Cartagena Part 2- 8/21-8/23

Back in the city I was able to meet up with former coordinators of Arajuno Road Project in Ecuador who gave me some great tips for what to expect, where to go, how to manage volunteers, etc.  Did some good people watching in the park and kept things pretty low key.

I should also mention, I looked for Liga de Mujeres Desplazadas (the displaced women´s community) I researched in college.  Found an old address on a website that hadn´t been updated in ages.  An older man at a bike repair shop knew who I was talking about but mentioned they had moved years ago.  Hey, at least I tried...

I did find a new cultural center, only 8 months old started by some young artists.  They had photos and art posted, a book exchange and different afro dance classes, yoga, acro yoga and a young Argentinian couple providing a taller.  I went for the last two days I was in Cartagena and super glad I had made this discovery and was able to move a bit, find a new community.  They had rope swings, threw us up into headstands and made me want to join the circus.  We´ll have to see about that.

I also splurged and went on an official tour of the Volcan Totumo, a mud volcano located about an hour outside the city.  We climbed up a ladder in our bathing suits, entered at the top and found that I could not control my buyoancy due to the funky density properties.  It was an unreal sensation, floating, not being able to push my legs down or really submerge myself, or having someone´s leg fly up in the air unexpectedly.  There are several locals who offer massages, photo ops (Israeli girl I met on the bus has some pics, maybe I´ll get to see them eventually), and afterwards women who take your hand once you reach the lakeshore, and give you a rapid rub down with a bucket.  For 3,000pesos, I think she got most of the dirt out of my ears.  This felt like the thermal pools we found in Ojo Caliente, New Mexico- apparently these are supposed to have good properties for clarifying your skin as well.  We will have to see.