VAGABONDING

Astrological Reading

2010-04-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

Dearest Family and Friends:

I want to share this incredible experience with you, but please read on with an open-heart and mind. I had a very powerful reading with a renown astrologer, Prateek, here in Rishikesh, India and have chosen to relay some of the details here.

Prateek opened by telling me that my weakest areas are my lower back, knees and stomach and my stomach will give me problems once a year if I'm not careful. He suggested eating good food especially lots of fruits and radishes! He added that because he saw diabetes runs in our family, especially with my Dad, he suggested that I cut out sugary, salty foods.

He continued to inquire about a fire injury I received when I was young (burnt back of right hand on Grandad's wood stove) and a head injury that involved stitches in my childhood (my forehead was hit with golf club @ a mini-putt birthday when I was 7).

Prateek further described that fire is a negative element in our family. He said there was an unnatural death with one of our ancestors that involved murder by fire/petrol! He continued to tell me that men in my family are carrying bad karma due to my Great-Grandfather's life patterns. They will continue to suffer and be ridden with disease if precautions aren't taken. In order to combat this bad karma he suggested feeding the poor, specifically males, and its best to do this during the phase of the new moon.

Then he switched gears and laughed saying that he sees that my Mum and I were sisters in a past life! This life she will be very generous and kind with money because as my sister she took lots of my $ and is now repaying the debt. ha!

Also, for me dancing is more important than yoga. He said that I loved dancing as a child but stopped in my teens. He suggested using dance and meditation as ways to re-balance my energy.

He also looked at my navel and asked if I had lose bowel movements stopping about two days ago (yes...) and he also knew when I had my last period. Then he took a look at my knees and said, 'aha, you have the frog-shaped knees. This is best for travelers!"

He suggested that a yellow sapphire ring will be best for me and urged me never to get a tattoo.

For my career he sees me as a therapist of sorts, focusing on natural therapy and helping people. It's possible that I will combine therapies with social work and maybe work with handicap children. He said I'm in the midst of a big learning phase (very true) that will continue to grow into 2011 with the climaxing in February. When I need healing I should look towards massage, reiki (recently learned here in India!) and other natural remedy therapies.

As far as my love life is concerned, he said not to seek a Canadian partner! ;) He believes my future mate will speak French or Spanish and I will find him on an island. Older men and/or married men are great for me! Taurus and Cancer guys are great for me, Aquarius is best and Scorpio is the worst possible match.

Several other things were revealed but they are more private for me or those concerned. Just wanted to share a little piece of mystical India with you...

Rishikesh

2010-04-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

Rishikesh, India: welcome to the yoga capital of the world!

I spent over 2 weeks here taking an intense yoga course, wandering around the markets and watching the abundance of activities that happen on the holy Ganges river.

Again, its a hard experience to explain so I'll let the photos speak for themselves:

Taking a peak at Ramana's organic garden/orphanage/school.

BANGLES!

Prem Baba @ Parmarth Ashram during evening pujas/prayers. Filmed for Guru Tv- yes it does exist...

Taking a holy dip in the frigid Ganga!

Making pujas to float down the river.

Ricky shows off his Chakrasana (aka Wheel Pose) @ Trika Agamayoga.

The Dali Lama shows up with his spiritual posse! And amidst all the chaos of the ceremony, loud music, formalities and crowds he remains calm and peaceful.

His warm, compassionate smile warmed my heart and taught me that when there is much activity the soul can remain still, present and at peace. A beautiful last evening in Rishkesh...

Lotus Temple

2010-03-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't do many touristy things in Delhi because its just too chaotic for me. All I wanted to do is hang out with my couchsurfing friends and sleep. I think I came across a wee bit of travel burnout. But now I'm charged and ready for the next adventure.
Check out this beautiful temple, built by the Baha'i Faith- which believes in 'the oneness of mankind, oneness of God and oneness of religion' through peace and harmony.

LEFT: ceiling inside

A gorgeous structure and it kind of reminded me of the Opera House in Sydney, but with a holy, Indian-flower style twist!

RIGHT: approx. 10 000 people visit the Lotus Temple a day and its hard to keep people in a queue!

Beyond the hoards of people there are gorgeous gardens and lawns. I brought my own yummy lunch of vegetable sabji and parathas and enjoyed a quiet picnic with some fellow blossoms that made me smile!

Scoot!

2010-03-10T06:02:00.000-08:00

I had two different scooters while in Auroville for the past 2 weeks and it was fun pretending they were motorcycles! This is me and The Red Apple-mobile pictured above.

Auroville

2010-03-10T05:20:00.000-08:00

"Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity."

I spent two fabulous weeks exploring this international community. It's a UNESCO site and does not belong to India. I took a few courses, joined in some dance groups, learned about organic gardening in India (rough!), met some incredibly creative and innovative people/communities and sampled the best ice cream on earth! MMMMMMmmm, rose petal ice cream!!!
Of course there were some problems with this dream city but once I realised the struggles in Auroville I just tried to enjoy what was here and what was being created. Beauty and inspiration...
And this, pictured here, was the second tree house I lived in during my stay. The birds woke me up and the wind and chirpy insects lulled me to sleep.
Most houses and structures are made from natural resources and there is a big concentration on reusing and reducing. I found a Trashion Show art exhibit at the gallery where they displayed different pieces and clothes that were wore at their community event that recycled old materials into fashionable ones!

FANCY GARBAGE!

And oh the food!!! Almost all the food is locally grow and organic. There is an incredible community kitchen called Solar Kitchen where a huge round solar bowl collects enough solar energy to cook over 1000 meals a day.
For $1 or 2 you can join in the community buffet for a delicious and nutritious lunch or dinner. Beside the Solar Kitchen is the Free Store and Food Dispensary. Local Aurovillians can come to the free store to choose free clothes and they pay a small monthly fee to receive local, organic goods from the dispensary. Dynamized, filtered water is found all around town and a couple yummy bakeries keep the locals happy and all buttered up!

I spoke with a few Auroville farmers and many volunteers about the trials and tribulations of farming in India. The weather is a constant battle, water conservation and the floods can wipe out/drown a crop on bad monsoon years. Then there are the locals...local cows wander in and try to munch up everything green in site, local pollution from cars and deet spraying pesticides can leach into water or float over airborne. And local villagers may try their luck at night, taking anything from fences to cashews or perfectly ripe pineapples to sell the next day. But, still they prevail and there is so much hope, love and dedication to the land that the farmers and volunteers are happy to keep working with the soil. Since Auroville, and the community of Sadhana Forest in particular, have come to grow the water level has risen 6 meters, 25 bird species have come to make Auroville their home- a huge success for the land, locals and Auroville.

Fond memories: full moons, insense dreams, the thrill of being upside down, monkey-play, Frenchie, hammock harmony, watsu wisdom, forest-jumping energy and heart clinging moments of bliss.

I wish Auroville inspiration, clean, beautiful spaces and creative energy! Slowly, slowly their dream becomes a reality.

Hot...

2010-03-07T07:36:00.000-08:00

It's getting hot...so I'm heading north.

Upside-down/Backwards Bliss

2010-02-21T04:09:00.000-08:00

Drop a beat!
Mmmmmmmmm...
"what to do?"

Melting rose petals,
on my tongue,
freedom tastes so sweet!

Yamaha sings and hums,
crushing vibrations
as I cling to your heart-
beat.

Pizza contests
and ipod chargers.
You stall, she stalls,
we all-

stall.

Blue and not blue,
your infinite lotus pond,
the Indian ocean,
overflowing from the soles
of my feet!

Quiet healing,
feeling-
chakra opening hammocks,
sweetness
bliss
like rosella from your lips.

"Do I know you?"
Do I know me?!
Float, flow, let is go.
Divine light swallows me whole;
the jealousy of rock and roll.

The perfect fit,
leaning through time.
Fly, Margaret, fly-
rhythm your crime.

No crust for curmudgeons!

Buckets of showers,
no longer shy.
Healing is the feeling
keep the flow-
my Conundrum.

Oh, how the ragamuffins glow!

skin wakes first
rising with the sun.

Drop an Afro-
beat!

~Vanya

Colours of the Day

2010-02-19T00:30:00.001-08:00

2010-02-13T20:24:00.001-08:00

In case it has reached international news I just wanted to tell everyone that I am safe and sound. There was a bomb blast in a cafe near the ashram that I am staying at here in Pune. People are quite shaken up here and we don't really know the real story. BBC has a few details (below) but there are a lot of speculations and they are trying to connect it to the India/Pakistan talks coming up in Mumbai.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Blast-rips-Punes-German-Bakery-9-dead-45-wounded/articleshow/5570692.cms

I'm okay, my friends are okay and I am leaving for Chennai on Tuesday.

***

Big love to everyone on Valentines Day!

The Apple Star

2010-02-10T22:00:00.000-08:00

A juicy ruby,
sweet and red,
Don't slice down,
Carve through instead.

Right inside it you will see,
a star as precious as can be!
~ Vanya

***

“Once you start rejoicing whatever you are, life takes such psychedelic colors, your each moment becomes so juicy, your whole life becomes a celebration.” ~ Osho

***

"The final mystery is oneself." ~ Oscar Wilde

Vanya

2010-02-03T06:06:00.000-08:00

Sannyas is a ceremony where you choose a symbolic name to guide you on the path as a truth-seeker.
Osho describes a person who has taken sannayas as a sannayasin and continues, "Sannyas is basically a rebellion about all structures, hence the difficulty
to define. Sannyas is a way of living life unstructured. Sannyas is to
have a character which is characterless. By 'characterless' I mean you don't
depend anymore on the past. Character means the past, the way you have lived
in the past, the way you have become habituated to living -- all your habits
and conditionings and beliefs and your experiences -- that's what your
character is. A sannyasin is one who no longer lives in the past or through
the past; who lives in the moment, hence, is unpredictable."

Last Friday, January 29th, there was a beautiful ceremony here at the ashram and I was surrounded by a loving community, great music and a celebration so full of life I thought I would burst!

With this initiation you commit yourself to the path of meditation and the name change is a reminder that we are not fixed to a certain personality or definition of self. I have not changed my name in the government document sense. Instead, I have chosen a name that resonates with something deeper, as a reminder to my self of who I am and what I am longing for. This name is a symbolic gesture and I am not asking you to call me by this symbol.

Within this community and along the spiritual path I have chosen and am connected to the name Prem Vanya Tarangita.

yeah, yeah, it's a mouthful but Vanya (pronounced vawn-ya) is the focal point, the other two are a combination of reminders I need to carry with me. Many women chose the word Prem, meaning "love", in front of their sannyasin identity because whole-hearted love is very much the feminine connection to self.

Vanya means a wild forest and it has many layers of importance and beauty to me, hard to put into words. Tarangita means inspired/zestful/river- a metaphor and an inspiration I love having in my life.

This may seem really confusing and I had doubts about posting this as a blog. You can read more about Sannyas at: http://www.neosannyas.org

I will finish with a few quotes by Osho to further explain the unexplainable:

“Sannyas simply means they have accepted a way of meditation and a life of joy and rejoicing. It is accepting to create your life into a blissfulness."

“The ancient meaning of the word was, one who leaves the world in search of truth. My own meaning is, one who lives in the world and yet goes on searching for truth. Because where can you go? Everywhere is the world."

" ‘…but why should I change my name?’ Why not? The changing of the name simply means you are dropping the whole old personality that was indicated by the old name, that you are beginning afresh with a new name. It is symbolic. You were not born with a name. The name was given by your father, by your mother, by your people. Now you have dropped all conditionings, why not drop the name those conditionings gave to you?"

"An open heart, a loving heart, a deep trust in oneself and nothing else is needed. You don't have to surrender to some master, you don't have to worship some God, and you don't have to do some prayer to some hypothetical deity. You don't have to go to man-made temples and churches to find that which is hidden within you."

Just open.

8 Days

2010-02-03T05:52:00.000-08:00

Every day is a whole year of emotions, lessons and encounters...

I spent 8 days in an intensive course here at the Osho ashram and while I cannot put the experience into words, I can share with you some feelings and lessons that I took away from this incredible experience.

DAY 1:
I learned how to cry, with every ounce of my being, in front of others.

DAY 2:
I learned how to really scream! So cathartic.

DAY 3:
I released what I needed to say from the bottom of my heart and I was exhausted from sobbing.
I learned that I have let other people's judgments control how I live my life and its a waste of energy and precious time.

DAY 4:
I learned how to ROAR! (then I lost my voice...)

DAY 5:
I realized this was the hardest, yet most enlivening process of my life! I have never had such bad skin, so much garbage in my body is surfacing and being released.

DAY 6:
Home is inside.
I held hands with a part of me that I hadn't seen in a long time.
I learned that when you feel you have no energy you still have great amounts left!

DAY 7:
I created a beautiful tree and other people where welcome to live there.
CREATE!
I learned how to buzz, how to glow from inside, from a life force so great.

DAY 8:
Things are not what they seem. There are so many layers and this is just the beginning.

Randomness Con't

2010-02-02T04:20:00.000-08:00

Wisdom and Rocks

I recently had a huge argument, possibly one of the most frustrating ones I've ever experienced, with a dear friend (we'll call her CM) after a beautiful dinner. There was three of us enjoying a delicious meal and my friend CM and I had proposed a beautiful idea when the plan suddenly backfired.
Humans seem to ride a wave of emotions and being here I've really learned about being present, speaking the truth and being true to ones feelings. CM and I got caught up in our own emotions and needs and together we destroyed a wonderful opportunity. 3 hours of arguing just made us feel more frustrated and I feared our friendship was slipping away. We felt stuck and all three of us parted ways.

I was walking back to my rented room feeling so helpless, angry and lonely. I replayed the nights events in my mind and all I could feel was a deep sadness. Subconsciously I started repeating, "I don't want to be alone, I don't want to be alone." Head down, completely overwhelmed, I continued to march towards the hotel. Suddenly, I heard someone call my name! My stomach dropped, thinking it was one of my two dinner friends back for more interrogation.

Instead it was my friend D (whom I had just finished an intensive group course with at the ashram), who came running up to me to ask me if I was okay. Something switched inside and I acted like all was well, I asked him how his day had been and what he was doing in the street at this late hour. He told me he had befriended a local shop keeper and each night he was coming to the shop at 10 pm to help him close up and then later to have a chat and sometimes dinner with his family! Okay...odd, I thought, but intriguing. I wished him a good evening and continued trudging towards the hotel.

After a few minutes I froze, "what am I doing?!", I screamed in my head. I had just repeated that I didn't want to be alone and a friend appeared out of nowhere to ask me how I was doing and I turned away from the opportunity to be helped, consoled? WTF? So I turned around, ran back and said, "David, I'm not alright, can you sit with me for awhile when you're done closing up the shop?"
He said he would be happy to keep me company. Then, the shop keeper Jahan approached me, asked me to sit down and immediately took my hand, looked into my eyes and said, "I fear there is a storm going on inside you!" He then took me to his back room where all of his crystals and gems were kept and told me to sit down. I was in shock but felt I could trust Jahan because I trusted my friend D with my life and they seemed like dear friends.

Jahan grabbed a pink stone in the shape of a heart and rubbed it with both hands while breathing deeply. Then he told me to hold the stone and breathe deeply while he put his hands on my head. OMG I felt instantly relaxed, like a wave of relief had come over me! He told me to keep the rose quartz heart and then we talked for awhile and he told me, that "life is like a river, sometimes bad water rushes in but it is always washed away clean, always changing, and we must flow with the river, allowing, watching and not letting the dirty water soil us!"

For the next 15 minutes he told me some very great words of wisdom...that I really needed to hear. And when D was finished cleaning up he came and sat with us and Jahan gave me a beautiful hug that literally lifted me up, he told me to keep the heart shaped stone to remind myself that I need self love. He also invited me to dinner with his family for the following evening!
The beginning of the night had been a triangle of disaster and frustration, but I had been blessed with this new amazing triangle of supportive kindness and inner peace.

The dinner was out of this world! Jahan and his family are Kashmiri, they live in a simple home and he has three kids ages 1-12, who all have the same birthday! I had so much fun playing with the little one.
We ate on the ground, with our hands and Jahan said, "why did men invent the fork, look very closely. The fork has 4 prongs, we have 4 fingers, we didn't need to create forks, God gave us natural forks and a thumb to push the food into our mouths!"
We had a lovely evening with the best food I've had since my arrival and great conversation with his wife, D and the rest of the family.
Before I left he asked me to lie on the ground and he did more energy work on my head and belly, this time with D's purple stone (that looks like an eyeball). Again, a wondrous, peaceful wave came over me and I melted into the floor.

I've been visiting with Jahan on my way home every day and he can always read right through me. He's helped me pinpoint some bad patterns I've acquired. His words of wisdom are always exactly what I need to hear and I feel very grateful for our random meeting.

whoa...only in India!

Oh India, how I love you...

