Wait, what? Gladiators existed way earlier in history than cellphones. So how could the two possibly interact? Check out my very first Morgan On The Map video on YouTube to find out!
What’s Morgan Up To?
Exploring Iceland: The Blue Lagoon
When you think of Iceland, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?
Ice right? I figure it’s probably ice. I mean it’s even in the name.
ICEland, ice, it only makes sense.
Think harder though, what’s the first attraction that comes to your mind? I bet it’s the Blue Lagoon. It was the only thing I knew about Iceland before I decided to visit, and I knew it would be high on my to do list. So the first chance I got, off I went to soak in the turquoise waters at the Blue lagoon.
And soak I did!
Iceland is famous for its hot springs. They are a geothermic hot spot after all, and the hot water literally streams and gushes from the ground. Of all their hot springs, the Blue Lagoon is the most internationally well known. However, turns out it isn’t a natural hot spring at all!
The water that fills the lagoon is actually waste water (perfectly clean waste water) that is brought up from deep underground by a geothermal power plant nearby. Once the plant takes much of the heat out of the water to create electricity, it pumps the water out into the lagoon.
You can’t really see it, but I swear there’s a geothermal plant under all that steam… somewhere.
This means that the water in the lagoon is a great temperature. It has some pockets of cooler water and some pockets of “oh god this water is too hot, I have to get back to the cooler water, stat!” water. But overall it’s a very pleasantly warm temperature.
There’s also, apparently, some really beneficial aspects to this water. The water comes from so far underground that it has special properties. They claim that it’s really good for your skin. There are even buckets of the mud that’s in the water around the lagoon so that you can give yourself an impromptu face mask! Best part is that the mud is free!
Plus it’s super duper attractive! Right? …right?
It costs 35 Euros for the basic package to get it, and that’s really all you need! Don’t pay the extra for the special mud mask when you can get the more authentic one for free after you get into the pool.
The easiest way to get there is to take one of the shuttles that goes back and forth from Reykjavik quite a few times everyday. You can catch them at the bus terminal downtown. Or you can rent a car and make your way there yourself. Once you get to the parking lot you just need to walk down the path in the general direction of the steam rising from the ground and the door will eventually come into view!
Here’s what the door looks like, so you know where to go.
So get yourself to Iceland and visit the Blue Lagoon! Get your mud mask on, soak in the warm water, and hang out at the swim up bar. They even have in lagoon massages for an extra fee, but the waterfall gives a great massage too, and it’s free.
This one’s not to be missed when out exploring Iceland!
You’ve gotta experience it for yourself!
Canadian Heat Wave?
You know how everyone, (even us Canadians) always seem to be talking about how cold it is in Canada? How much snow there is, how low the temperature is, how frozen everyone’s hair/beards/eyelashes get…Well, let me tell you something, cold was not the problem this last weekend in my neck of the woods.
I was born and raised on the east coast of Canada, and yes, it gets very cold in the winter. It’s not unheard of for the temperatures to be well bellow 30º C in the frigid months of January and February, and winter here can last for more than half our calendar year.
Winter: Yikes!
With winters so long and so cold, we tend to try not to complain about the heat so much. This weekend though, we hit that threshold when people start to complain because it’s too hot. That’s right, too much heat!
Those non Canadian readers among you might be thinking that too hot for a Canadian is probably still downright chilly for you. Well, I guess it’s chilly, if you think 40º C is chilly. (That’s 104º F for those of you who don’t follow Celsius.) With temperatures so warm and weather so nice and not rainy, I did what any good person still stuck in a desk job should do: I took advantage of the weather and got my butt outside!
My friends and I went Kayaking on the river, lounged in a pool and just generally tried to stay cool. Kayaking has to be my new favourite thing. I’m talking leisurely kayaking here, by the way.
Leisurely, as in the water is calm and it looks like this.
Let’s not go crazy and think I’m in rapids or anything. Leisurely is where it’s at. We got to spend time in the water and just enjoy ourselves! Sure, I got a heck of a lot of nasty, itchy bug bites while trying to get the boat down to the water, but I had so much fun regardless.
Couldn’t resist taking what I am dubbing a “Kayak Selfie.”
We were even lucky enough to see an eagle fly by while we were on the water. We found him a few minutes later perched up in a tree, and he just sat there staring at me as I manuvered my boat under him to take a picture. I’d never been that close to a wild eagle before, it was pretty spectacular. Later he even gave us a bit of a show, swooped down in front of us and caught a fish. Pitty my camera wasn’t out when he did that!
He was staring me down. Considering if I was too big to have for dinner I bet.
So, if you’re finding yourself to be a bit warm right now, and the high temperatures of summer are getting to you, I suggest you find some way to keep cool! Try kayaking if you haven’t already, or find a friend with a pool, and get in it.
Oh, and remember, don’t forget your sunscreen!
Morgan On The Map 