Our aborted trip to the hot springs was reborn with a different company and assurance that this driver knew the way. Part of the "can do" American spirit motivated us to sign up again. Same insanity that makes folks climb Kilimanjaro...must be the altitude.
The trip proceeded as planned until the town where the SAME hitch hiker tried to climb in telling us "Big problem ahead but we will overcome!" Nooooo - we all yelled! We know this guy! We all suddenly took up 2 seats and claimed no room so the hitch hiker (who turned out to be the Town Chief/Liar) hopped on a motor cycle and "led" us on the path. After a while our driver determined that he was merely ahead of us on the road we were going to take anyway, but, savvy man, he knew if he let the Chief "lead" us he would have to pay for the service. Even if he took us the right way. Or not. So we pulled over - sure enough our :guide: came back, at which time the driver paid him NOT to lead us anymore. Chief howled we would get into Big Problem and only he could save us. Valiantly we forged on, his curses raining on us but the payment secure in his pocket.
The hot spring - as it turned out - was more lukewarm and "rustic" would be the nicest slant to give it. The dressing room was a white plastic cloth tied to a couple of trees. But there was rope swing for the daring and many little nibbling fish who - legend had it - cleaned your feet of rough spots and callouses! The first 6-8 nibbles on one person were greeted by squeaks and other exclamations of rather unpleasant surprise so the rest of us kept moving.
Mission accomplished!
The trip proceeded as planned until the town where the SAME hitch hiker tried to climb in telling us "Big problem ahead but we will overcome!" Nooooo - we all yelled! We know this guy! We all suddenly took up 2 seats and claimed no room so the hitch hiker (who turned out to be the Town Chief/Liar) hopped on a motor cycle and "led" us on the path. After a while our driver determined that he was merely ahead of us on the road we were going to take anyway, but, savvy man, he knew if he let the Chief "lead" us he would have to pay for the service. Even if he took us the right way. Or not. So we pulled over - sure enough our :guide: came back, at which time the driver paid him NOT to lead us anymore. Chief howled we would get into Big Problem and only he could save us. Valiantly we forged on, his curses raining on us but the payment secure in his pocket.The hot spring - as it turned out - was more lukewarm and "rustic" would be the nicest slant to give it. The dressing room was a white plastic cloth tied to a couple of trees. But there was rope swing for the daring and many little nibbling fish who - legend had it - cleaned your feet of rough spots and callouses! The first 6-8 nibbles on one person were greeted by squeaks and other exclamations of rather unpleasant surprise so the rest of us kept moving.
Mission accomplished!
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