From our eyes to yours...take a look at some of the images we captured when we spent the year travelling the world looking for opportunities to volunteer. Set to John Lennon's "Imagine" it brings tears to my eyes when I look back over that year. The world is a beautiful place with beautiful people in it and so many of them took care of us. Being away from home, family, familiar sights and smells was unnerving at times but the graciousness of disabled men and women, smiles of orphan children and tears of a mother sad to see us go makes me feel homesickness back at home. Without counting the number of places we laid our heads there were a ton of open invitations extended and offerings of familial spots as we travelled. It was hard to say goodbye over and over. The end of the video should say To Be Continued because the story doesn't end where the video ends. Especially now having kids. We have the amazing responsibility of contributing to lives that will then contribute to others lives and with our world views and connections to communities around the world there are some great experiences to come.
Ciao,
Joronda
21 September 2011
07 September 2011
Lasterday
At some point I realized that toddlers have no sense of time but as my son moves towards true boyhood at the ripe age of 3 he is teaching me that my concept of time can be summed up in one word...LASTERDAY. Every time he describes when something happened he says it was lasterday.
You see lasterday is everything except right now and anything after right now. It's everything that already happened yesterday, last week or maybe months ago.
So, to bring you up to speed from April to September since blogging stopped let me tell you what happened lasterday.
The school year ended and Soul had his first official summer break. He asked about going to school for days and then let it go when he found out we were going on a few trips. It was on one of those trips that he sustained his first real injury, a fractured elbow. As a parent watching your child deal will indescribable pain just rips you to pieces. I held myself together through his pleading and wailing but broke down in tears explaining to my husband what happened when the x-rays were done. Soul and I had an amazing mommy and son bonding experience through this. He knows mommy is comforting and I know I am made to comfort him.
5 weeks later the cast came off and lasterday he carried it to school to share during circle time. Just in time too because they are working on dinosaurs. With xray pictures and the cast we can have some good discussions about fossils.
It's exciting to be back to school. We met with the teacher lasterday to set goals for this year. He's reading, learning to write (and has chosen to be left handed because of the 5 weeks in the cast) and will discover graciousness with waiting his turn as he most often has a lot he can't wait to say :o) He is an incredible 3 year old and I love sharing his presence with the world. In just a few weeks we'll celebrate his 4 years on this earth and I'll reminisce on the day he arrived, just like it was lasterday.
See you soon,
You see lasterday is everything except right now and anything after right now. It's everything that already happened yesterday, last week or maybe months ago.
So, to bring you up to speed from April to September since blogging stopped let me tell you what happened lasterday.
The school year ended and Soul had his first official summer break. He asked about going to school for days and then let it go when he found out we were going on a few trips. It was on one of those trips that he sustained his first real injury, a fractured elbow. As a parent watching your child deal will indescribable pain just rips you to pieces. I held myself together through his pleading and wailing but broke down in tears explaining to my husband what happened when the x-rays were done. Soul and I had an amazing mommy and son bonding experience through this. He knows mommy is comforting and I know I am made to comfort him.
5 weeks later the cast came off and lasterday he carried it to school to share during circle time. Just in time too because they are working on dinosaurs. With xray pictures and the cast we can have some good discussions about fossils.
It's exciting to be back to school. We met with the teacher lasterday to set goals for this year. He's reading, learning to write (and has chosen to be left handed because of the 5 weeks in the cast) and will discover graciousness with waiting his turn as he most often has a lot he can't wait to say :o) He is an incredible 3 year old and I love sharing his presence with the world. In just a few weeks we'll celebrate his 4 years on this earth and I'll reminisce on the day he arrived, just like it was lasterday.
See you soon,
Joronda
19 April 2011
Secret Society
Friday mornings have changed. The last few Friday's I've started the weekend off by spending time with other parents and the DGM director talking about a variety of topics. It's starting to feel like being part of a really cool club. And the club IS really cool. I just found out the names of some interesting Alumni. The founders of Google and Wikipedia, Julia Child and to my big surprise Sean "Puffy" Combs. Maybe the lack of television means I get my information slower but I don't recall ever hearing about this fantastic news...Montessorian's fare tremendously well in the real world. Maybe it's because they belong to this well kept secret society.
I can remember hearing at different times that kids who attend Montessori school have a hard time if they leave that environment and go to traditional schools. I guess that means we (my husband and I) will have to do whatever we can to keep our children out of a traditional school. There's no going back now, and good for us. The thing is, life is very Montessori. We are all multidimensional individuals contributing to the multideminsions of our environments. Why shouldn't we be trained in that way and encouraged to be good at it. You might have a Montessori style if you
- work to the best of your ability
- take pride in your own achievements
- demonstrate self motivation
- put things back after you are done with them
- work well with others
- handle transitions well
- understand the meaning of community
How long did it take you to master these things? I know I'm still working on some of them but my 3 year old will have them mastered by the time he's in lower elementary. If people knew the true beauty of educating the entire person who wouldn't want to get their child in fast. When I say the entire child I don't mean Reading and Math. No. I mean an 8 page report card that let's the parent know about social development, self control, grace and courtesy, care of environment, self and others and more...and that's the secret.
Well the secret is out, just click on the title to check out the Wall Street Journal Blog and find out more. It's fascinating that these dynamic, trendsetting personalities mentioned above have their educational roots in Montessori. I'm thinking about what they have done and the following each of them inspired. They all have in common, the ability to create and re create. Puffy was so into recreating that he changed his nickname back to his original nickname after changing it to several other names that he tried on for a while before deciding he was fine with where he started. That's awesome...don't be afraid to try something on; If it doesn't fit or you don't like it you can always leave with what you came in wearing. It's also called the Thank you bite-I don't mind trying it because I know it's not for me I can forgo an further experience with it and still be comfortable and confident that I made the right choice, for me.
Salaam,
Joronda
I can remember hearing at different times that kids who attend Montessori school have a hard time if they leave that environment and go to traditional schools. I guess that means we (my husband and I) will have to do whatever we can to keep our children out of a traditional school. There's no going back now, and good for us. The thing is, life is very Montessori. We are all multidimensional individuals contributing to the multideminsions of our environments. Why shouldn't we be trained in that way and encouraged to be good at it. You might have a Montessori style if you
- work to the best of your ability
- take pride in your own achievements
- demonstrate self motivation
- put things back after you are done with them
- work well with others
- handle transitions well
- understand the meaning of community
How long did it take you to master these things? I know I'm still working on some of them but my 3 year old will have them mastered by the time he's in lower elementary. If people knew the true beauty of educating the entire person who wouldn't want to get their child in fast. When I say the entire child I don't mean Reading and Math. No. I mean an 8 page report card that let's the parent know about social development, self control, grace and courtesy, care of environment, self and others and more...and that's the secret.
Well the secret is out, just click on the title to check out the Wall Street Journal Blog and find out more. It's fascinating that these dynamic, trendsetting personalities mentioned above have their educational roots in Montessori. I'm thinking about what they have done and the following each of them inspired. They all have in common, the ability to create and re create. Puffy was so into recreating that he changed his nickname back to his original nickname after changing it to several other names that he tried on for a while before deciding he was fine with where he started. That's awesome...don't be afraid to try something on; If it doesn't fit or you don't like it you can always leave with what you came in wearing. It's also called the Thank you bite-I don't mind trying it because I know it's not for me I can forgo an further experience with it and still be comfortable and confident that I made the right choice, for me.