2010-01-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

Let me count the ways:

1. FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY
Tell someone you don't believe in God. Go on. You'll find yourself arguing so hard to make your case that you could well be accused of having a severe case of faith in no God! In anything they want to believe, which is why practically every faith known is practiced right here in India.

2. FLEXIBILITY
You may set off in the morning expecting to follow a strict schedule of assignments and appointments, but always be flexible and happy to chuck all plans at a moment's notice. Go with the flow!

3. STORIES
The history goes back 5,000 years and so do their epics that contain every emotion, possibility and philosophy that humans have ever managed to come up with.

4. CHAI
Delicious black tea, blended with an array of spices, served with lots of milk and sugar. Drink at least 3 cups a day!

5. BOLLYWOOD
Hips swirl in one direction while the torso twists in another and the shoulders go somewhere else entirely even as the head moves so violently. Excellent weather vanes, only no one would know where the wind was actually coming from!

6. AUTOS
Germany had its cute little Volkswagen Beetle, India has cute little autos (aka three-wheelers) packed with hi-tech music systems and disco lights that would put nightclubs to shame, which trundle up and down roads as their drivers overcharge everyone in sight.

7. HOSPITALITY
When I step into any one's house I am fed, watered and pampered so much, I'd never believe there was a single nasty person in this country.

8. THE NUMBER OF HOLIDAYS
There's a New Year's Day practically every month, not to mention some festival happening on any given day somewhere in the country. More reasons to party!

9. AMAZING DIVERSITY OF FOOD/TASTES
Words cannot explain the blends of spices, herbs and ingredients that go into making each dish a work of art!

10. INDIAN ENGLISH
They have de-Englished the English language and now only speak Indian, and its grand!

11. YOGA
Forget weights and ab crunches- here they may stand on one hand, with one leg wrapped around their heads, experiencing an inner, spiritual glow, because aha! Yoga isn't just a workout for the body, it's also a workout for the mind and soul.

12. MAHATMA GANDHI
One small, frail, old lawyer took on an entire imperial empire! And he did it in such an inspired manner with non-violence and noncooperation- brilliant! Every town seems to have a main street called MG in honour of him.

13. MANGOES
One a day at least! In mango lassi (yogurt drink) form is best, yummmmmmm

14. INDIAN STRETCHABLE TIME
Indian Stretchable Time is in a zone of its own and no one can understand it but Indians.

15. DOMESTIC HELP
Servants: one to cook the food, one to wash the dishes, one to sweep the floor, one to dust, one to wash the clothes, one to clean the toilet, one to make chapattis, one to watch each baby, one to man the gate and run the errands, one driver per car, one to wash the cars, one to cut vegetables, one to massage the baby, one to water the plants!

16. INDIAN RAILWAYS
All I can say is that you will experience all of India on the train! And you can literally go anywhere by train.

17. SCENERY
Here you will find ice deserts in Ladakh and actual deserts in Rajasthan. The Himalaya mountains tower to the north, the Ghats on either side of the peninsula, islands, stunning beaches, the sea, lakes, jungles, incredible wildlife, rivers, waterfalls... glorious!

18. NOTHING IS BEYOND REPAIR
Nothing is ever so broken that it'll never work again and anyone would love to be paid to fix it!

19. SARIS
What's sexy, modest, graceful, classic, cool, hot, well-ventilated,colorful and gorgeous all at the same time? Incredible!

20. RANDOMNESS
So many random things happen to me daily. There will be a blog follow up to explain one such situation that blew my mind! To be con't....

The Osho Experience

2010-01-16T03:27:00.000-08:00

"Drop the fear. Fear was taken up by you in your childhood, unconsciously. Now consciously drop it and be mature. Then the life can be a light which goes on deepening as you go on growing.
Know the whole world is nothing when it is compared to knowing your own inner mystery of life.
Don't move the way fear makes you move. Move the way love makes you move. Move the way joy makes you move." -Osho

***

I am currently at the Osho Meditation Center in Pune, India and have decided to stay here for a few weeks. There is an incredible community here and a lot of space, tools and guidance to learn more about myself. Check out the website if you are interested in learning more.

Words will not do this place or experience justice. I have thought long and hard about this blog and have decided I cannot really write about it. I'm going into an 8 day intensive course and will not have internet access. Possibly, if you are interested I can explain more in person, if you are open-minded.

Money has been a struggle for me here as the center is run by and operates on European standards. I feel grateful that I was born in a family and a society where funds are flexible. Right now I ponder how I will stay financially afloat over the next 3 months, but funds always work out one way or another for me.

I've had an incredible Couchsurfing host here in Pune. Ananda has let me stay at his place for the last week and he's been a great guide and friend to me as I explore the Osho experience. He's a practitioner here and on weekends he leads meditation sessions, plays music, practices reflexology and is training in water shiatsu. I'm so grateful for his kindness. I took the picture below in his beautiful garden.

***

"Once you have started seeing the beauty of life, ugliness starts disappearing. If you start looking at life with joy, sadness starts disappearing. You cannot have heaven and hell together, you can have only one. It is your choice." - Osho

Mumbai-Consciousness

2010-01-09T23:13:00.000-08:00

Arriving in Mumbai @ 3am, after 22 hours in planes and airports, I felt overwhelmed, happy to have finally arrived. I made my way from the airport to my couchsurfing hosts apartment 20 minutes away. The cab driver didn't know the area well so he stopped several times to ask for directions. Once I settled down for the night I wrote this stream of consciousness piece to document my first half hour in this metropolitan, chaotic city...

heart beats, my whole body is awake and conscious...

ewww, I'm sweating, where's that cab? #3845. wow, there's more backpackers than I imagined! "bye Sarah (from Salt Lake City), I'll tell you all about Osho over email", there seems to be no driving rules! garbage everywhere, don't hit that dog! close. I'm safe, follow the breath. they can't see my face, I'm invisible, people sleeping on the side of the road in perfect rows, this is not an "experience"- this is their reality.
breath, he's asking for directions again? are we lost? don't stop the cab, ok calm, night-a man's world. sleeping in your tuk tuk (three wheeler vehicle): a job and a bed! I'm very awake, it's 3:30 am here and 2pm back home. there's a sign for Inorbit, finally, we are on the right track Sherlock.
i need a phone soon, don't be so thrifty, safety first. i will not get out of this cab until i know i've arrived at my host's home, here's 10 rupees, thank you, how do you say it? shukrian? maybe? where do I go now? there's no #73, ok 7th floor seems to make sense, i'll walk up, eww I'm so sweaty, I have to ditch all these cotton clothes soon and find some light stuff! up and down and up again, i can take off my scarf now, this elevator is cool! heart racing...pushes door bell, this has to be it? hello? Shamiyana?
oh, thank you! how do you pronounce your name? you are so kind, thanks for hosting me at such a strange hour. I feel so stupid, I don't follow politics, am I stereotyping too? she's so sweet, aww she's taking the couch, I feel bad. where is the toilet? does the shower room double as the urinal? when in Rome/Mumbai! breathe. i feel so grateful! stretch out. rest at last. it's only been half an hour. hello India, please be kind!

heart beats, my whole body is relaxed and tired, zzzzzz...

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-20T19:55:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Back from a glorious 6 week adventure in California: garlic planting (aka farm therapy), eating the best food in the continent and sharing magical moments with many Undercover Angels and, though I've changed some plans, I'm very glad that I made it home for the holidays. I hope this letter finds you healthy and happy and, while it’s no secret that the holidays can be a particularly challenging and stressful time for many of us, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for being such a positive and delightful soul in my life!

I am thankful for the holiday season as it gives me a chance to pause and feel grateful for all the amazing people in my life, my good fortune, health and abundance of love that fills my heart. As I pack my backpack once more and look towards my upcoming journey to India I feel blessed to have the chance to be home with friends and family for the holidays; a favourite and delicious time of year.

I'm not too keen on shopping and stressing so I've given those up. Instead, I love cooking/eating, hanging out with loved ones and laughing 'till my cheeks hurt! I remember as a child, straining to hear Santa on the rooftop, carefully choosing cookies to leave out for him and I recall the warm fuzzies; the magic of the season as my heart was full of curiosity and awe. Well, now, I don't have to fear the loss of baked goods to jolly old men and I do sleep soundly on Christmas Eve without thumb-sucking, but my heart is still full as I hold that sense of wonder and awe that I find through the music and colours of the season.

We are surrounded by two primary colors at Christmas; red and green. Red has come to represent passion, fire, creativity, and love. Green signifies growth, wealth, fertility, nature, good luck, youth, and hope. As we are greeted with the colors of the season, we are reminded of the complexities of our nature and how each of our lives is a work of art and that we are the artists ultimately charged with creating our own masterpieces.

Aldous Huxley wrote, “After silence, that which comes closest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” The holidays are filled with music and while certain Christmas carols may annoy the hell out of you/me, others can serve to nourish our souls. Music is what feelings sound like!

Everywhere we look during the holiday season there will be both sacred images and superficial symbols. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. I encourage us to screen out as much as possible that brings you no comfort or joy, and focus instead on the magic, mystery, and meaning of the season. mmmm-hmmmm...
I know I'm not one who keeps in touch very well via phone or email... I've embraced the technological age a wee bit more this year and I would like to take this opportunity, however en masse, to reach out and say hello and happy holidays. I'd love it if you wrote back with some of your thoughts and feelings at this time of year. And if anyone is so inclined to share with all my dear friends, please feel free to post your responses on my holiday blog post.

***Please don't feel any pressure to write back or fill in your responses if you're not into it. I don't want to put any stress on your holidays! :)

Please Tell Me About You:

What are the activities that make you really really really happy during the holidays? List out your top 5. This is your list of Holiday Happys. Why do these make you happy and give you a sense of calm?

If you could do anything, there's no restrictions, in 2010 what would it be?!

What has been your biggest challenge this year and how have you overcome it? what did you learn?

What has been something new and exciting you tried recently and how did you feel?

A few things I learned about the holiday history this year that I thought I'd share:

*There are about five million reindeer in the world living in Northern Canada, Lapland, Alaska & Northern Russia.
*Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows on oak and other trees. Originally, it dates back as a symbol of peace to both the Druids and Romans. When battling soldiers found themselves under the mistletoe, they immediately laid down their arms and declared peace for the day.
*Santa wears red and white because that's how Coca Cola linked him to their ads dating back to 1931.
*The common abbreviation for Christmas is Xmas, derived from the Greek alphabet. X is letter Chi, which is the first letter of Christ's name in the Greek alphabet.
*The tradition of placing candles in windows during the Christmas season originated in Victorian England where candle lit windows were a sign to passersby that they would be welcomed and offered shelter during the holidays (couchsurfing anyone?!).
*Not only are poinsettias from Mexico, but in Mexico wearing red underwear on New Year's Eve is said to bring new love in the upcoming year...

Check out this humorous, award-winning radio episode from CBC's Age of Persuasion titled Commandeering the Holidays!

Many Blessings,

From:

a bike-ridding, backpacking, dirt-worshiping elf!

(aka Michelle)

Undercover Angels

2009-12-20T19:16:00.000-08:00

There are undercover angels in California! Lucky-ducky me, I got to spend 5 days with them in Cardiff-By-the-Sea.

Meet Sam and Brooking: Couple Extraordinaire

Sam-The Wise; oldest son of the Bernier family, who I farmed with for several months and Brooking is his girlfriend, a spitfire lass from St. Louis, came to the wild west in search of knowledge, love and a place to house her collection of succulents!

Things One Can Learn and Absorb from this Fab Twosome:

1. How to host thought-provoking potlucks.
2. That dancing is a religion and a soul-freeing exercise.
3. How to grow and harvest kombucha.
4. You can always go deeper.
5. How to walk a highway in search of Schwan Chinese food.
6. Your home is the reflection and radiance of your heart.
7. Whiskey + ginger ale is a delicious after dinner aperitif.
8. Surfing is a man's sport where one can experience the feminine without the talking!
9. How to make epic Christmas cards.
10. David Deida is a modern day savior.

Thanks Sam and Brooking for opening your heart, your home and many tissue boxes for me, ah-choo!

Thank you!

Chicken Party!

2009-12-14T19:34:00.001-08:00

Need I say more?!

Thanksgiving and Hanukkah!

2009-12-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

Gobble gobble!!!

On the farm it's all about harvesting the best, organic produce and what better way to celebrate then with the biggest harvest party of the year: Thanksgiving! Lucky me, I got to celebrate American and Canadian harvest this year!!! Mmmmm, pie.

We organized a potluck style Thanksgiving and I made my Mum's famous sweet potato pie (after harvesting over 100 yams!) and kale chips as an appetizer.

And dinner wouldn't be complete at the farm unless there's plenty of garlic around!

This year I brought up some Canadian garlic I got at a market and we made a special place in the top garden for those big, northern bulbs to do their garlicky thing and thrive over the winter. Now, Yael has over a dozen varieties of garlic and she's known as the garlic guru in these parts. Everyone is always surprised that there's more than just the "grocery store kind"! There is actually over 300, try a new one at your market and thank your local farmer for all the love they put into those bulbs!

***

Then comes Hanukkah! Actually, this Jewish holiday of 8 crazy nights doesn't start officially until this Friday, December 11th. But, the Berniers are going down south so they decided to celebrate early with friends.

Yael made a beautiful (c)hallah bread, potato latkes and all the fixings needed for a fun, delicious celebration. Several families joined in the fun and we lost track of time and forgot to play dreidel. The kiddies got pretty sleepy so maybe I'll get to play this family tradition next year!

A Merman, named Arlo, showing off before bedtime!

~HAPPY HOLIDAYS~

Fantastic Mr. Thief!

2009-12-01T15:10:00.001-08:00

Just as I was starting to fall in love with California all over again, my faith was tested. On November 29th, at Reading Cinema in Rohnert Park at approximately 7:35pm I was robbed! I had just finished watching the incredible Fantastic Mr. Fox and I was all jazzed up from the hilarity and energy that gets under your skin whenever Wes Anderson is involved. I sang and skipped back to Santa Rosa 11 miles away and only when dinner was served did I realize that my purse was missing.

I must admit I was in the fault because I had left the purse on the seat and wasn't paying attention because I was still laughing and dancing after watching my new favourite film of the year! Go see it asap! I called the theater and they said I could come back and look in the theater while the new film was being viewed. 11 nerve racking miles later, I was on my hands and knees where only crusty popcorn kernels roam... The kind supervisor, Heidi said I could return after the movie to look with the lights on. Round 2 and no purse in sight!

I decided to take down the names of everyone on duty at the cinema and to go back to Santa Rosa to call the police and file a report. Losing hope I started thinking about what kind of hassles were in store for this little traveler and then made sure to cancel my credit cards. I was feeling rather foolish because I usually travel with my valuables separate, but on this particular outing I had both wallets with me containing $170, my phone and camera; a jackpot for any thief!

The police wanted me to come in person to the station, so back to Rohnert Park I flew...after describing the incident and missing articles they suggested we look in a few trash cans around the cinema and nearby gas stations, but no luck.

As soon as we arrived home the phone rang and they had retrieved my purse! I still don't know exactly what happened but the supervisor said after 3.5 hours of looking, talking to staff, etc. she found it mysteriously locked in the staff safe. After 110 miles of driving back and forth, I had my purse back and all $170 was still inside along with my camera, wallets and all! phew!!!

Now, I'm back with my farm family here in Geyserville, California. I'm departing for LA and San Diego on Friday so I'm soaking in the farm life for the next few days. Here's a few pictures of small, macro details that bring me so much joy:

A beautiful, narcissistic Narcissus!

Spouts in the greenhouse, watered and ready to be planted.

Italian faggioli being dried for next year's seed.

A mini-pomegranate found by Erica.

Mushroom hunting in the garden.

Digging for sweet potatoes.

Erica's twins!

First Stop: Farm Heaven

2009-11-24T17:37:00.001-08:00

Beets with a view!

I'm so happy to be back on the farm in Geyserville, California. Last year I spent three and a half months with the Berniers learning how to farm and garden the most delicious, organic produce in the land! I'm back for more farm fun this month.

I start my day with a strong cup of local coffee, ground at the farm, from Flying Goat (www.flyinggoatcoffee.com). A big bowl of oatmeal with honey and raisins and we're ready to tackle some veggies. The next 4 hours are spent weeding, planting, harvesting, tidying up garden beds and organizing restaurant orders. There have been some long days of garlic planting but I love every minute that my hands are in the crumbling earth, with my face soaking in the vibrant Cali-sun, as my fellow farmhands chatter and sing their garlic cloves into neat rows beneath the moist soil.
Garlic is the name of the game around here, where Yael, aka the garlic guru of California, grows 13 different varieties that she's collected around the world. We plant, we harvest, we clean, we braid, we sell and we eat this magical little gem! Life is sweet and garlicky 'round these parts!
Life is also a bit hectic with so many travel plans up in the air. I was accepted into a Vipassana meditation retreat nearby, but its a 10 day course and I would have to rearrange things. I think it will have to wait until I land in India. I promised my friend Brooking to visit her in San Diego and I've been looking forward to hanging out, drinking big mugs of tea and relaxing into Southern Cali vibes. I'm also considering coming back to Canada for Christmas...and then departing for India via Toronto.

