Green Lagoon, Niceland
On Saturday EPI and I took my cousin and uncle to the airport, and since we were all the way out there decided to make a stop at the Blue Lagoon. For those who don't know, the Blue Lagoon was accidentally created when the runoff from the local geothermal power plant started to gather in a pool next to it. Someone decided to take a dip and discovered that their skin came out all soft [and their hair like a scarecrow's, but that's another story]. So more and more people started showing up to dip themselves in the pool - which was a bright iridescent blue colour because of all the silica in the water - and soon they had built a little shack with showers and change rooms. Gradually the place became trés popular, so a few years ago they decided to actually move the lagoon [and happily smooth out the jagged bottom - it's located in the middle of a lava field with very sharp lava formations], build a super-duper spa type place with restaurant, gift shop and whathaveyou, jack up the price of admission about 150 percent, and generally turn the Blue Lagoon into Iceland's most shameless tourist trap ever. [Similar to what they're planning to do with my wonderful rustic old sauna. Sniff.]
At first, even the Nicelanders marvelled at the architectural wonder that was the new Blue Lagoon, what with its spa built into the lava, steam bath in a cave, silica mud in buckets [in the old one you used to have to gather the silica stuff from the bottom of the lagoon to plaster all over your face] and posh changerooms. Over time, however, the place started to become a little less attractive, simply because it was starting to get slightly shabby and the busfuls of tourists were kind of offputting [especially as the vast majority refuse to get naked], the changerooms were all grotty, and it was kind of hard to justify paying ISK 1,800 [USD 29] for admission when you can go to a nice clean swimming pool for about a tenth of that.
And yet. The water is nice and warm and tends to leave you all smooth and languid, so because we were practically passing by last Saturday [it's about a 45 minute drive from town] we decided to take a dip.
But lo! The normally-iridescent Blue Lagoon was actually green. Look:
... and here:
Hmmmm. Somewhat unappetizing, I must say. Still, EPI and I decided to go for it, muttering to each other that we would just shower extra well afterwards while trying to keep water from actually entering our, um, oral cavities.
And then. This evening, current affairs programme Kastljós actually did a feature on "The Green Lagoon", interviewing a bunch of tourists about how they felt being submerged in acid green water [really funny - check it out here] and also seeking an explanation from the Lagoon staff, who claim the colour of the water is due to an overgrowth of algae. Sounds pretty dubious to me, though. Especially as the water in the runoff right next to the lagoon, which just happens to have no people floating in it, is the same iridescent blue colour as the lagoon always was.
... and:
See, Watson? No algae there. Rather suspicious I daresay.
THE WEATHER
Lovely today, cloudy spells but sunny in between. Wind picked up this afternoon, just as a carpenter was replacing the [large] window pane in my little home office, causing dust and old window pane fasterning gunk to blow all over my bookshelves and such. Good thing I had the wherewithal to move the computer before he arrived, otherwise it would probably be in OZ by now. Currently 14°C [57F], sunrise at 2:57 am, sunset 12:03 am tomorrow.
PS. I've just noticed that yesterday's post about midsummer night is number 666 since the beginning and as I am superstitious in the extreme I have hurried up and posted again. Otherwise creepy five-year old boys with evil nannies may show up and start trying to push me down the stairs or toss me out the window. Something one wishes to avoid.
At first, even the Nicelanders marvelled at the architectural wonder that was the new Blue Lagoon, what with its spa built into the lava, steam bath in a cave, silica mud in buckets [in the old one you used to have to gather the silica stuff from the bottom of the lagoon to plaster all over your face] and posh changerooms. Over time, however, the place started to become a little less attractive, simply because it was starting to get slightly shabby and the busfuls of tourists were kind of offputting [especially as the vast majority refuse to get naked], the changerooms were all grotty, and it was kind of hard to justify paying ISK 1,800 [USD 29] for admission when you can go to a nice clean swimming pool for about a tenth of that.
And yet. The water is nice and warm and tends to leave you all smooth and languid, so because we were practically passing by last Saturday [it's about a 45 minute drive from town] we decided to take a dip.
But lo! The normally-iridescent Blue Lagoon was actually green. Look:
... and here:
Hmmmm. Somewhat unappetizing, I must say. Still, EPI and I decided to go for it, muttering to each other that we would just shower extra well afterwards while trying to keep water from actually entering our, um, oral cavities.
And then. This evening, current affairs programme Kastljós actually did a feature on "The Green Lagoon", interviewing a bunch of tourists about how they felt being submerged in acid green water [really funny - check it out here] and also seeking an explanation from the Lagoon staff, who claim the colour of the water is due to an overgrowth of algae. Sounds pretty dubious to me, though. Especially as the water in the runoff right next to the lagoon, which just happens to have no people floating in it, is the same iridescent blue colour as the lagoon always was.
... and:
See, Watson? No algae there. Rather suspicious I daresay.
THE WEATHER
Lovely today, cloudy spells but sunny in between. Wind picked up this afternoon, just as a carpenter was replacing the [large] window pane in my little home office, causing dust and old window pane fasterning gunk to blow all over my bookshelves and such. Good thing I had the wherewithal to move the computer before he arrived, otherwise it would probably be in OZ by now. Currently 14°C [57F], sunrise at 2:57 am, sunset 12:03 am tomorrow.
PS. I've just noticed that yesterday's post about midsummer night is number 666 since the beginning and as I am superstitious in the extreme I have hurried up and posted again. Otherwise creepy five-year old boys with evil nannies may show up and start trying to push me down the stairs or toss me out the window. Something one wishes to avoid.
Labels: Social concerns, YT tours Niceland
posted by Alda at 5:12 PM
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