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Tried to lie in to make up for being kept awake by last nights rave down stairs. This plan was scuppered by the staff at silly o'clock in the morning, going by the way they shouted at each other you would think they were deaf.
Liz was not having it, after giving up on the ear plugs she actually got up to give the offenders her famous evil look. Perhaps it doesn't work here as she came back in and opted to turn the TV on loud (or in Colombia normal volume). Despite having ear plugs in I couldn't sleep through world war three so decided to get up.
It is amazing how time goes, before we knew it we had to get something to eat at Media Luna and wait for the mini bus to El Totumo - the backpacker famous mud volcano.
After missing it once we were not going to take any chances we were there one and a half hours early. I checked my watch was correct and sat watching the road for any action. We were told that it leaves at 2:30pm and to get here by 2pm, but yesterday it had left by 2pm. Playing safe they told us to get here by 1:50pm for today but at 1:30pm Liz was told it might have gone already. In fact it turned up at 1:40pm and had gone by 1:45pm (luckily with us on it). The most difficult bus to get in South America seems to be the tour bus.
We were joined after a circular 45 minute pick up that took us back to where we started by a good bunch of multinationals. An ozzy thrilled to have someone to talk to in English was on her first day of a round the world trip, her enthusiasm brought me out of the traveller doldrums ( a bit ).
We arrived at the smallest volcano you would see in your life - simply a 20 meter mound of mud. We summited the volcano to see a circular 'crater' 5 meters in diameter with bodies spanning every inch completely caked in mud. Various helpers in the crater were giving massages and pushing people into gaps.
We were beconned in, told to lie back and pushed into a slot that had the effect of shifting the other bodies closer to the other side. Despite having no bottom it is impossible to sink even if you stood up, trying to swim is also pointless but I did find a way of inching slowly in a certain direction. The whole thing was uterly comical.
After an hour playing in the mud making horns on your head and watching out for the big mud bubble that occasionally blurps to the surface we found ourselves at the other side and told finito. Excess mud was scraped off and off we went like mud monsters down to the lake closely followed by 'the cleaner ladies'.
The lake was swidgy underfoot after years of mud washing. The cleaner ladies who seemed to be trained by the millitary were into the business of cleaning in the most efficient way possible. Everyone was told to sit down in the water, I heard shrieks as the cleaner ladies used the element of surprise to remove the girls bikini tops. They did not want to stop there, bottoms had to go as well but the element of surprise was lost and a distance developed between the cleaners and girls saved them for the time being. The water was so dirty the men didn't have any issues with having the shorts cleaned. Cleanish and dry we all agreed to meet up later for something to eat.
We met at the agreed restaurant after a few rums in the hotel room. The restaurant was small but it was in a nice area with tables on the street. The group all dressed up accordingly and had changed personalities to something more appropriately boring.
After a OK but expensive meal I was more than happy to head to the Havana bar near to where we were staying. This had a cover charge, an entertaining band and was packed. In true Colombian style if there are people willing to pay the money a place is never too packed. We had one drink and not willing to pay a lot to be sandwiched all night decided to get out whilst we still could make it to the door.
It was an expensive day but the volcano was such good unusual fun.
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