But with all this juggling I must say life is sweet on the farm. Erica, a fellow wwoofer (www.wwoof.org), and I put together a CSA (community supported agriculture) food box for her Green MBA classmates. You'll notice that cracking into one of Yael's pumpkins takes a bit of skill and some handy tools...
Best food in the country, most humble, hard-working family with huge, beautiful hearts and really fun get togethers! We're also making yummy plans for American Thanksgiving and drinking some fab vino!
Life is fabuloso out here; with the farm dogs joining me for runs in the neighboring vineyards, mushroom hunting on the schedule for early next week and some funky concerts coming my way!

On the road again...

2009-10-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

“There is something in October sets the gypsy blood
astir, We must rise and follow her; When from every
hill of flame, She calls and calls each vagabond by
name”
-William Bliss Carman

It's that time of year again, when I start scanning flight deals, squirrel away extra funds, lace up my hikers, pull out my trusty backpack and make sure my travel documents are in order. Then comes the hard question- where shall I go?! With 195 countries in the world this is tough to answer. I have been playing around with the idea to go to South East Asia (mainly Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos). While those countries hold an array of colourful cultures, an incredible history and more than this little nomad could ask for in the way of culinary delights, I'm just not feeling the pull to go there right now.

The Land of the Tiger is calling me! India has been my #1 destination for several years now and I was putting needless restrictions on myself to explore this fascinating, mystical country. A country that brings us tea, spices and yoga, where you can lose yourself in the bustling cites or find yourself on a mountain sanctuary.
I'm still working out all the kinks but ideally I would like to spend sometime on an ashram (meditation and yoga), a bit of time backpacking to see the splendors that India has to offer, do some mountain trekking and perhaps a wee bit of scuba diving and then volunteer for the rest of the time.

I have found an incredible project called Navdanya: www.navdanya.org. A progressive biodiversity farm, seed saving bank and Earth University learning center; a women centred movement for the protection of biological and cultural diversity. I have applied to intern here and awaiting the approval.

My cross canada plans didn't work out so I am flying from Detroit-San Fransisco and then I'll jet down the coast to visit my friends on the farm, in Sonoma Valley! I am really excited for American Thanksgiving on the farm! A few weeks late I'll head to San Diego to hang out with a dear friend before jumping a plane Asia-bound! This is depending on getting my visa to India processed in a month...

***
I am looking forward to this journey in front of me. There is some fear, much joy and a sprinkling of relief as I head back to my dusty trail to see what the fates have in store for me next!

Please feel free to follow this journey with me and I will try posting a few times a month, depending on Internet access and cyberspace will power.

I wish you all a big NAMASTE and I look forward to when our paths cross again.

Voyage from Marco Aslan on Vimeo.

8 Secrets of Success!

2009-08-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

In Transition...

2009-05-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Moving back to Toronto I felt caught within a whirlwind of emotions and ideas. But, once I found how to move with the changes, and let go of the fear that often surfaces during transitional moves, I felt free! Free to explore the possibilities of the city, a new job, a different roommate/home and a new season.

I wish you all happy transitions and quiet moments to feel change and move with the flow of life!

Following is a lovely poem that captures the mood and moment:

Unconditional

Willing to experience aloneness,
I discover connection everywhere;
Turning to face my fear,
I meet the warrior who lives within;
Opening to my loss,
I gain the embrace of the universe;
Surrendering into emptiness,
I find fullness without end.
Each condition I flee from pursues me,
Each condition I welcome transforms me
And becomes itself transformed
Into its radiant jewel-like essence.
I bow to the one who has made it so,
Who has crafted this Master Game.
To play it is purest delight;
To honor its form--true devotion.

- Jennifer Welwood

Cheers to transformation!!!

Finding Balance?

2009-04-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

How do you find balance? This question has come up a few times over the last week and so I'm going to put it out there. We all get swept along by jobs, time lines, relationships, and emotions. How do you free your mind, find solitude, connect with your inner god/goddess?! Now, now, I'm not getting all hippy-dippy on ya. I'm just saying we all need balance. Too much is too much.

As this question arises I hear a multitude of answers. Some look to writing/reflection, yoga, meditation, cooking, physical activities, soaking in a bath, spending time with loved ones, etc. But, I want you to go further than simply coming up with one of your past times that helps you unwind and relax. Why and how do these hobbies or quiet spaces provide solitude? Why do we need balance? What occurs when we live unbalanced lives? And what happens when we get lost in our experiences?

Create gaps in the stream of thinking! Without these spaces your thoughts become repetitive, uninspiring and not very creative. Boring! And who wants to live a boring life?

I was cloud gazing today, out here on the Saskatchewan prairies, and I discovered that we can learn a lot from a simple cloud. My Mom taught me the delights of the cloud game, many moons ago. We would search for images and make believe objects while lazily watching the clouds drift apart from our perfect spot lying on the grass or beach. As I grew older I used that game to help calm myself and others. I was often viewed as the mediator at school. Kids would run up to me, at recess, to ask my advice or opinion on different arguments. I felt special that they chose to ask me and I would listen to the dispute and tell them my advice. Sometimes, I didn't have a clue what to tell them and when I didn't know what to say I would lead the little group to the back of the school ground and tell them to lie on their backs and look up at the clouds. We would gaze up, pointing and telling each other what funny shapes we saw and the dispute would drift away, too.

Now, I find myself relating to cloud wisdom once again. As an adult I see the beauty and I am still in awe, mystified by their wonder and shape shifting abilities high above.

"How surely gravity’s law
strong as an ocean current
takes hold of even the smallest thing
and pulls it toward the heart of the world.

Each thing—
each stone, blossom, child—
is held in place
Only we, in our arrogance
push out beyond what we each belong to
for some empty freedom.

If we surrender
to earth’s intelligence
we could rise up rooted, like trees.

Instead we entangle ourselves
in knots of our own making
and struggle, lonely and confused.

So, like children, we begin again
to learn from the things
because they are in God’s heart
they have never left him.

This is what the things can teach us
to fall
patiently to trust our heaviness
Even a bird has to do that
before he can fly.

- RILKE (Book of Hours)

My Fun, Fun, Fun Farm!

2009-04-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

While Wayne was running the highway I wandered into Indian Head, pop., approximately, 1500. There was lots going on in this small town on a Saturday afternoon. A tea bazaar was being held in the armories, a new hardware store was holding a grand opening bbq celebration and the main street was closed off to allow people to stroll along to shop or talk to friends. I had an extra bounce in my step as I made my way along Main Street in search of coffee and a place to write in my journal. However, I passed the two coffee shops as I felt propelled to venture to the end of the strip. I came up to a new/used trinkets shop and felt mesmerized standing in front of the quaint little window display. It was nothing out of the ordinary but it was just one of those moments, like, "yeah, this is where I need to be". I'm not really a shopper/browser yet I felt pulled to enter this store. Once inside I looked around for a bit before I was asked by the owner where I was from and how I had come about wandering into her store. We started to talk and sure enough this wonderful lady had lots to say. When she heard about the Cross Canada Run project she piped up about her history of being a foster care parent and the trend in her life to attract mental health causes. People who suffer are drawn to her and she has helped many affected. We kept chatting, I told her about couchsurfing and asked her advice on where we could shower and plug in the RV for the night in her town. Within minutes she was drawing me a map to her farm and inviting us to stay the night! I was blown away and also excited to explore her farm 10 miles north on their isolated land.

The next 24 hours was pure bliss! We had great conversations, a lovely meal and well deserved rest in their comfy, cozy farm house. Dixie and Robert Kleine moved from BC to Alberta to Indian Head, SK over several years after several jobs. They wanted a base after many years of wandering, living out of their funky bus and raising their kids. They found their paradise here on the Kleine Commune! They call it Whoville Farm and there's tons of cool, antique farm stuff, equipment and nick knacks that fit their wacky, free spirited lifestyle. What a wonderful couple! I'm so glad I wandered into Dixie's store that day!

Here's a few pictures to display my absolute gratitude and love for the farm, Dixie and Robert and all their fun, fuzzy friends who gave me hours of enjoyment!

Antique Saskatchewan

2009-04-06T22:52:00.001-07:00

I have been fortunate to experience the beauty and antique side of Saskatchewan over the last week. It all started with a hotel stay at the 102 year old Wolseley Hotel in Wolseley, SK. Wayne was a bit skeptical at first since they were hesitant to give us a room. The hotel is full of old antiques, paintings, copper doors and frames, an ancient piano, books, one "lavatory" per floor, gorgeous, old radiators and funky carpets.
The hotel is located above a bar and the owners live in half of the building. We had been living in the RV for four days so it was time to find a real bed and shower. Luckily, they agreed to have us stay for two nights at a discounted price. At first it felt like we were staying in a haunted house. The walls creaked and moaned, the radiator tapped all night long and the dark hallways seemed to whisper of past affairs and long forgotten travel adventures. Cool!

That same night we were invited to Sandra and Ken Dobra's home in Grenfell, SK after our speaking engagement at the Grenfell Health Care Center. Sandra is a social worker and Ken is a retired teacher who is working on setting up the new 9-11 services for the province. They are a lovely couple with huge hearts, open minds and an active lifestyle! We spent a wonderful evening chatting, philosophizing and wining and dining over a fabulous homemade meal! Again, I was lead through an old, beautiful home with tons of Victorian flair! Sandi and Ken rescued their 100+ year old dream home over 20 years ago when they decided to settle down in the quaint town of Grenfell.
There was a great structure in place and with a few additions and new pieces they created a fabulous home for themselves and their two kids. I was in awe all evening and managed to capture some good shots on my way to the bathroom. Wayne and I left town energized and drunk on good vibes! Thanks Sandi and Ken for being our angels in Grenfell!

An Ode to HWY Truckers!

2009-03-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

A trucker is a paradox.
He is a blue jeaned executive with his office in a cab.
He is a scientist who hauls dangerous chemicals and explosives;
a purchasing agent in a baseball cap;
a personnel director with grease under his fingernails;
with a fondness for burgers and fries, steak and potatoes'
a student of geography
and a weather watcher who reads the clouds for rain or snow.

He likes sunshine, smooth pavement,
good traction, clean loads, dinner at home,
weekends with his family, his shirt collar unbuttoned
and country music. And there is a special place
in his heart for his rig.

He's not too fond of city traffic, tourists,
or rotten drivers, fuel prices, dispatchers,
snarly receivers, rubber neckers,
kids in high-powered cars or drunk drivers.

Nobody else gets as much satisfaction out of
talking about trucks, truckers, gear shifting,
good weather, homemade pie, strong hot coffee,
kids, wives, sweethearts and the price of diesel.

He is your friend and your customer.
He is your source of food, building products,
clothing, petroleum, natural resources, in fact,
nearly everything in your life arrived in his truck."

At first I was scared of the rushing, angry trucks that passed me along the Trans Canada and when I was out there running on the shoulder I received looks of shock, frustration and facial expression that seemed to say, "what, are you mad? get off my road!" Then, I decided to just run with my head down, lost in thought and surrounded by the beauty and expanse of the prairies... not always the safest way to run on the highway. Finally, I came to a better and more peaceful solution when I discovered that I just needed a shift in perspective. And I started to realize that the truckers love the road as much as me, long for the freedom, silence and glory of a never ending road ahead. They also have deadlines and loved ones waiting for them at home. And thus, began my sweet embrace with truckers (from afar); the trucker wave! I often notice them giving other truckers a nod or a wave and I decided that now that I am a runner of the road I too can give and receive the supportive wave!

I went for a 15 km run with Wayne a few days ago, and what better day to start my waving project! We waved and smiled, threw a bunch of peace signs out to the guys behind the big rigs and watched the smiles and enthusiastic waves roll our way! Let the joyful, roaring, honking game begin. One by one we enticed trucks of all different shapes and sizes to let their horns shine! We laughed and waved and ran our little hearts out that day with an extra spring in our step and a renewed respect for our fellow warriors of the road!

Friendly Manitoba!

2009-03-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Manitobans are really living up to this slogan! So many people have gone out of their way to help us out, people who have helped this project continue to inspire others and encourage Canadians to speak up for mental health care. There is so much that needs to be done within this industry and towards the overall mindset surrounding psyche and how we view our selves. This project is not just about promoting physical exercise or asking people to join together to support those affected or only to shatter the debilitating stigma that gets attached to mental illness. Of course those are the main focuses, yet, there is an underlying message that is emerging, a shift of consciousness that I can sense within myself and others, pulsing and shattering old philosophies that we mistake for our reality. Modern ideas of ego and entitlement, self and society are transforming and providing new spaces for conscious development. There are a lot of worries that hang over us, but as we become aware of these fears, they diminish and we begin to find happiness and health in abundance!

And the gracious Manitobans that I am meeting on a daily basis are helping me discover the real joy of living and being. Good people are attracted to this run. In the last 24 hours I have met some amazing peeps! At the Welcome Inn, a mental health organization, we met a group of enthusiastic women who are passionate and involved in mental health education and advocacy. They all work within the industry and are also affected in various ways. They were very inspiring to me, overcoming huge obstacles and opening their minds to different perspectives in order to lead healthier lives. A mental health care worker told me about her anxiety and the havoc it has wreaked in her life. One of her huge issues has always been blushing, turning scarlet when consumed with anxious thoughts, an embarrassing exhibition of fear displayed in multiple, burning shades of red. She shied away from social situations and spent many days alone and fearful of her cheeks showing her true colours. And then the shift; she realized that red was a beautiful colour and if she told people about her anxiety and physical reaction they didn’t focus on her cheeks and neither did she!

Then one of the administrative girls, Amber, ran back into the room, where we all chatting, just beaming from ear to ear. She announced that she had just called her Mom and she had agreed to have us over as dinner guests. Amber was so excited to have us over and to cook some of her favourite recipes for us later that night. The Collister family was very welcoming and supportive. We had a great dinner and warm-hearted conversation. It feels so good to sit around a table with kind, supportive and open minded locals, getting their perspective on their communities, family life and personal struggles and passions.

Yesterday, I met a guy that used to suffer from severe panic attacks on a daily basis. His doc gave him tons of pills and sent him on his way. He felt doped up and out of control on the meds, without really feeling emotions, just swimming through life without experiencing complete sensations. Scary! He decided to take matters into his own hands and flushed his pills and started power walking for 1 to 2 hours a day in the early mornings before work. He figured out that intense physical exercise could produce similar bodily reactions that the panic attacks were causing him to experience (i.e. shortness of breath, tightening of muscles and organs, racing blood pressure, etc). And he could experience these “symptoms” in a safe environment where he felt control over them. This process, over six months, allowed him regain confidence and control over how his body and mind reacted to different triggers or in certain situations.

It felt like time stood still for a moment, as this large burly man (think stereotypical trucker) poured his heart out telling Wayne his story and recovery through exercise. He no longer experiences these attacks because of this shift in consciousness. I was so glad to meet him and hear his story! I love how this project attracts such positivism and hope!

Just picture it: two grown men discussing the science of exercise with their eyes just shining with compassion and respect for one another in the middle of a cold, blustery Tim Horton's parking lot in friendly Manitoba! A hallmark moment, so to speak. I really got to get Tim Horton's on the line here, what a heart stirring, truly Canadian, commercial. Roll Up the Rim for Mental Health!!! ;)

A note from a 12 year old...

2009-03-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Wayne,

Hello Wayne it is Duncan from Ms. Lentz awesome class. Just wondering how
the the run is doing ? How you are doing? and how many kilometers you have
to go? Just to let you know, that you are the coolest person I have ever meet
in my whole life. Also that you are so encouraging to me that when people
ask me who my role model is when I am older I am gonna say Wayne Cho because
he is the nicest and encouraging person I have ever met.

thank you Wayne yours truly,
Duncan Macgillivray

2009-03-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

Backtrack: Two weeks ago Wayne and I stayed in Dryden with a social worker we had met at one of our hospital speaking engagements. Cathy and her husband Carl were marvelous hosts and we all felt like old friends within minutes of stepping into their cozy home. While we were staying with them we received a phone call from Donna Chief who lives on the native reservation, the neighbour to our last couchsurfers. She called to say that she had been able to organize a healing sweat lodge ceremony for us for the following day. After convincing Wayne that I wanted to drive back 100 kms in the opposite direction of his run, we planned for the sweat, bought the necessary offerings (tobacco, towels, cloth, etc) and headed to the rez the next day.
Cathy had agreed to perform the ceremony for us in honour of Wayne’s run and it had been orchestrated just for us, set up as a healing sweat to help nourish Wayne on his journey. I felt so honoured to be there! They had really gone out of their way to help us, make this a special celebration and give us insight into their traditions and natural, therapeutic practices.
For most of the ceremony I could not speak…everyone else was singing, chanting and shouting out the sacred, “SAMA”, which was to signify that you felt, saw or heard spiritual energy. Wayne was calling out sama every few minutes, he had lots of visitors! But, for myself, I had a lump in my throat that kept me from making any sounds. At one point, I felt mesmerized by the dancing blue illuminations that created a northern lights type pattern along the ceiling, playing like the wind but always coming back to the center, a target of sorts, an opening, central, small, focused and peaceful but incredibly energetic. And then a powerful self talk conversation was generated. I told myself to stop looking so hard and to let go. To just be- and that was a very peaceful moment. I continued to fluctuate between calm and anxious feelings. And as I focused on the shadows I saw an ancient totem face form before me. It sounds kooky to even write it here… Yet, this mans face began to twist and transform into a bear! This really frightened me but I couldn’t look away and felt so fascinated by this twisting image. And then, like a wave it came over me that these two images were one and the same-man and bear, living forms of the same web. And this bear presence continued to stay with me throughout the sweat and I felt somehow protected and comforted.
We all took turns talking in the circle, asking for guidance, healing or speaking about what we felt grateful for in life. I asked for a blessing to this native community, so that they can continue practicing and teaching so that we can all learn how to live closer to the earth.