Salaam,
Joronda
31 March 2011
Imagine
Here in the United States education is a mandatory stipulation for parents raising children. To make the task simple, public institutions of learning are free and abundantly placed throughout neighborhoods, convenient for youth and families. It has been this way for decades but it seems as though over the same period of time our collective fervor for learning has diminished. Somewhere between the mandate to school and free resources, the excitement for education and discovering passions has been thwarted. Many strong starters barely complete the warm up before the big race of life after high school begins. Things change when you leave the highly formulated constructs of traditional education and step into the "real world". I have never understood why their wasn't a practice run before the real world. Ahhhhhhh but wait. Stay with me fore a minute and imagine a different educational process.
Imagine a child, happy to go to school.
Imagine learning spaces with endless opportunities to explore.
Imagine being encouraged to get even better at what you're already good at...
Imagine career readiness training from the time you start walking.
Imagine dictating your own promotions.
Imagine self-less teenagers who understand giving is the best gift.
Imagine those teenagers trying to get others to understand it.
Imagine adults who care about what youth have to say.
Imagine things being changed because the adults listened to the youth.
Imagine happy youth.
Imagine a toddler sanitizing her own hands.
Imagine running a business at 12 years old.
Imagine youth raised in this environment.
Can you imagine all this? I can't help but imgine it, every day. Our family is a part of it. This week I saw that toddler self dispense AND sanitize her hands as if she had read one of those bathroom signs that states "employees must wash hands before returning to work". I was amazed how second natured it appeared as she rubbed her plams together literally taking matters into her own hands. To me, it was a metaphor in motion, a vivid comparison, a representation, of sustainability. I am learning that DGM children (and families) are encouraged to be self-directed, independent learners who can change their world. Given the opportunity to practice, use and share those skills with others, what happens is you end up with individuals who have these beautiful tendencies embedded in their nature and it creates a self confident personality that last a lifetime. Tuesday morning I sat in an "Imagine" breakfast with about 400 people. It was an event meant to share the past accomplishments, present activities and future vision of the Desert Garden Montessori School. What a wonderful start to my week. I felt honored to be amongst visionary people who have the capability of turning hopes into reality. I want to teach our sons to do that same thing. I feel encouraged, optomistic, passionate, included, responsible and protected. When you TRULY want to make something happen, you'll put in the honest effort to do so. It's incredible when you have a support system helping you along the way. Salaam, Joronda
27 March 2011
Arts and Crabs
After only a few days of school this guy is so independent. On day two he wanted to be dropped off curbside. Considering that he threw up all over his clothes about 30 minutes after getting dropped off the first day I would say he has some impressive self confidence. I saw that confidence again when I asked him, some time during the middle sof the week, what he did at school and he told me with the most sincerity "arts and crabs". Before I had a chance to find out how he defined that he asked me "what's arts and crabs?" Too funny! He knew he had done it even though he didn't really know what it was.
After a full week I feel like we all just started school. The excitement still has not worn off either. I take him to school and Mateo and the baby do a 14 mile round trip on the bike to pick him up and bring him home after school. In a quick run down of the week it began with throw up on day one, heart warming photos from his teacher of the same day, a pleasant surprise of photos on day 2, coffee with the director on friday and show and tell to end the week. For his first show and tell he shared a Dominican Republic hand made cigar box that he calls his treasure box. He keeps his planes and helicopters in this box and was super excited to show his teacher. What a great start to an educational career!
Salaam,
Joronda Montano
21 March 2011
Life Changes
Wow, how life has changed since 2006. When we came back to the States, general readjustment was met with over coming a life threatening brain disease while protecting a precious Soul's safe entry into this world. I thought about that a lot this morning while I was listening to the wind whip across the yard picking up everything its power could hold. I was holding on to Peace, comfortable and content. It was around 4 o'clock in the morning so I should have been tired but I was excited and reflective.
Today, our first born son would start his First day of school. For the last three years he has been home with Daddy soaking up every bit of Montano manhood he could. After three years we are letting him expand his world. I have been excited about this day since I found out about this wonderful school. I was hooked after visiting only once and truly believe our son's academic experience will be empowering and uplifting for everyone around him.
I remember the day we found out that in 9 months we "could" be parents. Awe, fear and excitement were all a part of that day. I say "could" because it was January 2007, just a few weeks after I was released from the hospital with a diagnosis of neuro brucellosis. The one thing the doctor said was don't get pregnant. Brucella is vicious to the stability of a new pregnancy. After passing out twice in the shower it was a done deal the medicine I thought was having some adverse effects turned out to be a baby. We didn't know if we would make it past the first trimester and weren't sure how the disease would progress through an entire 9 months. Six months later I had my final spinal tap, was back to normal and could focus on just the baby. He was born at 7:49pm September 29, 2007 weighing 8lbs 2.6 ozs and measuring 21 inches. Amazingly healthy!
He has been AMAZING since day one and I know there are amazing things in store for him. I am so excited about him starting school. I can't wait to hear his daily discoveries. Today he discovered he doesn't like rice cakes. Forty minutes after we dropped him off I received a phone call saying he threw up in the classroom. What a way to start. You know what he did? Went to the office told them he was fine, had his clothes changed and jumped right back in for round 2. The voice on the other line said to me he was feeling ok and maybe it was his nerves. Talking to him afterschool it turns out it was definitely the rice cakes. He is very ready to go back to school tomorrow.
Well just so you know, you can go with us. In fact meet us right back here as often as you would like and share in the positive life changes this one is about to make in this world.
Joronda Montano
15 June 2006
Where in the world are we?
South America...Great!!! We got on a boat at the Guayaquil yacht club and skimmed the surface of the Pacific Ocean for 2 hours. We arrived at our destination and pulled up to a small deck leading to an island dedicated to Biocentinela's shrimping. What an interesting place! To give you an idea of what the last month has been for us here are some buenos y malos (highs and lows).
Smelling the ocean air as our boat captain navigated through mangrove pathways, destination Jontec Island...bueno. Weeks later getting stuck in the mud and having to wait in the ocean for 45 minutes on a wooden boat until the tide rose was not comforting...malo.
Choclo con queso fresco, so delicious on a cold morning when you're excited to try new things...bueno. Queso fresco three days in a row and nothing with flavor to help you choke it down...malo.
Three large meals a day in the company of the nicest people you would want to be stuck on an island with...bueno. Large portions of rice three times a day...with queso fresco on top for a treat...malo.
Watching everyone communicate with three deaf guys even though no one knows proper sign languauge. Some how they could all understand each other and everything worked beautifully...bueno.
Being married and spending mornings rowing with my spouse on serene lakes feeding shrimp, listening to egrets and basking in the sun...que bueno. Tasting the microorganisms that the shrimp get....whoa, malo.
Watching B rated movies after dinner dubbed over really badly in Spanish, then barely being able to keep our eyes open before dragging ourselves to bed around 7:45 p.m., priceless and oh so bueno. Being awaken from wonderful dream filled sleep at 4 a.m. by cross bred rooster chicken birds...malo.
Mateo becoming a top notch futbol goalie and helping his team win two days in a row, he was never scored on...bueno
Fishing for shrimp at midnight until almost sunrise was a first for both of us. It was dark, cold and a lot of work...bueno. Preparing the drained lakes for new crops of shrimp is dirty work. We walked through mud above our knees throwing lime and bokashi (a japanese organic mixture for the bottom of the lake). Good process (organic) but thick stinky mud...malo.
