The Mudlodyte Tribe
A SPONTANEOUS ADVENTURE IN LA SARRA, SALLENT DE GÁLLEGO (IN ARAGÓN, SPAIN)
This is a personal story of the founder of School of Wonder, Marta Pascual, with the intention to share an spontaneous experience of wonder and a great plan for those visiting the region of Aragon in Spain.
OBJECTIVE: Spend some family time in nature on a beautiful excursion, where you can finish with a great meal.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THE WALK: Easy. With slopes.
DESTINATION: La Sarra, Sallent de Gállego (Huesca, Aragón). Restaurant after the hike: Asador La Sarra.
DURATION: 25 minutes to the great plateau.
WHAT TO BRING: Swimsuit, sport shoes, water, snacks.
Let’s start our walk!
The other day we went on a family outing to la Sarra, a paradise where butterflies flutter around as you walk. In less than 30 minutes of hiking, you can reach a large green plateau surrounded by mountains with waterfalls not far away. To be honest, it took us about 3 hours to arrive on foot, because we stopped at each flower and at every bug.
Right before the last big slope, we stopped by the river in a natural living room: a fallen log as a bench and some stones that worked as a sofa, chairs and tables.
All of a sudden, the Wonder appeared, in the moment when the children took off their shoes and entered in the river. The Pyrenean water is freezing! So much so that the feet hurt ... until suddenly, they don’t anymore. How long does it take until you don’t feel the cold anymore? It’s not a matter of minutes - it’s a matter of fun. My "wonder" theory is that it’s not time that makes our feet get used to it, but rather the fun we experience. As if the brain disconnects the warning sign (the sensation of cold) as soon as the game starts.
The children went upriver. They were playing no special game, simply being. Picking up sticks and throwing them, sticking their fingers in the mud, looking at a leaf as it flows quickly down in the river.
After a while they called me. They had found a large source of mud and, in the midst of the wonder, it looked to them like some kind of medicinal paste. They started to play with it by smearing it on their legs, arms and faces. When I arrived I had serious doubts about covering myself with this strange mud.
I don't remember how, but some seconds after, there was mud under my eyes, and a line from my forehead to the tip of my nose. Probably, I was propelled by some old memory of my childhood.
I started hitting the water with a stick and making caveman sounds. When everyone turned to look at me, I made a call to the tribe: “Brothers and sisters of this tribe! It's time to put on our war paints". A big smile spread across their faces. "The Mudlodyte tribe!" my niece yelled. All of a sudden, we were singing tribal songs in unison (sounds and rhymes that got better with the day until they ended up being the Mudlodyte Song). And there were the kids, ready to receive the tribal paintings on their smiling faces.
"So, what can we do now?!" I got stage fright (what happens when you call for an adventure, but then you can't think about what’s the next move). "Build a totem!" - a kid suggested. Nothing better than trusting the true magic of Wonder: co-creation.
We set up a tree trunk and added sticks of different sizes, placed in balance.
Without knowing it, we were in state of pure magic. I can’t remember if it was for five, twenty or forty minutes, because in those moments, time stops. We invented the Mudlodyte greeting to show our respect to the river. It consisted of three postures that celebrated our Mudlodyte essence (they were actually yoga asanas: the Inner Goddess, the Warrior 2, and the Tree pose of balance).
The Mudlodyte Song continued to be a hit, gaining new verses and rifts. We returned to the base camp infecting all the adults with our cheerful Wonder vibe. All together, we wrapped up the camp and walked happily towards the great plateau. The last steep slope required effort and calmness.
And in this mood, we arrived at the wonderful Kingdom of La Sarra.
We arrived at the Great Plateau of the Kingdom of La Sarra
We were greeted by a large green carpet and the majestic walls of stone with their infinite waterfalls in the background. We were doing some sort of weightlifting when one of the children discovered an altar, and immediately set out to be the master of ceremonies. But what ceremony?
I was reminded of an idea we had for our Adventure Books: “Why don't you marry your parents again? Let’s have a re-wedding!”.
"Dear brothers, we are gathered here to reunite in sacred marriage ..." - her voice sounded clear, calm and solemn. I was impressed by her improvised communication skills (not just because she's my niece!). My sister took my handkerchief as a veil, and they were already about to say "Yes, I (still) will!" when a figure appeared out of nowhere: my brother Pedro!
"The best-friend has arrived! ”. His unexpected appearance (he was supposed to be miles away from us!) was the perfect twist of the movie we were living. The ceremony started with all the rituals… including the kiss!
And they all lived happily ever after. You can see the video of the ceremony below!
Congratulations!! It was a great ceremony, and a great adventure!