Mmmmmm hot Vatn

Now I'm cooking!
Ahhhhhh, a nice soak in the pool, I tried the first one, not hot enough, so I went for the one at the far end, that I could see, it was 42o C which is very nice and hot on my poor tired little body. A nice young man told me where the really hot one was, but it looked like it was under maintenance so this one would have to do. I did about 20 minutes, then got out to cool down in the nice evening breeze, then ambled back in, very tingly hot!.
But I digress. So the Welcome Pass for the bus got me in free, otherwise about 360Isk or somewhere around 2.75 US. There is a counter where you can buy goggles, or nose-plugs of snack/drinks, and even swimsuits if you need one. Get your ticket, pass the turnstiles, and be thankful that the signs are in English too, though Krona is Icelandic for Women. Kronur for Men.
You park your shoes outside the change room in the rack, and there is a locker you can put your valuables into if you like. Then inside to change. More lockers inside, and I found out you could put your shoes into a bag and bring them into your clothes locker if you are going to use one.
Be sure to bring at least 1 or 2 -100 Ikr coins for the locker to give up the key, you get it back when you open up later.

So, strip down and take your towel and swimsuit, cause first you have to shower yer butt before they let you into the pool. Nice warm water and soap provided at the dispensers. Head to toe, and they have little signs to direct you to those special places, like your head and feet, and well, lets just say they want you clean first!
A fine feature is the lovely two drinking fountains that run continuous with nice cold eater to drink before heading out.
Suit up and put your towel into the rack cause it is time to get some swim on!
There it is, a long corridor that takes you to the automatic door of bliss. There is a shallow pool for children, with a small slide for play, and a three story tower, very colorful with a pipe water slide, and general splash zone for the play inclined. Then nearest the doors are about three pools and a big shallow sit around in a stretched out circle and chat sort of pool. Turn left, go along the side of the 8 lane big old pool, all set up for laps, and you see the pools with safety rails lined up with signs giving you the temperature of the water, 30c, 32c, 38c, I went for the second one, too cool, then right on down to the end for the 42c. Ohh baby, that is some nice hot water. And not much sulfur at this point. I am told there is a steam room, but without someone to massage or slap me with birch twigs, what is the point. So after about an hour, it is open until 2230 on weekdays, I moseyed back to the hostel all ready for bed. Almost. I went for a cup of nice hot tea, met some people from France and another young man form England, one form Glasgow who are over on a sort of volunteer conservation crew working on things in the national parks for eleven weeks or so. No pay but they get fed and housed, and they get to see the country first hand and up close.
Headed back to my room, the two young ladies from Switzerland are all dressed up and headed out to party. Lets just say at 3 am local time they are not back yet. I think they will call it a successful evening.
Okay, I have decided that after breakfast this morning I will have the folks here book me up on the Golden Circle Afternoon tour. A 6 hour tour that leaves at 12:30 to go see Thingvillir park, Gullfoss and Geysir. Oh, and the nice young man at the pool taught me how to say the name of the volcano correctly. Which incidentally is being blamed for the overcast weather as there is still ash in the air, and on everything else a bit as it settles out, and cutting a bit of the sunlight (the double L at the end gets the same Tl sound as the first set- it takes practice)
So, climbing back into bed for another couple hours, then up and at em for the day! Hope you had a good Pizza Friday and said hi to Koby for me!