Geothermal Bathing, the Last Stop

Our last destination while in Iceland is the famous Blue Lagoon. I would say that nearly all tourists manage to fit this visit into their schedule at some point. While it is wisest (both time-wise and budget-wise) to fit this visit into your arrival day or your departure day, it isn't always possible. But, one should note that the Blue Lagoon is located closer to the Keflavik Airport than the capital of Reykjavik.

The clinic/spa is well reputed for its skin healing properties for psoriasis and eczema. They do a fabulous job marketing the healing properties of the lagoon's waters and the fine while silica mud--which patrons spread over their faces and bodies with vigor. And while the walls and the backdrop of lava fields is primal and stunning simultaneously, it's almost unbelievable that this whole location is man-made and actually the run-off from the nearly geothermal heating station. You can even see the station while lounging in the lagoon.

Check out the geothermal plant in the background!

The water is a strange opaque white--probably from the silica sands and is very warm. Well, I suppose it would have to be, in order to beckon people to get into their swim trunks and go running out into a giant pool during the middle of the winter while temperatures are still below zero degrees centigrade. I live in Canada--the land of ice and snow--I would know. Despite this, people get ready and take the plunge.

You drive through rolling barren lava fields and arrive at what seems like a shack with a simple sign and a winding pathway into the lava fields. You get this almost magical feeling when you arrive; with the planked path itself winding into the lava field as if you're being transported to a fantastical place. Just when you think the path will never end, you arrive at the entrance to the Blue Lagoon and are greeted by attractive, well-groomed uniformed hosts who help you get settled about where to go and what to do.

Now, being a North American, I have no real concept of a bathing house and only have shame for my body and thoughts of chlorine odoured change rooms. They have many change rooms segregated for the genders and their locker system is efficient and quick. You are handed a plastic bracelet that is your key for your bill and your locker. There is no need for coins, wallets or any real money while you're there. You pick a locker after checking what's available (green) on a monitor and head over. Then you pretty much get naked and head to the communal showers with your towel in tow. It is mandatory to take a full washing shower and rub down all those grimy corners before getting into your bathing suit and heading out into the cold.

You're looking at the entrance/exit from the change rooms to the lagoon

The showers offer showering gel (doubles as shampoo) and conditioner. My advice for females especially: take a good wash and envelop your hair in conditioner because you will regret it if you don't. Though, it might not matter if you decide to take a float in the lagoon. Before exiting to the lagoon, it's advisable not to think and just take a deep breath and spot somewhere you'll hang/stuff your towel. Then, don't hesitate and KEEP GOING until you are submerged into the warm lagoon waters.

Once you're comfortable and have your bearings again, seek out the wood boxes which house the fine white silica sands that the lagoon is famed for. Grab a little and rub it over your face and your shoulders; now relax and revel in the fact that people pay nearly $100 CDN for a single tube of this stuff from the gift shop.

There are life guards dressed like they're going out for an Arctic Expedition

If you plan early and have the money, I would suggest to try one of their floating massages! I didn't get the chance to do that but if I return, I am certainly going to do so! Imagine lying down in the water and floating there while being massaged. It sounds heavenly and dreamy, to me. In which case, you should probably plan to spend a day here. Otherwise a few hours in the lagoon are sufficient to take in the experience.

I didn't mention that the water in this lagoon doesn't have any chemical additives like our pools back in Canada. The water is purely geothermal sea water that is being pumped up from the depths of the earth and is cycled out every 40 hours or so. That said, my hair doesn't smell like a public swimming pool but it sure does feel like it's turned to unmanageable straw.... even days later. The only remedy? loads and loads of conditioner for the next few days and not leaving it down for work.

And Off We Go!

So it's only an hour or so before ADW and I head to Pearson to fly out by Icelandair to Keflavik for our week long vacation. I've read a lot about Iceland from the Frommer guidebook and this little island in the middle of the north Atlantic sounds like a really fascinating place. I previously posted a video my brother sent me when I first told him about the news of traveling to Iceland and I've since found two more videos that provide a more formal in-depth approach to this island.

One is produced from the History Channel through their series "How the World was Made" and this offers a detailed geological analysis of the island and investigates about how this island was formed and what is changing about it. It's got a lot of good graphical representation of the volcanic theories as well as some aerial views of the island. Watch it here

The other is a geared more for tourists who visit the country and want to get a better feel for the culture and its people.

I'll try to get some posts up during my vacation if I get the opportunity to do so. Otherwise, I'll be posting my adventures and photos when I return. Until then, have a góða nótt!

Just Do It Right the First Time Around!

I'm participating in meat shares from the Culinarium this year; we're getting chicken and pork. But, I'm still looking to get naturally raised eggs and perhaps rethinking beef. *sigh* beef... the thought is kind of a sore spot for me. Why? Because a few weeks ago, I got a telephone call at work from the Culinarium and they told me "we're really sorry to have to inform you that your cow died... prematurely". At first, I thought, ok so I get this thing earlier than expected. WRONG. The cow died having fallen over and being unable to pick itself back up!! No.joke. Something about a cows' body being so large that it basically crushed itself (why would nature make such a faulty animal?!)

You have no idea HOW upset 2 of the share participants were, when I broke the news to them. They even asked me if it would be ok to ask if we'd be able to get the carcass anyways.

I've gotten a chicken share last year and it was absolutely delish. You have not had real chicken until you've eaten this stuff. These chickens are raised the old way: they peck in the dirt, they eat bugs, they roost and nest and do the normal stuff that chickens do. No cages and no immature chickens sent to slaughter. Their bones were strong and well developed. The meat was flavourful and juicy.

Anyways! I'm probably making you readers very hungry! Getting back to the objective here. I'm going to have a brief overview of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and our diets.

