Chapter 4 - Getting accustomed...

Today is 19th April - a public holiday which officially marks the first day of summer here in Iceland... and what a beautiful day it was (very bright and sunny.... even if it is a cool 1°C outside!) The days are getting very long and right now it doesn´t get dark until 10.30pm. Within the next couple of months, the ´midnight sun´ will ensure that it will not get dark at all. It´s so nice having such long days – you can do so much!

Today we went to the Blue Lagoon... a geothermal spa which is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. The water temperature averages 40 degrees and the water is rich in minerals like silica and sulfur which is really good for skin conditions such as psoriasis. And a bit of trivia for you... In 2004, the Blue Lagoon was used as a first pit stop in the international reality show, The Amazing Race (6).

So I´ve been getting around town on my bike. To tell you the truth, I´m actually very surprised I haven´t made the front page headline of the local newspaper, with a title that reads “beware of foreigner on the roads!” People drive on the other side of the road here and I´m so disoriented and confused about which way to look! People must think I´ve got Tourette Syndrome or something because my head darts left, right, left, right, left, right as I´m crossing... I´m actually quite surprised I haven´t pulled a muscle in my neck yet. But then again, sometimes I just close my eyes... go! go! go!... and hope for the best – especially on the bigger intersections with three lanes in each direction. I´ve only caused four accidents which I think is a statistic to be very proud of. (NB: The fifth accident was not my fault – the guy pretty much had his whole fist up his nose picking a winner, whilst oggling the beautiful aussie girl on the bike - that´s me of course - before going over the cliff!).

I got my legs waxed yesterday. Apparently Icelandic women don´t grow hair on or around their knees... well that´s the only conclusion I came to when the lady totally skipped that whole section on both my legs. I´m guessing that there is something ´extra special´ in the wax here though (I can feel it in my waters)... the ´magic´ wax must either ensure permanent hair removal or transform your legs into those of a model... again the only conclusion I could come to after how much I paid! Maybe I should do what my dad suggested... not get waxed at all for 3 months... however then I would probably feature on the front page of the newspaper again with the headline “Yeti on the loose!”