I think it would be impossible to take a selfie right now because my skin is radiating after visiting the Blue Lagoon today. After scrubbing my face with the Silica Mud Mask that is found at the bottom of the lagoon and sitting in steam baths/saunas, I needed to take a nap.

The Blue Lagoon is one of the 25 Wonders of the World. Here is a picture with lava rock that can be found around the water. There is a lot of steam because the water is naturally heated to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Although the Blue Lagoon is a MAJOR tourist attraction, it is a must see while in Iceland!

Iceland lies just between the North American and European tectonic plates, which is why the country has earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, hot springs, etc. The tectonic plates literally divide through Dagny’s town, Hveragerdi. I am standing between the plates while at the earthquake exhibition 2 minutes away from Dagny’s home.

Although I was disappointed when Dagny told me the red “lava” was not real , the rocks you see on the left and right are the tectonic plates (after the dirt was excavated).

Clearly a town divided by the tectonic plates has to deal with a series of natural disasters, specifically earthquakes. The country has approximately 200 earthquakes every 24 hours. However, about 99.9% of them cannot be felt. The largest earthquake in recent years occurred in 2008, 2.6 km east of Dagny’s town, with a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter Scale. For reference, the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 was a 7.0.

Iceland’s unique geographical location also results in interesting beaches. The picture below was taken at the southern coast and the sand is black due to the volcanoes. 

This is a very different Atlantic Ocean than I am used to swimming in at the Jersey Shore. Water temperatures are freezing…icebergs (polar bear free)  can be found flowing across the ocean almost year round.

As the snow has begun to melt, I have noticed that the land is either mountainous or has moss atop volcanic rock, like seen here.

Only two more days left in Iceland. I am hoping my Icelandic glow makes it back to PA with me!

-Sammie