And now for something completely different
Trip Start
Oct 01, 2008
1
5
61
Trip End
Apr 01, 2009
Cartagena,
Colombia
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Itīs only about 20m tall and the īpoolī inside about 3m x 3m, reached by ladder up the outside. There were attendants to watch our footwear, attendants to take photos and attendants to help us in, line us up like sardines and massage us in a greyish, brownish goo the consistency of melted chocolate. Amazingly boyant stuff too. I had to be pushed down by my shoulders as my boobs refused to submerge. Couldnīt touch the bottom and whatever position I was in - sitting, standing, lying down - I just stayed suspended. It was a hilariously bizarre experience. I've done mud baths before, but never in a volcano spewing decayed vegetable matter from the depths.
After weīd done mudlarking and emerged like melting statues yet more attendants cleaned us off in the lagoon. Of course, when I got home everything had to go straight in the wash, first and foremost me. Hopefully one of the guys will email his pics - not a pretty sight I can tell you.
So that's the first week of Spanish lessons over. Tess and I almost made Leidy weep we were so hopeless this morning and not even a hangover for an excuse. We'd just forgotten everything we learnt on the first day. Heaven alone knows what else I've ditched to make way for "to have", 2 forms of "to be" and possessives.
Tess and Gavin have finished classes now and gone to Santa Marta and the Tayrona national park. which is where I'm heading in a couple of weeks. Another of the guys has gone for the weekend too, but as he's the one who told me the mud would wash out of my bathers, I'll wait for an email from Tess telling me about it rather than trust his judgement.
Have found a much nearer Exito hypermarcardo opposite the Kokoriko cheap and cheerful chicken joint and I'm beside myself with excitement. Karaoke in the fresh produce, bingo in electrical goods (I'm not joking). In the 5 items checkout queue 4 or 5 guys ahead of me each bought a bottle of shampoo, paid by card and got cash back. A scam I'm sure. They were all chrome domes!!
Another Friday night in Cartagena and the god botherer whose pitch is in the slave market does laying on of hands, the lame walk, the blind see and the crowd goes wild. And this is before the cabaret arrives. I just love it here
