Once, in a Blue Lagoon... Serene Waters and Thoughts in Grjótagjá Geothermal Spring, Iceland

in #travel7 years ago (edited)

Filtered light, rising steam, echoing droplets, inky darkness, vibrant pools.

 
      When writing my Steemit travel log detailing adventuring around the ring road in Iceland, I briefly touched on stopping at Grjótagjá cave.

I climb down into the cave and hang out as the rain begins pattering out of a clear sky again. I eat some Skyr while listening to Sólstafir, alternately sticking two or three toes at a time in the eerie, partially opaque, periwinkle water. I feel I have now reached peak Iceland. It's fucking hot, the steam has that delightfully gross sulfurous quality to it, and I crack my skull three or four times on the cave roof while setting up my gear for some long exposure shots.

 

      Standing at the cave mouth, with snaking tendrils of steam winding around my feet, I wrinkle my nose at the pungent smell (geothermal heat and activity means sulfurous tendencies), and carefully lower myself backwards down into the recess.

      The darkness that enfolds me as I wiggle down the rough rocks into in the cave is palpable. As I settle in, crouching on the flat rock and waiting for my eyes to adjust, my fingertips brush the surface of the warm mud. The blackness stretching into what arguably could be forever feels real and tangible and close, with the simmering moisture permeating the air and pressing into my lungs each time I breathe in. I passed a brave bather on the way in, but now the recesses echo my own noises and soft drips back at me, and nothing else.

After two false starts — smashing the side of my face and my chin into rough outcroppings — I slink along one wall, sinuous and low. I imagine that I might cut the figure of an intrepid prowler spelunking through a sacred crypt; I likely look more like a thoroughly disheveled, mud-smeared child, overburdened by her backpack and smelling of farts.

 

       As my vision gets used to the dimness and the swirling steam, I begin to realize the main cave is not very large at all. Settling in on another small ledge and unpacking my gear and my lunch, I contemplate one of the dark openings where I can see a small pocket above the water. I briefly consider trying to wade to it, but between knowing that the water has a heat advisory and remembering the old internet classic creepypasta Ted the Caver, my wild imagination takes over. I terrify myself into staying put with visions of boiled, sloughing skin and demonic rock hauntings...

I unfocus my eyes on the azure surface of the spring instead.

 

       As with anything, with a bit of mindful breathing and quiet reflection, I don't even really notice the smell fade away as my heart stops beating stacatto on my ribs; just that I have become accustomed to it quickly enough that I am completely comfortable eating a container of skyr. I listen to most of the Berdreyminn album by Sólstafir, disjointed and floating as if it rests just on the surface of the water, and I am transfixed by the colours emerging out of the darkness and the soothing steam and the incredible beauty of this flatulent crack in the ground hidden in the middle of nowhere. I can see how it would be easy to get lost underground forever, drawn in and disarmed by the strange comfort, sitting still so long I become one with these ageless rocks.

Rays of light begin to slant through the opening, and I start, realizing the weather is changing and the day is passing. As I climb back out to trace the crevice towards the volcano in the distance, I breathe deeply with my face pressed into my sleeve. The wind is lifting the stench away from my hair and clothes and out over the rocks to the horizon. It doesn't seem at all strange that I almost miss the smell.

 

These photos and words are my own work, inspired by travels all over this pretty blue marble of ours. I hope you like them. 🌶️

 
crimsonclad.png

Hi, I'm Crimmi. I help run a top 30 Steemit witness, along with my project partner @followbtcnews. Feel free to reach out to us on Steemit Chat or Discord at any time! If we haven't earned your vote yet, please take some time to look at our tools and our work — place a vote for followbtcnews if you feel we're doing a good job.

Sort:  

Incredible! :D

Thank you! ~ mostly we should thank the cave for showing up and looking good 😊

And the award for best redirection of well deserved praise goes to.... CRIMSONCLAD!!!

Indeed! :)

OMG Crimmi, you really do produce the classiest pictures babe.
Your words ain't bad either! 😉

I even refer to farts multiple times! pure class, baby~ <3

I heard you went skinny dipping! 😂😂😂

LMAO!!!!!!
p e r f e c t i o n

beautiful cave but dangerous...

Loading...

I really think you are my favorite photographer and writer. You meld the two skills like a trained musician. The photographs are phenomenal and as I read your writing, I'm there with you. My 100% upvote and resteem and as I have said before, I am looking for your book. Please DM me all of your posts because I'm waiting for the next!

you are so motivating and inspiring. No words. 🖤

You are inspiring to me!

Mind-blowing creation of nature. As if Death needs to breathe.

when you are standing at one of the mouths of the caves, and the steam comes creeping up, reeking of sulfur... that's intensely accurate

A brilliant and impressive post! Thanks a lot for sharing this dreamlike cave... What would one do to go there, wow! Breathtaking beauty.

Namaste :)

couldnt agree with you more @eric-boucher
nice comment on a charming cave.!

thank you for stopping and commenting! One simply needs to drive half the way around the country, onto a dirt road into an open rock field, then carefully lower oneself through one of the openings and hope not to end up in the (boiling) drink.

I did put my toes in, but there's just no way I could have handled bathing! Some people still do, but the government advises not to on account of the water getting hotter as the years go on. Sitting in the steam was damp enough for me, but I totally see how luxury spas treatments are born. It was, in a word, incredible.

Looks so beautiful and serene but smells like a dumpster, haha

The way you put you travel log in a narrative form is quite different from any other travel log I have read. Not just giving us a description of the place, you take both our eyes, heart and head in the journey, making your reader not only see but also feels the way you do. That's creativity. And hey, beautiful photos too, they are breathtaking views.

So appreciated. This is always what I hope for, and I can't explain how motivated this thoughtful comment makes me feel.

It was about time I paused for a moment and dropped in. I'm sure you get asked this a lot, but do you end up selling these jaw-dropping images to magazines or other publications? (National Geographic comes to mind first)

You lead an extremely interesting life, although you must have to deal with those jackwagons in airport security/customs a whole lot ☻

Unless you have a private jet or submarine at your disposal, which would make you even more interesting...

I wish! I don't really make any money off my photography at all. I'm happy to share here and for free. I have begun starting to sell prints as well, but nothing established. I don't know that I do anything magazine quality!

I don't know that it's much more interesting than most versus you guys getting an intimate view into my head, and my posts select and present my most cherished travels to you. Security gets easier; I have it down to a science now, mostly. I'm a female traveler with a single regulation sized backpack, and minimal everything else, streamlined for airline rules. I carry most of what I need electronically, very few extra doodads, and buy anything I may need that is bulky or questionable when I get where I'm going and donate it on the way out.

if you know anyone giving out jets/subs/lambos, send them my way though, yes? 👀