Iceland's Blue Lagoon

We wrapped up our Iceland trip by soaking at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa before heading straight to the airport. Blue Lagoon is a man made lagoon that has pools of water heated by the lava flow underground. The milky white water is rich in minerals and said to have healing properties. The sun was shining and it was almost blinding as it reflected off the white water, steam, and rocks. We soaked for hours among heads covered in white silica mud masks, in between breaks inside a steam room cave. It was the perfect way to relax after days of exploring and before a long flight home.

Blue Lagoon well worth the money and definitely a spot you don't want to miss in Iceland, even if you are passing through Iceland for only a few hours (the spa is only 20 minutes from the airport). 

- Julia

Iceland - Snorkeling in a Fissure

One of the cooler things we've ever done together was swim in the crack between two tectonic plates in Iceland. We had to wear thermal suits layered under dry suits before getting into the freezing glacial water, but the crystal clear views of 100m in distance and bright blue colored water was worth it. There were very few fish and it felt very lonely and barren, unlike the colorful scuba diving we're used to, but that's how Iceland felt in general. The crack in the earth went as deep as the eye could see. It was pretty mind boggling to imagine our bodies floating between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. We were so lucky to share the experience with our new friends from Canada, Jessica and Matt.

We have just one post left from Iceland, and it's a good one. Our last stop before heading to the airport was to the Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa!

- Julia

P.S.

The first half of the photos were taken with our usual Nikon D800, and the last half (in the water) are from a GoPro and an old disposable underwater camera. I think you'll see a difference in the quality.

The Silfra fissure, where we went snorkeling.

It was a bit of a challenge to get into these bad boys.

Matt + Jessica

Julia + Yuriy

I can't feel my lips (or my face), but I'm in a fissure! Tra la la la la!

Can you tell who's who? Neither can I.

Iceland With Friends

Yuriy and I have done a lot of traveling on our own, so we are always on the look out for travel buddies. With our wacky work schedule (we work mostly on the weekends), it's pretty hard to find travel partners. It was a pleasant surprise when Jessica and Matt, photographers from Canada, messaged and said they were going to be in Iceland at the same time as us (total coincidence)! And so we arranged to spend one day together at the end of our trip and beginning of their trip, and packed it full with activities.

We rented a Land Rover Defender for our day trip, a pretty big deal for the boys. I have to admit I was pretty enamored by it too. It was the perfect vehicle to explore the rugged Icelandic terrain. 

We took a drive around the Golden Circle, a popular tourist route because it's so close to the city. We stopped at all the popular spots-- Þingvellir National Park where the first parliament is, a geothermal valley with shooting geysers, and the gigantic Gulfoss waterfall. Of course, we stopped far more often than that. It sure is nice to travel with fellow photographers who don't mind pulling over every 10 minutes for photos.

At the end of the day, we found some steaming hot springs and bubbling mud pots on the side of the road (crazy!), and couldn't resist taking some photos of each other before the sun went down. You can see some of Jessica's photos of us here. 

One of the most memorable parts of the day was snorkeling in icy cold glacial water between two continents, but I saved those photos for a separate post. Check back soon to see us in dry suits and swimming caps.

- Julia

All geysers were named after this big guy, Geysir.

Because Geysir erupts so rarely, we mostly hung around Strokkur, another geyser that erupts every few minutes and shoots water as high as 30 meters in the air. 

Gulfoss waterfall, one of the most famous tourist attractions in the country.

Recharging with burgers before hitting the road again.