Getting our feet sliced up by sea shells. If you've never done it you might not know that shells are like razor blades and if you step on them with no shoes they cut your feet like butter. The worst is trying to sleep because they sting for days. I only had a few but both of Mateo's feet were sliced to pieces...malo
It was overall really really good. Eat organic shrimp if you get a chance, it's great! We left the farm and stayed in Guayaquil at the company house for a couple days before making our way back to Quito...
So what did we do when we got to Quito? We walked for an hour in the dark at 5 a.m., since we couldn't get on the local bus with our big backpacks, found our hostel and prepared ourselves for home. That's right...after 9 months of adventure our next destination was set for The United States...and we're BACK! Maybe we'll be in a city near you soon!
We want to thank everyone for travelling with us. We can't tell you how much it meant to us to have your presence. You really helped pull us through some tough times. We can't wait to see you all and hear what you have been up to. We are still working on elements from the trip so keep checking back for updated pictures through the end of our trip. New photos should be up in the next week or so. We will continue to use the blog for future travel and updates on some of the projects we plan to continue to support so don't throw away the address. Again, thank you so much and we should see you soon.
salaam
Mateo and Joronda
Smelling the ocean air as our boat captain navigated through mangrove pathways, destination Jontec Island...bueno. Weeks later getting stuck in the mud and having to wait in the ocean for 45 minutes on a wooden boat until the tide rose was not comforting...malo.
Choclo con queso fresco, so delicious on a cold morning when you're excited to try new things...bueno. Queso fresco three days in a row and nothing with flavor to help you choke it down...malo.
Three large meals a day in the company of the nicest people you would want to be stuck on an island with...bueno. Large portions of rice three times a day...with queso fresco on top for a treat...malo.
Watching everyone communicate with three deaf guys even though no one knows proper sign languauge. Some how they could all understand each other and everything worked beautifully...bueno.
Being married and spending mornings rowing with my spouse on serene lakes feeding shrimp, listening to egrets and basking in the sun...que bueno. Tasting the microorganisms that the shrimp get....whoa, malo.
Watching B rated movies after dinner dubbed over really badly in Spanish, then barely being able to keep our eyes open before dragging ourselves to bed around 7:45 p.m., priceless and oh so bueno. Being awaken from wonderful dream filled sleep at 4 a.m. by cross bred rooster chicken birds...malo.
Mateo becoming a top notch futbol goalie and helping his team win two days in a row, he was never scored on...bueno
Fishing for shrimp at midnight until almost sunrise was a first for both of us. It was dark, cold and a lot of work...bueno. Preparing the drained lakes for new crops of shrimp is dirty work. We walked through mud above our knees throwing lime and bokashi (a japanese organic mixture for the bottom of the lake). Good process (organic) but thick stinky mud...malo.
Getting our feet sliced up by sea shells. If you've never done it you might not know that shells are like razor blades and if you step on them with no shoes they cut your feet like butter. The worst is trying to sleep because they sting for days. I only had a few but both of Mateo's feet were sliced to pieces...malo
It was overall really really good. Eat organic shrimp if you get a chance, it's great! We left the farm and stayed in Guayaquil at the company house for a couple days before making our way back to Quito...
So what did we do when we got to Quito? We walked for an hour in the dark at 5 a.m., since we couldn't get on the local bus with our big backpacks, found our hostel and prepared ourselves for home. That's right...after 9 months of adventure our next destination was set for The United States...and we're BACK! Maybe we'll be in a city near you soon!
We want to thank everyone for travelling with us. We can't tell you how much it meant to us to have your presence. You really helped pull us through some tough times. We can't wait to see you all and hear what you have been up to. We are still working on elements from the trip so keep checking back for updated pictures through the end of our trip. New photos should be up in the next week or so. We will continue to use the blog for future travel and updates on some of the projects we plan to continue to support so don't throw away the address. Again, thank you so much and we should see you soon.
salaam
Mateo and Joronda
09 May 2006
fried shrimp, baked shrimp, boiled shrimp...
Well we went to that volcano and here's the scoop. Three thousand years ago this volcano imploded and all the snow that was on it at the time created a lake. Now it's a tourist spot where you can take a boat or kayak in the crater of the volcano. We went out on a boat and learned a bit. Seeing the cool sulfur bubbling in the crayon blue water was a bit unsettling as we stopped to listen to our monotone guide give us information about why the rocks are yellow and how the three mountainous islands in the middle of the lake are actually lava mounds. It was interesting and erie. We got out of the boat and started out on a 4 hour hike around the rim of the volcano. Beautiful!Early into the hike I was shaken by a few people's warnings of armed bandits robbing tourist so I stopped about an hour in. I sat on a bench where I had a beautiful decending view into the crater. I have had enough close calls on this trip and I didn't feel like walking down a volcano shoeless as supposedly 4 French tourist were forced to. Mateo went on a bit further with a few travel buddies and I sat there for a little over an hour eating fruit and watching the clouds roll up and down the crater. It was really serene until I heard what sounded like horses galloping over rocks. It was Mateo getting a good workout. He came flying past me in his flip flops looking very energetic.
We were travelling with a couple from New York and they went on and made the hike. Four hours later they returned to us very wet, freezing cold and saying it was the most horrible experience of their lives. They didn't get robbed though.
This morning we parted from our friends and headed back below the equator. We had been waiting a few days to decide our direction. It was between a medicinal forest with an Ecuadorian shaman or an organic shrimp farm on an island in the gulf of Guayaquil. Even though I don't swim very well Mateo and I will board a shrimp boat at 7 o'clock in the morning for a two hour ride to Isla Puna. If you want to check out our whereabouts go to www.biocentinela.com.
There will be no internet when we get there so it may be a while before you here from us. That seems to be the way of the simple life...
Ciao
Joronda
We were travelling with a couple from New York and they went on and made the hike. Four hours later they returned to us very wet, freezing cold and saying it was the most horrible experience of their lives. They didn't get robbed though.
This morning we parted from our friends and headed back below the equator. We had been waiting a few days to decide our direction. It was between a medicinal forest with an Ecuadorian shaman or an organic shrimp farm on an island in the gulf of Guayaquil. Even though I don't swim very well Mateo and I will board a shrimp boat at 7 o'clock in the morning for a two hour ride to Isla Puna. If you want to check out our whereabouts go to www.biocentinela.com.
There will be no internet when we get there so it may be a while before you here from us. That seems to be the way of the simple life...
Ciao
Joronda
more new photos!!!
salaam
6 new photo albums have been uploaded! for the best experience, view the slideshow of each album.
enjoy!
salaam
mateo
6 new photo albums have been uploaded! for the best experience, view the slideshow of each album.
enjoy!
salaam
mateo
06 May 2006
Walking on Clouds
Thanks you all for your suggestions and sympathy regarding our chicken head situation. I should just let you know that the following day we sat down to chicken feet soup and although equally alarming it was quite tasty...
For the last couple of weeks we have been living in a cloud forest picking coffee, planting pineapples and waking up at 6 am to extremely loud cumbia music. The cloud forest situation is both weird and amazing. We can sit in the kitchen and watch the clouds drift through the glassless window and out the back door. Sometimes we can´t see anything past the house as we head out to the fields through moist grass with our Ecuadorian made rubber boots on and tools over our shoulders. The work is really strenuous and my hands literally have callouses on top of callouses.
We would have communicated earlier but getting to internet is 50 miles away. It´s a four hour bus ride through what looks like scenes in Jurassic Park or a ride at Universal Studios. Cascading water rushes off the side of the mountain and like pouring rain pounds the roof and windows of one side of the bus. The leaves are so large they look prehistoric and farmers stand up straight to stare at the bus as it squeaks past their mountain side "campos".
