Who wants to be a dirty girl?

Cartagena – what an interesting city. The architecture has a Spanish look to it. I have now achieved one more thing on my bucket list ( I want to visit all seven continents – now I have three out of the way) We also met some nice Brits. Turns out – they were from a town very near Skipton which is were my mother was from. Yet another example of how this is a very small world. We also met Gina and Claudio, some very nice people from San Francisco. They gave us some tips on what to do in San Francisco while we were there.

Our tour guide, Roosevelt, took us on a brief tour of the city before taking our group to the mud volcano. Mud volcano you say? Yes, and it was pretty much just like the link I posted earlier. Our initial viewing was a little disappointing. I expected to see mud oozing up and over the sides of the volcano just like a lava flow. Well, not exactly. The mud does bubble a little but not like a lava flow at all.

We climbed up a steep staircase to the top and jumped into a giant mud puddle. (Sonja said it was the first time she ever paid to play in the mud!) ( I can't believe I am posting a pic of me in a swimsuit!!) It was weird. You can’t swim in it. The mud is so thick that it literally suspends you in it. There is no bottom that you can feel. It is hard to maneuver your way around it in. While you are lying in the mud, some guy comes and gives you a massage with mud. The massage was nice but only made we want a real one. This guy also makes sure that you are covered in mud – literally covered in mud. I wish I could post a picture for you. So here is the funny part. I am trying to climb out of the mud. The bottom half of my swimsuit is so full of mud that it keeps falling off as I am trying to climb. So I have one hand on the ladder and one hand on the swimsuit. Well, gravity being what is it – yes, I mooned the entire pool of mud people. Granted, it didn’t make much of a sight – all you could see was mud. My “Demi Moore” moment if you will. Sonja had already made her way to the lake to wash off. Locals will take you down to the lake and wash off the mud. They will also take your swimsuit off! So there you are naked in a freshwater lake while the locals wash out your suit while you wash your wobbly bits. Wow!! A mud bath and a peep show all in one excursion! Would I recommend it? Absolutely – it was a chance of a lifetime. Would I do it again? No – but only because there are other things to explore. All in all, I liked being a dirty girl!