happy bEARTHday!

What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day this year? Planting some flowers? A tree? Taking a walk with your parents and/or your children? Hanging a bird-feeder? Bringing reusable bags to the grocery store? Target has several deals in honor of Earth Week - check 'em out! http://tinyurl.com/targetdeals

Spring certainly is the season of change and this year it seems more than ever. I have witnessed America's beautiful Pacific Northwest absolutely explode with color! More shades of green than most would imagine possible blanket the hillsides and every hue of blossom and bloom glow contentedly in the soul-warming sunshine! My runs continue. I've got a goal this month of at least 25 miles a week and I make it a point to cross the street every time there is a particularly bright bunch or fragrant tree along that side. It's a good thing too, because while I have a penchant for the routine stretch of my legs, I seem to also have the equal and opposite penchant for junk food and the Annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and Street Fair brought in the best kettle corn, fresh cut curly fries, turkey legs, chicken satay, roasted almonds, and all sorts of sauces to try and goodies to taste! Tens of thousands of people came from all over (even hundreds of international visitors for the World Tulip Summit) to tip-toe through the tulip fields, buy bulbs and peruse the hundreds of art and craft stalls, not to mention give their cameras a workout! As y'all know, I can't resist such an opportunity and I brought my own out on a couple jaunts. I snapped several keepers, but my favorites came from the ripening reds that graced my bedroom windowsill. I just loved waking up to these each morning. If we were lucky enough to have a sunny day, they would glimmer with light and if not, they brought a cheering color to contrast the gray. As lovely as they were, it wasn't until they began to wilt that I believe their true beauty was revealed. Unlike wine and cheese, flowers are not usually considered to get better with age, but in this case, I beg to differ. The petals curled like ribbon on a gift and opened wide to reveal their delicate treasures within. The red intensified and shifted to deep burgundies, rouges, even purples and indigos... There was such elegance in their dusk, truly I was in awe. I loved these photos so much, that I entered them in the local newspaper's tulip photography contest. If you have a spare moment and like them as well, it would be great if you could give them your vote! (starting May 1st)
http://tinyurl.com/JWtulip1
http://tinyurl.com/JWtulip2
http://tinyurl.com/JWtulip3

Spring has also brought about many less than happy changes. I want to take this moment to extend my thoughts and heartfelt wishes to the victims of all the Earth's tantrums. Chile, Haiti, Peru, Brazil, Tibet, Iceland... and those are only the high-profile events. Earthquakes, Floods, Landslides... people and animals suffering. I am SO SO lucky to be where I am right now, to have the opportunities that I do and I admire all those who are currently dedicated to making a difference in this world.

Another round of well-wishes go out to my friend Kate and Nikki who have been doing some spring cleaning of their own. Both have had recent emergency surgery and especially Kate, this was definitely an unexpected birthday gift! I wish I could have seen you this weekend, but I'm sending big hugs to both of you (and one for Adam, Happy Birthday to you too!) from up north and look forward to seeing you in a couple weeks!

I'll end this entry with another of my recent fun finds. I like this product for both it's earth friendly construction, use of bamboo which is one of the most renewable natural resources, and energy saving features, but also it's simple and elegant design. http://tinyurl.com/bambootop

Green

A little late for St. Patrick's Day and not at all reminiscent of corned beef and cabbage, nevertheless, I thought I'd start off showcasing some of my recent favorite finds with a couple green goodies. I've been collecting cutting edge products that have sparked my imagination and that make me excited about the future and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you over the next few posts!

First, I am thrilled to present my most recent purchase, a water bottle that can roll up and fit in your pocket! Now, I am a die-hard Nalgene fan and have carried one with me wherever I go since college, so this is big :). There are two earth-conscious companies that deserve mention here, although I ultimately went with the former because they offer a 1L size. Platypus actually has an entire line of products that are made of an incredibly durable triple-layer laminate and polyethylene lining (BPA free) that won't retain flavors or taste like plastic. They even have a wine preservation pouch! When not in use, it takes up very little space, which is key when all I've got is my backpack! Alternatively, Vapur has a colorful assortment and a great message. Did you know that it takes 17 million barrels of oil each year to make bottles for water just for the U.S. market?? Imagine the world over! Check out their website for more information: http://vapur.us/world-water-crisis.php - Invest in a water bottle my friends and take advantage of the beautifully clean tap water that we are privileged to have in this country :).