Many more angels have come our way over the last two weeks! We had half a dozen great speaking engagements in town, but my favourite were with The Challenge Club and the grade seven classes we visited. The Challenge Club is a day-program facility to help support those who face mental challenges. Wayne spoke to ten of their members, all people affected by mental illnesses and it was so enriching. Everyone shared their story and then Wayne urged them to speak about their passion in life and how they could utilize their skills to create their dreams- powerful stuff! The grade sevens were a wonderful bunch, too, because they are at a great age to understand the material and also eager to learn more. I was weary of presenting to 12 and 13 year olds at first, not sure if they’d really connect to the ideas being presented, but man was I wrong! They had some of the best questions and ideas that I have heard over the last three weeks. And they really looked up to Wayne and what he was doing with his life. Most of them stayed throughout recess to ask him questions, take pictures with him and get his autograph. We have also started giving away a pair of Wayne’s rundown shoes at some of these functions. And the girl who won the pair that day was just glowing! She said she’ll keep them in her home for as long as they last and tell everyone who visits the story and cause behind the sneakers.
Next, we reached the boundary/border of Friendly Manitoba! And indeed, it was friends we found there. First stop, Falcon Lake, a beautiful, peaceful space surrounded by lakes, forests and an incredible amount of deer. We spent three glorious days in paradise with couchsurfer Eric Young. The Young residence is a sweet spot where the Planet Earth documentary is played on a continuous rotation, where something is always being baked and enjoyed around a table of tea drinkers, where Aussies have a never- ending supply of energy and a place where people are in high spirits and feel comfortable enough to do headstands or juggle in the middle of the room! It was hard to leave this warmhearted, sociable playground, but we are on a mission here and wacky Winnipeg was just around the corner.
Winnipeg is a jumbled city of confusing streets, a magnet that keeps ‘Peggers coming back for more, trying to withstand the -50 winters while it holds a long list of “worst city for…” titles. Yet, we continued to make friends and uncover the true meaning behind the province’s slogan. Sarah and Chris were our first couchsurfers in Winnipeg and they were super sweet and accommodating. They are a cute couple, expecting a new addition in a few months, who truly embrace life through the down to earth, creative, colourful lives they have chosen to lead. We also stayed with Lukas, a 24 year old guy who has a great hunger for knowledge, a passion for good beats and a curiosity about people and the world around him. Laughter, local brews and St. Paddy’s Day merriment was enjoyed by all at Low Bar! We also met the owner of a local bakery, Tabitha, an ex-social worker, who was touched by Wayne’s run and felt that our project was so inspirational and therefore she loaded us up with sort of free goodies and hearty, energy packed breads. Good peeps in the ‘Peg!
The highlight of my time in Winnipeg actually came after Wayne grazed a bus with the RV’s extended side mirror…both vehicles and everyone involved was unharmed, minus the cracked side mirror. The bus driver came over to the RV to exchange insurance info and shortly after a parking enforcement officer walked over. Understand, this minor accident happened in downtown Winnipeg and we had to stop close to a busy intersection. As soon as the officer approached the bus driver started accusing Wayne and describing the details of the mishap to him. The officer just simply stated that he was not concerned about accident or where we had chosen to park. He just wanted to come over, meet the runner and shake Wayne’s hand to thank him for his dedication and passion for the mental health awareness project! The bus driver was speechless and Wayne was beaming, a surprising and heart warming moment indeed.

Finding the Balance in Northern Ontario!

2009-03-07T12:26:00.001-08:00

Eco-psychology: an attempt to reconnect us with our natural sense of self and place in the world.

When we separate ourselves from nature we separate from ourselves. We are infinite: this is the great web of life and everything is connected, there is no end and no beginning. The circle of life-and all that lion king jazz! Ultimately, what we do to our surroundings we do to ourselves.

Many friends and family have been asking me what I have been up to since arriving back from my whirlwind tour of Latin America. I left my blog fans hanging when I landed in NYC, USA in June. Well, have no fear, the blog is back, baby! You can be comforted by the fact that I will be blogging weekly or bi-monthly now.

I moved to Toronto on New Years Day and for two months I gave the urban world my full attention, trying to feel where I belonged in the concrete jungle and how the natural world fit into my skyscraper backdrop. There were many days of struggle, frustration and anxiety as I felt trapped within Toronto’s man-made setting. I felt so far from the green, lively landscape of my paradise farm in California and the mountains and vast beauty of South America, seemed like a lost dream. Misplaced and troubled, in this fast-paced, zombie roaming metropolis, I decided I needed help. Operation I Love Toronto was put into effect immediately!

First things first; find green-loving, environmentally focused individuals who can show me how and where to find nature in the midst of this synthetic center. And find I did! I joined L.E.A.F, the local enhancement and advocacy group for urban forestry and The Stop Community Center, an association that focuses on growing, teaching and sharing healthy, affordable food. These groups and the fantastically motivated individuals, who fuel these organizations, brought the colour green back to my palette!

It was also fabulous to be a part of Nicci’s life again! I lived with Nicci, Jason and their two pugs, Tuni and Penny, for a month. We haven’t lived together for over 7 years so it was nice to be close to my big sister again, have some heart to hearts, hugs and share some fond memories.

And then there was couchsurfing, I always come back to CS! There is a fabulous group of couchsurfers in Toronto who write, plan and meet all over town to share their passion for travel, creativity and their fun-loving city, with each other on a daily basis. I went to seminars about the future of food, documentaries about the tar sands, concerts (bluegrass, percussion, classical and folk), I learnt about an instrument I never knew existed (the carillon), sampled ice wine and multiple kinds of maple syrup with a couchsurfer I hosted, and I wandered around the incredibly raw and colourful part of town where graffiti and art studios abound. I was also able to practice yoga and meditation at supportive, loving studios where I found a great community of yogis that celebrate mindfulness- urban style! I also spent one glorious night talking with two couchsurfers about everything from the power of our thoughts, to the wonderful world of popcorn to how to interpret and direct our dreams- until 6:30 am! The astonishing world of couchsurfing soothes my soul!

Needless to say I was a bit melancholy to leave Toronto at the end of February after finding my niche and discovering all the life and colour that lives and shines in the metropolitan world. However, I am very excited about this new journey with Cross Canada Run as I make my way over northern Ontario to Regina over the next 7 weeks.

Wayne and I are currently running outside of Dryden, Ontario and the campaign for mental health awareness will take us to Kenora by Sunday. He is currently running an average of 30 kms a day and I have been able to successfully set up some uplifting speaking engagements along out route. He has spoken to high schools students, mental health care providers, nursing students, and hospital staff. Local radio stations and newspapers have picked up the story and we have found a wonderful network within the mental health industry that has helped us make local contacts.

We are driving and living out of Wayne’s RV but have yet to sleep a cold night bundled up in our -20 degree C sleeping bags. Thank goodness! So many people have given us a place to stay in northern Ontario. Couchsurfing comes through in major city centers and rural generosity has provided us with support and a warm place to sleep in the middle of many no-wheres.

We stopped in the Soo on the way up for some family rekindling. Then, a wonderful couchsurfing couple, Vicki and Dean, hosted us in Thunder Bay and the local CS network joined us for a potluck dinner one evening.

A kind couple that owns a gas station in Upsala, Ontario (2 hours northwest of Thunder Bay) let us park our RV, for two nights, in their barn/garage where the temperature was a toasty 15 degrees. A motel owner in Ignace, Ontario gave us a $20/night deal at his motel where rooms usually go for $50. We stayed with another fantastic couple, Danica and Brian, on the Wabigoon Lake First Nation reserve for two glorious days where I was able to satisfy my love for puppies! And sweet-natured Cathy and Carl Bleich hosted us in Dryden, folks we met at a hospital speaking event. Tonight we are staying with Donna Chief on the reserve where she has set up a sweat lodge ceremony for us! And tomorrow evening the Rotary Club of Kenora is putting us up at their local Best Western. I am so grateful to these people for opening their hearts and homes to us!

Most people we meet, inside and outside these organized events end up sharing their personal or family stories about mental health illness. People really want to talk about these conditions and Wayne has been able to create a project that gets people talking. I can’t even tell you how many individuals have opened up to me within 5 minutes, share their story, shed some tears of frustration or hope and feel a sense of relief to hear that they are not alone. This job is so personally elevating!

I am really having fun running the roads, myself, as I join Wayne 4 or 5 times a week to run 8-10kms with him along his route. I have decided to hit the half marathon circuit when I get back to Toronto in the spring. I used to be a half marathon runner a few years back before I started traveling in developing countries. It’s nice to see and feel my body and mind coming back into its running self.

And this brings me back to eco-psychology and the wonders of our natural world. For true mental health we must challenge the norm and see the inter-relatedness of all people and life forms. I feed off of this land, the air, wind, sun and water carry me closer to my true self.
It becomes easier to find the balance out here, surrounded by ancient trees, with the earth under my feet, I am grounded. I will always take my energy from positive people and from the beauty in nature and I am delighted to find that natural world, the urban realm, the spiritual world and my self and one and the same!

“In the city, without context, (history) information becomes meaningless, without perspective events cannot be evaluated, without connections in time and space, we are lonely and lost.”

– from Sacred Balance by David Suzuki

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."

Check out our Cross Canada Run video on You Tube here. And my recent photos are uploaded on my facebook profile. I hope you are having a fan-tabulous weekend wherever you may be!

FOLLOW THE COMPASS OF JOY!!!

Hello New York!

2008-07-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally made it to America! I spent four fabulous days in New York City with Randi. We walked around funky neighbourhoods, soaking in the vibes, eating in cute cafes and melting under the extreme humidity. I will return to The Big Apple one day when I am not in the negative digits...its not the best place to be without money. Thank you Randi for helping me enjoy NYC on a tight budget!

Goodbye Latin America!

2008-06-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

Paraliding off the coast of Peru in Pisco!

Well the time has come to fly away from Latin America and start a new phase in my life. I have really enjoyed my time and adventures here and parting is bittersweet. I fly from Lima to New York City tonight to hang out with Randi for four days in The Big Apple!
My last week in Peru has been a whirlwind of fun with the Burner Without Borders (BWB)gang in Pisco. I have been volunteering with this crazy group of compassionate volunteers who are trying to rebuild Pisco. Pisco was devastated by an earthquake on August 15th, 2007. Over 500 people died and over 50 000 made homeless and yet this disaster only received a new lines of print in the world news. BWB, a San Fransisco based group, has helped many towns, in the US and worldwide, after disasters have struck leaving them helpless.

It´s hard work being a volunteer here, since everything has to be down by hand. There isn´t any really great technology here and people are so poor that everything has to be made from scratch. We poured cement, carried water over large distances, and moved rocks and rubble with our own hands. Its back breaking work but worth it to see a school or house constructed for those less fortunate.

Over 200 volunteers from more that 15 countries have made their way to Pisco, Peru to help out. They pay less than $5 a day to live in cramped conditions, eat local food and many end up with stomach problems because of the poor sanitation and water conditions. Most end up staying longer than they expect, creating their own projects and raising money from back home to help the people of Pisco. You too can help! If you are able to donate a small sum the Burners Without Borders can continue there amazing wok in Pisco. They are looking for donations now to build Sanitation Modules so that families can have safe water conditions, a sanitary bathroom and kitchen unit. Donantions can be mailed to: Burners Without Borders, 1900 3rd St, SF CA, 94158 or log onto www.burnerswithoutborders.org to donate with paypal.

They also know how to have fun and relieve the stresses of the day! This picture was taken on Tu-Tu Tuesday, a theme day created to generate energy and positive moral. They hand-made these little numbers and wore them all day at the construction sites! A memorable moment indeed!
Now I am off to the USA to visit friends and travel my way through Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California with a great program called wwoofusa.org. I will be volunteering on farms across the country in return for room and board. Sounds like a great deal to me!
Adios Latina America, hasta el proximo vez...!

Adios Bolivia!

2008-06-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

Well my time here in Bolivia sadly has to come to a close. Bolivia has been my favourite country in South America. Despite the corrupt government and their ridiculous policies, Bolivia is an incredible country: a land full of diversity and wonderment!
Bolivia has left me in awe, a stunning nation with a colourful array of environments, cultures and tales. Bolivia represents life, its great variety, its great struggles, but most of all, its perseverance to just survive in face of it all. Adios Bolivia!

Una Fiesta en La Paz

2008-06-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

One of the many colourful characters that danced past during Saturday´s parade.

Survival in Lima

2008-05-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Many children in Lima, Peru grow up with one wish: survival.

Traveling through Peru I have encountered this ugly and growing monster called urbanization. Urbanization builds up the rich while the poor are trapped in an endless struggle for survival. This awful truth was mirrored in the countless sad faces of children I came across in Lima. Non-expressive they walk through the streets like zombies, old before their time, tough against a harsh world. Often forced to beg, without time for school, children are sent to the streets to collect whatever they can for their family and thus, become trapped in Lima’s endless cycle of poverty.
Upon entering Lima my eyes could not focus because of the thick blanket of fog that hovers over the city, blurring the concrete houses, piled high and cramped with families, with the never-ending throng of crawling traffic. Luckily, I had organized to stay with a couchsurfer outside the capital, where I was received by an incredibly heart-warming family. The 82-year old grandma, and matriarch of the household, cherishes all the travelers who come to her home, adopting them as her own grandchildren!
I was shown my room, a small rooftop box with a neighbouring family living in the adjacent room. The real crisis of Lima set in when I met the neighbours. Husband, wife and their eight month old son live in a ten by ten foot enclosed space where they eat, cook, sleep and live trying to provide a life for their baby. The husband works temporary jobs when he can find them. Sadly, Lima has a brutal rat race with swelling poverty problems where only the fittest survive and with little hope to climb out to the almost non-existent middle class.
Contrary to the ugly urban struggle is the beauty of Peru’s countryside, the huge expanses of magnificent deserts, mountains, jungles, and crystalline coastlines. In rural areas people work with the land by farming, living a simpler existence away from the traffic and smog of the city.
However, not all that shimmers is gold. As big businesses in the city conglomerate the farmers and rural workers are left to work harder for less pay. More and more people move to urban centers every year in hopes of better education, health access, and opportunities for their children. Unfortunately, a move to the big city often means a loss of independence, space and leisure. Urbanization is becoming a massive, stifling problem in our world, trapping the poor in a brutal lifelong struggle.
The contrast between the crowded, grey filth of the city compared to the lush, spacious countryside is vast. Who would choose to live in such an appalling metropolis? Sadly, the poor do not have many alternatives. If one is born in Lima, surrounded by poverty, there is little choice to leave.
In Canada we take for granted the countless choices we have and the abundance of space and opportunity afforded to us simply because we are Canadian. As Canadians there are ways of helping the poor in far away lands such as Peru. Back home we can choose to buy from independent companies, staying far away from big businesses like Walmart. We can ask questions and research where our food and household products come from to ensure that foreign labourers are paid and treated fairly.
With that said, Peru is not the poorest country in the world, but in a quieter way, this is worse. Here in Lima you will find a permanent, constant state of suffering. Apart from earthquakes there are no surprises here, just survival. Bottom line: we need to have compassion for these children and people in the world who have less!

Living in Harmony: Pink Dolphins and Giant Crocs!

2008-05-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

I went swimming with the Bolivian pink, river dolphins! What a magical experience!

