TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS
SCOTT DICKEN
Photos: Scott Dickens
W
ith the recent announcement that from April 6, 2021, all travelers – regardless of origin – are again welcome to visit Iceland (subject to conditions – see Icelandair.com for more information), now seems like the perfect time to discuss the country’s most famous attraction, the Blue Lagoon! The turquoise geothermally heated 37-39°C (99–102 °F) swimming waters of Iceland’s man-made Blue Lagoon are a modern-day international phenomenon and Iceland’s #1 tourist attraction. Without exception, not a day goes by (even during COVID) without my Instagram feed showing scantily clad, perfectly preened individuals meditatively staring into the pool’s otherworldly blue waters as though unaware their picture is being taken (belying the fact that they’ve been setting up the photo for the last 20 minutes). It wasn’t always like this. I remember visiting the Blue Lagoon in the 90’s and other than some fairly basic shower facilities the site was ‘under-developed’ and ‘under-visited’. My untoned body, bereft of the beneficial effects of natural sunlight (the curse of the red head), didn’t seem out of place. I could wallow in peace and solitude, enjoying the warm (and occasionally boiling) turquoise waters. So, on a relatively recent trip to Iceland, nearly twenty years after my first foray onto the tiny island with a mere 300,000 inhabitants, I was intrigued to revisit the Blue Lagoon and see how its Instagram infamy had affected its authenticity.
Crowd Control I’d heard that the Lagoon gets busy these days – I mean crazy busy. Resulting from a potent mixture of laziness and demanding work schedule, my wife and I had deferred buying Blue Lagoon entry tickets 16 | June 2021
until the week before our visit. It was January with average temperatures just below freezing – so surely we’d have no problem (or so we thought). Wrong. Our chosen 2pm slot (which we had specifically picked to most appropriately factor departure flight times and hangovers) was fully booked, as were the slots four hours either side of it. This wasn’t a good start and certainly was nothing like my experience twenty years ago when I just rocked up, walked in, and was one of the only ones bobbing around in the water! As a result of our booking snafu, we were forced to accept a 9am slot. As the sun doesn’t rise in Iceland until around 10.30am in January, we would initially be wallowing in darkness. Also, not great for photography. However, our initial disappointment soon evaporated when we realized the benefits of arriving early. The first being that there were no queues when we arrived. This benefit didn’t fully reveal itself until we emerged from the water like a pair of shriveled prunes 3 hours later to be greeted by a line of people snaking their way around the building. If we had snagged our preferred slot, it seems we would have spent the first hour of the experience in a tailback somewhat akin to rush hour in London. The second benefit of early arrival was that we had the chance to experience the lagoon in all phases of light; floodlit darkness when we first arrived, sunrise (which was fairly spectacular as the steam rose from the lagoon) and full daylight. This scenario is perfect for any photographer who
wants to see the lagoon in its full colour spectrum. Result: Through luck more than judgement, the crowds didn’t cause us many problems. As the morning waned into afternoon, the crowds got thicker, the noise level (fueled by beer and prosecco) increased to a dull roar and we couldn’t bob for two minutes without being hit by a selfiestick. By the time we left, the queues were reminiscent of a Disney theme park ride, and I imagine it was getting much tougher to find an empty locker to store one’s tighty whities and other valuables in whilst swimming. There were undoubtedly more bathers in the lagoon than when I first visited, but the lagoon has also expanded in size since then. I didn’t personally feel that the experience was tarnished by the number of people, but if you’re looking for a serene spa experience, then perhaps the Blue Lagoon isn’t the right place for you.
Technology and Expense What struck me next was the infiltration of modern technology into what is otherwise a fairly traditional Icelandic experience. Upon ‘checkin’ we were handed a wristband to wear which controls pretty much every part of your experience. Want an extra towel? Scan your wristband. Access to your locker? Scan your wristband. Want an algae mask? Scan your wristband. Prosecco, spa services or an in-water massage?.... you get the idea. The good news is that this makes the payment process simple and avoids you carrying a
pocket-full of soggy banknotes or a later dysfunctional credit card (I can’t imagine that the silica in the geothermal water would do it much good). The bad news is that this makes the payment process too easy – resulting in you unwittingly racking up enough high value purchases to prompt a call from your bank (yes, Iceland is expensive!). The one click-purchase is undoubtedly handy but at the same time unnervingly easy to ‘mistakenly’ abuse to your own financial detriment. This leads me to considering the expense. The Blue Lagoon is no longer an inexpensive and unique afternoon of relaxation. To get your money’s worth, you’ll probably want to spend at least 3 hours absorbing as much silica into your skin as possible. Never mind the silica has tightened your face so much that you’re having trouble opening your mouth to speak – you just paid exorbitant amounts of money, and it’s time to get your fill! So, make sure you choose your package carefully and include everything you want from the get-go. Buying add-ons when you get there will end up costing you more. The final thing to consider is that ticket prices change on the website as demand increases, so avoid doing what we did and buy your tickets online as early as possible so that you get them at base price. Result: There’s no getting away from it, the Blue Lagoon is expensive. I’m not normally a spa kind of guy and so I was reluctant to pay the sort of money they were asking for (I’d TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS > PAGE 17
Old Town Crier