Another cool product on my wish list is this set of foldable, self-powered, eco-friendly speakers. Again, saving space is key and they require no batteries to boot! You can slip them right inside your laptop bag and easily carry them to any function. Made from recycled material, they have several designs to choose from, a blank set to let your creativity run wild or you can even send them your own custom design! Check out their new Rock-it device that turns anything (cereal box, paper cup, plastic bowl, even your refrigerator!) into a speaker: http://www.origaudio.com/ - awesome!

I'll leave you with this insightful film short about the fictional life of a plastic bag. It's 18 min long and it's a bit slow, so I don't blame you if you break it into parts, but the bag's last words really made the video for me. I never thought I would feel such emotion for, well, a plastic bag! :)

I'm back!

I'm back! It always seems that when I have the most free time, I have the least motivation to publish. The truth is, I've started a draft several times online and even more times in my head. Does anyone else find themselves thinking their blog throughout the day? When I'm jogging, everything from the bright spring colors and fellow joggers to the various scents that I consume along the way spur first paragraphs. Meals that I cook, friends that I hear from, magazines and the plethora of videos and news articles that I catch online spark themes and even the evening conversations with my parents can be poetic.

And yet... here I am, more than 2 months later! In the mean time, January brought the battery charging visit by my dearest Alisa. One week of relaxation, exploration and wandering. Seven days of cheek splitting smiles, tummy clenching laughter and one photo-shoot after another (I swear we must have set a record!) That is not to mention our riotous and racy romp north of the border! With a 'blue' theme (yes, we have themes :) we spent the first day stopping in nearly every shop along the road to the coast. Thanks to Alisa's skillful internet research we had a fantastic room with a balcony overlooking the sea and the city, just blocks from the water in a chic area of Vancouver. Our first thought after getting our bearings, was that we hadn't given ourselves nearly enough time to try all of the sumptuous offerings! One by one, we were bombarded by the aromas from the cookie shop, the shawarma shop, the chocolate cafe, the pizzaria, and the cupcake store! How to decide?? (hint: we didn't ;)

Next up, a stroll along the waterfront including a hilarious set of statues (photos taken), skeletal tree silhouettes (photos taken), the famous symbol of Vancouver and subsequently the 2010 Winter Olympics, Inukshuk (photos taken) and even a giant set of engagement rings in the park (photos AND a video of Alisa's version of "Single Ladies" taken :). All that and we were left with no choice but to stop in a couple of our favorite shops on the way back to the hotel... to stimulate the poor Canadian economy of course... and perhaps a little sugar for our dancin' feet!

Playing dress-up is something that Alisa and I never left behind in our childhoods (one could make the argument that we've just extended our childhood - another reason we get along so well ;). In fact, dressing up has become a veritable requirement of any reunion. Thus, Vancouverites witnessed these two American girls dressed head to toe in blue (and a little black and silver thrown in the mix), hit the town. We tracked down a super-secret, ultra-posh restaurant down town, along the way meeting a magician that mysteriously made ash appear on my very own closed hand! How could we not fall in love with this place!

Our last day was spent exploring more of Vancouver, especially the Olympic Venues. Vancouver is such a lovely city! Everybody that we met was, as cliché as it sounds, so polite and helpful. They were smartly dressed and friendly and truly seemed happy. If it wasn't as rainy as Washington, I could see myself spending some serious time there! Alas, all good things must come to an end and Alisa must return to her family. Skype video chats just weren't enough for her adorable little boy :). I always miss her, but feel so proud of us for making these reunions happen every year. Love ya Lis!

The day she left was the day I had told myself that I needed to start finding my new path - a fairly ambiguous goal. I'll save the trials and tribulations of this quest for later entries, but it has definitely been a challenge to nail anything down. Do I continue traveling? There are still so many places that I have yet to see and languages to learn and people to meet and foods to taste... Do I focus on finding a permanent job abroad? Do I commit to a job in the States for a time? Finally, get a place of my own that I can decorate and feel, as foreign a concept as it is, at home? And then there is the matter of defining my true north. What are my most poignant passions? When am I the most satisfied and what are my talents? ...so many questions.

