La Soufriere!

Would the smell of over-boiled eggs be enough to ruin your vacation? Maybe for some, but it all depends on the place for me . . .. Not saying that I enjoy the odors of a terrible breakfast, but if that breakfast is served while stationed in the glorious and majestic mountains of St Lucia [pronounced Loo-sha], well then by all means serve away.

La Soufriere! or loosely translated: The Sulfurer is one of many active volcanoes on the island itself.  The name is attributed to the French – those observant savants, who dubbed this region of St Lucia: Soufriere, which is one of many great attractions for tourists and locals alike; but, what makes this sulfuric dynamo so special a place to visit?

Well, it being the only “Drive-In” Volcano in the world might have something to do with it. Yep, that’s correct, Drive in. No, not like that place so long ago where we spent so many of our weekend nights, but actually drive in. I know, I know, for those experienced Lucianeers out there saying “Gwiin, you don’t actually drive into the volcano.” You’re correct, partly. You actually do drive into the Volcano, just not like you’d think.

La Soufriere is what your geography 101 professor would call a caldera: a crater caused by volcanic eruption, that displays volcanic activity. Hence, you don’t actually drive into a mountainous volcano like you see on T.V.   But, this isn’t Lord of the Rings, there’s no dramatic lava curtain backdrops, and there’s no fire and brimstone falling from the skies (that would definitely ruin a vacation), just steams and hundreds of square Kilometers of bubbling sulfurous mud. Which is the true reason for the visit.

The Great Sulfur Springs of Soufriere are world renown, not only for its mineral rich soil that exfoliates and softens, but also has been known to treat certain blemishes in the skin. Ah yes, those springs are just cool enough for us to hop in and take a nice warm relaxing mud bath, and who says Babe gets to have all the fun… Lemme add for the record: S-U-L-F-U-R, spells relief. If you have never had an opportunity to bathe in sulfurous mud before, then you have to try it. Though it might seem a little dirty and your nails may hate you afterwords for it; it’s definitely worth the experience.  My time in the mud felt like jumping into the fountain of youth, after getting used to the scent which, surprisingly, isn’t hard to get used to.

After stewing in the mud, a nice rinse off would be needed, because after all, it’s still mud. And what better way to rinse off than in the mineral enriched waters of La Soufriere.

Wonderful, refreshing, and necessary, a bath in the Sulfur Springs revitalized my skin and left me feeling refreshed and more energized than the yellow Bananas surging around the island side. My body has never felt so smooth.  I don’t know about you, but I was a baby at one point.  I never thought as an adult you could be smoother than a baby.

Next time, I’ll bring some Tupperware.  I wonder what Customs would say about mud in my luggage?  Can only wait to see.  Until then, stay tuned, Voyagers, and thanks for reading.

Cheers!