Both fatty acids are considered essential to human diets because we're unable to produce these on our own. We must obtain these sources externally and lucky us, they're found primarily in marine and plant oils. The omega-6s are easily found in much of our food so we rarely have trouble getting enough in our diets--it's the omega-3s which many of us lack. In the 1970s, a study about the Greenland Inuit Tribe who consumed copious amounts of fish showed very low cardiovascular disease in the people. It's funny how while the omega-3 has a bunch of health benefits connected with it, the omega-6 has many less. It actually competes with the omega-3 and since it's so easy for Western diets to have omega-6s, there's a tendency to have issues related to an excess of omega-6s.

I'm not certain if the negative light about omega-6s is because it's so readily available in our diets and thus, for our bodies, but I do know that we should be more conscious about getting more omega-3s where we can. Omega-6s are also connected with inflammatory conditions, cancer and other diseases; the opposite of those which omega-3s are protecting against!

It's just unfortunate that the way the Western diet is structured, it's very high in omega-6s and our current agricultural practices impart a higher omega-6 concentration. Instead, we take all these supplements to compensate for what we lack. But, nobody thinks about just paying for better meat/food and dropping the supplements all together. Why? Grass-fed animals have much higher omega-3 concentrations in their bodies, than grain fed ones! Seems like nature got it right the first time and while we've been able to manipulate nature for the biggest bang for our buck, it is eventually all even: we use supplements but could just have it all in our food if it were done right the first time around!


(Next topic/theme: Loblaw and their changes to become more socially responsible)

An Evening with Two Great Minds

http://suzuki-louv.eventbrite.com/

I almost met David Suzuki in person, last week. I was practically in his breathing space. And then I panicked and turned around to go to work instead.

Apparently Mr. Suzuki was in fact in Toronto and was filming something at the CBC. Just my luck to be too yellow to approach the man for a once in a lifetime opportunity. I did though, get the advantage to be informed about the upcoming event with Mr. Suzuki and award winning author and journalist, Richard Louv.

With being Canadian, we've probably got the household name of Suzuki down pat. We know who he is, what he has done and what he stands for. But, do you know about Richard Louv? I don't.

My brother sent me a link to an article about the "nature deficit disorder" and how it has some substantial scientific research associated with it. Enter, Mr Louv! Who knew that the book my brother was talking about, "Last Child in the Woods" is written by the same man that the DSF was pairing together with Mr Suzuki that evening! I don't know about you but I would be happy to pay the fee to go... it sounds like it could be an exciting evening!

Always the Optimist

I sneak peek people's reading material on the subway. While I usually have some reading material of my own (current: The Big Short by Michael Lewis), I periodically peek at what other people are reading--particularly when they're reading a paper.

This morning, I saw an article about Joseph Kony (more about this tomorrow) and the solar flares that will possibly affect our technology today. When I first heard about this news, I was really excited because I am an avid nature/space/science hobbyist (can you be a hobbyist in such an area?). This sort of thing interests me and that morning, I spent part of the morning reading about it instead of *ahem* doing what I should have been doing.

So, today I heard this news while trying to get out of bed. CBC often has great coverage on stuff like this so I checked out their website and found the newest coverage. Looks like the sun spot eruption happened on Tuesday and they were expecting the actual flare to hit Earth around 1am-5am Thursday (today). They're still waiting and nothing has glitched yet.

(on a side note, I found equally great coverage on BBC)

The reason people are generally concerned about the effects of the solar flare is because of the fact that it may or may not disrupt the technology we enjoy. When I think about people in (blind) panic, en masse, I remember the Eastern Seaboard blackout in 2003. I remember coming home from my coop in Burlington and the radio just went out. I wouldn't figure out what just happened and continued on my merry way. By the time I got home, I realized that nothing was working.

While part of me recollects the following few days of technology-free bliss, another part of me (the paranoid nutjob) imagined a zombie apocalypse (or any apocalypse, for that matter). I'd probably be the poor sucker who couldn't tell the difference and while fiddling with my radio equipment, get eaten while screaming for my life. Not a pretty picture.

Anyways, there's no need to panic since it's just a solar flare and not the end of our solar system as we know it. Though, if the sun exploded, it might just be fast and swift so there is no screaming for my life while a zombie rips out my insides and eats me alive.

Just in: Solar Flares Forecasted for 2012 and 2013

I haven't had many posts about things that intrigue me.

I've always been fascinated with nature and science--perhaps the reason for my desire to get a science Bachelors from school. Even though I'm not working anywhere near a science related industry, I find myself always quickly clicking on the article link about something that happens in nature.

The latest one to catch my eye is from CBC about "Massive solar flares not expected to cause disruptions". What exactly is going on? Well, our Sun is an active star that has "cycles"--11 years to be exact. In essence, every 11 years, there is a peak of activity in our Sun, such as solar flares.

These solar flares are eruptions which spew out into space (solar wind). As a result, our solar system gets a spewing of ions, electrons and atoms in the form of radiation. First, electromagnetic radiation, then proton radiation and finally, the plasma from the sun (coronal mass ejection).

Usually, our technology dependant society gets a little worried because all this solar ejection can sometimes disrupt the "radiation" which we enjoy... in the form of cellular phone service, radio, television... etc. In other situations, it can knock out entire power grids, like it did in 1989, for Quebec. And we can't forget about the astronauts out in space or the satellites that carry all our signals... but a really neat bonus for us Torontonians is that we have the opportunity to view the aurora borealis in our backyards.

And really, who cares if the power grid goes out for a day or two. I don't have to go to work!

This storm has been classified as the largest one since the Halloween Storms of 2003. The Halloween Storms were so powerful that they were seen as far south as Florida and Texas!