo by Fran |
Our third day in Iceland is coming to a close. Baldwin drops us off at the Hotel Ranga, right here on the south coast. It's an upscale, rustic hotel that we've splurged on, hoping against hope that the Northern Lights make an appearance for us tonight.
We sign up at the front desk to be woken any time of night to witness them.
We have a fabulous dinner at the hotel restaurant, as we are literally in the middle of nowhere, and it is the only option. Then it's off to bed, still hoping that with some miracle, we'll get that aurora borealis wake-up call in the middle of the night. But, it's not to be. It's raining. The charged particles from the sun, and the stars will not align. We're more than a little sad to leave Iceland without seeing this incredible natural phenomenon.
The alarm wakes us early, and after breakfast, we are off to the renowned Blue Lagoon, before heading to the airport. It's our last day in Iceland.
Here's a sneak peek at Day 4:
Resources:
GeoIceland Tours: South Coast
Hotel Ranga
Ranga Restaurant
You can read about Day 1 here:
You can read about Day 2 here:
Linking With:
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