The Blue Lagoon is nice. It’s a happy-accident. The area is geothermally active and has been for a while. Recent volcanic eruptions in the news all occurred in this area.

At first there was only a geothermal power plant. Their spent hot water was discarded to seep back into the ground. Lava rock is porous, so water does not usually stick around the surface for long. Here, however, silt and sediment from the water filled up the lava pores, preventing drainage and creating large ponds. Where there’s a hot body of water, an Icelander cannot be far away.

People began routinely bathing in the runoff pools, which was (and is still) safe and chemical-free. They applied the silt and algae-filled mud to their skin, and soon began regaling their friends about its healing properties. Supposedly, it helps plaque psoriasis lesions. Supposedly. If it actually did, then next to the power plant would be a pharmaceutical company making bazillions – instead there is a very expensive line of face cream. The dubious health claim helped raise awareness for this particular geothermal wonderland. Soon people from all over were bathing in the pools. Something had to be done. So in the 1987, the Blue Lagoon was officially born.

It’s a big hit with tourists, who come from across the world to soak in its waters. We went early in the morning, which is less crowded. Most visitors were Asian. Guests by the bus-full came throughout the day, and the staff worked hard to move people quickly through the queue so they could get out of street clothes and into swimwear. There was lots of upselling, including alcoholic drinks, mud masks, robes, etc. Capitalism is a beautiful thing to watch in action. Our money, so deftly, so swiftly extracted, all due to warmish water.

Icelanders have a connection to water Americans do not. While locals do not frequent the Blue Lagoon, there are geothermally heated pools in communities throughout the country. It is part town square, part stress reducing, and part necessity during frigid winter months. This country has an abundance of water – you may have noticed all the waterfalls. While I shower regularly, a three minute rinse versus a 30 minute soak are very different things. Immersion versus showering are not equivalent.

I often think about going to spas in the U.S., but I think I know how clean the water is. In NYC there is a huge issue with people pooping in community pools. They find it funny. Articles have been written about it. Toddlers don’t hold it while enjoying a swim with mom and dad. In these environments we depend on chemicals to keep water bacteria-free. That doesn’t mean it’s clean, though. Just means fewer microbes, which are less likely to cause serious illness.

Icelanders insist you shower “swimsuit off” before entering communal waters. What they mean, but are too polite to say, is that most humans have 1 to 5 grams of fecal matter in and around their anus at all times. Particularly if you only use dry paper. Even more so if you use that single ply crap. (Ha! Get it?) Of all the waves to save money… Most Europeans use bidets. The Japanese have those fancy toilets. This is civilized behavior. Americans are just cool with shit everywhere, which now that I think about it, makes cultural sense.

So warm water in theme parks and pools in the U.S. is not good. Never go into them. If you are forced to at gunpoint, keep your head above water at all times. If you have an open wound, WTF is wrong with you going into a community pool? Also it might get infected, which serves you right.

I digress.

The Blue Lagoon’s salty water is pumped from 2000 meters deep into the power plant at hellish temperatures, where it spins turbines and heats cold water for general use. I don’t actually know how geothermal plants work. It is then discarded and piped into the Blue Lagoon at a known hot but safe temperature. The water is recycled completely every 48 hours. Over 2 million gallons, or 9,000 bathtubs worth, of water refreshes several times a week. Most pools and hot tubs in the U.S. change out water quarterly, if at all. While Icelanders use a lot of water for their comfort, they have it to spare.

In 1992 Blue Lagoon Limited was founded. It is a private entity that owns the lagoon. About 49% is owned by public pensions and institutional investors, so visiting helps pensioners in Iceland. It must be a cash cow. They probably pay nothing for the land, since nobody wants it, and the heated water is free. I guess that leaves staffing salaries as their big expense?

In fact it’s so important, the government, with the help from a small increase in property tax, built a lava rock berm around the site to protect it. These recent eruptions have sent lava flows close enough to cause concern. I suspect a great many would be financially distraught if the Blue Lagoon were destroyed. A 5 meter berm now protects it, hopefully channeling future lava flows away from the site. Let us never commit the sin of allowing capitalism to be disrupted by acts of God.

We stayed at a hotel on-site, the Silica Hotel, which gave us access to a private lagoon for hotel guests. Same water, same silt, just fewer people. While I enjoyed spending the morning at the Blue Lagoon, between us I did also kinda like the calmer, quieter hotel lagoon. RBD fantasized about spending her 50th birthday here, so set your calendars and save your pennies. You’re all invited. If you don’t come, then you’re a jerk. Her words, not mine. But I completely agree with her in all things.

We will be landing at JFK soon. We’ll speak again tomorrow morning one last time.