Today didn’t quite go as planned as we were going to head over to San Juan, but we didn’t get along so well with the boat men, again. So we decided to deviate and stay in Santa Cruz for the day.  After breakfast we wandered around the lake, jumped off the dock,  swam in the volcanic lake created over 84,000 years ago, and ran into an old friend; Chula. Chula is a dog that lives at La Iguana and spent a bunch of time with us the last time we were here.  She’s this incredible golden retriever who does exactly what you with think a retriever would do… only she does it a little differently. I’ll let Luca share more about that.  After the dock I took Luca and Nicole to Isla Verde, the hotel the duo and I ended up at by my error last we came to the lake. We had an incredible lunch with a view that is priceless.  After lunch we headed back around the lake to meet a lady at her house (that totally doesn’t sound sketchy at all, I know). Nicole and I were both scheduled to have a massage, one after the other.  Welp, after Nicole saw my face as I walked out of the massage, she quickly changed her mind. My experience was, well, how do I say this…interesting…memorable, yes, memorable. It began with her 30 minute grounding session, aka she prepared her lunch; banana, avocado, and honey. She said she needed some healthy fats to prepare for the session. She then proceded to tell me about her life in the states and how she went from being a corporate executive to finding her true calling; a healer of the lake. There was much discussion about generational trauma, women’s suffrage, and how important it is to release the trauma of our ancestors (mind you, this all took place in the kitchen before the massage even began). Once she felt grounded, aka full, it was time to get naked (don’t worry, I’m Patti’s daughter, I kept my panties on). The massage started out seemingly normal as I listened to the waves crashing upon the shore. It quickly took a turn when I felt her hop on all fours on top of my back. Envision a human tree frog, and I was the tree. It was then, as she stood in frog pose, (or crouching tiger, whichever gives you a better visual) on top of my back,  that I knew this was not going to be any ordinary massage. She proceeded on to the right side of my body as she cleansed “my paternal grandmother’s spirits from the last 7 generations”. I would come to find out later that this was the exact moment that Nicole peered in because the hour massage was coming up on an hour and a half and she was checking for proof of life. My mothers spirits were still to come. As she crossed over to my left side she then addressed my maternal grandmother’s spirits as she told me to release my masculinity that has been carried and passed on for generations due to the womens need to be independent and self sufficient. She then told me to breathe in and embrace my feminitiy. At some point during this process, she took my arms and stretched them back towards the lake as she whispered into my ear “breathe in the spirit of the lady of the lake and release your trauma to her”. Numerous other things transpired; such as the massaging of my intestines, the swinging of my feet and the supposed healing of my left (dont forget, thats the maternal side) torn shoulder. I was finally released after 2 hours and was greeted by my brother and Maggie.  Card games, Cuba libres, and BBQ community dinner preceded and bedtime was a welcomed event, though it sounded much like a night club from the community gathering below.