Today we made the journey into town and the trip turned into an adventure. Everyday it rains and the roads get soft and difficult to navigate. Our bus slid into a ditch and got wedged into a mud trench pressed against the mountain. No problem though because that´s why the bus has passengers. The assistant conductor crawled under the bus and attached a rope somewhere and everyone grabbed a piece and pulled. Never mind the fact that Mateo was wearing flip flops, he just kicked them to the side of the road, turned his unbiforcated travel garmet into waders and pulled with the crew. The pulling, turned into trench digging and this went on for 2 hours. When the bus finally did get out we all had to run up the road as fast as we could before the bus ran us over. We couldn´t expect the bus to stop for any slackers because it might get stuck again. Oh yeah I left out one part. Once the bus was out of the ditch I was looking for Mateo and found him way up in a tree with the assistant conductor trying to knock the tree down because it had been growing there for years but was now a problem. With no knocking down sort of tools they used the only thing they could, shear weight...and well, I couldn´t really get a snapshot of the little asst. conductors body flying into the shoeless Mateo and two guys I couldn´t even see from the road jumping out of the jungle vines but I will not forget the sight anytime soon. What a team effort!
So at the end of the race, everyone climbed back on the bus at the top of the hill and we road into town like it was just a regular bus ride. Now we´re in Otavalo planning on getting some good rest tonight before we go hike a volcano tomorrow...
Joronda
For the last couple of weeks we have been living in a cloud forest picking coffee, planting pineapples and waking up at 6 am to extremely loud cumbia music. The cloud forest situation is both weird and amazing. We can sit in the kitchen and watch the clouds drift through the glassless window and out the back door. Sometimes we can´t see anything past the house as we head out to the fields through moist grass with our Ecuadorian made rubber boots on and tools over our shoulders. The work is really strenuous and my hands literally have callouses on top of callouses.
We would have communicated earlier but getting to internet is 50 miles away. It´s a four hour bus ride through what looks like scenes in Jurassic Park or a ride at Universal Studios. Cascading water rushes off the side of the mountain and like pouring rain pounds the roof and windows of one side of the bus. The leaves are so large they look prehistoric and farmers stand up straight to stare at the bus as it squeaks past their mountain side "campos".
Today we made the journey into town and the trip turned into an adventure. Everyday it rains and the roads get soft and difficult to navigate. Our bus slid into a ditch and got wedged into a mud trench pressed against the mountain. No problem though because that´s why the bus has passengers. The assistant conductor crawled under the bus and attached a rope somewhere and everyone grabbed a piece and pulled. Never mind the fact that Mateo was wearing flip flops, he just kicked them to the side of the road, turned his unbiforcated travel garmet into waders and pulled with the crew. The pulling, turned into trench digging and this went on for 2 hours. When the bus finally did get out we all had to run up the road as fast as we could before the bus ran us over. We couldn´t expect the bus to stop for any slackers because it might get stuck again. Oh yeah I left out one part. Once the bus was out of the ditch I was looking for Mateo and found him way up in a tree with the assistant conductor trying to knock the tree down because it had been growing there for years but was now a problem. With no knocking down sort of tools they used the only thing they could, shear weight...and well, I couldn´t really get a snapshot of the little asst. conductors body flying into the shoeless Mateo and two guys I couldn´t even see from the road jumping out of the jungle vines but I will not forget the sight anytime soon. What a team effort!
So at the end of the race, everyone climbed back on the bus at the top of the hill and we road into town like it was just a regular bus ride. Now we´re in Otavalo planning on getting some good rest tonight before we go hike a volcano tomorrow...
Joronda
20 April 2006
chicken head soup
62 hours by bus and we're in Quito, Ecuador. Not a bad trip since we were able to see the variety of flora and fauna this botanical garden of South America has to offer. I can't say so much for the driving though. Every bus was skidding and sliding around corners, breaking through thick cloud covering and stopping frequently for snack carrying road vendors. We spent most of the time looking out over huge cliff drops and sliding back and forth in our seats trying to get comfortable. It seems like both Peru and Ecuador are lands made of just mountains. We spent so much time travelling through the Andeas I kept wondering if any part of these countries have flat land.
We didn't get much sleep so we are resting for a few days before jumping into our next volunteer opportunity. We are taking in Ecuador even though it feels weird to be using U.S. currency again. It's a good thing the prices aren't the same. We had dinner last night for a dollar a piece and there were firsts and seconds. It was a good meal but when I discovered there was what appeared to be a chicken head in my soup I kept using my spoon to cover it with more juice. Every once in a while the head would turn up and I would see an eye looking up at me. I thought I must have just gotten a special batch but it turns out that was the soup of the day. Mateo ate the soup but not the chicken but I went for it. I can't say I would do it again. Not that it wasn't tasty, I'm just still trying to get over the chicken thing.
So tommorrow it's off to Otavalo where we'll get on another bumpy bus for a quick 4 hour trip to our pueblo.
Joronda
We didn't get much sleep so we are resting for a few days before jumping into our next volunteer opportunity. We are taking in Ecuador even though it feels weird to be using U.S. currency again. It's a good thing the prices aren't the same. We had dinner last night for a dollar a piece and there were firsts and seconds. It was a good meal but when I discovered there was what appeared to be a chicken head in my soup I kept using my spoon to cover it with more juice. Every once in a while the head would turn up and I would see an eye looking up at me. I thought I must have just gotten a special batch but it turns out that was the soup of the day. Mateo ate the soup but not the chicken but I went for it. I can't say I would do it again. Not that it wasn't tasty, I'm just still trying to get over the chicken thing.
So tommorrow it's off to Otavalo where we'll get on another bumpy bus for a quick 4 hour trip to our pueblo.
Joronda
16 April 2006
Machupicchu
It's cold and rainy today and we're feeling the after effects of a hard day on the Inca trail. We left our hostel three days ago in search of a glimpse of the lost Inca city. Arriving in Cusco was impressive. The city is planned in the shape of a puma, the animal most sacred to the Inca's. From Cusco we jumped on a small local bus to Urubamba about and hour or so up the mountain. We were the only foreign tourist on the bus but we were told going this route would be more rewarding. In Urubamba I noticed most of the houses had crosses with two bulls flanking the symbol. I had no idea what this meant but I knew we were getting closer to Machupicchu.
From Urubamba we climbed into a 10 seater colectivo where a number of passengers were already waiting. I have found that I enjoy the way people take public transportation in other countries. Our colectivo was packed but four people waiting on the side of the road in the middle of an agricultural district climbed right on in and with one man on Mateo's lap and another right in my face we found a way to slide the door closed and chug further up the mountain to Ollantaytambo. No one left behind.
Peru is beautiful! The colors across the land make it look like a patchwork quilt and the dialects and clothing are so vibrant. It's a culture I don't believe I have ever been privileged to. In Ollantaytambo we bought our way overpriced tickets to Agua Calientes (AC), the Machupicchu pueblo. With 3 hours to spare we sat in the town square ate choclo con queso (huge corn and cheese) and watched tourist try to sneak pictures of the Inca Trail porters who were wearing traditional Peruvian garments.
2 hours after leaving Ollantaytambo we made it to AC and settled in for the night. At 5 am the adventure began. In the dark on the previous night the shadow of the mountain was a bit intimidating and at 5 am the dark was still looming. We bought our tickets and began the 5km walk straight up. We met a large group of Semana Santa worshippers who were walking in a candle light vigil carrying a huge cross. With a few days until Easter there's a lot of re-enactments of the Passion in this area. We broke through the crowd and met a raging river and a stone staircase with a small sign reading " a Maccupicchu" to Macchupicchu.
