REYKJAVIK, ICELAND (AP) – How do you write a new constitution in the 21st century? You go where the people are _ online.

That was the decision of tiny but tech-savvy Iceland, which is overhauling its constitution in the wake of an economic catastrophe, and has turned to the Internet to get input from citizens.

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You walk down a winding path cut deep into the lava. No doubt this is by design and adds to the effect of awe once you see the milky blue water. You enter the building and get your bracelet that serves as your pass and will open the turnstile and is your electronic key to the lockers. A very modern Nordic spa look and feel to the place. But outside this is unlike any spa. Acres of rough lava with all that hot water and zones of varying temperatures. After your shower you take the short walk between the building and the water where you will see and hear tourists laugh and hesitate as they get hit by the cold wind and wonder why they are dressed for a summer swim. No problem, just go in.

Heavenly.

The Blue Lagoon is the outflow lagoon from a geothermal power plant.  Produces electricity, heat, and hot water to the district heating system for the city and towns.

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A much cheaper alternative to a guided tour is a local bus to the same or different place. The only hard part is figuring out where and what bus will take you there. I decided on Hveragerði which is a small village to the south. It sits in an active geothermal field and is known for its greenhouses. On the trip to the village you quickly rise over a pass where the iconic moss covered lava fields and snow covered mountains are all around you. Instantly recognizable as Iceland these are the mountains that I’ve seen in hundreds of pictures. With the limited and low angle sunshine you often pass snow and ice despite the +5C temperature. The slopes are covered in ice and snow in a style often seen in the Arctic.

On the other side of the mountain pass are numerous plumes of steam. And then more of them. And then a huge concentration of steam and when we get closer we pass an electrical power station run from that lovely steam. Large insulated pipes snake around the country side. Some feeding the plant from the boreholes and other pipes feeding hot water back to the city and towns. This is where all that hot water and heat is coming from.

If I hadn’t been on a bus I would have stopped my car a dozen times in the first 30 minutes with all the beautiful vistas we were passing. The other passengers seemed to all be locals heading back home and were used to what to me were unusual sites. I had just passed incredibly beautiful countryside that also happens to supply electricity, heat, hot and cold water without a drop of fossil fuel being burned. Well, the bus was burning some to get there.

Hveragerði itself sits in the middle of another geothermal field. Hundreds of steam vents are belching steam from everywhere including in the middle of town. A few houses and shops would use them for “curb appeal” with a cute lava rock formation surrounding a small steam vent. Be careful, that is boiling water and will burn you in a hurry.

Even down at the river there are steam vents on the shore and in the stream. Up on the slopes are a lot more so that makes for a nice hike along black lava trails. The larger vents were capped and piped to collector zones before running back to town. Along the river the pipes were teed at each house to feed it heat and hot water. Eventually the pipes would get much larger as more and more feeder lines joined up. If there were guides they might explain more details of what some of the hardware was all about. All kinds of hissing and other steam noises can be heard from various areas. When you get close enough you can smell that sulfur from deep in the earth. I was essentially walking on top of an active volcano.

Amazing.

Hveragerði, Iceland.  Active geothermal zone.

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It is still raining so I visited a mall. I won’t go near the malls back home but let’s go see what they are like here. Not that different from any malls anywhere except for the store names. And no problem finding WiFI internet for a quick check of the email. Of course I had to visit 66′ North and see all the distinctive clothing. But I didn’t find the pancake pan that I’m looking for. Italian made pans can be had anywhere so I’m after the famous Islenskar Ponnukokur.

I’ve heard about the baby carriages parked outside the small shops and indeed I saw several. Of course back home that would be considered abuse but with such a low crime rate you can see several parked outside the window and the moms on the other side having a coffee.

I think that tonight I’ll visit one of the smaller pools and see how it is at night in the rain. It should be fun.

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Monday started as they usually do here with a great breakfast.  I thought I’d go local and do the cold fish items with rye bread and the great coffee.  Some kind of pickled herring and curried something from the sea.  Actually I liked it a lot and figure it was a healthy way to start a day.  They have these cute waffle irons for making your own.  Very nice and tasty with melted chocolate instead of maple syrup.