I just returned from ¨the pampas¨, a river area close to the Amazon and Bolivian jungle. As our boat meandered down the river over the course of three days we saw so many caymans and crocs! Plus, when we went fishing we caught piranhas.
And yet we still jumped in the water when the chance arose to swim with these amazing river dolphins. I was told that the dolphins are more territorial than the crocs and piranhas so...we were kind of safe. And it was worth it to be are eye level with these royal mammals.
I had never heard of a river dolphin before, but I now know that there are about 4 different species. Many years ago they were trapped in the rivers and adapted to their environment.
We saw so many cool animals! There were tons of exotic birds, including the royal toucan which is a rare and beautiful site. We also spotted many capybaras munching away on the vegetation near the shore. They are the largest rodent in the world!
On our last day we were even visited by these cute little guys! I think they were looking for a banana but all I had to give them was a potato! They left quickly once they realized the potato was only motivation for a photo op and a close encounter.
I couldn't´t believe how much wildlife we saw in the pampas. The riverbanks were just teeming with life, colour and activity. And with tons of these guys around it was hard to tell how so many little critters survive! But then again, I was about 2 feet from this big fellow and he hardly budged. He was either saving his energy for his night hunt or simply posing for yet another picture, since this area is flooded by tourists trying to get the perfect shot of these grinning beasts!

The Peruvian Version of The Last Supper!

2008-05-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

This is a painting by Marcos Zapata. The Last Supper Andean style! Check out the roast guinea pig in the center. The cuy (or guinea pig) is an Andean specialty from Ecuador down to Chile. I have yet to try it, but found this depiction in the painting quite humorous. Perhaps they washed down that cuy with a nice big chalice full of chicha (local corn liquor)! :)

Backpackin´ Mama!

2008-04-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

The moment I saw my Mother walk through the airport immigration doors, toting her huge backpack and bursting with nervous excitement I was flooded with pride. I was proud and delighted that this year my Mom, Jacqueline Wood, had decided to alter her usual resort-style vacation plans to meet me in Ecuador, South America! For eight adventure-filled days I was able to show her my backpacker lifestyle and share with her my love for Latin America.
There was quite a role-reversal because she was not accustomed to the language, culture and customs. She has guided me through life for over twenty five years and now I was given the chance to repay all her years of kindness. For long bus rides I stocked up on snacks, just like she had done during our childhood road trips. I translated everything from Spanish to English, bargained for good prices, taught her about local customs and took her to the colourful, bustling markets to sample the Ecuadorian cuisine that I have come to love.
An amazing week was spent exploring the rain forest, cloud forest and Andean mountain ranges of Ecuador. We went bird watching, rode (read: galloped) horses along a trail near a gorgeous waterfall, and had fun bargaining in the markets.
After bouncing around in dusty buses we decided to try a therapeutic steam bath ceremony. Beginning with a barefoot walk down a stone path we were told to reflect on our negative emotions until we came to a cliff where we purged this nonconstructive energy by screaming. With a renewed sense of well being we were told to crawl around in the garden, on our hands and knees, as a sign of rebirth! Immediately following we were taken inside for a series of steam baths interspersed by being showered with freezing cold water! It was an exhausting, unforgettable ceremony that may be coming to a spa near you because my Mom thought it would prove to be a rewarding and thrilling business opportunity back in Canada…
Following the themes of cold water and crazy activities, a death-defying white-water rafting trip quickly became the highlight of our week. Tumbling down a wild river, enclosed by the jungle, we frantically paddled through Class 4 rapids along with our fanatical guide Manuel. Just when I gained confidence and felt like I could master any fierce, rip, roaring current I was thrown overboard and disappeared under the boat, lost in a torment of waves. Luckily we had been trained, for all of twenty minutes, prior to our rafting departure. Summoning all of her maternal strength, my Mother caught hold of me by my life jacket and hoisted me into the boat with one mighty haul!
When she wasn’t busy saving my life my Mother was active taking pictures of every little thing that caught her eye, in order to share her exciting explorations with family and friends at home in The Soo. My stepfather, Richard Wood, and my Mother have never ventured very far from the typical resort-style vacation. Their love for scuba diving and, in my opinion, the ridiculously short vacation time Canadians are allotted, has confined them to prepackaged getaways to Mexico and the Caribbean. This year she surprised me when she announced that she wanted to come visit me in South America. And every day in Ecuador she would exclaim, ¨this is not a vacation, but an adventure! ¨
However brief, we definitely created some extraordinary Mother-Daughter memories here in the beautiful southern hemisphere along the equator, and I am looking forward to our next adventure together somewhere in Asia 2009!

Preserving Indigenous Cultures

2008-04-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

Trundling along bumpy dirt roads, for three jarring hours, in a milk-truck, I was awestruck when I finally arrived in the beautiful village of Guargualla. This gorgeous, indigenous community is nestled high, 3400 meters above sea level, in the Andes mountains of Ecuador. In this remote town I observed the Kechwa native standard of living; subsistence agriculture, a constant battle for survival against the elements, and their struggle to maintain their Kechwa roots while adapting to Spanish and Western influence.
Spending a month there, with the help of a volunteer agency, my boyfriend and I taught English and Environmental Conservation (in Spanish!) to thirty-five children ages 5 to13. There was no school there ten years ago so this whole education thing is still quite fresh. The kids were so fascinated and curious about us, it was a real pleasure to be surrounded by so much enthusiasm. When we weren’t teaching we joined members of the community with their daily tasks; 4 o’clock am farming, potato harvesting, wool fabrication, and mud-hut construction. Group gatherings are often organized at one house to help with hefty tasks, without payment, except for camaraderie and lunch. At one such gathering we helped fix a farm that had been devastated by a landslide. These people, who work so hard to live, have no problem helping others on their day off, all for the betterment of the community. What a humbling, eye-opening experience!
Their constant energy and fortitude never ceased to amaze me. Imagine slinging a hoe, walking up extremely steep cliffs or chasing around runaway cows all the while having your child attached to your back! Babies stay tied to their mothers, in shawl-like fabrics, for the first two years of their lives. There is a close bond created and reportedly these indigenous groups have much lower rates of anxiety, depression and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (S.I.D.S).
I felt very privileged to be a part of this supportive, peaceful community. Only a handful of foreigners have been fortunate enough to visit Guargualla. Three years ago it was illegal for indigenous persons of Ecuador to be involved in the tourism industry! Thankfully that has changed, but like aboriginal politics around the world Ecuador needs to focus on preserving and appreciating the unique nature of Kechwa culture.
At night, snug in my mud-hut, beneath millions of brilliant, twinkling stars, I contemplated if the next generation will embrace or ignore this native group. Spanish and English culture has infiltrated this mountain village. Food products, clothing, television and other modern day practices have been embraced in places like Guargualla, yet has anyone been encouraged to include native traditions, like Kechwa practices, into contemporary life?
The people of Guargualla are extremely intelligent and innovative. It will truly be heartbreaking if indigenous groups like the Kechwa disappear. Will technological advances and the expansion of education help or hinder their society? If they can receive quality education and economical help they will have a better standard of living and a chance for cultural survival.
Indigenous peoples share universal issues in dealing with the established, or invading, society. There are over 5000 indigenous worldwide, most threatened by cultural transformation: permanent loss of language, lands, encroachment on traditional territories, and disruption in traditional lifestyles due to contamination of water and land.
On home soil, in Canada and around Sault Ste Marie, we can help defend our native culture. I believe it is important for the human species as a whole to preserve a wide range of cultural diversity and the protection of indigenous cultures is vital to this endeavor.

2008-03-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

I am just in love with the little community of Guargualla! We are volunteering here for a month. It is nestled high in the Andes, at about 3200 m above sea level, 3 hours from the major town of Riobamba. It's very cold up there but no snow. There were no schools up there about 10 years ago so this whole education thing is still quite fresh. We tried playing a simple card game with some of the older men, about 36-40 year olds, but they just didn't get it and continuously asked us the rules even after an hour of playing! These are foreign objects and concepts that have yet to infiltrate the village. Most people live and breathe agriculture here, animals, plants and weather patterns. We have lots to learn from them, too.

When we return Tuesday we will be teaching about taking care of the environment (in Spanish!) to the older kids and playing games and painting with the younger ones. Actually, the first day we got there they wanted us to teach the environment within that hour, but we were very under prepared. Now we have some good materials and ideas, but it should be quite the adventure to teach them in Spanish. Luckily, for us they all speak Spanish as a first language and then they also learn Kechewa, the indigenous language, in school and at home. I am really enjoying playing with the little tiny ones, ages 1-4! They are so adorable and well behaved. I think they are calmer and more obedient than the older kids, more from fear of how strange and foreign we seem.

I am going back to the village today, Tuesday the 25th, and won´t be returning until April 5th. No internet access until then...but when I come back I will post some great photos and stories. I hope everyone had a nice, relaxing Easter holiday and that wherever you are it is warming up, Spring is on its way!
Peace and love, ciao! xo

Couchsurfing the World Wide Web

2008-03-13T09:05:00.001-07:00

Forget hotels and hostels- travelers across the world are using the internet to find a couch to crash on, gratis! I first heard about this amazing community called couchsurfing, one year ago, from a friend I met in Mexico. I logged on to www.couchsurfing.com and was amazed to read profiles and stories from people who had traveled the world, saving tons of money and meeting cool people, as a “couchsurfer”. I was even more intrigued by the people who rarely traveled, but loved hosting other travelers in their homes.
The site's instructions are simple- sign up, create a profile, plan a trip and send an email to potential hosts, or offer to host some surfers yourself.
The most common question: is it safe? Couchsurfing has safety features, based on each member leaving references about experiences with other surfers and a system to verify names and addresses. Whether looking for a place to sleep or a brief chat over coffee, this no-strings-attached online network is a constructive and fun way to connect with travelers and learn about places off the beaten path.
There are currently half a million couchsurfers living in over 200 countries! The top ten couchsurfing cities include our very own Toronto and Montreal and there are even nine members in Sault Ste Marie. I have couchsurfed with over thirty people from Mexico down to Ecuador and couchsurfing has certainly changed the way I travel. I no longer travel to visit places, but to meet people!
In the last week alone, I have been welcomed into three separate homes with hosts from three completely different walks of life. In Bogota, Columbia I stayed with Mauricio, a humble 37 year-old bachelor, who gave me an amazing tour of the city, shared meals with my boyfriend and I and took us on a fabulous day-trip to surrounding colonial towns.
Four days later, I found myself in rural Ecuador staying on a beautiful farm with the Stevez family. They opened their home and hearts to us, cooked us some typical Ecuadorian meals and introduced us to their hospitable relatives. We visited some beautiful lakes, trails and farms and even went for a jog in a nearby village, with their teenage son.
Presently, I am couchsurfing in the capital city of Ecuador with 57 year-old Jaime Nunez and his family. Jaime is an engineer in Quito, but in his spare time he loves to travel and share the beauty of his country with fellow couchsurfers.
Over the Christmas holidays I was home in the Soo and my wonderful parents Jacquie and Rick Wood, who have always raised me to share and embrace life, allowed me to host my first couchsurfer. Dave Smaller, a Canadian Ambassador for the site, came to stay with us before driving across Canada to promote his fair-trade organization.
Couchsurfing has provided me with a community of like-minded individuals who want to promote genuine friendship and an open door policy. I know there are many communities out there like CS, groups that open their hearts and minds and enjoy providing a safe space to learn, love and grow.
Couchsurfers believe that the surfing of couches is a means to making the world a better place. It’s not just about the furniture or free accommodation, but participating in a cultural exchange that helps to build trust and meaningful human connections. If this has intrigued you, please log on to the site and you too can make connections from around the world!

Step Into Columbia!

2008-02-23T16:59:00.001-08:00

Stereotypical Columbia: coffee, cocaine, jungles and the possibility of guerillas lurking around the corner...
I just returned from an incredible six day group trek in the Columbian jungle where I, indeed, passed by coffee and cocaine fields before hiking to the ruins of Ciudad Perdida (literally the ‘Lost City’), set deep within a cloud forest. Ciudad Perdida is one of the largest pre-Columbian towns discovered in the Americas. Built between the 11th and 14th centuries by the Tayrona indigenous peoples, who were later exterminated by the Spaniards, this precious urban center was deserted and concealed by lush jungle vegetation. Only discovered again in 1975, the Lost City is now accessible to tourists via a six day hiking adventure.
At the entrance to the national reserve my hiking group was handed fliers with a description and picture of a wanted guerilla terrorist! Luckily, we only encountered a handful of travelers, and several indigenous families, along the trail.
Much of the trek is quite steep; taking a 100-meter ascent only to find that you must descend right away and then go right back up around the next corner. Six days of rigorous hiking certainly took a toll on my body and I was happy to retreat to mosquito netted hammocks each evening, which were hung in small shelters built alongside the path.
After several death-defying river crossings, clinging to a rope as my legs were battered by the strong currents, I was left feeling a bit weak and shaky. On one particularly difficult trail I tripped over some jagged stones, lost my balance and was sent soaring over a steep cliff with a 40-meter drop! Fortunately, some sturdy roots caught me square in the stomach, saving me from tumbling downhill. With my fresh new scrapes and multi-coloured bruises I continued scrambling over rocks and battling through rivers until I reached the legendary 1200 Steps. These intimidating, mossy, stone stairs rise from the river leading up to the enchanting Lost City.
Every one of those steps was worth it! Enclosed by a curtain of fog, we entered the mysterious Ciudad Perdida. Hand-carved stone terraces, which once served as foundations for the houses, loomed around every corner whispering the forgotten stories of an ancient tribe. The haze created a mystical atmosphere as we trudged along towards our camp for the evening.
By morning the fog had lifted and the enormity of the Tayrona metropolis was revealed. Leading the hike, our guide Ender, enlightened us with his extensive knowledge into the lives of this lost culture. Among these numerous facts we learned that the Tayronas had built their city at an altitude of 1300 meters in order to be closer to their Gods; the moon, the stars, the sun and, most importantly, poison dart frogs!
Back from my jungle trek, sipping a steaming cup of Columbian coffee, and waiting for my sore muscles and bug bites to heal, I contemplate the lost Tayrona society and the forgotten lives that once lived in harmony with this land. During my travels I have become conscious of the narrow-minded stereotypes placed upon this country and will never again associate Columbia with only coffee, cocaine and guerilla warfare. After this week long trek I am left to consider the abundance of lost stories that, if revealed, could facilitate the shattering of stereotypes and tell the vibrant tale of a land, now known as Columbia.

The Flavour of Venezuela

2008-02-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Down a crowed street, near the center of Merida, Venezuela I am indulging in one of my favourite pastimes: eating ice cream. However, what I am eating is far from any old, commonplace flavour - mushrooms with wine ice cream! Here in Heladeria Coromoto, a Guinness World Record ice-cream parlor, there are over 800 flavours! Among the wacky varieties you can try tuna, Guinness beer, chicken and pasta or even one titled Canada, although I’m not too sure what Canada is suppose to taste like…
Merida is an energetic town, seated in the valley of the surrounding Andes. As a major center for outdoor enthusiasts, Merida attracts tourists and Venezuelans from near and far to its friendly, tranquilo environment. My boyfriend and I are enjoying day-trips to the neighboring towns where old villages sprinkle the mountain side.

San Rafael de Mucuchies is my favourite because of its artistic history and peaceful atmosphere. There you will find a striking stone chapel built by Juan Felix Sanchez (1900-97), one of the most famous artists of Venezuela. Sanchez, an artist, philosopher, and architect, became famous for constructing sacred places where he utilized rocks to form his artwork.

After a sunny picnic lunch near the chapel, we discovered that our money had been misplaced. Without the funds to take the local bus we found ourselves sticking out our thumbs near the exit of town. I have hitchhiked frequently in developing countries, but it is always a nerve racking experience the first time in an unfamiliar place. Luckily, after fifteen minutes, we landed ourselves a ride. Every time a thoughtful driver extends their kindness I vow to help hitchhikers when and if I own a car in the future. It is a horrible feeling to be stranded, to be dependent on someone else’s charity. Nonetheless, throughout my travels I have always found people who, even when they have nothing to give, extend to me their compassion.
Our friendly driver, Omar, a cardiovascular surgeon, was born and raised in the surrounding mountain towns and had numerous stories to colour our two hour drive back to Merida. Meandering down the windy mountain road I caught snippets of village life. I saw farmers pushing their ox and yoke over green fields, naked children tottering after farmyard animals and women snapping damp laundry to dry in the sun. This lively, spirited way of life enveloped me while the amazing generosity of Omar warmed my soul.
Despite the fact that the big cities of Venezuela were impressive it will be the small, eclectic villages that I will remember most. If I were to imagine Venezuela as an ice cream flavour it would have to encompass the fresh mountain air with a hint of the green pastures, complete with a sun-drenched, velvety finish.

Couchsurfing the Beach!!!

2008-01-31T10:45:00.000-08:00

We spent last weekend in Mochima National Park in Venezuela with a group of 15 couchsurfers, mainly from Venezuela, and a couple of Europeans. We had a blast on our secluded island camping, swimming, basking in the sunshine and sharing yummy foods. Here´s a couple of pics from our wonderful beach weekend:

This is the big group, energetic group before we loaded up the boats to head to our private oasis.

At the beach: Ricardo, me, Ricky, Deby and Alexandra.

