My last night here.. My post for yesterday went up late because I was spent from the trip last night and got as much sleep as I could before being picked up for the Blue Lagoon. It is Iceland's most famous geothermal spa and for good reason! It is amazing. The majority of Iceland is run on geothermal power and there are tons of hot springs all over. The Blue Lagoon is the largest and sit on the tectonic plate rift. It's waters are bright blue and truly bath-water temperature. Walking in I was watching my breath clouds in front of my face thinking, "There is snow on the ground and I am really about to go swimming?" As a Southerner, that just goes against every natural instinct. But the water was just too inviting.
Now, my French professor had mentioned before that Europeans have no aversion to nudity, but that tidbit of knowledge didn't resurface from my memory until I rounded the corner in the locker room to see three women standing by their lockers chatting away without a stitch on. Showering en masse in basic training broke me of any lingering shyness I might have had, but when you have tattoos, you sometimes forget that they draw attention. So it was a very interesting experience to have a German woman question me about my rib tattoo after I took off my shirt, and then continue to remark on the rest as I tried to finish getting undressed. You needed to shower without your bathing suit first before going in the water, as well as put in comditioner in your hair because the water isn't so gentle on your hair. Great for skin, not so much on hair. So shower, bathing suit, fluffy bath robe, and then out to the water. Like I said, outside is cold. The water was hot, so there is tons of steam flowing off the top and giving the pool a very ethereal look. Tossing off the robe and dashing into the water to escape the cold didn't seem to be the best way to avoid standing out, so I found the rack closest to the waters edge, disrobed, and walked very quickly to the steps. Once in the water though, oh every muscle thanked me and my mind told me a nap would not be protested. I took my phone with me for some pictures, and got plenty of weird looks, but this was the moment that the LifeProof case purchase came in handy. I tried the white silica mud mask that promised exfoliation and smooth skin, and although it felt good, I think it dried my skin out just a bit. An hour and a half flew by although I was just lounging, wading, and floating through the water without a care in the world. That place could make you forget time and responsibilities completely.
For my final dinner here, I vowed to try Puffin. It's those cute little birds that look like penguins, but they aren't. Apprently they are very clumsy at flying and are known to crash often, but very graceful in the water. Another thing that they are is tasty. It was a three course meal (complete with me trying to figure out which stupid fork was for what... I am so not made for fanciness) with smoked Puffin first and Grilled Puffin next. The meat is very dark brown but very tender. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't comfortable eating meat that still has a bit of bloodiness to it, because the way I understand it is that it will develop the consistency of a leather shoe if you cook it too long. I like steaks medium so it was perfect to me. I can't really compare the taste to anything I have had before, but it certainly doesn't taste like chicken. It is just good.. Plain and simple. Oh and random note.. I honestly believe strawberries taste better here. All the ones I have had have been so wonderful. Come to think of it, I don't think I have eaten anything here I did not like. Which is suprising for me because I am usually a very picky eater. Still not trying the horse though.
Another thing that stood out to me at dinner was how much I enjoyed being surrounded by so many different languages. Every conversation I could here was spoken in a different language and although I didn't understand any, except for a few snippets of French, it was a plesant sound. Just listening to the differences in punctuation and watching body language to try to guess at the meaning. Languages have always fascinated me and it is one of those skills you can never run out of ways to improve. I'd like to test my own limits of mutiple language comprehension.
And now its night and it is time for me to pack. I really do not want to say goodbye to this country tomorrow. Its like you just got to watch ten minutes of a movie and you're dying to know the rest. And you know you won't be at peace until you see the end. Iceland, my dear, you call to me and I promise to return one day.
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