I picked up my city card that gets me on all the local buses, museums, and best of all, the thermal  pools.  The pools are heated by natural geothermal water and doesn’t have the sulfur odor of the household hot water.  After figuring out the bus routes that takes time to understand since the street names are very difficult to remember much less pronounce I headed for the biggest pool, Laugardalur.  The place is huge with several pools, a stadium, spas, skating rink, and a zoo.  The pool etiquette takes some getting used to, you *must* shower completely without clothes.  And yes there is an attendant to make sure you do the right thing.  There is even a sign that shows the parts that must be cleaned extra well.  The pool has little to no chlorine so everyone must be clean.  Young, old, it doesn’t matter and nobody is shy.  You then put on your trunks and make the cold walk to the pools.  It isn’t that cold actually and I think the concrete pad outside is heated.  I chose the outdoor pool of course for full effect.  But first I went into one of the many small “hot pots”, labeled as 38 degrees.  Truly heavenly sitting there with several locals.  I had a nice talk with a young couple that by chance had recently visited Montreal.  I soaked for about 30 minutes before going over to the big pool.  Everywhere there is a steamy fog blowing around and I was told that the best time is when it is snowing as the fog gets very heavy and takes on an other worldly feel.  I swam around and enjoyed the warm clear water.  Without the chlorine it was pleasant swimming under water without goggles.  I expected the water to be heavy with minerals but it was very soft like rain water.  Truly relaxing and I can see why this is a popular past time.

At the bus terminal I ran into the same wino that I met a few nights before on the other side of town.  We had a quick chat and I headed to the hotel before deciding what to do next.  I can still feel the effects of the pool.  I think I will do the same each day but I’ll pick a different pool each time.

Pools!

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I continue walking and visit the downtown core and harbor area.  Rather stunning to see the coast guard ships with the snow capped Esja mountain in the background.

The Saturday flea market was packed with bargain hunters.  Everything from typical flea market fare to stalls of books and vendors of fresh food.  The lineups for dried fish were long so I skipped that as I’m still learning and didn’t want to make the line slower.  So I picked up some fresh rye bread and the local flat breads.  I snacked on that while walking back toward the hotel.  I walked through the residential area, the ’101′ district which is central Reykjavik.  Very lovely and peaceful.  However if I don’t find a suitable battery charger I’m afraid my camera is finished.  Perhaps tomorrow I will find one.  I left mine plugged in the wall back home.  D’uoh!

I stopped at a small restaurant and ate a lovely meal of fish soup and local breads.  And a tall glass of the cold clear water.  How wonderful it is to drink water that tastes like, well, water.  Back home we pay lots of money for this kind of water.  The restaurant would be having an outdoor party that evening so I planned to come back.

A nice hot shower back at the hotel re-energized me for the evening.  The hot water here is very very hot.  I am getting used to the slightly sulfurous smell of the hot water but knowing that this water comes hot out of the ground without burning any fuel is comforting.  The cold water is pure and very drinkable.  The same naturally hot water is used to heat the room.  Old fashioned radiators are still a good idea in this modern era.

The party was a wonderful experience.  I met so many people and they made me feel very welcome.  My new friends Marta and Doddi took me around the infamous night life that is a Reykjavík Saturday night.  It was even more interesting than I could have imagined.  It almost seems that everyone has some connection with everyone else.  So free and full of life despite the uncertain future that is coming.  It is hard to describe how different the experience was to a similar ‘club district’ evening anywhere else.  When I finally made it back to my room I was surprised to see that it was 5am.  These people know how to party, at least for one day a week.  There is a balance in their life.  I think they will survive.  Perhaps I will too.

The wind is blowing with a ferocity that I have only read about.  With the daylight finally increasing I saw what was invisible yesterday, the beloved Esja mountain.  Just stunning and I can see why the locals love this mountain across the water.  I can see the little island that holds the John Lennon tower of peace light.  But the wind, oh my.  Eventually it bites, so quickly I am back to make a quick post before heading out again.

Goooood morning Iceland!

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Food, free range and organic lamb with potato and small salad was my first meal. A nice coffee and water to drink. Absolutely delicious. You can taste the difference when your food isn’t genetically modified. This is also the fist time I haven’t been afraid to drink the tap water. Even the water was good.

This is just a quick post to get started. I’ll be back with more details once I get my bearings. But at least I’m finally here.

Reykjavík, Iceland

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See ya’ll on the flip side!