Blue Lagoon, Iceland
There's no better way to recover from a long stressful flight than soaking in the warm healing waters of the Blue Lagoon , conveniently a short bus trip from the airport at Keflavik. We learned the hard way that it's necessary to pre-book online, so our spot was reserved long before we left SFO. Big tour buses disgorge flocks of disoriented tourists, rolly bags at their heels. A path funnels us to the luggage storage area, where people dig out their swimsuits and stash their bags - for a fee of $5/bag. Welcome to Iceland, where everything is at least twice as expensive as home. Everyone must shower completely and thoroughly - with soap! - before getting in the pools. Multilingual signs in the changing rooms emphasize the necessity of scrubbing one's head, underarms, crotch, and feet before donning a swimsuit. Who wants to soak in a bathtub with other people's grime? I think the reason Icelanders are so mellow is that they're constantly showerin
