You have to be very careful crossing the mountain streams here. If you come off the stepping stones and get a boot full of water you're on your way to hospital with a boiled foot! Seriously! The water is at boiling point and you wouldn't be able to get your boot off quick enough! If you fell in you would be boiled alive.
There is a spring in the village calledc the 'killer spring' as one resident fell in after at late night with friends and was boiled alive!! Next to this is the 'garbafe' spring. The village used to fill up the fumerols that opened up with the towns rubbish until one night of volcanic activity spread years of rotting rubbish all over the village.
It was cold crisp and bright today and the aim of the exercise was to get up to the hot river and to have a soak. Bearing in mind it was only 3 degrees centigrade today. That's only 3 degrees above freezing!! Getting your kit off and into swimming trunks ain't fun. I was half way through this part and shivering like mad already when a chap on a horse trotted by. Of course it's more sheep rounding up today.
The water in the river after emerging from the spring goes through a series if turns and cools as it goes. Each turn forms a natural pool just deep enough to lie down in and cover your body in hot, mineral rich silky smooth water.
I was joined in my pool by some locals who said wait until you are really hot before getting out then dry off the top PDQ and put clothes on then you can sort your legs out at your leisure. I did and it worked.
Walked slowly down the hill as the last of the days sheep were being rounded up.
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