…the magical world of gardening as seen by Veronica Sliva

Never Looked Better

My “office” for this past week has been a hammock on the porch of a bungalow at the Borinquen Mountain Resort at the base of the Rincon de la Vieja volcano in northeast Liberia, Costa Rica. The idea is to relax. It’s been easy. The landscaped grounds are stunning with ornamental and native plants blending into the surrounding tropical dry forest. Anywhere in Costa Rica is a nature lover’s paradise…birds, plants and sublime weather.  But what makes Borinquen special are the hot springs and boiling mud pits created by the active volcano. Thanks to the steaming fumaroles on the property, guests of the resort can enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the hot volcanic waters and mud treatments that are supposed to remove toxins, sooth the skin and leave it softer and healthier. Twenty minutes in the natural steam room, a mud hut built over the steaming waters, is recommended before plastering yourself all over with hot volcanic mud. The idea is to let the mud work on your skin until it dries. Then, you rinse off in one of the outdoor showers. A soak in each of the thermal pools is next, starting with the hottest one (about 36 degrees C). After 15 minutes you move to the lukewarm pool and finally to the cold pool where a dip in the frigid water is intended to close your now fully open pores.  There’s a little bit of a yuck factor in all this mud smearing, and the steam from the thermal springs is rich in sulphur, so there’s a slight rotten egg smell permeating the air.  But all in all it’s a pleasurable and relaxing experience. I’m told by the locals that after doing this every day for a month and your skin becomes like a baby’s bottom…that is perfecto. I wish.

{ 0 comments }