Words printed on T-shirts worn by locals offered a welcoming note shortly after my wife, Fyllis, and I arrived on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia: “Be happy.” “Forget your troubles.” “Don’t worry, just party.” On the other hand, the sticker attached to the bumper of an automobile offered a warning about the challenge awaiting…

So there I was, at the Sulphur Springs Mud Bath in St. Lucia, being smeared with green mud all over my body: two layers first to exfoliate, then sprinkled with black mud, a guide making designs in stripes and handprints as if my arms, face and chest were a canvas. Allegedly the mineral waters into…