So! As I continue my journey, I've picked up a new side job. I have plenty of time these days to work on getting back in physical shape so I have been running consistently (met my goal of a half-marathon in Feb :), using Wii Fit for yoga and strength training and I've found a dance class that I absolutely love! About a month into attending classes, the instructor, whom I admire a great deal - this girl can move! - asked if I had ever considered teaching. Absolutely made my day! I took some time to mull it over and next thing you know, I was choreographing 14 songs including hiphop, salsa, reggaeton, bachata, bollywood and I've even thrown in a Greek song for the fun of it. I had my first class on the first of March and I am simply loving it! I get a wonderful workout AND I get to share my music and moves with a group of lovely ladies!

I'll try to stay more current from now on. I've got a blog coming up with some awesome products that I've come across and also... drumroll please... a possible international trip coming up!! Stay tuned ;)

Highest of Heights

Unless I'm in a plane, I'm fairly positive that the 6,088m (19,974ft) peak of Huyana Potosi is my highest of heights - forever. As competitive as I am, as much as most challenges inspire me to do them again, faster, longer, higher etc, this was no normal challenge for me and at this point, I believe I can cross it off my list. Climbing this mountain was the most dangerous, most difficult and most challenging experience of my life and whereas I am incredibly proud and excited to have successfully sumitted, I do not feel the usual desire to do it again. -Once in a life time-

The sirens call of adventure, the inexpensive pricetag and the persuasion of Migi, my Swiss friend who had been set on climbing this mountain for some time, combined to push me into the spontaneous decision, literally 15 min before closing time the night before. Am I crazy? I had no warm clothes and detest the cold, no experience except for a little ice climbing in college and in general feel somewhat out of shape, so what was I thinking?? This was no liesurly stroll!

We began early, getting fitted for gear. The agency provided everything from sleepingbag, ice pick, crampons and boots to gloves, pants and jackets. Next, our group of 4 Argentinians, a Swiss, a Dane and myself drove up to the base refuge set next to a pale teal pond, stopping on the way to admire the most unbelievable lake that I have ever seen. All colors of the rainbow as if from the imagination of a child with a box of crayons, not yet limited by reality.

After a hearty lunch, we tromped up to the nearest glacier, about an hour away to practice climbing techniques and get used to the equipment. The sun glistened off the ice crags as we cheered eachother on, I could barely contain my excitement - skipping is not so easy in crampons! :) On the walk back, the mists rolled in and once again I found myself in utter awe of my surroundings. Our reflections trekked across pastel mirror lakes and the setting sun warmed the mountains across the valley. That night, we were joined by 2 frenchmen and after dinner relaxed by the fire, played cards and enjoyed a good nights rest.

Day 2 was a day of aclimization so we didn't leave until after lunch. This time, with packs and full gear, we made the steep 3-4 hour hike above the snow line. This time, I could feel it. Once the clouds settled, the view dropped to just a few meters ahead and the slope must have been at least 60 degrees - phew! The second refuge turned out to be no more than a tiny tin hut with a small alcove to cook on a portable stove and 10 matress pads, 5 side to side below and 5 sqeezed together on a shelf above - for the 12 of us. No matter, I figured the sleepover setting would at least keep me warm. I stayed outside admiring the sheer beauty all around me after everyone else had gone in. The clouds lifted like the lid of a treasure chest and there, high above the valley, far away from most humans, plants and animals, everything seemed so alive! I could hear the ice and snow chattering away like rice crispies in milk, the breezes scurried from one valley to the next until brushing past me, both daring me to resist their chill and catch their message. Even the rocks seemed to whisper a story and I, in that place, felt so alive!

I stayed out until the late hour of 6:30pm and finally joined the others cuddled up in their sleepingbags. Unfortunately, I've never been one for much sleep and forcing myself to turn off at such and hour was impossible. The next 6 hours were miserable! It was too hot, believe it or not, getting bumped from both sides, severely dehydrated and the worst was being right under the skylight, condensation would collect and drop down on me, at least 8 times directly in the eye! Let me tell you, I was not feeling so alive when the 1am "wakeup" call came!

Like zombies, we slowly layered up, while battling the various demons of stomache, head and muscle aches, lack of sleep and our senses of reason and logic throwing up a white flag. Two climbers roped to a guide, we began the laborious climb 3 by 3. The slope varied between 40 and 75degrees, I followed Migi's boots in the 3ft wide glow of my headlamp and talked myself towards the peak's sillohette, slightly blacker than the black night sky. About an hour in, despite his magical coca bonbons and his will to continue, the altitude got the better of dear Migi and he was forced to concede along with one of the Argentinians. We shuffled guides and I found myself between Jose and Stefan - my new team.

