Fire, Ice And Paradise

Purity.  That is the one word that comes to mind when friends back the USA ask me to describe Iceland.  This stems from the eco-friendly ways they treat their country from heat, purity of water from glaciers, preserving and protecting the environment, fresh air to breathe, all of it.  It seems you step back in time and in the shoes of the early Vikings and discovering a world that has been untouched by a human hand.

But, before I ventured to this unchartered world, which has been experiencing unprecedented tourism growth in the past few years, not only by Americans, but by the entire world, I had orchestrated an itinerary with combined insights from Rick Steves, local Airbnb hosts and a collection of other books and magazine articles.  The end result was 6 pages of day-by-day directions that allowed enough time in between towns, experiences, food and rest. You can’t forget to rest!  I almost pushed myself too far on Day 1 not realizing I wouldn’t get much sleep on the 6 hour 20 minute flight overnight since it was really only midnight Central Time when we landed.  It was then 4:45a Iceland time and the day was beginning and I had a full day of activities.  But, I’ll describe those later in detail.  I want this blog to be more of a “How To” in getting to Iceland, navigating around, best tips and offer up advice based on my readings and now experiences in this unbelievable world.  I will write this in stages just due to the amount of material I want to include and the detail I want to offer.  This is a huge step and decision for many people, including myself, and we want to do it right as we might only get one chance in a lifetime!

I arrived to KCI at 2:45p on Saturday, July 14 preparing for a 5:15p departure time.  Having never ventured internationally from this airport before, I didn’t know what to expect, so I got there early.  The international flight is located in Terminal C, adjacent to American Airlines ticketing.  After arriving, I only saw signs for American and apparently looked dazed and confused and an American attendant asked if I was going to Iceland, and when I responded I was, he mentioned the ticketing was to the right of American, but there wasn’t any signs posted.  The only real notion you got that Iceland was there was smaller LED signs that rotated and occasionally showed the Icelandair logo.  I chalked it up to growing pains.  First flight, we’ll get better.

Arriving to check-in, in which there was only 2-3 other people at the counter, the attendant requested my passport, and I asked for a printed boarding pass.  I had already checked-in online 24 hours in advance with an assigned seat, but I wanted a printed boarding pass.  She printed it off and I asked her how many people were on this flight and if it was full.  She mentioned only 110 were on the flight and there would be plenty of room.  She mentioned the gate wouldn’t open until 3p and there was no concessions in the gate area, but there was a water fountain.  I was the first one through TSA (next time around I will for sure sign up for global entry as my TSA precheck only applies to domestic flights) and into the gate area.  There were plenty of outlets for charging before the flight and they started boarding at 4:35p, which is earlier than most domestic flights of 30 minutes prior.  This is most likely due to checking the passports of everyone before they board the flight as they scan the boarding passes.  I was assigned 16A, which is the exit aisle.  I took the pic below as I waited in the gate area.

Once on board, the attendant told me no bags under the seats were allowed in the exit row during takeoff and landing.  So, I had put store my backpack up top.  There was no one sitting in my entire row once everyone was on board.  Eventually, the couple caddy corner front to me moved back across the aisle from me due to more leg room.  But, I still had the whole side of the row to myself.

You can tell the Icelanders are very prideful with everyone that is involved with Icelandair.  There was a blanket and pillows on every seat and the pillows all promoted the layover opportunity on Icelandair where you can stay up to 7 nights layover before your final destination in Iceland.  There is a TV screen on the back of every seat.  The WiFi is free to use, but you must plug your headset into the back of the chair to listen to the movies and TV shows, you can’t use Bluetooth.  You can also check the progress of the flight at all times on how fast you are going, length of time until arrival and where you are at as the plane progresses.

The attendants are all dressed up properly with top hats and full uniform.  The accent will transform you to places you’ve only seen in movies.  Things were getting real and you begin to immerse yourself into a foreign country bit-by-bit.  All the attendants, and most all Icelanders, speak English.  They learn it in school as a second language, with Icelandic being the official language of the country.  You can purchase food on the flight and water is free.  They hand everyone an Icelandic water as you board.

The flight was short considering how far Iceland truly is.  The flight goes straight north adjacent to Chicago and then over Toronto and into Canada and then veers right over the northeastern tip of Canada and into the Atlantic Ocean.  There is a small period of an hour or so that is over water, then you are back over the southern part of Greenland for 30-45 minutes and then back over the ocean for the final 45 min – 1 hour.  Reykjavik is the southwestern tip of Iceland so you land almost as soon as you see land.

It was misting when we landed and was overcast.  I was praying it wasn’t going to be like this my entire trip, and luckily, it wasn’t.  This was the worst morning weather-wise, and I’m glad it got it out of the way.   The airport was a bit screwy when we landed with lots of nooks and aisles to pass through and into the main airport.  The customs area was bombarded with passengers all of a sudden, so they had to open more gates.  I’m sure more airlines from around the globe had just arrived as well.  I waited in line for 10 minutes or so and then my passport was stamped and I was on my way.  I was on my own now, which was a bit liberating and a bit exciting all in one.

There were no signs for rental car agencies, but I was looking for an exit.  I figured once I exit the airport, the rental car agencies would be close by.  The signs were in Icelandic and English.  The airport had a touch of a modern feel to it, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it was.  It just seemed trendy and hip, nothing like an airport in the USA.  I took a couple photos while I was searching for the exit.  On the follow directly below, the exit was on the left of this picture with a sign and around the corner was an escalator down.

