Sharon decided to take a nap on the luxurious bed, but John was still too keyed up to sleep. He changed into shorts and a T-shirt, and decided to explore the grounds. At first, he just wandered, but then found himself walking further from the villas. There were animals all around, but none seemed interested in him. Horses, cattle, sheep, and goats were scattered over the grounds, and he also saw deer, rabbits, and other normally wild beasts.
He wasn't sure why he was following the particular path he was on - a faint smell was turning into a stronger odor that tugged at his memory. The villa was out of sight now, and the area looked a lot less manicured. In fact, the further he went, the more overgrown it got, with trees and brush getting thicker until the path John was on simply dead-ended at some thick wild hedge. The odor was more of a stink now, yet John was more intrigued than offended. A careful check with his hand indicated that the hedge was not thorny, and gave easily when he slipped an arm in. Curiosity got the better of him, and he pushed through to the other side - only to immediately slip and drop into a deep pit of warm, thick mud.
After he got over the shock, John sat up and looked around. This mud pit extended from the edge of the shrubs a good forty or fifty feet. And it held a good two dozen large pigs! He blinked and stared as one of the huge animals sloshed over to snuffle at him, trying to scramble back as it got close. The mud was too thick and slippery, and he only succeeded in getting even more of the muck in his clothes. A couple more of the pigs came closer, but none made any threatening moves.
John started to laugh at himself - covered with mud, surrounded by pigs. What would Sharon say? Hopefully he could find a place to wash off before he went back to the villa. It occurred to him that the smell was stronger than ever, but oddly, it didn't bother him at all. Then he realized why it stank so bad, and decided he needed to get out. Standing was no good - he slipped and fell, and ended up crawling to the edge where he'd come in. He managed to pull himself almost all of the way out, when his mud-covered hands slipped and he fell back into the mud with a loud splat.
Laughing now at the ridiculous site he must be, John tried twice more and then gave up. By now he was totally covered in mud and filth - it hardly mattered if he stayed here longer, and in truth, the mud felt wonderful. His exertions combined with jet lag to make keeping his eyes open something of a chore. The pig that had come closer turned and plopped down suddenly, splattering John with more mud. However, the animal also made a good cushion, and it did not seem to mind as John pressed his back against it. Still chuckling, John settled back and got comfortable, the thick warm mud and animal grunting around him lulling him to sleep.