This is our amazing host and couchsurfing friend Aarron! He hosted us at his family´s home and every time we turned around they were showering us with overwhelming kindness. Their house was a gorgeous array of his father´s artist talents from paintings, sculptures, big, airy open spaces and antique collections hung on the walls. We stayed in the daughter's room, who was away in India for three months. Her bed was a pre-colonial antique bed and her room was adorned in Indochinese decorum. We felt like we were staying in a museum! The garden was incredible with everything from jungle plants, parrots, mosaic benches and orchids. What a treat to stay with such genuine, giving people!

Ricky´s favourite Venezuelan cervesa! Solera by Polar Inc.

We are currently in gorgeous Merida, a mountain town far from the Caribbean coast. We´ll be here until Monday celebrating Carnaval! Viva Venezuela!!! We are Columbia bound next week. Hasta luego. xoxo

Venezuela: a land of contradictions

2008-01-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

Caracas is my first South American capital, a love-it-or-hate-it kind of city, a place where terracotta slums expand up the surrounding hillsides met by stunning valleys and prominent modern architecture. Dizzying political tensions infiltrate every aspect of daily life, yet the weekend brings throngs of Venezuelans to the gorgeous coastal beaches to party and relax.

I traveled Central America alone last year and I am now psyched to continue my Latin American adventures, this year with my boyfriend. Life on the road certainly has its trials - the sight of devastating poverty, the arduous task of finding a cheap, safe hotel and continuously asking for directions, all the while wondering who is trying to rip you off and who is genuinely being helpful. Traveling over the last several years has allowed me to test my limits, to seek out cultures and habitats alien to my cushy Canadian way of life.

My first week here has left me with mixed emotions and a whirlwind of questions. It seems like for every delightful experience or kind-hearted person I encounter, I am met by an equal amount of sneering glances and crooked intentions. When I first arrived at the international airport I was bombarded by a crowd of frantic taxi drivers and money changers, all shouting their services at me, competing for my foreign funds. I had four hours to wait for my boyfriend to arrive and I felt timid amidst this sea of intimidating men. Luckily, I met a kind, English-speaking Venezuelan woman, who helped me exchange my US currency, book a hotel and figure out the frustrating vending machine system. I was incredibly grateful for her help and unabashed friendliness.

However, the following evening, after a delightful dinner downtown Caracas, I quickly learnt not to expect such genuine kindness around every corner. At 6:30 pm, one block from our hotel, we were stopped by a policeman, who was quickly joined by his two cohorts. They interrogated us about where we had been and why we were not carrying our passports. Hungry and unaware that corrupt officers were looming, we had ventured out for dinner and had not thought to bring our documents. They fired more questions at us and even searched us for drugs! We anxiously lead them down the street to our hotel where we showed them our passports and awaited our verdict. Before leaving they demanded all the cash in my boyfriend’s pocket. We felt violated but we were not about to argue with three hostile, gun-carrying policemen. What is happening in a country when the supposed law enforcers rob your trust and hinder your security?

These two incidents demonstrate the polar opposite vibes I am experiencing here. In the last two weeks every experience has either been exceptionally positive or particularly negative. I have seen the prominent scars of neglect and corruption on the streets, yet I have also met some extraordinarily compassionate people who have opened their hearts and showed me the splendor of Venezuela.

Adios Costa Rica!

2007-11-06T19:03:00.000-08:00

It's hard to say goodbye to a place, it doesn't exactly hug back...

Before our alarm clocks ring, while we are still snug in our beds, the world is alive right outside the window! After missing the early bus Monday I managed to rise on time and catch the 5 am bus Tuesday, to the capital of Costa Rica. Feeling heavy with sleep and sadness I shuffled to the dirt road to meet the bus. My head felt fuzzy and my heart ached, but Mother Nature could care less! She is fully awake and more vibrant than ever! I couldn't believe how much activity was going on, that early, right outside my door. Nature is grooving at 5am, marvillosa!

Brilliant flowers and birds burst around me. Grey clouds turn pink, while chickens peak at the yard and my puppy friend plays at my feet, not aware of our rapidly approaching separation. The little, chubby yellow birds that I see everyday are perched along the fence, a regal salute before I wave down the San Jose bound bus. I can also smell citrus and cilantro rising with the sun. And was that a faint whiff of pinto, I caught, being prepared by the great mothers of Sandalo? Mi comida favorita!

Scarlett macaws and parrots squawk above while howler monkeys growl in the distance, a sound I was longing to hear, one last time.

The nine hour bus trip is long and intense, but I fought off sleep to take in the glorious sights and to breathe in the rain forest that was my home for a season. Layers upon layers of green, a blur from my bus window seat. It has rained all day, almost every day in October and the jungle is now in full force. Today the sky is steel blue, while a light fog rolls off the mountains in the distance, clinging to the surrounding cloud forests.

Costa Rica is a very hard place to leave. The last 4 months have been bliss and I will greatly miss all the wondrous sights, tranquilo way of life and all the loving people who have touched my soul.

While explaining where I lived to a woman I traveled with in Panama, she remarked, "You live in a magical place at a wonderful time, soak it in!" And I did. This magical place and time will forever live with me. If you fancy a glimpse, just ask.

Tonight I will be couchsurfing with my good friend Cyril, the ambassador for Costa Rica. Tomorrow I am Nicaragua bound, another land and people with so much beauty to offer. I will then be making my way Northeast to explore El Salvador and visit an orphanage. Lastly, on November 15th I will arrive in Guatemala City where I will be surfing more couches and partying at a big music festival in Panajachel! November 21st I will be flying home, a week in Toronto and then up to The Soo to try and make some money and join in the family festivities before continuing my adventures in Latin America.

Adios Costa Rica! Te quiero mucho y pura vida!!!

Sloth Action!

2007-10-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Meet Buttercup, a 15 year old 3-fingered sloth. She was the first sloth to be rescued by the owners of the sanctuary. She has lived with them for a decade and has met hundreds of thousands of curious tourists. Buttercup is a big showoff and dreams to one day escape to join the circus!

Meet Millie, a sleepy two-toed sloth who likes to cover herself with a towel to block out the light during her 18 hours of sleep a day.

This is Toyota, a lucky 3-fingered sloth who lost an arm when she was badly burnt by an electric wire. Sloths often climb telephone poles because they look like trees. Luckily, Toyota was taken to the Sloth Rescue Center in Costa Rica and now lives a life of leisure and fame.

Sloth babies are adorable! I spent 5 hours at the Sloth Sanctuary and fell in love with every one of these fascinating creatures. Since we are in Central America we got to play with them. It was bliss, I didn't want to leave. Some of them have lost their Moms, fallen out of trees, been found on the highway or have been tormented by kids who don't know any better.
The babies don't have Moms so they are put together to comfort each other. There aren't any teats to suck on so they suck on each others ears while they sleep! It is so CUTE! This is Taz suckling on Annie´s ear.

Sloth contact! Meet my favourite sloth, Taz! He was super soft and very playful.

Crazy claws!

Ricky hanging out with Piffany, of the 2-fingered variety. Piffany was eagerly awaiting the return of her friend who was being fed lunch close by. The vets figured out that, while sloths are solitary creatures, they really enjoy each others company and when they grow-up together they cry and become depressed when they are separated!

Oh, it is a good life! Sloths are the only animal I can think of that always have a smile on their face! I gots to get me a sloth!!!

COUCHSURFING

2007-09-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

¨As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to make the world a better place, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing isn't about the furniture- it's not just about finding free accommodations around the world- it's about participating in creating a better world. We strive to make a better world by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!¨

Trust, friendship and a couch or a similar space to crash for the night-these are the fundamental ingredients for any Couchsurfer. I have found an amazing community of travelers with a group called Couchsurfers. I heard about CS from a guy I met in a hostel in Mexico. I logged on to www.couchsurfing.com to check out what the fuss was all about. I was amazed to read profiles and stories from people who had traveled the world as a couchsurfer. I was even more intrigued by the people who rarely traveled but loved hosting other travelers in their homes.
CS was started by an American guy named Casey Fenton, who got a cheap ticket to Iceland for a long weekend. There was one problem: he had no place to stay and no desire to rot in a hotel all weekend and play Mr. Tourist. So, he came up with the 'brilliant' idea of spamming over 1500 Icelandic students in Reykjavik and asking them if he could crash on one of their couches. After exchanging emails with many of the students, he had several groups of friends offer to show him 'their' Reykjavik. So, after spending an amazing, crazy weekend just south of the Arctic Circle, Casey decided he would never again get trapped in a hotel and tourist marathon while traveling. From that point onward, it was all about crashing on exotic couches and cultural exchange. And, thus, the CouchSurfing Project was born.
When I first discovered this interesting community, in Mexico, I was a little hesitant. I started slowly by emailing people and just meeting up for coffee or a meal. I didn’t feel comfortable going into a strange home. It was great to meet local people, get suggestions for things to do around town and even practise my Spanish from time to time. It wasn’t until I arrived in Costa Rica that I really dove in and started staying at people’s homes and surfing couches.
The mission of CS is simple:
"CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding."
I have met so many wonderful people in San Jose through Couchsurfing. Last month I stayed with the CS Ambassador of Costa Rica and he introduced me to his couchsurfing friends. His job doesn’t allow for him to travel very much but he says he feels like the world comes to him instead as couchsurfers share his home, space and social life for a few days at a time.
Is CS safe? This is a very common question with many answers. There are several precautionary measures in place for surfers and hosts. There is a verification system and a strong network of references. Also, everyone wants to be able to be part of CS and if they abuse the system or act outside of the CS mandate then it is the other couchsurfer´s duty to post a bad reference to warn other surfers.

I know there are many communities out there like CS, groups that open their hearts and minds, to share a part of themselves and provide a safe space to learn, love and grow. You probably have many similar types of groups and foundations in your very own hometowns. It could be the local farmer’s market, a church, a school, a sports team or your local coffee shop hang out. I feel now, more than ever, we need to join and reach out to these types of communities in order to ground ourselves and find ways to renew our conviction in human trust and friendship.
Travelling can often be lonely and it seems harder to find true friends. Couchsurfing has provided me with a neighborhood of like-minded individuals who want to promote genuine friendship and an open door policy. They have renewed my faith in the human race! For many years I have cursed technology, stubbornly refusing to adapt to the rapid changes around me. But now I can see how, even in a small way, the Internet and technology can provide me with an opportunity to get closer to people and meet some really caring individuals. I am looking forward to couchsurfing throughout South America next year.

2007-08-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

Crocodile infested rivers, fire breathing insects, wild pigs, poison dart frogs, four kinds of monkeys, all complete with the mythical jungle-roaming tapir. Welcome to the rugged Corvocado National Park, the Amazon of Costa Rica!
I spent the Costa Rican Mother’s Day long weekend in the National Park with my boyfriend Ricky. Despite some anxiety ridden moments we had a blast and enjoyed the three days of hiking and exploring this gorgeous rain forest reserve. Along with phenomenal seclusion and splendor the park is described by National Geographic as “the most biologically intense place on earth” and is listed in the book A Thousand Places To Go Before You Die!
Saturday we took a three hour collectivo taxi to Carate, an entrance town to the national park and then hiked 20 kilometers on primitive trails, through the jungle and along the Pacific’s coastal beaches towards the Sierna Ranger Station. We spotted many squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys and my personal favourite the white faced capuchin monkeys playing and eating high up in the trees tops. Later we came across a timid anteater, a dove, vultures, and dozens of coati (raccoon-like animals), a herd of peccaries (sharp-toothed wild pigs), bats, tons of scarlet macaws, and last but not least two enchanting tapirs. The tapir is a fascinating, ground dwelling, plant eating creature. The Baird tapir is a mixture of elephant, rhinoceros, pig and horse! There are approximately 200-300 tapirs left in the national park and are hard to find since they rely on concealment as a form of defense. They leave huge, three-toed tracks in the mud and on forest trails throughout the reserve, but after many tracking attempts over the second and third days we could not find any more. I feel privileged to have spotted, if only briefly, the adult and juvenile tapirs crossing the trail and running for cover back into the dense, wild jungle.
Unfortunately, the planned 20 km hike turned into 25 kms due to poorly marked trails and our constant searches for good locations to cross the high rivers. We were warned about high tides that made the rivers impassable because of water levels, crocodile activity and sharks that cruise the inshore waters… Needless to say I was a bit apprehensive. Luckily we crossed at waist-high depths just before the tidal waves flooded the river.
After a wrong turn I accidentally brushed up against a fern swarming with flame throwing ants! Ok, ok, a bit of an exaggeration, but those nasty inferno ants had a mighty, fiery bite that is still lingering three days later!
We lost our way several times but made it to the ranger station just as twilight became night and before the worry of predators, mainly snakes and big cats such as the jaguar, let our imaginations run wild. To top it all off, during a badly needed shower, at the ranger station, I was stung by a vicious wasp. It may seem like a horrible day to some, but I will look back on August 18th, 2007 with fond memories of amazing animal sightings and great adventures.
Needless to say after a 430 am start and an 8 hour day of hiking I was very happy to settle into our bunk house, change into dry clothes and scarf down some pasta salad before falling sound asleep beneath a mosquito-netted canopy.
The next day we went on some easy hikes around the ranger station and along the beach where we saw huge, beautiful trees entangled in thick, maze-like root systems, hundreds of different butterflies, tons of birds, lizards, screeching parrots, monkeys and a cute little agouti, a cat-size rodent related to the guinea pig. The third day we hiked out at a rapid pace through a torrential downpour that lasted the whole 6 hours of our walk. We didn’t spot many animals because of how much the rain obscured our vision, but we had lots of fun singing silly songs about rain, splashing through huge puddles/creeks and having our picnic lunch in a small cave by the raging ocean. What a fantastic, adrenalin charged weekend! Now I am back in my little wooden shack 50 kms from those bio-diverse trails but only 10 km from another entrance to The Corvocado National Park. Guess where I’m going this coming weekend?!

No Longer Homeless!

2007-08-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

This has been a very exciting month, thus far. I now have a home in Costa Rica! I moved in Monday and have been busy cleaning and organizing my new place. I live in a little village called Barria Bonito, close to the main town of Puerto Jimenez in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. I live beside the wonderful Valerin-Jimenez family. Jenny (Mom), Javier (her husband), and Jenny´s two daughters Tatiana (8 years old) and Elizabeth (7 years old). They have been very good to me, providing me with all the things I need and some that I don´t, like last night they dropped off some delicious fish soup!

My little cabin has a cute porch, a big kitchen, a little room + bed, a bathroom (with hot watter! a rarity) and a gorgeous yard surrounded by the jungle. Below you will find a picture of me with my little puppy Osita. I say mine because I am slowly manipulating her to come live with me! Her name means little bear in Spanish. Osita´s Mom was hit by a car a week ago and her brothers and sisters have been given away to other families nearby. She lives in a box in the garage and is very timid. People here don´t tend to keep house pets so it would be selfish of me to house-train her since I am leaving in three months. Either way we are quickly becoming good friends and enjoy reading and taking siestas together on my porch during the lazy afternoons.

I live in the jungle of Costa Rica, how cool is that! Nothing posh, but to me it´s paradise. I have also started teaching English twice a week to an 19 year old girl here who is best friend´s with my neighbour. As far as payment goes we are trading language for language. She is just starting off with the basics in English and I need a lot of practise with conversational Spanish, a great deal for both of us. Her name is Rosaria and she has a really cute, fat 3 month old baby named Natalie.

I need to make some money since my funds have become very thin. I am trying to get an art project started here. I want to make touristy cards, using my photographs, to sell to tourists. Once I get my project up and running I will write more and tell you of my progress.

If you have a week vacation coming up and would like to explore Costa Rica I would love to show you around. It is such a beautiful country, with wonderful people, relatively cheap and easy to fly to from North America. I live a 40 minute flight from San Jose, the capital, and it only costs about $50. In case any of you feel inspired to send me some snail mail or, even better to come and visit me, here is my Costa Rican address: Michelle Laporte, c/o: Jennifer Valerin-Jimenez, Puerto Jimenez, Golfito #35, Costa Rica

Exotic Animals in Costa Rica

2007-07-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

The elusive quetzal! I have been looking for this guy for 5 months and finally spotted him at The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica. The quetzal is a very colourful, long-tailed bird that hides out in the Americas and is often held as the most beautiful bird in the Western Hemisphere! The quetzal is also the national bird of Guatemala and so prized that they coined their units of money after this glorious bird.

Tree hugging in Manuel Antonio National Park! This is a sloth, my new favourite animal.
I was following a well-marked path in Manuel Antonio on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica when I saw a group of tourists starring up into a huge tree. When I got closer I realized they had spotted a sloth, a brown fuzzy blur, high above our heads. The sloth seemed to be asleep and the crowd soon dispersed, more interested in the surrounding beaches. My Irish friend Sharon and I stayed behind and were in awe because we had yet to encounter a sloth on our hiking adventures. We were in for a treat when this two-toed, male sloth made his way down the tree and to the ground in front of us. When I took this picture I was 3 feet from this enchanting creature!

