So the morning started off with me being a little concerned about the cold due to the amount of overcast in the sky. Yes, I am in Iceland, and there's snow on the ground, so I do realize it's already cold, but the weather yesterday was a good bit warmer and considering that I was about to be jumping into water that's 2° C (or 36.5° F for us weirdos using a different measurement system than the rest of the world) it was a bit of an issue. Not the cold part so much, it's pretty much what I signed up for, but the worry that it may be cancelled. But I'm quickly learning that the rest of the world believes in your ability to take care of yourself a bit more and doesn't feel the need to hold your hand as much as America. Well, at least that's true for here, anyways.
So it started with a drive out of town back to Þingvellir National Park to the Silfra fissure. The lake that we were swimming in is Þingvallavatn and the water comes from the runoff of the glacier Langjökull. Hence why it's so cold. Also, neat fact about the water in the lake.. it never freezes. It may be so cold outside that the banks are frozen, but the water itself does not freeze. If you take it out though, it will freeze. They're not exactly sure why this is, but many people believe there are magical properties to the water. I just know that it tasted cleaner than any water I have ever had and it made my hair all soft and curly.. and my hair never curls well. At least I've discovered the secret to it now..
Anyways, back to the actual snorkeling part. First, we had to put on these puffy snow-suit type outfits that were insulated and very warm. We were also allowed (and encouraged) to keep a base layer on underneath even though the suits were so thick. Next came the dry-suit over that. As the name suggests, it is intended to keep you rather as opposed to a wet suit. The boots were already attached to the suit so they were sealed, and then the wrists and neck of the suit were lined with this super tight but stretchy rubber material. Once you finally manuvered your way into the thing (because it was hard) the rubber sealed to your neck and wrists to prevent absolutely anything from getting in.If I ever had one of those things on and needed to get out of it in a hurry, well I'd be shit out of luck.
Next came the hood and gloves. Those were made out of neoprene so the water did soak right through those. But it only took about a minute for your face and hands to go numb so you weren't suffering the cold too long. And by the time you had your face in the water, you were just in complete awe that the cold was the last thing on your mind. At least for me.. there was one lady in my group that seemed particularly upset with her husband for dragging here into it. But for me, it was beautiful. Visibility for up to 100 meters, bright blue water, interesting rock formations, and a nice slow current that meant you really didn't have to swim that much.. just float along. Which was a blessing for me because my boots were a bit big (the guide decided that a women's large was good enough for me.. he should never go into the fashion industry) and so my flippers were a bit awkward. But the contrast between the view of the banks to the world underneath was staggering. It made me wonder who discovered how beautiful it is in the water because you seriously could not guess it from the top.
When it came to the end of our swim, we got out and walked back to the entry point. Right behind there was a ledge overlooking a deep water hole. We were listening to them tell us that jumping off that ledge into the water was a right of passage for men many years ago and we were welcome to do it as well. Except that the generations of Icelanders before us had been doing it naked.. since no one seemed to eager to start stripping, they let us jump in with the suits. They also told us that there was an underground spring present there so the water was a bit warmer than the rest of the lake.. yeah, it was a trick. But it didn't matter.. I was on a ledge and the thrill of jumping was to great to pass up.. down I went. I didn't have the feeling in my face and hands return until about 30 minutes later, but I still say it was worth it. Plus we got hot chocolate after.
The overcast cleared up a bit on the drive back and we were able to see the mist rising off the lake like something out of a Tolkein movie. I'm telling you.. this place is where fairy tales originate.
Back at the hotel, I hate to say it, but I crashed. My body was letting me know that all this running around with absolutely no regard for time was taking its toll and I was out until dinner. Which this evening was an Italian dish that I can't remember the name, but had chicken, bacon, and chili. And my first beer here! Which was really smooth and a bit stronger than the beer back home. I loved it!
Which brings me to the next interesting thing that happened to me. The other day I had told a woman waiting for the elevator that I loved her jacket. It was this beautiful cream colored, down jacket, with more pockets than I cared to count, but it just looked great. Well I ran into her and her daughter in the lobby while I was trying to start this post so I could shower and get to bed early, but apparently they were very nice and loved to talk, so three hours later, here I am. They are from England and we talked about so many different topics. Another English woman came down because they had ran into her earlier as she was trying to get some pictures of the Northern Lights and she came to show us what was coming up on her camera. The lights haven't been visible since I've been here because of the overcast and rain, but hopefully it clears up by the weekend. Anyways, the photographer woman has telescopes at home where she can actually take pictures of the stars, planets, and moons. And they are book-quality clear. It was amazing looking at some of her photos. The older woman kept telling her how clever she was and her daughter asked her how much she had had to drink this evening. She replied that she was on her third glass of wine, to which her daughter said, "Mum, this is the same beer I had at 7!" And what was the mom's response? "Well that's because you're just silly my dear. Drink up!" Yeah, they suggested I just not go back home and just go back to England with them. One day, I will be in a position to say yes to an offer like that. Until then, we will just make plans for me to visit them later.
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