Lagoons, Bingo, and Rotten Shark... Oh my.

The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa. The warm water, heated by the earth, is full of rich minerals and silica. It is proven to be good for the skin, and provides a warm retreat from the cool Icelandic air. Upon arrival, you have to take a shower. This keeps the lagoon itself free of many germs/bacteria that we carry around throughout the day. You enter the lagoon inside, and go through what can only be described as a "doggie door for humans," which leads into the warm, steaming waters of The Blue Lagoon. It was such a relaxing environment, and an amazing experience.    

I went with some women that I met Sunday, when I went into Reykjavik for worship. They were fun to be around, and it was a blast getting to know them more.

After showering, I tried to comb/brush my hair... The minerals in the lagoon absolutely DESTROYED my long, thick, hair. It is poofy, coarse, rough, tangled, bent, broken, etc. Maybe I should just cut it off?

Finally, I just gave up, and spent ten minutes trying to get it into a ponytail. Upon succeeding that venture, it was time to head to BINGO!!! Carina is a nurse and they are taking a trip to Boston soon, so they hosted a Bingo night with tons of cool prizes as a way to raise money. After awhile, my time came! I got Bingo, and yelled, "AMERICA!!" Everyone laughed (pretty sure I was the only non-Icelandic person there) and clapped for me. Now I have a big basket of crackers, cheese, and jam that I have to transport home... We'll see how that goes! I might end up eating all of it during my 10 hour layover in Boston.

Finally, to end my long, yet awesome day... The moment I have NOT been waiting for... It is time to eat Hákarl. "Hákarl is traditionally prepared by gutting and beheading a Greenland shark and placing it in a shallow hole dug in gravelly-sand, with the now-cleaned cavity resting on a slight hill. The shark is then covered with sand and gravel, and stones are then placed on top of the sand in order to press the shark. The fluids from the shark are in this way pressed out of the body. The shark ferments in this fashion for 6–12 weeks depending on the season. Following this curing period,  the shark is then cut into strips and hung to dry for several months."


Much of my traveling so far has been based off of Andrew Zimmern's show, "Bizzare Foods." I used his advice on Australian cuisine to find some delicious food, and thought I'd do the same for Iceland. The hotdog I had the other day was great... but what was he thinking with this rotten shark? On the show, he described the smell as reminding him of "some of the most horrific things I've ever breathed in my life" He noted that Hákarl is "hardcore food" and "not for beginners." Why didn't I just listen to him? Either way, I am proud of holding in there for as long as I did... I also tried Sheep Head. It actually tasted OK. I had three bites... the first and third weren't great, but the second one was better.

The video is little for some reason, but you can
make it full screen. Enjoy!