You need a bit more information to understand the rarity of this opportunity. Firstly, sloths only come to the ground about once a week. They live most of their lives hanging upside down in trees, where they eat, sleep, mate and give birth. Secondly, sloths are nocturnal animals and sleep approximately 18 hours a day! They are hunted by jaguars, eagles and people and so they are very cautious about making their decent to the jungle floor once a week to defecate beneath their cecropia tree. They eat the leaves of the cecropia tree and it is believed that they defecate at the base in order to fertilize the trees that sustain them. The great circle of life!
Sloths are the slowest mammals on Earth and get their name from their lack of speed, not laziness, as it is commonly believed. We were entranced by the sloth´s tai-chi like movements as he meditatively made his way down to the ground. A truly beautiful and mesmerizing performance to witness.

The dazzling, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, an engineering marvel! Outside a cafe, in Monteverde, I relaxed in the Hummingbird Gallery where hundreds of hummingbirds flocked to drink the sweet water hung in feeders for them. Hummingbirds have always fascinated me. Their wings beat about 80 times per second and fly 850-1600 km during migration from Canada to Mexico or Central America, non-stop! Phenomenal!

This is Not a Postcard

2007-07-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

How many times a day do we feel complete and utter happiness? How many times a year or a lifetime?

Today I was sitting, reading, having a coffee in a cafe in Tortuguero, Costa Rica when happiness washed over me and hovered. The coffee was good and the ambience was pleasant, but real (palm trees, puffy pillows scattered around the cafe, yet an Imperial beercan floated by on the river). The tiniest flower I have ever seen rested on my table, until a breeze lifted it away.
I was reading Fugitive Pieces, a poetic novel by Anne Michaels. Healthy and alert with caffine running through my veins. There was love and peace in my heart, nothing could spoil that moment and I had full control as I basked in its rarity.
Tortuguero does not have a pretty beach and I would not want it any other way. No one was on the black sand with me and no one was swimmming or sunbathing on this gloomy day. The waves were fierce and the water murky with warnings of sharks and barricudas.
This is not a postcard. The water is not turquiose or azul or any other shade of ¨brochure blue¨. It is perfect and I am happy. Why do I cringe and back away from postcard promises? Why do they stir anxiety in me? I do not believe they are real. Because I think they are made to be what we have come to want and call beautiful?
The crashing waves are soothing with no particular rythum. Everything is impermanent. This feeling will pass, I will drink all of my coffee and this beach will disappear into the sea. But for now, en ese momento, life is good and so I will savour it, breath in.
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I have jeans and privacy! These are two things I have been craving. I bought jeans a couple of days ago for $4. The front button was missing but I had one put on for 0.20 cents... Magic happens in the marketplace! No city, town or world should ever be without a market.
And privacy---oh the luxury! How do people find time for themselves here? They don´t and have never had the chance. I travel sola, yet I am never alone and it is often a battle to find space to think or write or be silent. Here, in Tortuguero, I have my own room and washroom for $15 and it is glorious! This is the most I have spent on a room, but it was worth it these last two days.
I catch myself thinking back to ¨A Room of One´s Own¨, by Virgina Woolf. This article has stayed with me through the years and her thesis is so simple: in order to create and find inner joy we must have a room where we can think and enough money to provide for ourselves.
On Canada Day I asked my friends and family what Canada meant to them. There was a common thread in the email replies that I recieved. Our home and native land is blessed with space, lots of space. And those lucky enough, with the proper means, are afforded the luxury to enjoy those beautiful spaces. I had never considered this blessing before, but am rapidly realizing the splendor of space during the course of my travels. Elbowroom and headroom cost money. The majority of people in Central America and in the world cannot afford spaciousness. We can survive without our own space but we cannot thrive.

Happy Birthday to me!

2007-07-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, thanks for all the birthday wishes. It was nice to wake up to read tons of emails from everyone and it helped me feel connected to everyone back home. For my birthday I hiked a gorgeous waterfall on the island of Ometepe, Nicragua. I also woke up to a cute card made by my Irish friend Sharon. She collected things from around our hostal and created a very crafty little message. I then had a delicious breakfast of gallo pinto, my favourite dish in Nicaragua. After brunch we hitched a ride from some friendly locals in the back of a pickup truck all the way to the San Ramon Waterfall. It was a peaceful, misty walk complete with more butterflies than I could have ever imagined to exist in one rainforest. There were clouds of them!

Sharon and I travelled off the island later that day and went to celebrate my big day in a tiny beach town called San Juan del Sur. I had a fantastic, fresh fish dinner and a couple of Tonas (the local brew). A perfect birthday!

I am now in beautiful Monteverde, Costa Rica where there are more shades of green than I can comprehend! Stories and pictures to follow in a day or so. Hasta luego!

Double Double

2007-06-29T18:50:00.001-07:00

Happy Canada Day! Just a quick shout out to my fellow Canucks. While you relax with your 2-4's, go camping or attend a bbq I'll be hiking a volcano, here in Nicaragua. Unfortunately, there aren't many Canadians around but I will do my best and finish my trek with a nice cold one. There aren't any Steamwhistles or Keiths around...Tona or Victoria are the brews of choice.

I am curious what everyone is up to for the holiday and interested what you think being Canadian is all about or for my readers abroad, what do you think being Canadian means? What is the first image that pops into your mind when you think about Canada? A moose? Beer? Lumberjacks? The Canadian Flag? The beaver on the nickel? Voyageurs? Bonhomme (or Mr.Bon Soo)? Hockey?

While Canada is about so much more than furry animals, hardy outdoorsmen and tasty beverages, we often boil our image down to one of these symbols. Canada has grown as a country. Are there new symbols that better represent who we are? Chinatowns, Macaroni and Cheese or Tim Hortons?!

What do you think? Have a good weekend, EH?

Leon, Nicaragua

2007-06-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

Casa de Cultura, where I studied Spanish.

Camping in the old volcanic crater, last weekend, surrounded by horses. ¡Que bonita!

A gorgeous sunset at Volcan Telica!

No Name.

2007-06-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Maybe he said, ¨can you spare some change?¨, ¨please help me, Miss¨, or perhaps, ¨you have very beautiful eyes, my dear¨, when he grabbed my arm in the market today. I don´t know because I couldn´t understand his rapid, slurred Spanish. I just pulled away, without making eye contact and mumbled the ever-ready, lo siento, I´m sorry.

Why couldn´t I look him in the eye? Why are we sorry?

Later, the same day, a nice, clean, smiling elderly man approached me and spoke rapidly about Leon and the beautiful surrounding villages. He also told me some language differences in Nicaraguan Spanish and then commented on how beautiful my eyes were... Although I couldn´t understand him completley, either, I decided to make conversation and listen to his stories.

Today I am feeling quite guilty, puzzled and a bit sad regarding the shell that is hardening around me. Everyday I have tons of encounters with locals but I dismiss most of them out of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear for my safety, fear of misunderstanding due to the lack of my language comprehension and fear of facing a cold truth. The truth being that poverty, sickness, anger and loneliness surround me.

Nicaragua is not only the largest and most populated (5.5 million) country in Central America, but is also the poorest. War and recurring natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, drought, swells, and volcanic eruptions) have destroyed much of the country’s economic base and caused great human loss.

And so I walk on, head down, perhaps muttering a polite apology, failing to even recognize the other person as a human being, who is asking merely to be seen and understood...

I know I can´t help them all, spare change won´t go far. Will eye contact, a smile, some kind words or even my time, provide any relief? I don´t know the answer, but I do feel somewhat ashamed at my constant knee-jerk reactions.

No one would ever wish or ask to be poor, sick or lonely. No one wants to beg, but millions, billions do everyday, who must, in order to survive.

Blue Creek Village

2007-06-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile...I really want to share, with you, my experiences in the Maya village so I will try to paint you a picture of this peaceful Belizean community.

When I first arrived I was overwhelmed and felt so happy to be far away from the beach life I had been surrounded by for several weeks. The journey to the village was an adventure in itself. It took me several hours to figure out transportation and the last leg of the journey I spent in the back of a pickup truck with a funny guy who, I believe, was telling me his life story but he spoke a Maya dialect. Therefore I did not understand a word...he might have just been commenting on the weather, but I will never know. The ride in was breathtaking with lush jungles surrounding the tiny, bumpy, dirt road leading to Blue Creek.

Once inside the village I found my way to the Toledo Ecotourism Association Guesthouse, a small palm-thatched hut that can sleep 8 people but has never reached maximum capacity! I later found out that I was the fourth tourist to visit the village this year, and the first one since the beginning on February!

No tourists, no loud music, no on-the-make Belizean guys and no beach-I found heaven! Just a cool breeze, a creek beside my guesthouse, hundreds of chirping birds, chickens pecking there way through the underbrush, and the distant sounds of the forty-five families that make up Blue Creek.

At night I wrote or read by candle light and took cool showers outside (also with candles) before climbing into my little, quaint little bed complete with a mosquito net canopy. I had a rude awakening when I told Pedro, the owner of the guesthouse, that I thought the village was very beautiful and peaceful. He replied, ¨For me, I don’t know if it is nice, I don’t think it is beautiful anymore. It’s the same thing everyday for me; thatched roofs and wooden houses¨. Poetic and sad.

Just before dinner three, adorable little girls walked hand-in-hand up to my door. They giggled and whispered before they approached and told me that dinner was ready. They quickly named me ¨Michela The Giant¨. I love being considered tall! It’s a whole new world to me. After a delicious meal of tortillas and scrambled eggs I read the kids some books and helped them with their homework. There are seven children in total (Octavia, Leticia, Ophelia, Lavra, Amelvia, Arselia and their brother Alvaro)and they had tons of questions and stories of their own.

The next day Pedro came to collect me for some jungle and caving adventures. We spent over an hour in each cave system; one dry, one wet and I learned a lot from him. Twice we turned off our flashlights and just listened to the sounds in the cave and we heard someone walking around above us, someone whispering and a dog barking. I just figured it was coming from above, outside the cave, but Pedro said he hears similar sounds every time and there could be no way that we would be able to hear outside because we were too deep... eerie.

The rest of the day I had many visits from the villagers. Some were curious children who heard I had a camera and wanted to try it out, others came to welcome me or ask questions about my life back in Canada. I had a very long discussion about scuba diving with a woman who couldn’t understand how a person could breathe underwater and why you would want to with sharks and alligators around! There was also a community scavenger hunt that night and my guesthouse was one of the clues so there was lots of activity swirling around my little private oasis.

I had three very healing days in Blue Creek Village and hope to return near the end of my trip if I have time. I have never felt a part of something so peaceful! What an experience!

After Belize I took the long trek to The Bay of Islands in Honduras, Utila in particular. In Utila I did tons of scuba diving and obtained my Advanced Certification. Another place I would like to return before my time in Central America comes to a close. Utila has some of the cheapest diving packages in the world and I am considering taking the Rescue Diver course.

I quickly wrapped up my travels in Honduras because it doesn’t have a very good reputation for being a safe country. I am now residing in Leon, Nicaragua where I am continuing my adventures with the Spanish language. I plan to take classes for 2-3 weeks here and then go explore big, beautiful Nicaragua before heading south to Costa Rica.

2007-05-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

II, 16

How surely gravity's law,
strong as an ocean current,
takes hold of even the strongest thing
and pulls it toward the heart of the world.

Each thing -
each stone, blossom, child -
is held in place.
Only we, in our arrogance,
push out beyond what we belong to
for some empty freedom.

If we surrendered
to earth's intelligence
we could rise up rooted, like trees.

Instead we entangle ourselves
in knots of our own making
and struggle, lonely and confused.

So, like children, we begin again
to learn from the things,
because they are in God's heart;
they have never left him.

This is what the things can teach us:
to fall,
patiently to trust our heaviness.
Even a bird has to do that
before he can fly.

~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~

Backtrack to Cozumel

2007-05-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

Some of you have been emailing and asking me how my vacation with my parents went so I thought I would backtrack and let you know we had a fantastic time together in Cozumel. Resort life isn't for me but I thoroughly enjoyed the three days I had with Mom and Rick. When I first arrived I was blown away with the prices in Cozumel. Thankfully, I was able to use a bit of Spanish to bargain my way around. I soon forgot about the exuberant costs when I arrived at my parents resort where an abundance of food, air conditioning and hot showers greeted me. It was like Christmas!!!

It was so nice to see my parents! During the day we went scuba diving and at night we relaxed by the pool or went and watched cultural shows that the resort organized. The diving was not what we had expected but still very enjoyable. The highlight for me was a night dive on my last evening in Cozumel. I saw tons of crabs, lobsters, starfish, eels, parrot fish, and an octopus that changed colours as it moved along the reef. At the end of the dive we all sat at the bottom of the ocean, turned off our flashlights and waved our hands around frantically. Odd? Maybe, but this produces a very interesting reaction underwater. Plankton are everywhere and when water swirls around them they get a little bit stressed out and light up. In complete darkness this creates an underwater light show. Very cool!

Scooter Mama! Mom and I rented a scooter to tour the island of Cozumel and had a blast. Traffic on the island can be a bit crazy but Mom maneuvered her way around like a pro. We went downtown and then scooted along the coast where gorgeous beaches abound. We found ourselves a tranquil spot and went for a little swim. We hadn't exactly planned for the beach so we didn't have any swim gear with us. That couldn't stop these gutsy women! How many people can say they have been scuba diving with their Mom, ridden a motorcycle or scooter with her and gone topless with her at the beach?! I have a very cool Mother.

We also stopped for a Caribbean size margarita at a bar called Coconuts. This bar gives out free drinks to women who show off their "coconuts". Private beach OK, public bar-that's where we draw the line. As you can see from my picture, full price for these ladies. :) They actually had a huge stack of photo albums at the bar in case you wanted to take a gander at all the women who had participated over the years... Far from Cancun, but still playing the same games.

You Better Belize It!

2007-05-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Yeah corny, I know, but hey it's the tourist bureau's slogan here in beautiful Belize. I had an amazing time on the three day sailing trip from Caye Caulker to Placencia last week. The trip was even better than I imagined. It was very low key and laid back but I was with such a great group of people and the crew, weather, and food were more than incredible.

The group consisted of a Swiss couple who just got married in Guatemala after their year long volunteer project. They are social workers back home and really sweet, down to earth people. Then there was a couple from Vancouver who I didn't really talk with much because they kind of just cuddled and slept most of the journey. Then another couple, John from Philly and his gf, Saskia, from San Diego. They were on the trip as part of their 10 day vacation to see each other since she was volunteering in Belize for a year while he finished his Master's, with a focus on the effects of Global Warming, in Paris.

Then there was Susan, a Civil Engineer from Saskatoon. She's volunteering at a water filter project in Honduras and had to come up to Belize to renew her visa....hard life, eh? She has just discovered the wonderful world of yoga and meditation so we had some very interesting conversations. Then there was good ol' Joe from San Fransisco, who was in Belize for a week to escape the 9-5 grind before going home and looking for another temp job. Also aboard, were two Czech girls who were really fun to party with during our rum punch night the first evening.

My favourite little group was a Canadian family who now reside in Kamloops, BC but grew up in the Soo! Russ and Wendy are a very interesting, active couple who have done all sorts of travelling and eco-challenges around the world. Wendy was one of the top female athletes in Canada! They have a little 2 1/2 year old named Bree who was just the smartest kid I have ever met. Wendy is quite intelligent herself and came down to Belize 2 weeks before her family to conduct grassland research with her 20 PhD students. Russ runs an outfitter's store and had all sorts of cool gadgets.

Last but not least, we have sleeping Mike. He has now fully embraced the laid back lifestyle of the Caribbean. At the beginning of the sailing trip he was eager to learn about sailing and fishing but soon found his calling on the top deck. :)

Mmmm dinner! Meet Captian Miguel who caught most of our meals during the trip and kept the boat on course. The crew consisted of three fun Belizan sailor's who also happen to be amazing cooks. They caught barracuda for us during the day and cooked up a storm for us at night.
During the day we relaxed on the deck, took snorkel breaks and visited tiny little islands along the way. At night we camped on isolated islands and drank a few too many rum punches. I was really happy with the trip and surprised at the great group we found ourselves.
We sailed into Placencia, Belize on Thursday. Placencia is a quiet beach town with a predominantly Caribbean feel. Belize is the only country in Central America where reggae is more common than salsa. I had a great opportunity to hear some great live reggae and I was even able to attend two Garifuna drum shows where Black Caribs beat out some funky tunes. After a hard day at the beach, we retreated to the popular hangout called The Tipsy Tuna. The drink menu was five times greater than the food menu, but both were equally satisfying.
There is a specialty side dish in Belize that always makes me giggle. To accompany your meal you always have the choice of either rice and beans or beans and rice. Yes, there is a difference: rice and beans ae served separately while beans and rice are cooked and mixed together!
Tomorrow I bus to Blue Creek Village, a Maya pueblo close to Punta Gorda. Belize has a great ecotourism association that sets up village stays in order to allow traveller's the opportunity to get beyond superficial sightseeing. I am looking forward to meeting some locals, trying traditional foods and living amidst the beauty of the region for a few days before heading back to the beach lifestyle. This time next week I will be in Utilia, Honduras where I plan to take my advanced scuba diving certification. Until then, RESPECT, mon!