The sounds, smells, temperature and feeling in my chest were all incredible. At over 11'000 ft elevation the clouds are just right on your shoulder. Some of it must have been in my chest too because I was sucking so much air I was finding it hard to believe I was once an athlete. Surprisingly we passed other mountain goers and one poor guy was really on the brink of giving up saying a very loud "NEVER AGAIN". Mateo was dripping with sweat but passing people no less and calling back for me every once in a while. I was there but, my goodness...
At the top sweet victory and when we walked passed the control tower into this unbelieveable pristine lost civilization I didn't want to leave. Can you believe the Spanish missed this huge community on their conquest. It's a good thing they did and it's a good thing the Inca knew how to keep a secret. Only in 1911 was it discovered, centuries later.
The morning sunrise is a great time to get there. Very few group tours are there and watching the clouds reveal and cover the city minute after minute is like opening a present and then closing it to open it again with the same pleasantly surprised look on your face. I could have stayed up there for days. Well we did stay for 12 hours and went even higher to a point that looks down on the ruin. That is a story in itself. Let's just say we came down on our hands and butts. What a site.
So that was Machupicchu for us. The rustic route. Now it's off to Ecuador. We probably won't have contact for a few days but stay tuned to see where we make it to. Our destination is a small village east of Otavalo, just outside of Quito. Talk to you soon.
Joronda
From Urubamba we climbed into a 10 seater colectivo where a number of passengers were already waiting. I have found that I enjoy the way people take public transportation in other countries. Our colectivo was packed but four people waiting on the side of the road in the middle of an agricultural district climbed right on in and with one man on Mateo's lap and another right in my face we found a way to slide the door closed and chug further up the mountain to Ollantaytambo. No one left behind.
Peru is beautiful! The colors across the land make it look like a patchwork quilt and the dialects and clothing are so vibrant. It's a culture I don't believe I have ever been privileged to. In Ollantaytambo we bought our way overpriced tickets to Agua Calientes (AC), the Machupicchu pueblo. With 3 hours to spare we sat in the town square ate choclo con queso (huge corn and cheese) and watched tourist try to sneak pictures of the Inca Trail porters who were wearing traditional Peruvian garments.
2 hours after leaving Ollantaytambo we made it to AC and settled in for the night. At 5 am the adventure began. In the dark on the previous night the shadow of the mountain was a bit intimidating and at 5 am the dark was still looming. We bought our tickets and began the 5km walk straight up. We met a large group of Semana Santa worshippers who were walking in a candle light vigil carrying a huge cross. With a few days until Easter there's a lot of re-enactments of the Passion in this area. We broke through the crowd and met a raging river and a stone staircase with a small sign reading " a Maccupicchu" to Macchupicchu.
The sounds, smells, temperature and feeling in my chest were all incredible. At over 11'000 ft elevation the clouds are just right on your shoulder. Some of it must have been in my chest too because I was sucking so much air I was finding it hard to believe I was once an athlete. Surprisingly we passed other mountain goers and one poor guy was really on the brink of giving up saying a very loud "NEVER AGAIN". Mateo was dripping with sweat but passing people no less and calling back for me every once in a while. I was there but, my goodness...
At the top sweet victory and when we walked passed the control tower into this unbelieveable pristine lost civilization I didn't want to leave. Can you believe the Spanish missed this huge community on their conquest. It's a good thing they did and it's a good thing the Inca knew how to keep a secret. Only in 1911 was it discovered, centuries later.
The morning sunrise is a great time to get there. Very few group tours are there and watching the clouds reveal and cover the city minute after minute is like opening a present and then closing it to open it again with the same pleasantly surprised look on your face. I could have stayed up there for days. Well we did stay for 12 hours and went even higher to a point that looks down on the ruin. That is a story in itself. Let's just say we came down on our hands and butts. What a site.
So that was Machupicchu for us. The rustic route. Now it's off to Ecuador. We probably won't have contact for a few days but stay tuned to see where we make it to. Our destination is a small village east of Otavalo, just outside of Quito. Talk to you soon.
Joronda
15 April 2006
more new pictures
salaam
4 more albums have been added, including one that was missing from viet nam (9), and the infamous shaolin pics.
enjoy.
salaam
mateo
p.s. machupicchu was nuts, but more on that later...they're closing the lab down.
4 more albums have been added, including one that was missing from viet nam (9), and the infamous shaolin pics.
enjoy.
salaam
mateo
p.s. machupicchu was nuts, but more on that later...they're closing the lab down.
10 April 2006
NEW PHOTOS FINALLY!!!!
8 new albums have been uploaded to the photo section. We know we´re really behind but please bear with us... as we have some 2600 photos to upload. If you would like to refresh your memory of the stories then check the photos and reread the post for those countries.
Thanks for being patient.
Mateo and Joronda
Thanks for being patient.
Mateo and Joronda
Soaring to new heights
Mateo and I both have our issues with heights so why are we trying to figure out how to climb the largest sand dune in the world and somewhat ski-surf down it. Sandboarding is a popular sport in Southern Peru and with the number of dunes around here there are plenty of places to practice. Cerro Blanco is where we´re trying to learn.
We arrived in Nazca last night after a 9 hour bus ride through the ever changing Peruvian land. The bus was extremely packed at times and when it shut off once all the men got off and started pushing. We weren´t sure what was happening but when the push driver routinely put it in gear we just shrugged and said great we´re on our way. Had Mateo figured out what was going on he would have been at the back of the Ormeño bus with the rest of the passengers getting us down the highway.
When we walked through the city of Nazca today, we could see the height and mass of the sand and it is too impressive. Nazca itself is just impressive with the 2000 year old drawings in the sands. We could get a private plane and soar over the Nazca Lines but I don´t know about that. Maybe we´ll have to come back with one of you and do that.
As far as sandboarding we´ve got about 5 days to get our nerves together. Our bus for Cusco leaves at midnight and we´ll stay their for two days to acclimatize before we go to Machu Picchu. At 11,000 feet and rising I´m curious to see how our bodies react. Although we wanted to hike the Inca Trail to get the full 4 day experience of reaching the ruins we´ll have to settle for the 1 hour walk to the top of the hill from Agua Calientes. It costs $6 to take a bus from the hostel to the gates of the ruins but I´m sure the Crocodile Hunter will want to wack bushes at 5 o´clock in the morning and show up at sunrise as the lazy tourist step comfortably from their 20 minute lazy ride.
If you have no idea what any of these cities or names are check out the map on our page. Just click on the moving flag.
Joronda
We arrived in Nazca last night after a 9 hour bus ride through the ever changing Peruvian land. The bus was extremely packed at times and when it shut off once all the men got off and started pushing. We weren´t sure what was happening but when the push driver routinely put it in gear we just shrugged and said great we´re on our way. Had Mateo figured out what was going on he would have been at the back of the Ormeño bus with the rest of the passengers getting us down the highway.
When we walked through the city of Nazca today, we could see the height and mass of the sand and it is too impressive. Nazca itself is just impressive with the 2000 year old drawings in the sands. We could get a private plane and soar over the Nazca Lines but I don´t know about that. Maybe we´ll have to come back with one of you and do that.
