Day 1: After we arrived safely at the airport (thank God), we snagged a few small bottles of liquor from the duty free shop and waited for the public bus into Reykjavik. We walked outside near the airport and caught the bus which was a good hour ride (I didn’t realize the public bus would take us into town so I’m glad Kassandra knew that as that saved us some money). The ride was very relaxing and daylight was slowly and beautifully creeping in with the hues of blues in the sky as we rode along the coastline for half the ride. We ended up missing our stop by about 2 stops and just walked the rest of the way (22 mins) to the hotel. The weather was surprisingly not bad outside as temps were in the mid 40’s with a light drizzle and occasional wind. We weren’t able to check in yet as it was too early but we were able to leave our luggage in the luggage room. We found out where breakfast was being served and grabbed a plate and sat down (by now it was about 8:30am). Breakfast was delicious so we ate and talked. We probably talked a little too much because we were rushing to get to our Free City Walk Tour at 10:30am and had to end up getting a cab there. We were able to join the group when we arrived as Andy (the guide) was just getting started.

Andy a city boy at heart, was a great source of information and was comedic in his own way. I learned a lot along the city tour like such:

• 2/3 of people live in the capital of Reykjavik

• There are 400,000 people total in Iceland

• Evangelical Luthern is the most popular religion

• There have been 7 volcano eruptions since 2020

• They have a fish jerky here

• It costs $500 to go to the university per semester

• The 3 biggest areas in Iceland are: 1) Tourism, 2) Energy (Electricity) and 3) Fishing

• We learned some Icelandic terms:

“Pylsa” means “hotdog”The next few terms are just the pronunciation of phrases but you have to say them really fast to get the meaning:

“Dock ferry” means “thank you”

“Some old ladies” means “likewise”

“Go to hell key” means “have a nice weekend”

“Go on dying” means “good day to you”

We tipped Andy and went to a nearby ATM to get some cash (because the city buses only take cash).

Our plan was to take the bus to the Sky Lagoon but by the time we were ready to go we would’ve gotten there 30 mins late so we taxi’d again. I’m so glad we opted for the Sky Lagoon over the Blue Lagoon since now it’s closed due to the most recent (like yesterday or 2 days ago) volcano eruption (I had no idea but I was getting text messages like crazy from people). I read the Sky Lagoon was a bit further out but that it wasn’t as crowded and that it was nicer (and it’s newer). We arrive and everyone must shower 1st before going into the lagoon. There’s a public and private changing area depending on what ticket you buy (I bought private). After that step into the warm lagoon with many nooks and crannies to wander into (it was what relaxation feels like). We wandered and lingered and got a drink at the swim up bar. The edge made it have that infinity appeal and it was a true delight from the busy night/day we’d had so far. We both got the 7 step ritual treatment which included: 1) Lagoon, 2) Cold plunge, 3) Sauna, 4) Mist, 5) Scrub, 6) Steam and 7) Shower. All in all the experience was well worth it.

We opted to take the public bus back to the hotel since we had time and by now it had begun to rain harder. We made our way, checked in, got our luggage and settled down. I ate the rest of a burrito that I bought from home while Kassandra made her ramen. With only 2 hrs of sleep since yesterday, I got started on this post and Kassandra took a quick nap. We still had the Northern Lights tonight… We were to meet at bus stop 12 by 8:30pm to be picked up to see the Northern Lights Tour. There was a crowd of people waiting so we knew we were in the right place. Thank goodness it didn’t take them long to arrive because the temperature significantly dropped and the wind picked up. Once we were settled on the bus on the way I went to sleep. I woke up and it looked as though we were in the middle of nowhere (to be expected because you drive out). Our guide had the bus stop so we could see the volcano eruption in the distance. We stopped and took pictures and then continued on our way.

We stopped by a lighthouse and got out hoping to wait for the Northern Lights aka (Aurora Borealis) but have had no such luck as of 10:52pm. Thankfully bathrooms were nearby and many people opted to use those. Our guide made hot chocolate and that helped keep us warm as it started to hail a bit. I don’t exactly remember what time we left the site (I think after 11:30pm) but no one saw any Northern Lights tonight. The sky was too cloudy and our guide (I found out his name was Romeo) said we could do another day for a more hopeful outcome so well think about it. We arrived back where they picked us up at and it’s 1:09am as I’m wrapping this up in bed. What an eventful first day here.