Mud Volcano and Playa Blanca

The last couple of days have just been amazing. Ive taken some time for myself to sit and think and really enjoy what it is im doing. Then i think, what is it that im really doing? At first really didnt want to admit that this is a trip for me to ´find´myself, but really when you think about it, all traveling is is to really explore not just places your visiting but yourself as well. You grow, expand, and live and learn as you go. Everyone you meet on your travels are doing the same thing, some may not recognize it as much, while others are changing everyday. These last couple of days, ive had plenty of time to sit and think and to realize there are things that i dont want to do anymore and other things ive always wanted to do but felt i couldnt because i was either told not too by my family or thought it wasnt professional. But really in the end, its all how i see it and i should live the way i see it.

So here is a quick run down of what i have been doing for the past 4 days, and if your looking for some place to go and explore and have an amazing time, Colombia really is great. And it is much safer than in the past. Everyone I have meet traveling have loved Colombia the best.

Wed 2. I got up at 715 to get ready, have breakfast, than got a bus that took me an hour outside of Cartagena to a MudVolcano! There is this volcano that you can climb up to and jump inside and there is a mud pit inside. I crawled in and there is so much boyancy that you only float, its hard to move. someone pulled me to the back and i started to get a ´mud´massage. it was so great. They have other locals standing on top taking photos. After the massage you just sit there and float, its hard sink even if you tried. They then told us to get out and then you walk over to lake where a woman helps to bath all the mud off of you. I decided to go for the whole package and let her clean me off. She had a little bucket and kept dumping loads of water over my head. It was like washing a kid. She even took off my suit and had me clean myself while she washed out my suit. Good thing the water isn{t as clear as the ocean! Then with my new mudpit friends, stayed out in the lake for as long as we could before they called us in. The veiw was just so beautiful, trees all around, little canoes with the locals fishing, and it was so peaceful. We then got on the bus, tipped the locals for their services, and headed to another beach where we swam in the ocean until lunch was served. I got chicken and it came with rice, beans, plantanes (banana) salad. So yummy! then headed back to Cartagena. With my new friends we decided to layaround in the pool at Natallia´s (South Aftica)hostel until we went out to dinner. I also met brothers from switzerland and a German guy. That night at the same hostel has a rooftop full moom party. There I also met another set of brothers from Australia. The hostel was organizing a boat trip for the next day to go to Playa Blanca, a nice beach at another island. So I decided to jump the boat.

Thurs 3. Another early morning to get ready for the boat. There was a good crowd of us that met the night before that were heading to the island. Right away Natallia and I headed up the beach to find a quieter area to find a hammock for the night. The Australian brothers, Tom and Jimmy joined us. We found hammocks for 5,ooo which is really cheap. The other people all split up to find their own spots. It turned out great because only a few of us stayed over night on the island and the rest of the boats headed back to Cartagena. So it was really peaceful and we all really enjoyed it. This is where i spent time just thinking, and reading, and swimming in the beautiful warm water. I ate my first real fish, that still had a head, teeth, fins, and all. I took a pic so don{t worry.! It was so delicious. It was caught that morning and we ate it prob 4 hours later. That night we met up with the others that came on the boat and I tried to get a bonfire started but we would have had to collect the wood and it was already dark. It was a fun circle with coconut drinks and stories of where people have been traveling to and from. I met a Candian guy and another guy from San Fran that just left Pisco in Peru. They were doing volunteer work on the city that was hit in 2007 from an earthquake. The way the described it, it was amazing. It{s on my list to do and you will prob hear stories of my adventures there. Sleeping in a hammock was interesting, it wasn{t as layed out as i would have liked, and i couldnt find my blanket for most the nght, so i was freezing.

There is more but i am being called to go have a drink to watch the sunset. night night..

Friday was another relaxing day on the beach. Around 3 we boarded the boat to head back to Cartagena. With a whole new group of friends we split up and all went back to our various hostels. Natanya and I have decided to travel onward together for a little while. So we decided to take Saturday as a resting day and planning day for the next week or so. It was nice to just lay in bed on Saturday morning with no where to get to or anything really to do. Off to Taganga on Sunday!