The mural to the right on the wall I found interesting as it was a collection of superheroes.  Thor is a HUGE icon in Iceland, which I never realized.  I am guessing it came from him being some sort of Viking and early settler and they adopted him as their own, kind of a mascot for them.  I also noticed they are BIG into trolls.  I think this also stems from a Viking heritage somehow.

Once I made it downstairs and into the baggage area, I still had to find the exit out of the airport area as I still didn’t see Hertz where I had reserved my rental car.   There are 4 main rental agencies at the airport and Hertz was 1 of 2 American rental agencies.  The other was Advantage/National.  Hertz was by far the best reviewed on my research.  I also wanted to make sure I got an automatic transmission since I don’t know how to operate manual and they had those.  I finally found the exit and it stated “Cannot return” so this was do or die if Hertz was through these doors, and I put my money on yes.  Turns out, I would have bet and won some money, the rental agencies were on the left-hand side of the final exit area before the last of the exit doors out of the airport.

Hertz was on the far right and there were 3 couples in front of me.  There were no lines at any of the other agencies.  I think the other couples had read the same reviews I did.  I waited in line a good 30-45 minutes as they had a single worker handling all these people and he was in no hurry at all, but very pleasant.

The gentleman mentioned to bring the car back with a full tank of gas and that the Toyota Yaris was in row J out in the second parking lot in the back.  The weather outside was cold and rainy and I rushed to row J.  You have to look at the license plate number as they don’t give you a stall to look for within the row.  Once I matched that up, I packed the bags and was on my way.

My first stop was the Blue Lagoon.  This was only 25 minutes from the airport and my reservation was for 8a.  The time was only approaching 6a.  I was hoping they would just let me in early once I arrived and opened at 7a.  I should have bought the 7a ticket and saved $10, but wanted to err on the safe side with customs and rental car pickup time.  So, off I went just to explore the area before it opened.  The newness of the land struck you instantly.  There was lava rock on either side of the roads covered in moss that had been growing for centuries.  The water was to the left as I traveled north and east along the coast.  Once I arrived at The Blue Lagoon, I was the second vehicle in the parking lot.  I recognized the other 2 guys in the other car that was on my flight that had just landed.  You can tell in the pics below the lava rock and the moss that covers them.  Icelanders are VERY protective of their natural landscape and any touching of the moss or rock is highly frowned upon as it takes decades, or longer, to grow back.  In Iceland, you stay on the path.

I lined up to enter as the gates opened and they allowed me in early.  It’s an interesting system as they give you an electronic bracelet you wear at all times.  This opens and closes your locker and also allows you beverages for purchase while in the water.  This way you don’t have to carry anything else.  There is a strict rule in Iceland, no matter what public water you enter, you MUST take a naked shower BEFORE entering any public water area.  They also highly stress using the conditioner for your hair as the silica in the geo-thermal water makes your hair stationary.  I noticed this later that day.

The locker system is a bit confusing.  You closer your locker, scan your bracelet, and then it locks.  But, there are about 4 adjacent lockers that use the same scan bar.  So, you aren’t sure if the one you closed is scanning to the correct locker.  Luckily they have attendants right there to help.  They also supply you a free towel and a single free beverage at the water bar and a free mask to put on your face to moisturize (I think).  Once you step outside, you hang your towel on your assigned locker number, so make sure you remember that number, in which I was 95.  This way you can always keep track of who’s towel is whom’s.

My first glance of the Lagoon was one of awe.

They had separate areas for putting on your mask, in-water massages and the bar.

Here is the towel rack and entry to the Lagoon below:

My first task was to explore.  The Lagoon is HUGE and always 100 degrees F.  There are designated wooden boxes up on wooden planks around the Lagoon that constantly regulate the temperature.  So, the closer to those, the warmer the water.  Since it was only just after 7a, I had an in-water massage scheduled for 10a.  The massage area didn’t even open until 9a and I asked if I could start early, and they said they were booked solid.   So, make sure you book ahead of time online if you want an in-water massage.  But, I had some serious time to kill.  While floating around the Lagoon, I met some folks on vacation, including a guy and his gf from Brooklyn and another couple from Sacramento.  The guy from Booklyn was young and advising me against driving 140 km/h+ due to electronic tickets across Iceland with sensors all along the Ring Road.  I told him I’d read about it already, but sounds like he was scared he got one.  The older gentleman and his wife from Sacramento were on a group tour staying in Reykjavik and then they fly for a day to each Icelandic city and he works at Cherry Creek Mortgage, based in Denver.  So, I told him my brother lives in Sacramento and my dad lives in Denver.  What a small world!

I was about done with the Lagoon after a couple hours, but wow, the massage with Emma was so worth it.  She is an athlete and knows the pressure points.  They lay you on a floating mat and she reaches back under you to reach your back while on the mat while slowly floating you around a roped-off area in the back Lagoon.  She massages your back, then both arms, then head.  The one thing I didn’t care for was the dipping your head under water during the head massage.  I felt the water in my ears and knew this was probably going to cause Swimmer’s Ear.  But, I put up with it as the rest of it was spectacular.

After the massage, I was ready to leave.  This is definitely not an all-day event and you are ready to leave after 2-3 hours.  Plus, it started to get packed and so glad I went early.  The lockers were jammed and people everywhere.  High tourist season on top of that and people come from all over the globe for the skin-healing waters.  But, other than it getting packed, it is a must-see item no question!

But, my fingers are getting frozen as the sun sets on night 4 in Husavik.  I’m writing as I travel and recalling a few days ago when I first arrived.  I’ll be writing more soon and complete blogging about day 1!  Until then, more adventures tomorrow!

Safe travels!