Soo today I spent the day outside of Cartagena visiting Totumo Volcano and Manzanilla. I figure maybe I should post the pictures first and then explain, lol.. well maybe not. Totumo Volcano 15 meters tall and about 25x25 feet wide. It was created by ground gasses and full of lode which can be very healthy for your skin (and you'll see my feet appreciated this here mud although it was short lived).
Soo after a scenic ride where I met and chatted with a fabulous Colombian (Susana) about Spanish! and about an 1hr or so from Cartagena we saw the "mountain." At that point I had to really ask myself what my life had come to and why I was about to jump into a pit of slimy, ooey, gooey, nasty mud, lol! Then I remembered, where else can I do this?? I gotta live and it's not like I gotta lot of hair. Now is perfect. I had the guide take my picture before and document it.
We were told upon arrival people would be nickeling and diming you to death. 3,000 pesos to take photos, 3,000 to wash the mud off, 3,000 to give you a massage. Wellllll before I can get in good someone start touching me. Can you say ewwww?! Well there went 3,000.. and then they glided me over and out the way. It was assembly line-ish to say the least. It was soo thick. You couldn't stand straight or navigate easily. In my effort to do so, I sorta god mud in the ladies eyes. She was not soo happy with me! I decided that if i was going to mud bath, I needed to go hard or go home *does the pump arms dance motion* and soo I did.
It wasn't an easy experience to say the least. Notice the pics, but once I got in, I was in and when I was out, I was OUT! Oh and did I mention a one-piece was the worst idea of the day?
After I get out and take a few pictures, I walk over to a lake where the ladies take you out to the water and baptize you aka wash you. It was quite an experience and I felt like I was being waterboarded or something. She got to scrubbing and washing and dumping bowls of water on my head.. So much I thought I drowned twice. Think of a flailing, scared, iono cat. All I could manage to say was "WHOA, WHOA *cough, cough* WAIT, I can't breathe and I am sure she did not understand that cause that was pure Ingles!" So she continued to drown me and then all of a sudden she is trying to get me to lay down and takes off my bathing suit. It was a um experience. But she washed it really good and put it back on me, so I can't complained. Was I just violated?
After the volcano, we went to a small fisherman village, Manzanilla, and had lunch. I know you shouldn't play with your food, but I couldn't resist. This traditional meal, clearly by previous posts, was tasty because it was warm! I also took a picture of someone's chicken. I wonder where it came from, maybe this rooster?
BEFORE
Look at those feet post-mud bath! Wow.. so much moisture.
That was most of the day. I came back to Cartagena, packed up my things, watched Dallas pull out the win, and hit the sack. I travel to Santa Marta tomorrow. The 5 day Ciudad Perdidad trek takes place on Tuesday @ 8:30am.
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