Trying to avoid some of the cold and the rain, we traveled south yesterday to Keflavik, spending the afternoon at the Blue Lagoon. While relaxing in the glowing blue thermal pools, we both realized how exhausted we have become over the previous months. We slathered white silica mud across our faces, sipped Skyr smoothies, steamed in the bath house, and drifted across the pools in search of the hot spots which would soothe our souls.
The funny thing about the Blue Lagoon is that it is actually the result of an industrial accident. Next door to the resort is a geothermal plant which pumps hot water from deep underground, extracts its energy, and injects the used water back into the crust. The only problem is that the water doesn’t want to go back down. The same silica mud that we make our ridiculous masks out of stops the water near the surface, causing it to flood and spill out into the crater-like landscape. Looking at the lagoon on Google Earth you can see how this industrial accident played out.