As far as sandboarding we´ve got about 5 days to get our nerves together. Our bus for Cusco leaves at midnight and we´ll stay their for two days to acclimatize before we go to Machu Picchu. At 11,000 feet and rising I´m curious to see how our bodies react. Although we wanted to hike the Inca Trail to get the full 4 day experience of reaching the ruins we´ll have to settle for the 1 hour walk to the top of the hill from Agua Calientes. It costs $6 to take a bus from the hostel to the gates of the ruins but I´m sure the Crocodile Hunter will want to wack bushes at 5 o´clock in the morning and show up at sunrise as the lazy tourist step comfortably from their 20 minute lazy ride.
If you have no idea what any of these cities or names are check out the map on our page. Just click on the moving flag.
Joronda
06 April 2006
Anyone up for Spain?
Hey guess what we did for fun on Sunday night? We all got weighed on a pig scale. It started with the family wanting to know how much Mateo weighs. He eats so much that they just had to know where he was putting it. About two minutes later Francisco walks in with a long silver contraption with ropes hanging from it. One by one we secured ourselves with the ropes and dangled from the chestnut beams in the ceiling of the house. I thought it would only be us youngsters but everyone hoped on. Francisco, Pepe, Isabel their guests and no one was shy to let their weight be told. Pepe beat us all out at 86 Kilos. If you want to do the conversion Mateo is 75 kilos.
We all pitched in to prepare dulces for Mateo the goloso. It was great and after a few hours at the house we headed down into the pueblo to snuggle into our casita until the next days work. Once again it´s sad to leave a place where people are so good and everyday is an adventure. Before we went home you´ll be interested to know that Mateo doubles as the Crocodile Hunter when wild snakes find themselves stuck in tiny holes. I walked outside to see if the sweets were being prepared on some big open flame and found Mateo unwinding a large snake from a hole in the bottom of a propane tank. Everyone one was standing really far back while this snake was gapping his mouth in what seemed like pain and curling it´s tail around Mateo´s hand. Even though he´s not a trained zoologist the Crocodile Hunter knows snakes can´t crawl up their own bodies; and they say don´t try those things at home. Everyday is an adventure.
If you´re interested in doing a bit of hard work in Spain and helping out a great family let us know. There are only three people in the family to do a ton of work and they can really use some good assistance. There are goats to be milked everyday and a host of other things to be taken care of including picking up fresh bread from the panaderia every morning on the way to the farm. I´ll miss that alot. This is another place on our list to return to. Seriously if you´re interested let us know and we´ll give you more details.
So we´re on the road again and we´re off to Peru. At 10:30 p.m. Spainish time we´ll set off on a 13 hour excursion to Lima. Look out America we´re coming home!
Joronda
We all pitched in to prepare dulces for Mateo the goloso. It was great and after a few hours at the house we headed down into the pueblo to snuggle into our casita until the next days work. Once again it´s sad to leave a place where people are so good and everyday is an adventure. Before we went home you´ll be interested to know that Mateo doubles as the Crocodile Hunter when wild snakes find themselves stuck in tiny holes. I walked outside to see if the sweets were being prepared on some big open flame and found Mateo unwinding a large snake from a hole in the bottom of a propane tank. Everyone one was standing really far back while this snake was gapping his mouth in what seemed like pain and curling it´s tail around Mateo´s hand. Even though he´s not a trained zoologist the Crocodile Hunter knows snakes can´t crawl up their own bodies; and they say don´t try those things at home. Everyday is an adventure.
If you´re interested in doing a bit of hard work in Spain and helping out a great family let us know. There are only three people in the family to do a ton of work and they can really use some good assistance. There are goats to be milked everyday and a host of other things to be taken care of including picking up fresh bread from the panaderia every morning on the way to the farm. I´ll miss that alot. This is another place on our list to return to. Seriously if you´re interested let us know and we´ll give you more details.
So we´re on the road again and we´re off to Peru. At 10:30 p.m. Spainish time we´ll set off on a 13 hour excursion to Lima. Look out America we´re coming home!
Joronda
26 March 2006
La Leche
Well Lucy and Ethel are back at it. Make sure you read the previous post before this one.
We are now in Andalucia, Southern Spain in the province of Málaga. Our new home is in Alpandeire and we are working with animals. After only two days the owners left us to milk goats by ourselves.What confidence! When we walked in the first day, Syl´s first comment was the "Simple Life" but you should see her now she can handle four at once
So Lucy and Ethel were down in the pit with the utter suckers while Fred (Mateo) went into the barn to wrestle up the goats. 400 of them. Sometimes he would be in the barn with the door closed then the door would come flying open and Mateo would come storming from one end of the room to the other trying to get the baby´s and keep the males out. We almost milked a male as Mateo tried to hustle him into the stall but Francisco hollered "huevos" so we let him go. Luckily we´re not milking by hand but have you ever tried to attach anything to a goat. We get kicked quite often and the goats scream when they don´t want to come into the milking room. Our clothes are filthy when we leave but we get quite a bit of goat milk.
The pueblo is great and the family we are living with are equally wonderful. For the next couple of weeks we should get pretty good with goats.
Joronda
We are now in Andalucia, Southern Spain in the province of Málaga. Our new home is in Alpandeire and we are working with animals. After only two days the owners left us to milk goats by ourselves.What confidence! When we walked in the first day, Syl´s first comment was the "Simple Life" but you should see her now she can handle four at once
So Lucy and Ethel were down in the pit with the utter suckers while Fred (Mateo) went into the barn to wrestle up the goats. 400 of them. Sometimes he would be in the barn with the door closed then the door would come flying open and Mateo would come storming from one end of the room to the other trying to get the baby´s and keep the males out. We almost milked a male as Mateo tried to hustle him into the stall but Francisco hollered "huevos" so we let him go. Luckily we´re not milking by hand but have you ever tried to attach anything to a goat. We get kicked quite often and the goats scream when they don´t want to come into the milking room. Our clothes are filthy when we leave but we get quite a bit of goat milk.
The pueblo is great and the family we are living with are equally wonderful. For the next couple of weeks we should get pretty good with goats.
Joronda
El Huerto
Wow. Thank you so much to everyone for letting us know you´re out there. Sorry it´s been a good few weeks since we´ve posted. Internet time is scarce. Since we left Barcelona we´ve been living la vida del pueblo and life is good.
We set off for northern Spain to a small pueblo called Aguinaliu. If you look on the map you won´t see it but you will see a small town called Huesca. It´s kind of close to there but muy muy poquito. From the terrace of the house we can see the Pyrenees mountains snow covered and demanding of several glances on a clear day. The air is dry but frigid and the smell of burning wood from a few casitas wafts into our nostrils. Not much is happening in the pueblo because it was abandoned a long time ago. Only 15 people live there and a poster from 1970 indicated that year may have been when people were forced out. There are an unbelievable number of abandoned pueblos in Spain. The house we live in is at the very top of the hill and we have to climb it twice a day to go home for lunch as well as after the days work is done. We live with Mario a Mexican Buddist Carpenter, Lucas a French Briton Fiddler, a 14 year old dog named Mora and a frisky over grown kitty named Huero. We exist off the fruits of labor from el huerto. Very little is bought from the market. Hopefully our work helps to produce more fruit.
On our first day at work Syl and I jumped in a water trough 7 feet deep to scoop out frozen green ¨sardine¨ water. In our rubber water proof boots we scooped for 4 hours. We did break for tea in the garden with Mateo and Lucas. I´m telling you life is good you all. Syl and I sang old school R&B trying to keep warm and forget about the smell. This was part of our first big project to set up drip irrigation for the garden.
