The Backpacking Chronicles- Best Use of A Layover

    In true college aged european style I decided to go on a backpacking trip across europe. Lucky for me I went with a friend from home who has not only done this before, but has a surmountable amount of common sense and internal navigational skills in comparison to myself. So I went backpacking. Which in my mind, had been romanticized to hitching rides in the back of dusty pick ups with transient polish workers and spending nights with people I just met who now became my best friends. Really I just flew Ryanair and stayed in cheap hostels. But backpacking none the less!

Here's a map to show the route I took across europe. And to highlight my (lack of) photo editing skillz.

     The first leg of the journey was from Boston Logan to Keflavik, the airport in Iceland. Which was actually just an extremely long layover, but what fun is sitting in an airport for 10 hours? Instead of drinking bad airport coffee for hours I went to a geothermal hot spring. Absolutely the best way to spend an outrageously long layover. 

Sun rising over volcanic rock, Iceland

    The name of the hot spring I went to was Blue Lagoon. It was about a 20 minute bus ride straight from the airport. Simply smack around 8,000 króna (about 60 usd) to buy the tickets at the information desk which includes the bus to and fro the lagoon and the admittance in. They couldn't make it easier, clearly this is something a lot of people do on layovers so they make it as simple as possible. 

    Not only was the staff friendly and helpful but when your dropping 1,200 króna on a drink you feel like a boss. Even when you have to rent your own 5,000 icelandic dollar towel. Just ignore the conversion rates.

    The sun creeping from behind the volcanic hills lent an almost alien aura to the landscape. If I hadn't known better I would have sided with Jeffrey Russell and the other middle ages stiffs who were convinced the world was flat. I felt like I was the first person seeing the sun's light across the world. Like I was standing on the precipice at the edge of Iceland- at the edge of the planet.

    So the steaming water may be the offspring of molten lava and volcanic activity but the wind chill ensured everything not submerged- ears, shoulders, noses- was frostbitten. That was an extremely weird feeling. Half my body was on fire, while the other half was red and chapped from the freezing wind. There was even about a foot of chop in the lagoon- enough to spew salty hot water into an eye or two. But still awesome. One of the really interesting things in the lagoon itself were the sandy-mud like mineral deposits that are apparently extremely good for the skin. So taking my zealous blonde icelandic guide's advice, I slathered on a healthy portion all over my face. It feels a little strange to be walking around in a mud mask from the floor of the lagoon but when everyone's doing it no one really sticks out. Grabbed a glass of wine from the bar in the lagoon and found a spot right near the inflow of hot water and floated for a few hours.

 

    Of all my travels this one topped the list. Granted it doesn't have the flash or excitement of the big cosmopolitan cities but there was something about Iceland that made me want to come back. Made me want to spend time exploring the landscape and it's cultures- like there wouldn't be enough time to really understand what it was that appealed to me so much. That's what made it unforgettable. If ever you find yourself facing a painstakingly long layover, abandon feelings of dread and make it worth the time. Venture outside the airport and explore what's around. Especially if that layover happens to be in Keflavik ;)