Up, up, up we went, trudging through ice and snow. More often than I care to admit I had to stop to catch my breath and luckily I wasn't the only one. To keep myself focussed I even resorted to counting my steps, taking refuge in the fact that each one was that much closer and reminding myself that we'd be back by lunch time. Mmmm the motivation of soup! Several times, the guide would push us through a particular area due to the risk of splintering ice or rocks coming loose - we could actually hear the glacier cracking - another fantastic motivation!

As dawn approached, we leaped 4ft wide, deeper than I care to imagine, crevasses, tottered over 1ft wide ice bridges, picked our way up walls of massive icicles and it took every shred of will power to keep moving forward. A neon pink and orange band broke across the horizon and shed just enough light to allow us to appreciate the scenery we had been missing - so many mountains all around us and ours looming above. Almost there. One more heart-pounding, icicle-shattering climb and a short hike to the peak that barely fit the three of us and there I was! Standing at my highest of heights. I'd like to think it was the air pressure that squeezed a tear or two to the surface!

The details of the descent are mostly a blur, but I clearly remember the various ice formations, frozen turquoise cascades, spikey snow fields, black hole cravasses and smooth white slopes. I remember being simultaneously thrilled and exhausted and proud... and anxiously awaiting the bottom! We were back in La Paz around 4 and I was surprised that my personal batteries had any juice left in them. I was actually able to go out to a decent hour that night with friends before a lovely night's sleep.

The very next day I mountain biked down the world's most dangerous road - the "Death Road". Rain and fog and sunshine all made an appearance during the 75k mostly downhill ride through the jungle along a muddy, rocky one way road with a straight drop off of several hundred meters.
Next came a trip to Copa... Copacabana where music and passion are always the fashion :). It was a small tourist town with the historically signifigant island of the sun off it's lake Titicaca coast and fabulous trout. Then it was back to Peru! Ahh, what an adventure Bolivia was and although I am looking forward to relaxing a few days in Cusco, I hope to make it back there one day!

For more images from the mountain: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020566&id=60100993&l=9cb985c1c8

Sugar and the Peace

Sweet, sweet Sucre was one exciting day after another! I felt so immediately comfortable in this bright city and coupled with their largest annual festival, a fantastic group of fellow travelers, good food and friendly locals, I would have loved to stay there indefinitely, soaking up more of that nectar.


I left Potosi with no idea where I would stay in Sucre. Perhaps somewhere near the bus station until I got my bearings? As usual though, things worked out and I spoke to the only other foreigner on the bus, a welshman named Adam, while waiting for our bags who had a recommendation of where to stay down town. Once we arrived, I noticed one of the guys that had been in my tour group in Potosi was also there, Migi from Switzerland, who was sitting with a german guy, Markus. Thus was the beginning of the Sucre gang. The told me of a festival that would be taking place that coming weekend and I promptly made plans to stay for the week.

What a week! I had plenty of time to relax during the days, exploring Sucre's green spaces, parks, view points, wide, clean streets, markets and plazas. There was always something going on, a concert, an exhibit etc and as more travelers from a couple hostels came together we had a nice big group to hit the clubs at night. One night, after Markus and Adam had both left, Migi and I were having dinner and we decided to play a game. Let's try to guess where every person in this restaurant is from. Sadly to say, I lost, but in the process, we made a couple new friends, a dutch couple, invited them over, the four of us ran into another two at the next bar and oh did the sugar-high ensue! The 6 of us nearly took over a place called Joy Ride (which would become our regular haunt). A couple of us girls got free drink tickets for dancing on the bar, but when Migi decided to try to dance on a bar stool, not only did he not last long, all he unfortunately got was our applause and laughter! Afterwards we went to an after hours bar where we danced the night away, Cary surprised me with his salsa moves and around 5am, our pre-pre-party came to a tired but expectant end.

The next day, after a good sleep-in, we lunched and the festival began around 2pm with mostly children's groups dancing through the streets. We wandered around, taking in the festivities, watching the people arrive, sampling street food, randomly meeting up with friends here and there. The parade continued until well after 2am when the last of us decided to end the pre-party. We needed some sleep before the real festival. I would love to write an entire entry on the society of travelers that you meet along your journey. How nice it is to recognize faces, share stories and tips with eachother and even share a little bit of one another's culture while experiencing the same exciting places. On any given night I might be out with people from 10+ different countries, relishing in the music, the dance, the new food together, as one big traveler cocktail! I adore this aspect of backpacking!