Everyday we work in ¨el huerto¨ getting things ready for permament agriculture. Making seed beds, Mateo is built like a Chevy truck so he hauls the majority of dirt out of the earth while Syl and I swat never ending swarms of knats and mosquitos between every few shovels of dirt. We had previously been exiled to the evergreen forest to sing our songs and collect rich soil for planting. Then I opened my mouth and said I wanted hard work to do. A ten minute walk up the hill in the evening now takes us 20 aching, deep breathing minutes with Mora turning around every few meters to check on us and then walk back down the hill to encourage Syl to make it up.
Mora is really good to us and one day we ended up 8 miles away from home with her. She followed us out of the pueblo and went all the way to town with us. It´s a 6 hour round trip and she walked the entire way then waited outside of each store for us. She´s a small black dog with a greyish white beard showing her old age. She is very fit for her age and we looked like Lucy and Ethel trying to keep this dog from getting hit on the highway, but wouldn´t you know she got us a ride home on the way back. Mora is a dog from the campo so lots of people know her. Our 6 hour round trip was cut to 4 hours and we were glad Mora had refused to go home when we tried to make her. She goes to work with us every morning and walks us up the hill every afternoon. Morita es viejita pobrecita! 3 weeks in Aguinaliu is not nearly enough time to enjoy this place but hopefully we can return.
Hasta Luego
Joronda
We set off for northern Spain to a small pueblo called Aguinaliu. If you look on the map you won´t see it but you will see a small town called Huesca. It´s kind of close to there but muy muy poquito. From the terrace of the house we can see the Pyrenees mountains snow covered and demanding of several glances on a clear day. The air is dry but frigid and the smell of burning wood from a few casitas wafts into our nostrils. Not much is happening in the pueblo because it was abandoned a long time ago. Only 15 people live there and a poster from 1970 indicated that year may have been when people were forced out. There are an unbelievable number of abandoned pueblos in Spain. The house we live in is at the very top of the hill and we have to climb it twice a day to go home for lunch as well as after the days work is done. We live with Mario a Mexican Buddist Carpenter, Lucas a French Briton Fiddler, a 14 year old dog named Mora and a frisky over grown kitty named Huero. We exist off the fruits of labor from el huerto. Very little is bought from the market. Hopefully our work helps to produce more fruit.
On our first day at work Syl and I jumped in a water trough 7 feet deep to scoop out frozen green ¨sardine¨ water. In our rubber water proof boots we scooped for 4 hours. We did break for tea in the garden with Mateo and Lucas. I´m telling you life is good you all. Syl and I sang old school R&B trying to keep warm and forget about the smell. This was part of our first big project to set up drip irrigation for the garden.
Everyday we work in ¨el huerto¨ getting things ready for permament agriculture. Making seed beds, Mateo is built like a Chevy truck so he hauls the majority of dirt out of the earth while Syl and I swat never ending swarms of knats and mosquitos between every few shovels of dirt. We had previously been exiled to the evergreen forest to sing our songs and collect rich soil for planting. Then I opened my mouth and said I wanted hard work to do. A ten minute walk up the hill in the evening now takes us 20 aching, deep breathing minutes with Mora turning around every few meters to check on us and then walk back down the hill to encourage Syl to make it up.
Mora is really good to us and one day we ended up 8 miles away from home with her. She followed us out of the pueblo and went all the way to town with us. It´s a 6 hour round trip and she walked the entire way then waited outside of each store for us. She´s a small black dog with a greyish white beard showing her old age. She is very fit for her age and we looked like Lucy and Ethel trying to keep this dog from getting hit on the highway, but wouldn´t you know she got us a ride home on the way back. Mora is a dog from the campo so lots of people know her. Our 6 hour round trip was cut to 4 hours and we were glad Mora had refused to go home when we tried to make her. She goes to work with us every morning and walks us up the hill every afternoon. Morita es viejita pobrecita! 3 weeks in Aguinaliu is not nearly enough time to enjoy this place but hopefully we can return.
Hasta Luego
Joronda
27 February 2006
Misconceptions
We´ve left the confines of our mud hut in Kenya but not without many memories to muddle over. It seemed like most of the people we met there wanted to be in the U.S. We were told that everyone in the U.S. is comfortable and rich. They believed you could do any job and get paid a lot for it. They had no idea there was poverty and a journalist told me she wished her grandfather had been an African slave. On top of that they had no idea there are black people in the U.S. and you don´t know how many times we were asked if we were ¨white¨. One person was so confused that they wanted to know how could we be white with such dark skin. Ok, so now I was confused ¨What about all the Black American artist plastered on everything from the Matatus to clothing? We saw more 50 cent stuff in Kisumu than we ever see in Arizona. Oh, well that´s because ¨50 cent is so dark he must be a Luo from Kenya¨. My mouth was dropped wide open. ¨So what about all the other black entertainers whose names and faces are airbrushed everywhere?¨ It turns out that there are people who believe these are Africans coming from some other country in Africa that they are not familiar with. This is all a true story. With that said my ideas of the back to Africa movement are over. If you want to know more you´ll have to read my book.
Today I woke up in Barcelona and walked to a fluhsing toilet after I reached for my own roll of toilet tissue. I don´t have to carry that with me around here but I think it will be a while before I kick that habit. I went to wake up Mateo and our new travel buddy Miss Sylvia ¨Akua da poet¨ Doku so we could cruise downstairs for some free breakfast. It´s a good thing it´s free too because the Euro beats the dollar 1.2 to 1 and money goes fast in this part of the world. So much for being rich. Now that there´s three of us travelling, perhaps we´ll be able to stretch the money a bit further.
We´ll be heading North to Huesca to an organic retreat in the mountains where we´ll have to quickly adjust to consisitent Spanish dialogue. We´re getting our taste of it so far and we´re handling ourselves but between the three of us we speak about 60% Spanish. Let´s see how we do in a months time.
I have a little roll call I want to do. We´re not sure who is following us so respond to this post and give a little shout out to let us know you´re here. We see some consistent names and we are usually really excited to read our blog responses to see if those people have commented but we don´t know if other people are out there but silent. Also if you may, tell us what´s been your favorite place that we´ve visited so far and what is something we haven´t done that you suggest we do.
OK folks, we´ll be standing by to see who´s out there.
Joronda
Today I woke up in Barcelona and walked to a fluhsing toilet after I reached for my own roll of toilet tissue. I don´t have to carry that with me around here but I think it will be a while before I kick that habit. I went to wake up Mateo and our new travel buddy Miss Sylvia ¨Akua da poet¨ Doku so we could cruise downstairs for some free breakfast. It´s a good thing it´s free too because the Euro beats the dollar 1.2 to 1 and money goes fast in this part of the world. So much for being rich. Now that there´s three of us travelling, perhaps we´ll be able to stretch the money a bit further.
We´ll be heading North to Huesca to an organic retreat in the mountains where we´ll have to quickly adjust to consisitent Spanish dialogue. We´re getting our taste of it so far and we´re handling ourselves but between the three of us we speak about 60% Spanish. Let´s see how we do in a months time.
I have a little roll call I want to do. We´re not sure who is following us so respond to this post and give a little shout out to let us know you´re here. We see some consistent names and we are usually really excited to read our blog responses to see if those people have commented but we don´t know if other people are out there but silent. Also if you may, tell us what´s been your favorite place that we´ve visited so far and what is something we haven´t done that you suggest we do.
OK folks, we´ll be standing by to see who´s out there.