Seafood and Karoke

2007-05-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

I have left the touristy coast of Mexico and am now regaining my health in beautiful Belize. I was sick for the past few days, which I blame fully on the resort food in Cozumel, but am feeling healthy and happy once again. Carefree Caye Caulker, where I have spent the last three days, is an island 45 minutes from Belize City.

What is there to do in Caye Caulker? Swim where the island splits in two (fittingly called The Split), sunbath, eat yummy seafood, drink local Belekin beers and to top it all off: sing the night away at the local karaoke bar. Karaoke seems to be a big hit here and we gave it a go a few nights ago with some rather shy Dutch guys. Mike and I chose a couple of songs, but the other two were a little more apprehensive. All in all a really fun night!

Belize is much different than Guatemala and Mexico. We didn't feel very safe in Belize City and were even warned from a guy on a bike not to walk any further down a certain street. People are much more abrupt and in your face than in any country I have experienced. Yet, for the most part they also seem to be very funny, friendly, and outgoing people. Belize has an extraordinary cultural diversity. Creoles make up 60% of the population. They were brought over as slaves by the English from Africa and Caribbean islands in the 16th and 17th centuries. Then there are the Spanish or Mestizos who have descended from some mix of Maya, Mexican, Guatemalan or Europeans. Also lots of Chinese, East Indians, German Mennonites and of course North American immigrants.

A big colourful mix similar to the rainbow of colours one would find in a Toronto or New York subway car---except in Belize, they're all making direct eye contact and talking and laughing with one another!

Tomorrow I set off for a three day sailboat trip down to the south of Belize. I am very excited for the trip because this is a chance to see all the beautiful reefs and islands that make Belize so famous. There will also be lots of opportunity to snorkel, fish, and learn how to sail. We will be catching our own food and sleeping on isolated islands along the way.

I will send pictures soon!

¡La Pais de Jugos!

2007-05-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

It´s simple: put fruit, vegtables or a combination of both and blend. ¡Es facil y inteligente! It´s easy and smart! I know, I know, we have juice bars in Canada and all around the world, but this part of the world has them everywhere. Every restaurant, cafe, and street corner offers a variety of fresh pressed or blended juice (jugos) at very cheap prices. Well, maybe not as cheap as beer.

My favourite blended juice is called Vampiro, meaning vampire. It consists of beet root, orange juice, parsley and grapes. Muy rico! It´s so good! And a great, cheap and healthy way to start the day.

I´m not sure about other areas in the world, but in Canada we have a company called Jugo Juice, which is kind of silly when you realize the Spanish translation would make it simply Juice Juice...anyway just some meaningless trivia for the day.

I am now on the Caribbean coast just south of Playa del Carmen and Cozumel in a small beach town called Tulum. I fled Playa del Carmen after scuba diving one day because it was overrun with resort type ¨touristas¨. Every Mexican I met there congradulated me on my Spanish, which is still very basic, and said how nice it was that I had made an effort to learn their langauge. I have been speaking Spanish as much as I can for the last two months so I was a bit shocked when people in Playa replied in English. And, I understand the average tourist who comes to Mexico for a week or two vacation doesn´t have time to learn Spanish. I hope to continue with Spanish lessons in 4-6 weeks once I am finished with the Caribbean coast and back into the thick of it.

I am very excited to meet up with my parents in Cozumel on Monday! I am staying with them for three days only, porque es muy carro, because it´s very expensive. We will scuba dive for three days and then they will join me in Playa del Carmen for one day before I head to Belize.

All I want for Christmas is a juicer! :) Although, without a juicer there are still many options and combos. Try one out this weekend. Squeeze some oranges, limes and maybe a grapefruit and perfecto, you have yourself a refreshing citrus jugo made with lots of TLC! Have a great weekend everyone! Adios.

Happy Feet in Merida

2007-04-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

I have now arrived in humid, intimidating Merida, located in the Northern Yucatan state of Mexico. We are now entering the hottest season of the year and I have already experienced 40 degree Celsius weather...not enjoyable. The city keeps me busy with a plethora of activities, galleries, libraries and cafes. Today I visited the Gallery of Contemporary Art where I fell in love with an artist named Castro Pacheco. This painting really captures my love of feet!

I also found a great English library here where I have been spending several hours a day reading and relaxing in the gorgeous garden. Monday evening they hold group actitivies for English speakers so I'm going to check out what all the fuss is about.

I will be staying in Merida for a week before heading to the Caribbean coast to meet up with my parents. Merida is full of fun, free activities...really important for me as I budget scuba diving into my trip. Every night live music concerts are held in several of the downtown plazas. I have also tried to learn salsa dancing at my hostel where free lessons are set up for us awkward gringos. Luckily, Nestor, the dance instructor here, is patient and a really cool guy. Tonight after a Latin Jazz show we are going to meet up, hopefully away from the dance floor as it seems I have been born with two left feet. Qué puede usted hacer? What can you do?

San Cristobal de Las Casas

2007-04-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

A tumble of colors, aromas, sounds, and faces greet the senses upon arriving in magical San Cristobal de Las Casas. The city is overflowing with artisans, cafes, organic coffee and produce, colourful old Volkswagen Beatles, great live music and an abundance of international food with a Mexican flare. The perfect city for me! The original plan was only to stay here a few days, but I fell in love with this peaceful, cozy little town and have been here almost two weeks.

The weather here is absolutely perfect. After being up in the northern tropical jungles I was ready for some cool mid to upper 20´s, perfect for walking around. Situated 2200 m above sea level, in the highlands of Mexico, SC experiences very fresh air with a distinct clarity of light.

The hostel I am staying in has a wonderful ambiance and I was able to strike a deal since I was staying so long. I paid $5 (50 pesos) a night which included my room, use of the Internet, kitchen, hot showers, free water, outdoor patios and hammocks and a TV with DVDs. The kitchen was the real selling point for me because I haven´t cooked for myself in 7 weeks. I was even able to whip up some yummy pesto to remind me of home.

San Cristobal is surrounded by stunning valleys, mountains, deep forested areas, awesome waterfalls, deep canyons and an abundance of wildlife. On the outskirts of San Cristobal you will find many indigenous Maya villages, rich in cultural traditions. I was lucky enough to be able to visit San Juan Chamula over the weekend. People from all the surrounding villages walk miles to reach Chamula in order to pray, conduct rituals and seek healing in the main temple.

Religion here is a mixture of Catholicism and Maya Ritual. Chamulas revere St John the Baptist above Jesus Christ; St John's image is more prevalent inside the church. I entered the church and froze immediately. There were thousands of candles (you could feel the heat!) on the floor, tables and alters. Dozens of saints surrounded the large room and families were spread out conducting rituals. The Temple of San Juan is covered in pine needles: the pine tree is an important part of Chamula culture because their towns and villages are surrounded by pine trees. Symbolism is strong as soda is used in rituals, eggs are used to absorb evil; and chickens or turkeys are sacrificed…all of which I saw. While I was fascinated and intrigued I also felt like quite an intruder in a very private, sacred place.

Another highlight of San Cristobal is the famous Na Bolom Museo, meaning "House of the Jaguar". This elegant colonial mansion was most recently owned by a philanthropic couple from Switzerland Gertrude Duby-Blom and her husband Frans Blom who died in 1963. After falling in love with Chiapas, they moved here and spent the rest of their lives exploring, surveying and studying; educating and protecting the local indigenous peoples. Today the house is packed full of their work including photographs (55 000 taken over 4 decades!), archaeological finds, and books.

To my surprise The Banff Mountain Film Festival was in town last weekend! This is their first time showing the festival in the state of Chiapas and luckily they showed a different lineup then what I viewed in Edmonton early this year. ¡Que casualidad!

The colours here are intense and one can get quite swept away by the beauty of San Cristobal and the gorgeous surrounding areas. But, not all that shimmers is gold. There is still tension, nervousness and anger left over from the Zapatista rebellion that surmounted in 1994. The group was formed by Marxist revolutionaries and later indigenous radicals of Chiapas. They have much to rebel against. The state is controlled by nine wealthy families and, particularly in the highlands, the locals have no rights and no security. For more info if you are interested check out:
Link

The love affair ends at 18:20 hours when I depart for Merida, 12 hours north in the great state of Yucatan. I hope to return to San Cristobal de Las Casas near the end of my travels and perhaps volunteer in a nearby village.

¡HASTA LUEGO!

Some Colour for your Weekend

2007-04-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

National Geographic

2007-04-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

As you will notice I have not taken many photographs of Mexicans or Guatemaltecos. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, I do not want to invade their privacy by being like a typical annoying tourist, constantly snapping at anything that catches my eye.

Secondly, I find that while travelling, if I become obsessed with taking pictures, I lose out on many experiences. If my camera is always in front of my eyes I can´t truly see and therefore, I forfeit those moments forever.

I have fallen in love with these beautiful, vibrant countries and the wonderful people I meet. Guatemala and Mexico are rich and diverse countries, full of opportunities for photographers. The age old question becomes, ¨to shoot or not to shoot¨?

A camera can take on a different role for different people. Some people simply want to have a visual record of where they´ve been for future viewing or to share with friends and family. Others see photography as an art form. They try to capture their surroundings and see the people and places around them more clearly.

I´ve also met people who use a camera as a shield. They hide behind this small piece of equipment so that they never have to get close to anything or anyone. They just click away, obsessively, thinking it´s the ¨right thing¨ to do while on vacation.

Even though I can barely speak the language here I don´t want to view locals as merely objects on the other side of my lens. They are fellow members of the planet. I think if you approach them with respect, people will pick up on that, and they will treat you the same.

The last two months I have been travelling around heavily populated Mayan areas. There are many Mayans who feel that the camera can take their soul and have a general distrust of cameras. There is also a persistent rumor that foreigners come to Guatemala to steal children...

A couple of you are reading this last paragraph and giggling a bit because you know I quite often joke about kidnapping all the little, gorgeous kids I see. I can understand this maternal stress and fear as hundreds of foreigners ´oh and ah´ over their precious babies.

And yes I agree that ¨a picture can say a thousand words¨. Don´t get me wrong, I am quite fond of taking and viewing pictures and by no means am I retiring my little Canon. Photography has always been a highlight of my travels. I believe there might be a fine line, but I haven´t quite figured out where that is for me, yet.

2007-04-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

Photography by Mike Tournoy

The Link

2007-04-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

I´m new at this whole blog thing...the link I tried to set up for Tikal didn´t work so let´s try that again: www.parque-tikal.com :)

¡Tikal!

2007-04-10T18:01:00.000-07:00

The alarm clock goes off at 4am...we walk 1 km in the dark like zombies. We climb Temple IV which stands at an awe inspiring 72 meters to watch the sunrise! The fog obstructs our view, but we are treated to the bewildering sounds of the jungle as thousands of animals wake with the first rays of light. About 60 tourists from all over the world join us for this 5am sunrise atop Temple IV. Dozens of birds, howler monkeys and perhaps a jaguar or puma can be heard as we all wait in silence, peering over the misty jungle of Tikal.

Tonight is my last night in Guatemala as Mike and I head for Palenque, Mexico tomorrow morning at 5am. We just returned from a wonderful two days exploring the Mayan ruins of Tikal. Tonight we are going to dine in style, which means spending about $10...since we are growing quite tired of the usual Guatemalteco fare (chicken, bean and rice or eggs). I will write more about my adventures in Tikal and Flores, Guatemala soon. Tikal is the largest Mayan ruins and if you are interested check out some info at: Pictures are on their way, I promise!

Vamos a Mexico!!!

A Breath of Fresh Air

2007-04-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

Blessed with some of the most breathtaking lagoons, waterfalls and caves, the road from Coban to Chisec, is a nature-lover´s paradise! The past few days I have spent my time trekking through lush jungles, bathing in sunny lagoons and stumbling around slippery cave systems.

Semuc Champey, a major tourist attraction for foreigners and Guatemalteco´s alike, is framed by steep forested hillsides. The water, a series of turquoise pools, turn marvelous shades of blue and green as the sun moves across the sky. Unfortunately, we visited on a very busy day, but there was still lots of room to hike and explore at our leisure. We swam from pool to pool and had many opportunities to jump from waterfalls to the lakes below. Our guide helped us maneuver around the slippery slopes and took us to an incredible cave with limestone formations that looked like glistening tulip chandeliers.

The next day I travelled to a town four hours west called Playa Grande, which is neither a beach nor grande... It was, however, a good base to explore the national park of Lachua. I was absolutely flabbergasted to find a park with strict rules about waste and land preservation. Guatemala is a very dirty country and sadly not many people are thinking about the future of their land. Although in Lachua, we found outhouses with dry composting, organic waste receptacles and even a fruit disease control-inspection station to prevent the movement of contaminated food! We hiked a 4.5 km trail through the lush jungle where speedy lizards and colourful butterflies abound. At the end of the trail we were treated to relaxing and swimming in a gorgeous, tranquil lake.

The highlight of my day took place in the early evening when we hitched a ride in a pickup truck back to our hotel 20 km away. So far most of my favourite moments seem to take place when I´m travelling between places because transportation in Guatemala is always an adventure in itself! We stopped to pick up a family who needed to hitch a ride to a Jehovah Witness gathering. A beautiful, tiny little three year old girl was passed to me to hold during the extremely bumpy, dusty ride. I was in heaven! She was soooooo adorable! We exchanged a few words and then this little precious girl was whisked away to go celebrate at her church. These are the kind of moments that no travel book can prepare you for and no picture could ever capture!

I now have a great travelling companion so I can relax a little. The latino guys can get a bit annoying when I walk around alone, lots of whistling, staring and a few rude comments now and again. Most Guatemalan´s first impression of white women comes to them via Hollywood movies and advertisements with scantly clad Caucasian women. They seem to associate white skin with these images and slogans. Thankfully, the scene totally changes when I´m walking around with my own personal, Dutch bodyguard named Mike. Mike and I met while taking Spanish lessons in Xela. If everything goes well we are planning to travel together for the next two months to explore the ruins of Mexico, the jungles of Belize and the reefs of Honduras. As many of you may know I usually have a hard a time travelling with other people. Luckily, Mike is a very down to earth guy and we have a very similar travelling style.

I hope everyone has a good holiday weekend. I´ll be thinking about big turkey dinners with yummy apple pie while I eat yet another round of rice and beans...Happy Easter!!!

¡Bienvenidos!

2007-03-31T11:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog! I can´t promise daily or even weekly entries but I think it will be a nice central place to write about my travels and to receive comments and feedback from friends and family. Please feel free to post comments and opinions to share with other readers.
Here I am nearing the end of month number one of my Central American travels. It´s been a busy month learning Spanish, climbing volcanoes, enjoying natural hot springs, exploring coffee plantations and visiting hippie towns. I have managed to acquire some basic survival Spanish, but I have a long way to go.
Unfortunately, last week I was very sick because it seems there are parasites having a little fiesta in my stomach... and after a few awful nights, spent in close proximity to the bathroom, I feel much better and have regained about 70% of my strength.
I am now in the beautiful town of Coban in the middle of Guatemala where Semana Santa has begun and the town is flooded with religious processions, loud music and people everywhere enjoying the festivities. I have yet to experience the mayhem of Semana Santa and am leaving the city tomorrow for a day trip to Semec Champay, a gorgeous tropical national park complete with waterfalls, caves and hiking trails. I fled the crowds of Antigua to come up here because it seems that with the influx of tourists and Guatemaltecos, around Easter, Antigua is not a safe place to be during the biggest festival of the year. I will be up north in a week to enjoy Easter from Flores, near the Mayan ruins of Tikkal.
Just a quick side note: you may or may not have heard about Mel Gibson´s new film called Apocolypto which is filmed in Guatemala and focuses on an urban legend, written and directed by Mel, about the Mayans. A word of advice-don´t bother seeing it. In my opinion, this is a ridiculous film of the Mayans which displays them as savage lunatics. Mel clings to his argument that this is fiction and by no means historical, but most Guatemalans are in an uproar because of this racist depiction of their culture and past. I know it could be argued as just another film, simply meant for entertainment purposes. On the othe hand, when most of the world knows little about Guatemala or Mayan history this film tends to discolour a culture with a much richer past. This is definetely much different than the action films we have been accustomed to seeing because you won´t find any automatic weapons, swarms of helicopters, explosions, or speeding cars. So, if you aren’t opposed to graphic, brutal cinematic violence, get in line for Apocalypto this weekend! See it on the biggest screen possible, stuff your face with popcorn and ooo and ahh along with the raging crowd.

A Poem to Travel By.

2007-03-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

I live my life in widening circles
that reach out across the world.
I may not complete this last one
but I give myself to it.

I circle around God, around the primordial tower.
I've been circling for thousands of years
and I still don't know: am I a falcon,
a storm, or a great song?

~ Ranier Maria Rilke ~