Finally Saturday came and the parade began around 8am! I spent a lazy sunny morning in the hostel courtyard, writing in my journal and listening to the music in the distance. Once we made it to the main square and before we found a good spot to take pictures, I was interviewed not once, but twice! First by a man with the best mustache I've seen since India speaking on an old fashioned phone for a radio broadcast in quechua ( I surprised him by pulling out a few of the words I'd learned) and then by a man conducting a broadcast from his cell phone! Such a contrast in technology. We settled down in the front row and could hardly draw ourselves away after nearly 5 hours! Every time we agreed we were hungry or needed to move, we said "Okay, just after this next group.", "We'll just wait 'til that fancy bunch with the wild costumes comes" or "those swirling ladies" or "those adorable dancing kids". One after another, we could just not believe how many people were participating, they just kept coming!! Once night fell, Cary and I scrambled up a pipe to sit in a window well, the best seats in the house :).

Dinner was once again, irresistible street food and then back to Joy Ride for the longest night of dancing in my life! The bar was empty when we arrived and we put that nice open floor to good use! I must have danced for 7 hours straight without pause - I was high with the exhilaration of the music and the company :). Once the place was too crowded to move, we hit the streets, yes the parade was still in full swing around 2am and we joined the mayhem for a while longer. What a fabulous human expression - thousands upon thousands of people coming together celebrating life!

Sunday, working on about 3 hours of sleep, 5 of us drove out to one of South America's most colorful markets. I did a little shopping but more people watching and when we finally returned it was time to buy a few more of the famous chocolates and bid a sad farewell to Sucre. We took a night bus to La Paz and ended up at a recommended hostel. Another crazy place, predominantly Irish, dorm beds this time, nightly activities in their own bar, a girls only room with hair dryer and straightener (a luxury on the backpacker circuit!) as well as a comfy TV room with DVDs. After a double-decker bus tour of the city, the famous witches market, pub trivia and the second night, we lost Cary, who had been a great travel buddy and Migi convinced me to sign up to climb Mt. Huyana Potosi - a whopping 6,088m high! I had never really had the desire to do such a thing before, besides perhaps Kilimanjaro and now... well that story will have to wait until the next entry. I must pack up and head to Copa... Copacabana (where music and passion are always the fashion ;)

Rustic Fundraising

Buenos dias de Peru! I hope this message finds you well and enjoying your summer in contrast to the chilly winter down here. Rather than regale you with tales of adventure, I'm writing to extend a philanthropic request.

As many of you know, I've been working for a company called Rustic Pathways (www.rusticpathways.com) which provides opportunities of travel, cultural exchange and service work for highschool students from around the world. This is the same company that I worked for in New Orleans and India. Having a chance to guide these kids at a pivotal time in their lives has been both a challenge and one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

In Peru's Sacred Valley, you'll find another smaller hidden valley with several tiny villages such as Camicancha and Socma, where Rustic Pathways is currently based. These villages are home to 20-50 families each and they are tight-knit communities that live off the land, use the barter system in the markets for life's necessities and, if the families are lucky enough to sell any additional goods, they may have enough to send a child or two to school. The village schoolhouses only serve children until about the age of 8.

Rustic Pathways is a fantastic program that it is an honor to be a part of. This year however, I've discovered a need for assistance. As we all know, the economy has affected everybody and Rustic Pathways has also been impacted with registration for most programs falling significantly. As a result, the project which was designed based on the success of building bathrooms for each family last year, is simply not possible.

This year’s project was designed to help develop a sustainable income and improve the quality of life. Each family that chose to participate would work in conjunction with students to build a guinea pig coop (the domestication of which has been in Peru for more than 4000 years). From start to finish they’d work together, overcoming language and cultural barriers, mixing adobe mud with their bare feet, making and placing the bricks to form walls, peeling bamboo to lay across the roof and finally using the mud mortar to attach the roof tiles. The students would also shuck corn in the community fields and cut the first alfalfa to be fed to their guinea pigs, not to mention play soccer and other games with the children, learn Quechua and sometimes teach English. Both sides benefit greatly, not only for the 8 work days, but through a long lasting impression of the power of one person, the difference you can make no matter your age, juxtaposed with the power of many, of community, of humanity.

The idea to provide a means of income for these families through the building of a coop, purchasing 7 guinea pigs, and alfalfa seed for each, was received so well by the municipality that they joined us in partnership and promised to provide the doors and windows for every coop that we built! We had more than 45 families ask to participate; they need only lay the foundation.

