We are all here! Smithsonian Student Travel, Iceland Group B, is ready to rumble in the land of ice and fire. Everyone arrived safe and sound on Thursday morning, and we hit the ground running our first stop straight from the airport was the Blue Lagoon. This is an incredible geothermal pool that was created thanks to a geothermal energy plant that was built in the area a few decades ago. It pumps steaming hot water up from inside the earth’s crust to a pool area. Hundreds of people come here everyday to soak in the mineral rich water, which has been known to cure all sorts of ailments. We also slapped some silica masks on our faces! It was the perfect way to fight off some exhaustion from the flight.
We checked into our hostel later that day and did some orientation activities to get to know each other better. We are staying in Reykjavik for the first few days, at a cozy hostel that’s just a short walk from downtown. We’ve walked to several nice meals, explored nearby botanical gardens, and gone souvenir hunting.
Yesterday (day 2), we took an amazing bike tour of Reykjavik. Our guide George was hilarious; originally from the Czech Republic, he’s lived in Iceland for most of his life and had several hilarious stories to tell. He was incredibly entertaining. It was an awesome way to see the city!
Our afternoon was filled with several activities that kept our bodies busy and our minds whizzing. We were able to see a lava show (the only live lava show in the world) and actually watched as the show hosts made real lava flow down a ramp in front of us. This was a highlight for many of us: watching lava flow and solidify right in from of us!
From here we moved on to a whale museum and took a really interesting tour; life size whale models dangled from the ceiling and underwater sounds were dancing through the airwaves. This was our guide Lauren’s favorite spot – her research involves whales and it was fun to hear about them from someone new, and hear a different country’s perspective on whaling (which is not happening in Iceland this year, yay!).
Today was a busy day full of epic sights! The Golden Circle! While heavily trafficked by tourists, it’s easy to see why. Epic waterfalls, fissures in the Earth that divide the North American and European tectonic plates, geysers spewing steaming hot water into the air. There was no shortage at all of magical natural features to see, and the trip is only getting started. What does the rest of the trip have in store for us??
Overall the weather has been wonderful if a bit windy. We’ve tried many different cuisines, and found out that Iceland is quite expensive. The locals have been very friendly, and our hostel has been a cozy place to start our journey.
Stay tuned for more to come!
Lauren and Trivik 🙂
