Iceland - Goodby to Reykjavik - The Sky Lagoon and The Blue Lagoon

THE SKY LAGOON

The day was open, so I decided to go to the Sky Lagoon in need of some water therapy. The Lagoon is a short drive from downtown Reykjavik and right on the ocean, unlike the Blue Lagoon, which is surrounded by a moonscape of volcanic rock.

A very sweet girl from Hong Kong took a photo of me after I asked her politely. Gen Z doesn’t worry much about dropping their iPhones into the water.

I had forgotten that the admission included spa treatments (i.e.: sauna, steam room, salt rub, cool mist, juice) and was overjoyed. The “spa” is located in the middle of the lagoon and is very Zen.

THE BLUE LAGOON

A few days earlier, I visited the world-famous Blue Lagoon . It is situated on a peninsula with a lot of geothermal activity. As you approach you can see steam seeping to the surface of molten rock and it appears apocalyptic. Our driver told us that astronauts come to this region to prepare for moonwalks. Makes sense to me.

The spa like Blue Lagoon was a cool experience and unique because of the rising steam. It is a very short walk from the indoor facility to the very warm lagoon. As part of the price of admission, you receive a silica mask of your choosing and a refreshing drink. The dressing rooms are well equipped with lockers, showers, towels, and hair dryers. Be prepared to deal with the crowds as it is a very popular destination in Iceland. I wanted to buy some spa products, but like with everything else in Iceland, the price was exorbitant, so no sale.

There was much speculation about an imminent volcanic eruption as we approached the lagoon from the road. A week later, there was lava flow from a fissure as opposed to a full-blown eruption.

The Blue Lagoon was evacuated as was a nearby village.

Volcanic Rock

THE LIGHT CHASERS - PART 2

The tour company offers a second chance, free of charge, to see the Northern Lights if the first attempt was a bust. I’d say that’s rare customer service! We got back at 1 am after moving to 2 different locations. Finally something (even if sparse).

You can also see a beam of light from the Imagine Peace Tower, Yoko Ono's tribute to John. 

A good way to end a trip to a peaceful country in our turbulent times.

Flying home over Greenland..

No sign of JD😭

Adios.. until next time.

Iceland - South Shore Attractions

The nemesis on this trip has been the bus company. I dutifully go to the bus stop as instructed, but the bus drivers inevitably go to the Hotel to find me. Communication breakdown.

Today, the bus driver took off to the South Shore without me. I won’t repeat what I said on the phone, but the company sent a “sprinter” van to pick me up 10 minutes later for the 45-minute drive to catch up with the group. My New Yorker instincts were in motion.

Awaiting my arrival, the group stopped at a bakery for donuts 🙂. I was worried about a backlash for the delay but fortunately, my delay was not a huge problem.

Tommy, the  “sprinter” driver, was nice and friendly, had a couple of good jokes, promised not to leave me at a gas station, and most importantly, not to drive 100 miles an hour.

“Wet” is the best word to describe today. One thing to understand is that the weather in Iceland is unpredictable. Iceland is a very large island that sits in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean subject to all sorts of weather conditions that change throughout the day.

Today it was particularly wet and windy. I noticed that Iceland tourists are mostly a hearty type, rough and tough and roll with the punches.

Despite all this, we made it to the beautiful, idyllic Vik which sits on the edge of the ocean on the South shore.

If you do not have the time or inclination to do a full loop around Iceland, most tourists choose to do loops for both the Golden Circle and the South Shore which have notable sights and attractions. Most of these routes are organized by the bus companies. As a captive tourist,  you will probably be taken to an array of gift shops at the rest stops, so beware.

church in Vik

Reynisfjara Black sand beach

High Waves

Solheimajokull Glacier

Our guide pointed out how much it has receded in last 10 years. Such an abysmal situation.😭

Mary Beth with her new, beautiful yellow raincoat.

Since 2012, travelers have been leaving bras on this fence along the road near Skogafoss waterfalls. Rumor has it that this custom started after a party. It must have been some party!

Bras on fence

Seljalandsfoss Rangarbing Eystra Waterfalls

Iceland - Golden Circle Tour and Northern Lights Trek

THE GOLDEN CIRCLE ROUTE

Today we ventured out of Reykjavik to experience the Golden Circle route which is a loop on the road nearby. This included a beautiful greenhouse, a geyser, waterfalls, and an expansive national park. 

Most of central Iceland is barren with beautiful geologic features. Our guide told us that Iceland is the newest of the world’s land masses situated on tectonic plates, which explains the volcanic activity. The molten rock eventually becomes moss which then turns into soil. This process takes thousands of years. There is not much greenery on this terrain.