Since Rustic Pathways received fewer students and, thus, less funding than expected, we had to scale back the plan, only building a coop for every family that had already prepared their foundation. After a warm reception and a special pachamanca meal, I attended the meeting with the village heads at which the news was broken. Although they understood that is was out of our control, it was impossible to mask their disappointment. Even worse, when they came up with a list of 19 families, anxiously awaiting the students, we found we only had funding for 16. Three families had to be cut from the list and tears were shed in drawing the fateful line through those names.

It was that moment, my heart so profoundly touched, that I was determined to help.

The cost of an entire coop, building supplies, tools, bamboo rods, support poles, roof tiles, the skylight and of course the guinea pigs is a mere $200usd. Once built, the municipality will not only supply the doors and windows, but continue to provide veterinary support for the animals as well as alfalfa seed. The gestation period of a guinea pig is 3 months and the she is ready to impregnate again just 2 hours after giving birth (to 2-5 babies)! Again, we are not introducing anything new and invasive to these communities. There is evidence to the raising of guinea pigs in Peru since at least 2000 BC and it is now even more practical since the tourist industry places such high demand for guinea pigs - it's a must have on every menu, which means there is even a future potential for export! I am asking you my friends, from the bottom of my heart, for a donation of any amount towards this worthy project. Whether it be $5 or $50, to be able to build those three remaining coops would mean so much to me and this community. If you would like to donate, the easiest way is to do so directly through the Rustic Pathways foundation (www.rusticpathways.org), which is tax deductable (for those in the states :). No amount is too small and anything left over will either be used to build more coops next summer or for the sister project that Rustic is working on - that of bringing electricity to Socma. Eventually we would like to get a couple of computers for the school to improve the education of the little Socmans. Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this. Let me know if you have any questions and I send a big hug from South America!

Rustic Peru

A knot of conflicting emotions, I boarded a shuttle at 2:30am for the Seattle Airport.  Although I was more prepared than I ever have been before, I guess Im getting good at this moving thing ;), I felt somewhat less prepared mentally.  I hit the ground running after India, never really getting out of a backpack, spending time in more than eight different towns and three states and while these reunions were so needed and they did charge my batteries in a way, I just never had time to stop and breath, reset.

I plodded through the all too familiar airport routine, check-in, throw out the remainder of my drink, take off my shoes, scan and shuffle slowly to the gate, sleep deprived and scrolling through thoughts and ideas and questions and memories...

Both flights went smoothly and around 11pm (Peru is on central time), I collected my bags and witnessed my first evidence of the swine flu scare, as every employee of an airline or an airport was wearing a face-mask.  An eery first impression of Peru.  I met my new boss, Gabe, got a couple hours sleep, before we turned right back around and boarded a plane from Lima to Cuzco.

At slighty more than 10,000ft, training began and over the course of the week, myself and another summer staff, along with the country director and program manager, became oriented with the towns and villages that we'd be working in for the next 10 weeks.  We had an official meeting with the Mayor of the Sacred Valley, which was interesting and I visited Socma, the village that I would be bringing students to (the project involves three villages in the valley).  As a wonderful surprise, the villagers had prepared a "pachamanca" for us (a traditional meal for special occasions).  They gathered in the town square (where we will be camping) and uncovered the goat and potatoes that had been roasting under hot stones and earth.  We each received a heaping plate full and as an 'aperitif' a glass of chicha, a drink of fermented corn (not much of a fan).  Afterwards, we introduced ourselves and a couple of the women sprinkled freshly plucked flower petals over our heads - such a humbling honor.

Later that night, we met with the heads of the village to discuss the logistics and goals of the project.  My spanish comprehension is holding up surprisingly well, but I need a vast improvement in my speaking abilities.  Many of the villagers only speak Quechua, for which we have a translator, but I have made it a goal to learn some of that as well.  There were several moments in which speakers became emotional either because this project is going to mean so much to the community or more often because we are unfortunately lacking the funds to complete the project as planned.  We have had to scale back our original proposal and therefore some of the families will not be getting their guinea pig coops this year.  I was so incredibly touched that I have decided to raise funds for the project, so please stay tuned for more information on ways you may be able to help!

