The Golden Circle, Iceland
If you're in Iceland, you'll be sure to hear plenty about the Blue Lagoon and the Golden Circle.
The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa. Seawater seeps through the earth, absorbing its minerals, and heats up from the geothermal energy within the earth. It is very much a touristy place. Given extra time, I would have also gone to the local swimming pools. They are the local's version of the Blue Lagoon and 10 times cheaper. Major difference though is that the pools lack the mineral, algae and silica benefits the lagoon have.
You can select different entry packages, which I select the cheapest at EUR35 (est £30), which means you basically get entry only. No towels, bath robes, spas or masks.
Tad bit over-price if you ask me.
Talking about towels, I brought my own since they were in the car (in the parking lot just outside wth) and I didn't want to pay extra for towels.
Let's be honest, I am in no position to afford an Egyptian cotton towel, or even its imitation.
So bringing my Primark towel was a good decision to make.
Upon hanging my towel at rack number 47 before entering the pools of the Blue Lagoon, I realize my towel's colour was quite similar to the Lagoon's towels.
I had hoped that mine would not get mixed up and someone would not accidentally take mine.
Lo and behold, someone did take my towel.
So I did what every shivering swimsuit-clad person would do. I took someone's (dry and assumingly clean) towel.
Try standing there looking for your towel when you've just exited a heated pool into sub-zero cold.
I end up using that towel for my shower, packing it up into my bag and bringing it across the North Atlantic Ocean as a substitute for my lost one.
Advice of the day, don't bring your favourite towel to use because it might just be going home with someone else.
There's bathing facilities in the Lagoon, where they thought of everything from plastic bags for your wet clothes to moisturizers. I used everything they have to offer and spent quite abit of time in the bathing/changing facilities doing watever it is that they expect people might do.
Well sir, if you have so kindly prepared them for me, who am I to not take advantage of them?
Tad bit over-price if you ask me.
Talking about towels, I brought my own since they were in the car (in the parking lot just outside wth) and I didn't want to pay extra for towels.
Let's be honest, I am in no position to afford an Egyptian cotton towel, or even its imitation.
So bringing my Primark towel was a good decision to make.
Upon hanging my towel at rack number 47 before entering the pools of the Blue Lagoon, I realize my towel's colour was quite similar to the Lagoon's towels.
I had hoped that mine would not get mixed up and someone would not accidentally take mine.
Lo and behold, someone did take my towel.
So I did what every shivering swimsuit-clad person would do. I took someone's (dry and assumingly clean) towel.
Try standing there looking for your towel when you've just exited a heated pool into sub-zero cold.
I end up using that towel for my shower, packing it up into my bag and bringing it across the North Atlantic Ocean as a substitute for my lost one.
Advice of the day, don't bring your favourite towel to use because it might just be going home with someone else.
There's bathing facilities in the Lagoon, where they thought of everything from plastic bags for your wet clothes to moisturizers. I used everything they have to offer and spent quite abit of time in the bathing/changing facilities doing watever it is that they expect people might do.
Well sir, if you have so kindly prepared them for me, who am I to not take advantage of them?
In the lagoon, they serve drinks (budget about ISK900-1500) and there's free silica mud mask. I don't know if everyone knows this but mask are supposed to be left on to dry and be absorbed by the skin. Not apply and then jump into the water immediately.
There's a few steam baths/saunas and a waterfall, which I stood under for like 10minutes to loosen all the muscle tension. My shoulder never felt so good in the past few months!
The Blue Lagoon is the tourist option of a geothermal bath.
In Iceland, you have plenty of options for non-touristy ones, some man-made and some with natural properties like the Blue Lagoon.
By natural properties, I meant the minerals in the water. The Lagoon however is not natural.
As turning-off as it may sound, the water is actually 'drainage' from the geothermal plant next door.
Fear not, the plant's 'drainage' is the same water that enters into the plant as it exits. Unlike nuclear plants, the drainage doesn't contain any added contamination.
The minerals in the lagoon is the thing you're after. The water is just there to make the experience fuller and 40celcius warmer.
As I said, there are non-touristy baths.
They are basically extremely relaxing hot water baths.
I recommend that if you are on the road and is, like me, staying in a campervan, you should take the advantage of visiting these baths around Iceland as your shower points.
These baths are what the locals go to for their Friday/Saturday night sessions.
So it's less touristy and really, the best way to explore a new place is to mingle with the locals!
There's a few steam baths/saunas and a waterfall, which I stood under for like 10minutes to loosen all the muscle tension. My shoulder never felt so good in the past few months!
The Blue Lagoon is the tourist option of a geothermal bath.
In Iceland, you have plenty of options for non-touristy ones, some man-made and some with natural properties like the Blue Lagoon.
By natural properties, I meant the minerals in the water. The Lagoon however is not natural.
As turning-off as it may sound, the water is actually 'drainage' from the geothermal plant next door.
Fear not, the plant's 'drainage' is the same water that enters into the plant as it exits. Unlike nuclear plants, the drainage doesn't contain any added contamination.
The minerals in the lagoon is the thing you're after. The water is just there to make the experience fuller and 40celcius warmer.
As I said, there are non-touristy baths.
They are basically extremely relaxing hot water baths.
I recommend that if you are on the road and is, like me, staying in a campervan, you should take the advantage of visiting these baths around Iceland as your shower points.
These baths are what the locals go to for their Friday/Saturday night sessions.
So it's less touristy and really, the best way to explore a new place is to mingle with the locals!
Can't do this with tour buses, can you.
I didn't make time for the Golden Circle.
The Golden Circle is basically a geyser, a waterfall and a lake where two continental plates meet.
Given that I've seen countless waterfalls in Iceland, I didn't feel the need to visit another touristy waterfall, the Guffloss, at the Circle. However, it is worth visiting if you didn't do the ring road as I heard that it is worth going.
The Geysir, I went. My first ever geyser encounter. Also, the water burns if you're stupid enough to touch the water, like me. I was curious as to how hot the water was because the steam didn't feel that hot. It didn't warm up my cold fingers. But my cold fingers were burnt when I dip them into the water.
Smart.
Smart.
As for the other place in the Golden Circle, the continental plates, I couldn't fit it into my itinerary.
However, I would think it is definitely worth the visit.
The one thing I would have definitely done there was to scuba dive the lake.
However, I would think it is definitely worth the visit.
The one thing I would have definitely done there was to scuba dive the lake.
But I didn't because...
1. It was winter - as if the cold isn't bad enough
2. I have yet to complete my diver's licence
3. I was am too broke
Money.
The root of all evils, but the key to all happiness.
But oh well.
We live with what we have and look towards what we will be.
To keep things positive, at least I've seen and experience some. This will be the motivation to keep me coming back for more!
But oh well.
We live with what we have and look towards what we will be.
To keep things positive, at least I've seen and experience some. This will be the motivation to keep me coming back for more!
No comments:
Post a Comment