Icelandic Horses

Greenhouse for domestic production of tomatoes 

Tourists patiently waiting for Geyser to blow

Amazing Gullfoss Falls

Thingvellir National Park - the fissures created by earthquakes are stunning

ALIGNMENT WITH NATURE

Icelanders respect nature’s powerful forces —volcanoes, glaciers, geysers, earthquakes, but the Northern Lights hold a special place in their hearts.

Inka, last night’s guide, took us to a spot 45 minutes outside the city. It was a very dark night sky but sadly the clouds got in the way of letting any cosmic activity through. The location was a site of lava flows and molten rock. We waited for about an hour for any changes in the sky but it just wasn’t meant to be. An app, “Hello Aurora” said our chance of a sighting was 28% last night.

A lot of simultaneous conditions need to prevail, which I don’t remember exactly, except we didn’t have them. Even though we didn’t experience this phenomenon, sitting in the dark in a remote area of Iceland was cool for a girl from Brooklyn.

Iceland - Preparing for my Trip and Discovering Reykjavik

This week, I’m excited to escape the barrage of doom and gloom for the serenity of the Iceland landscape and hopefully 🙏🏼 to a better state of mind.

This trip is not a traditional “tour” but I have arranged for day trips and excursions. Mostly everything has been set up in advance.

I don’t expect any volcanic activity, although there were some geothermal rumblings discovered on my Google search. People say that the sight of flowing lava is uplifting, but I prefer to be a safe distance away. I trust that Icelanders keep a watchful eye on this stuff.

The flight on Icelandair is direct and only 5 - 6 hours from JFK to Reykjavik. I arrive at 6 am Iceland time. I will meet the shuttle at the airport and get dropped off at the hotel ~45 minutes later. Easy breezy.

Did I mention I’m wearing my hiking boots on the plane?

My motivation for going to Iceland this month is the limited window for viewing the Northern Lights due to increasing daylight. While there are no guarantees, I think the odds are in my favor. Fingers crossed. 🤞🏻

I want to get some nice photos, so checked out YouTube for instructions on shooting the night sky. Using a tripod is the way to go, did a click on Amazon, and a tripod is arriving today for $20.

It remains to be seen whether the transformer explosion at Heathrow yesterday will impact my travels. As of this morning, the flight is on time. I’ve heard that some flights were diverted to Reykjavik yesterday so I'm expecting that airport to be in a state of chaos when I arrive but I’ll hope for the best.

Yet, there was another surprise today with the JFK Airtrain. It was out of service so a shuttle bus drove us to a station where it was working. Nothing was explained so I just followed everyone else. It would have been nice to get a heads-up about the construction and connections. At least the LIRR worked.

 

Need I mention the very long lines at Icelandair check-in?

People, please don’t chat with the TSA agents. Just take off your shoes and be done with it! 

Patience is a Virtue

LANDED

It seemed like forever getting from the airport to the hotel. Once I found the correct bus after several failed attempts (jet lag?), you have to transfer to a van specific to your hotel’s location at the bus terminal. It is organized by color codes and you are dropped off at a designated bus stop within a 2- minute walk to your hotel. The strategy makes sense so that the streets don’t get clogged with tourist buses, but just adds another layer of complexity. It’s a lot to deal with, with no sleep.

Puffins are a big draw in Iceland. Breeding season is April through August. In March, the only Puffins to be seen are the thousands of stuffed toys, mugs, and magnets in souvenir shops on Laugavegur Street or at the Perlan Museum. Hey, Icelanders need to make a living too.

Actual Puffins (at the Central Park Zoo, NYC😁)

The first impression is that Reykjavik is pristine and safe. You can drink the tap water which comes from the glaciers. The hot water has a sulfur smell from the geothermal activity.

None of the stresses that usually accompany city dwellers seem to be present here as far as I can tell. Our tour guide, “BG”, who is a local, described a very wholesome upbringing for his 3 kids.

Interesting fact: all kids have to learn to swim by high school graduation. Icelanders have access to numerous natural geothermal pools throughout the country which is a big part of their ecosystem.

BG has seen the aurora borealis thousands of times and runs a side business taking tourists out for sightings. He took us to the Aurora Reykjavik museum which was very cool and entertaining.

We were all over town today including Reykjavik’s famous church, Hallgrimskirkja with a statue of Leif Erickson 

The place where President Reagan met with Gorbachev in Hofoi  beginning the end of the Cold War.

Cool Remnants from Berlin Wall

Weird sculptures. This one is called “The Bureaucrat”

Sun Voyager (not weird)

Random Pretty Street in Reykjavik

Delicious Lamp Soup

Icelandic Street Food  

L is not on the trip but gets cuter every day.