We hadn't really done any tours yet and saw that our hotel organise some where they pick you up from the hostel. We saw this one, which was Volcan Del Totumo which literally translates into volcano of mud, and thought it sounded like it would be fun, so thought let's go for it. As they organised it for you and picked you up from the hotel and dropped you back off there, it was easy for us- no organisation or planning involved! It was the first time we both had to get up early since our flight from Heathrow. We waited for the bus to pick us up from the hotel but it didn't come on time, some woman came into the hotel about half an hour later telling us to wait a while but she thought we were on another bus. When we finally got on the bus, we realised it was going to be a bit of a mission to get there, as the driver started to stop off at a load of different hotels and pick more people up. It was only suppose to take about an hour, but by the time they picked everyone else up on route it was nearer to 2 hours. 

When we arrived we got off the coach and looked up to see the volcano, it looked like some man-made pit of mud! There were some steps made out of mud, with a wooden railing that didn't look very safe or stable at all . Many people were climbing up those stairs and looking to the top, there were so many people all crowded in such a confined space and there were no railings around the top of the pit, so you had to walk round the top of it and hope that you didn't fall in on top of everyone! They showed us to the changing room where we kept our stuff, and you'd think it would be a separate changing room for men and women, but no, everyone had to all go in the same small room and get changed there. Luckily we'd already put our bikinis and swim shorts on before we got there. There was no privacy in there- they obviously don't care about getting changed in front of each other over here! You just had to leave your clothes on the side where everyone had to leave their stuff, and you were allowed to leave your valuables in a locker. Once we were ready they took us up to the volcano, you had to leave your flip flops down at the bottom of the steps and climb up barefoot. There were so many rocks and bits of dry mud that your feet were actually sore going up the steps . 

While on the coach journey, the tour guide actually told us about the services that they provide once we were at the mud volcano. For around 3000 pesos (roughly £1.00) for each service you can get them to take pictures of you, with your own camera in the mud volcano, you can get a massage from them once you get in the "pit", after you get out of the volcano, you can get washed down by the local women (not optional!) So as everyone knows I love taking pictures, so I opted for that option. The guy who was going to take pictures must have been carrying about 15 cameras at any one time, and for him to remember who's was who's camera must have been a job within itself! So he took our camera and started to take some snaps of us before and during our turn in the volcano. You're allowed up to 45 minutes in there, but I doubt that many people stay in there for that long. John went in first and then I went in after. I'd never been in something like this before and didn't know if I liked the idea of going into mud that however many people before us have been in . Once I got in, it wasn't too bad actually, it was a bit of a weird sensation and you are literally floating on the top, well I couldn't submerge myself in the mud but John could. There were loads of thick gloopy bit of mud under the surface. Once you get in, the people giving you massages try and drag you over to them to have your massage. I didn't want one so they just pushed me through the mud waiting for their next victim! There are about 20-30 people in the mud pit at any one time, so if you were getting a massage, you took up most of the space. They were doing more than one massage at a time also, so it was a bit cramped in there to say the least. The guy taking our picture kept trying to get people's attention to take pictures with their own cameras and he took some pictures of us. John looked like a zombie when he had the mud all over his face! I didn't want to get mud all over my face just yet so just got my body covered in the mud. John got the mud in his eyes and it really stung them so I tried to keep it out of mine . People kept splashing mud everywhere and also when people were getting out going up the ladder, they were dripping mud back in on top of people. The volcano actually used to be full when you look at some pictures of it, but now when you're in there, the mud is less than half way down the volcano. So it's going to get empty at some point as everyone drags the mud out with them when they climb up the ladder to get out of it! When I got out, I held on really tight as when you go up the ladder, your feet are really slippery. You nearly can't get out of it, but I forced myself out of the pit. The next bit was going down these massive steps on the other side and it was really slippery. I must have been literally holding my own weight just to get down, with my little legs and massive steps, each step I took was a big effort. It was a bit like when we climbed Ben Nevis with the big boulders. 

Once we got down the other side our flip flops were there waiting for us so we had to go down towards the sea to wash off . The women who wash you off we're there waiting to drag us in. I was a bit unsure as to whether I wanted them to wash me, and so was John, so we just tried to sneak past to wash ourselves in the sea.... but that didn't work! They couldn't speak English so just came over to us and started to wash us. They got buckets of water and one woman washed me, and one woman washed John down. It was like being a kid when your mum gives you a bath, they poured a bucket of water over us and washed the mud off. I think to be fair they were better at getting all the mud off us than we ever could! Once washed off, we just went in the sea to make sure all the mud was off us and our swimwear. 

After our showers, we had to go and collect the camera and pay the tips to the people who had helped us take the pictures on our camera, and also the women who washed us off. It was quite a poor area where people lived in little wooden shacks, so they must have been grateful for the money from everyone . It also saved us a job too, I think if I tried to take the camera in the mud, I would have dropped it in the mud and would have lost the camera! 

We had a package which included lunch so after we got ready, we left to go somewhere else for lunch. At first I thought we were just going to have lunch where the volcano was, but we went somewhere quite a distance away from there but nearer to Cartagena. It was a little village right by a beach and we sat in some undercover canopy which looked out to sea, it was a nice setting. There were even people trying to sell us jewellery there too! We got talking to some American people so sat with them for lunch. They were really nice guys to talk to. Luckily they had the pechuga chicken dish I'd had the night before, so I had that and John had the fish dish again, and they were equally as good as the previous night. After lunch we got back in the coach ready to travel home, but for some reason they split up all the coaches. It was better that way as it meant we didn't have to travel back to all the hotels they picked people up from along the way. All in all, it was definitely worth a visit to the mud volcano, you get time to relax in there, get a massage if you want one, get someone taking your pictures for you, get washed off, and to top it off, you get a lovely lunch. So definitely worth it if you are in and around Cartagena.