This weekend, we finally had a free evening and so after a delicious dinner and a fantastic display of fireworks and crackers strung up on rickety bamboo towers (and of course its the first time that I, for whatever reason, decided to leave my camera at home), I ventured into Cuzco for some long awaited salsa dancing and reggaeton, bringing back very pleasant memories of my life in Guatemala.

Next, we flew back to Lima, will check out the site of the "Dolphins in the Desert" program tomorrow (did you know that Peru has one of the largest dolphin populations in the world?) and the kiddies arrive late on the 9th!  Phew, wish me luck!

Check out my itinerary and information regarding the other programs being run here in Peru!

https://www.rusticpathways.com/2009/peru/psv.html

A Rare Valley

I've recently emerged from a rare valley in two senses of the word. I mentioned in the last entry that I would be visiting Hampi, a small town in a magical boulder-strewn landscape of banana plantations, freckled with more ruins, (a misnomer, as most were in surprisingly good shape) and temples still in use (more than 550 monuments), than I could have possibly explored in the measly three days that I was there.

I also found myself in a metaphorical valley, which even now I find hard to describe. Everything within me had sunk. My motivation was down, my spirit of adventure was down, my excitement of the next place, the next discovery, the next friend, were all just down.

Since my return to India, a yearning had been growing in my soul. Unidentifiable until a few weeks ago, but nonetheless heavy and concerning. Most of my blog entries and corespondances with friends and family have been filled with optimism and facination for everything around me, but an enigmatic feeling was demanding my attention and if I am to be entirely forthcoming, I thought I ought to share some of this with you :).

I finally realized that I needed peace. Yes, world peace would be nice, but I'm not running for Miss America. Inner peace is also somewhere on the list but what I needed is far less esoteric. I needed a little peace of mind and even more pressing, peace and quiet in my ears! Ha, having been in India for more than 8 months and most of that time spent on the move, various modes of transportation, friends houses, guesthouses, tents, waiting rooms, terminal platforms etc with no place to call my own. Without checkout times, someone waiting for me, time tables to review or tickets to book. No place absent from rickshaw touts or 'tour guides' or men shouting at you to follow them to a hotel for a commision, or every single product in their 5x10ft corner stall or did I mention a lovely Pashmina, "100% madam, cheap and best, I give you good price, first sale of the day, my good luck, please madam, looking is free, only look!". If I had a rupee for everytime someone hollared "Hello!" at me, not to me, at me, I could fund my trip. I would even take 50 paise for each horn honk/beep/blast/jingle and I would be a millionaire several times over - in USD. It has not mattered where I am; there is never a moment free of animal sounds, human sounds, traffic sounds, industrial sounds - noise. It is no wonder that this is the country that created yoga and meditation, where sadhus wander in search of enlightenment and hermits seek caves to escape the chaos (although I have my own theory of a natural magnetism that has developed in Indians. They seem to gravitate to each other, preferring to be shoulder to shoulder in an empty room than the personal bubble other societies deem necessary. What is the opposite of claustrophobia?)

All of this had been a weight increasing gradually despite the exciting day-to-day activities and warm, generous company. I felt as if I had no goal. That 2009 started aimlessly and question marks ahead were amassing faster than I could organize them. Travel, job, projects, relationships, potential relationships... I missed spending time with someone that actually knew me. Someone that understood me and shared more that a common travel schedule. You know, I missed being around my close friends. I, as shocking as it sounds even to me, needed some continuity in my life for a change.

One event suddenly accelerated the crescendo. With all of this and more, swirling viciously around in my head, a very dear friend of mine... decided I was no longer a dear friend of theirs. Saving you all the melodrama of heartache, I shall just say this came at a most inopportune time and indeed, I still feel a profound loss.

I battled each night with my inherent cheerfulness, sense of adventure and opportunity against this disconcerting angst and confusion.

My schedule had changed several times due to the cancellation of the wedding and twice the cancellation of a friend’s visit (and subsequent rescheduling) which only exacerbated the feeling of constant flux. With more time on my hands than expected, I talked myself into one last jaunt south to see Hampi, which I had wanted to see since the beginning of my trip, before I retreated north to Delhi. Thank Ganesh that I did, for it was in Hampi that I reached a stopping point in my decent, found peace however brief and could finally look up to see a little clarity versus the miasmic blur below.

Arriving in Hampi, I could tell it was absolutely my kind of place. Only one tenth of the sites are protected by the World Heritage Organization, so one could easily play Indian Jones and explore entire ancient complexes all alone. Perfect.

