Mud Bath

                                               Just like Kids

     I found the volcanic activity in Costa Rica of particular interest because of the hot springs. Arenal, dormant for 400 years, blew her top in 1968. The perfect cone shaped volcano is often hidden behind clouds, so it is quite common for visitors to actually not see it.

     On my first visit, our hotel was located directly across the street for a front-on-view of the volcano, and the weather was perfect. At night the fiery display of hot lava running down its side was spectacular as Arenal spit up her innards. It was like a fireworks display all night long. What a sight and were we lucky!

    At Tobacon Hot Springs, we went swimming in the pools, which ranged in size from small to large and with temperatures from temperate to quite hot. Several of the pools were hidden among tropical foliage. One pool even had a waterfall and the warm water felt so good on my shoulders and back.

    The day of our mud bath we started the day hiking through a lovely forest with howler monkeys  cheering us on. We wore bathing suits under our clothes. I don’t think howler monkeys are very cute like some monkeys are, and they can be  very noisy. In the forest I was fascinated watching a long line of leaf cutter ants march on to their nest. The ants are small and the leaf pieces are many times their size.

    Reaching a clearing we headed to  a sauna built over a natural steam vent. It was quite hot inside, but the guide kept telling us stories to occupy us while we stood and sweated. When we got so hot we couldn’t stand it any longer we left to get covered with warm mud. Standing spread eagle so the mud could dry, with our mud masks, we sure looked like a silly bunch of characters.

     It was a gorgeous warm day. As the mud dried you could feel your skin pulling. The dried mud was really hard to wash off under the showers, so we helped each other with our backs. After getting clean and the mud gone we relaxed in one of the hot pools.

    We were well relaxed, but eventually our stomachs told us it was lunch time.  After drying off we headed back to the hotel to dress before lunch. It had been a fun morning doing and seeing a few new things.

WHAKAREWAREWA

                             Rotarura, New Zealand

     Whakarewarewa is a mouth full and I don’t even try to pronounce it. Locals call it Whaka, which is pronounced Faka , as in the Maori language wh is pronounced like an f.

     Whaka, located in Rotarura, is one of the most accessible thermal areas in New Zealand. From my hotel room the steam rising from the vents, beyond the  fence, gave  a very mystical feeling to the area. The village gives one an extensive insight into Maori culture, which has fascinated me ever since I lived so many years in Hawaii.

     The earth bubbles, boils and spits everywhere, and the air is  pungent with a hydrogen sulfide aroma. The Maori cook in a natural steam oven called a hangi. Strategically placed, the Maori never worry about building a fire because they have steam twenty-four hours a day. Vegetables are wrapped in cloth then covered in burlap and securely tied before being submerged to cook in boiling pools.

     Pipes lead from the cooking pool down to large communal bathtubs. The clear water flows by gravity to the lower tubs, The pools are filled each morning so that by evening the water is cool enough for bathing. The tubs are drained each evening then scrubbed and cleaned.

     The geyser, Pohutu, meaning ‘big splash’ shoots 80-feet into the air several times a day. I was lucky to see Pohutu show off with a spectacular display.

     The cemetery of this village was above ground because one finds himself  in hot water if he digs very deep into the ground.

      We saw several ti trees in the village and learned that the wood has been used for many years for medicinal purposes, for a dye, and for durable fence posts. Authentic Maori woodcarvings have only three fingers on the hands as the Maori believe only in birth, fertility, and death.

     Rotarura is a lovely little city and Whaka is a fascinating  and interesting place to visit. The Maori are friendly and love to teach about their culture.