Iceland: Day 2

Day 2 consisted of lots of time in the water. Swimming is a big part of the Icelandic lifestyle and a must-do activity while visiting. We spent the majority of our day at The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa. It is one of the most beautiful and amazing places I have ever visited!

Below are some pictures from our trek out to The Blue Lagoon. It is interesting to see how the landscape changed as we drove out of town.

Although it is hard to see, if you look at the bottom left hand corner of the picture, you can see a fish jumping out of the water. Talk about timing, huh?

Standing in the parking lot, it looked like we were standing on Mars, rather than in Iceland.

The lava rocks, which are covered by moss, surround the walkway that led up to the lagoon.

We learned that the low levels of chlorine in Icelandic pools equals high levels of hygiene. This means that if you want to swim in the pools, you have to wash yourself naked in an open shower room before getting in. Although the diagram at each pool differs, the sign identifies five areas that you are required to wash before getting in the pool. If the sign is not reminder enough, there are also "shower monitors" who stand guard and make sure protocol is correctly followed.

One of the steam baths built into the lava rock - it was HOT!

Here are some pictures from the grounds surrounding the lagoon -

After dinner, we headed to another geothermal heated pool. This outdoor pool had a waterslide and a variety of "hot pots" (hot tubs), which range in temperature from 98 to 111 degrees. It was quite an experience, especially considering it was 9 p.m. and about 28 degrees outside.