WELCOME TO ICELAND

The last blog in my UK series, I wanted this post to reflect Iceland’s true magic.

The last time we talked about the United Kingdom, I was in Ireland, slowly making my way through a pint of Guinness. From Dublin, my mom and I took a two-hour flight to Reykjavik.

A quick enough journey, we got to Iceland in the middle of the day. After checking in to our hotel, we wanted to just walk around, do some window shopping and eat dinner. We were pleasantly surprised by how colorful the streets –and buildings— of Iceland were. Seriously, I love this place’s witty humor (see sign below).

DAY 2

Our second day (and only full day) was jammed packed with activities. Probably because Iceland is so fun and so diverse, it’s hard to find things not to do. We started off with some breakfast at a quaint café nearby and then made our way to do some whale watching!

We boarded this “yacht” and went on about a three-hour cruise looking for whales, which we did eventually see! The excursion was really exciting, and the small crew always made sure to point where the whales were and to explain what they were doing and why they came up for air at certain time intervals. If you ever get the chance to see animals in their natural habitat, jump on that opportunity.

When we were back on land, my mom and I decided to go to the Ice Bar. This is partially because we had already walked past the sign for it a number of times and we were intrigued. The Ice Bar was … intense.

After putting on these giant ponchos and gloves, you head into the “bar” area where you are served a classic Icelandic cocktail. I know the drink had some black currant in it, but other than that I can’t remember. What I do remember is that it was fruity and GOOD. So good in fact, my mom was going to buy us another round, but the nice employee gave us them for free.

Inside the bar, where everything is made out of ice, you can sit in some areas or just stand and look at the insane sculptures and details that went into creating the place. It was such a “cool” experience and I wish we could’ve hung out a little bit longer, but my lips did start to quiver from the cold. I do think I would go back again though!

DAY 3

Finally, we come to our last day. Our last day in Iceland and our last day on this epic adventure. We knew our flights were in the afternoon, so we planned on stopping at the Blue Lagoon before going to the airport, as the lagoon is actually closer to the airport.

The Blue Lagoon is a natural hot spring, the biggest one I’ve ever been too, that is said to have healing properties from its clay.

Here are some Blue Lagoon tips:

• call and make reservations beforehand – this helps the lagoon to not be so crowed
• use the shampoo provided when showering before entering
• put your hair up when entering the lagoon. you might want your hair down for pictures but trust me, your hair will be damaged from the minerals. it took my hair about 2 weeks to feel normal again
• use the sauna and steam room – this is supposed to be a relaxing experience
• leave about 2 hours in your schedule to really enjoy the lagoon

And that’s all I have for Iceland folks! The country is so magical, and unlike any country you’ll ever visit. I really do want to go back and drive the golden circle route!

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line art by Purely Drea

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**Have you ever wanted to visit an Ice Bar?

**Is Iceland on your bucket list?

**Did I miss anything in Reykjavik?