The first day, after checking out the main temple, I absconded to a hillock just outside town. Incredibly impressed with the sheer number of ruins, the explorer in me resurfaced. Around noon, I spotted a tiny temple of sorts, really just four granite pillars with a roof perched atop a huge pile of boulders. It looked difficult to reach, which not only appealed to my competitive side but also meant few others would be around. I set my compass.

It took me quite a while to find a viable way up and about half way there, hopping and climbing from rock to rock, I was stopped in my tracks by a family of monkeys. About 15-20 of them I would say, napping together, arms wrapped around each other. SO sweet! They paid me no attention while I snapped a few pictures until I suddenly noticed, having been glued to my camera lense, that one was inches away from my feet! Big curious eyes shone up at me and as I stepped backwards, several more of the younger monkeys gathered near. Instantly I realized I was on a tiny rock island and if the monkeys decided I was invading their grounds, I would be in trouble. With no loose rocks at my feet, the only thing I had to look like a weapon, was my wallet, Ha! I raised it as if to throw and they shrunk back but the longer that we stood there staring at each other, the more I realized they were not threatening me, they were purely curious. Soon, I allowed them to circle my feet, pinch my toes as if feeling the texture of the skin and pull at the elastic on my sandals. They were especially curious about my camera, their reflection in the lense and the flash. Ah, it was truly a rare interaction with animals in the wild, each demonstrating a distinct personality! I was enamoured by them. Eventually though, I slipped past them and continued up to my spot.
Secluded, yet in full view of the sunshine, the highest point in the area, with a marvellous view, I had been drawn here for a reason. I spent the next 4 hours here. Restless Thoughts kept cropping up, 'I should get a move on, wasting time, so much to explore', 'maybe I should go get a bite to eat or a bottle of water or check my email...’ I actually had to convince myself to stop moving. Stop thinking of things to fill the time and for once, just be. Slowly the feelings and ruminations that had settled like dust on my heart began to be swept up. In the relative quiet (though not silence), I allowed myself to do a little early spring cleaning :). I meditated, I sun bathed, I breathed, I even got up and danced to my ipod - it felt as though I was shooting a cheesy music video in this very unique setting :). And I smiled. I had reached a couple epiphanies and could finally start climbing back up (or literally back down since the sun was setting).


The next day I walked in a different direction, this time along a beautiful little river, temples nestled along the banks, villagers doing laundry and selling fresh fruit. I ventured upon a forgotten temple away from the rest and stepped inside. Taking my shoes off to feel the cool stone, the history beneath my feet. I walked through four or five doorways until I was in the inner sanctum sanctorum where the light was limited to a shaft above and glowed iridescently just like in a movie. And lo, silence! My ears rang, confused as they were, in the absence of sound. Absolute silence. The aura of sanctity and peace calmed my ears and soon, save for a bird chirp here and there, I could hear myself...

I wish I could bottle that place and carry it with me wherever I went, but it served it's purpose. I found it when I most needed it and it was like shutting down your system when it's on the fritz and rebooting. Starting fresh. It felt good.

On my last day, I had the morning to hike a little more, buy some fresh bananas and meet up with a friend of mine from Mumbai who had just arrived before I grabbed a bus to Goa, India's hippie coast. I spent several days on the beach in a small hut with a bunch of jolly Brits, swimming, hiking, watching movies, spotting dolphins, eating delicious shark and shopping at the famous flea market. Next stop was Pune for a night with a local chap to show me around, then Valentines Day spent on a 30hour train ride in which I boarded the wrong train to Delhi, but as I've been the recipient of many a wonderful Indian twists, a family including two boys around 20yrs old, sacrificed one of their berths for me and even bought me chocolate cake, wishing me a Happy Vday - what sweethearts! Yes, I was indeed on my way up :)

"India has a way of confounding you and still making you laugh about it." I read recently in the book, In Spite of the Gods. So true. I am now back in Delhi with my Austrian friends at their little oasis awaiting my friend's arrival on the 24th, which should serve to further clarify several pressing matters. After that, I have just a couple weeks before I board a jet plane back to the good ol' USofA! I am busy making plans to see a few friends, pick up a few gifts and enjoy a few of my favorite aspects of India before I leave. The rickshaw ride to the house, whizzing through traffic, the driver stopping for pan (an addictive minty concoction wrapped in a leaf, chewed for seemingly hours and requiring the repetetive ejection of red juice), even the beeping had become endearing again and I know I will sorely miss it.