Joronda
10 February 2006
top ten
salaam
recently my mom just celebrated a birthday, which now puts her less then 1 year away from retirement...hooray!!! after 40 plus years as a medical technologist (microbiology, mycology, phlebotomy, etc.) my mom is finally approaching her glory...getting the hell out of the proverbial "9 to 5", and finally being able to do what she wants with her time...and i for one couldn't be more happy and proud!!!
so with that, i thought that i would offer everyone a few travel suggestions on how to spend your retirement, honeymoon, vacation etc. in a lettermen-esque "top ten" style.
be forewarned...the following is all true and uncensored
Mateo's Top Ten Experiences That Are Not To Be Missed By The Microbiologist In You.
10. being on a train somewhere in china and watching passenger after passenger plug a nostril and forcefully expel the others snotty contents into the air, and onto the floor, walls, tables, chairs, sleeping bunks, and bodies of anybody that happens to be near.
9. being on the same train and hearing the gutteral orchestra of numerous people pulling mucous from every part of their body into their throats and spitting the thick nasty blob directly on the carpet and floors of the cabin...then having to wade through the spit to get to the toilet, water heater, etc.
8. passing through a vietnamese kitchen to use the toilet and witnessing your meal being prepared directly on the floor with cockroaches, flies, and dogs all trying to sneak a taste.
7. being anywhere (in any of the countries that we've visited) and watching people jam no less than 2 knuckles worth of finger into each nostril, dig for gold, find it, roll it into a ball, and then flick it with no concern as to where it may land...then having the same people shake your hand, pat you on the back, or make your breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack or whatever with the same hand they just used to clear their nasal passages.
6. just arriving in your shaolin dormitory, looking at your bed and noticing that your sheet, blanket, pillow, and headrest are all stained with dirt, body oil, urine, and blood...then checking all the other beds in the room and realizing that they are exactly the same.
5. passing back through the same vietnamese kitchen with dirt and urine on the bottom of your sandals...stepping over vegetables and around meats and realizing that, not only is there no soap for washing hands, but you've just dripped dirt, urine, and whatever else is on the bottom of your sandals, directly onto the vegetables that are going into your spring roll....mmmmm.
4. precariously squatting over a loose pit latrine in a mud hut with a roof that is exactly 5'6" from the ground and inhaling the maggot infested scent of everyone elses bowel movements during the course of the year. listening to the fighter plane like sequences of the flies and mosquitos as they dart at your bare ass, and feeling many of them land on you back and crawl down the crack of your ass trying to get to the source of the liquidy shit that hasn't been solid since you left home. watching the biggest cockroaches you've ever seen crawl 6 inches away from your face, arms, legs, and over your exposed toes. and finally, watching the dust particles circle your exposed flesh and wondering if your inability to pee the previous day and night was the direct result of dirt lodged in your urethra, and whether or not you were on your way to a uti.
3. catching and weighing chickens, some with congestion, diarrhea, and rectal boils, and then being covered (hands, barefeet, pants, shirt) in their shit, feed, vomit, and blood, and slaughtering some 200+ of them at your compound in kisumu, kenya...then coming back and finding one of them dead in the same coop that you've been in for the past week.
2. going to the food prep area in your kisumu compound and seeing that same dead chicken lying in the "kitchen" next to a pot of boiling water and knowing that it is almost dinner time...then hearing on the news that a case of the bird flu has been found in nigeria.
and the number one experience that is not to be missed by the microbiologist in you...
going to use the squat toilets in your shaolin dormitory and finding that all of them are filled with stale urine and mounds of shit...then having no choice but to piss directly on someone elses shit and feeling their shit and your piss splash back up onto your shoes, pants, bare legs, and bare ass...and knowing that you have no running water or soap.
so who's ready to travel? :)
happy birthday mom!
salaam
mateo
p.s. i don't have a uti.
p.p.s. we never ate the dead chicken, instead it was thrown into the trash pit and burned...but its cause of death is still a mystery.
recently my mom just celebrated a birthday, which now puts her less then 1 year away from retirement...hooray!!! after 40 plus years as a medical technologist (microbiology, mycology, phlebotomy, etc.) my mom is finally approaching her glory...getting the hell out of the proverbial "9 to 5", and finally being able to do what she wants with her time...and i for one couldn't be more happy and proud!!!
so with that, i thought that i would offer everyone a few travel suggestions on how to spend your retirement, honeymoon, vacation etc. in a lettermen-esque "top ten" style.
be forewarned...the following is all true and uncensored
Mateo's Top Ten Experiences That Are Not To Be Missed By The Microbiologist In You.
10. being on a train somewhere in china and watching passenger after passenger plug a nostril and forcefully expel the others snotty contents into the air, and onto the floor, walls, tables, chairs, sleeping bunks, and bodies of anybody that happens to be near.
9. being on the same train and hearing the gutteral orchestra of numerous people pulling mucous from every part of their body into their throats and spitting the thick nasty blob directly on the carpet and floors of the cabin...then having to wade through the spit to get to the toilet, water heater, etc.
8. passing through a vietnamese kitchen to use the toilet and witnessing your meal being prepared directly on the floor with cockroaches, flies, and dogs all trying to sneak a taste.
7. being anywhere (in any of the countries that we've visited) and watching people jam no less than 2 knuckles worth of finger into each nostril, dig for gold, find it, roll it into a ball, and then flick it with no concern as to where it may land...then having the same people shake your hand, pat you on the back, or make your breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack or whatever with the same hand they just used to clear their nasal passages.
6. just arriving in your shaolin dormitory, looking at your bed and noticing that your sheet, blanket, pillow, and headrest are all stained with dirt, body oil, urine, and blood...then checking all the other beds in the room and realizing that they are exactly the same.
5. passing back through the same vietnamese kitchen with dirt and urine on the bottom of your sandals...stepping over vegetables and around meats and realizing that, not only is there no soap for washing hands, but you've just dripped dirt, urine, and whatever else is on the bottom of your sandals, directly onto the vegetables that are going into your spring roll....mmmmm.
4. precariously squatting over a loose pit latrine in a mud hut with a roof that is exactly 5'6" from the ground and inhaling the maggot infested scent of everyone elses bowel movements during the course of the year. listening to the fighter plane like sequences of the flies and mosquitos as they dart at your bare ass, and feeling many of them land on you back and crawl down the crack of your ass trying to get to the source of the liquidy shit that hasn't been solid since you left home. watching the biggest cockroaches you've ever seen crawl 6 inches away from your face, arms, legs, and over your exposed toes. and finally, watching the dust particles circle your exposed flesh and wondering if your inability to pee the previous day and night was the direct result of dirt lodged in your urethra, and whether or not you were on your way to a uti.
3. catching and weighing chickens, some with congestion, diarrhea, and rectal boils, and then being covered (hands, barefeet, pants, shirt) in their shit, feed, vomit, and blood, and slaughtering some 200+ of them at your compound in kisumu, kenya...then coming back and finding one of them dead in the same coop that you've been in for the past week.
2. going to the food prep area in your kisumu compound and seeing that same dead chicken lying in the "kitchen" next to a pot of boiling water and knowing that it is almost dinner time...then hearing on the news that a case of the bird flu has been found in nigeria.
and the number one experience that is not to be missed by the microbiologist in you...
going to use the squat toilets in your shaolin dormitory and finding that all of them are filled with stale urine and mounds of shit...then having no choice but to piss directly on someone elses shit and feeling their shit and your piss splash back up onto your shoes, pants, bare legs, and bare ass...and knowing that you have no running water or soap.
so who's ready to travel? :)
happy birthday mom!
salaam
mateo
p.s. i don't have a uti.
p.p.s. we never ate the dead chicken, instead it was thrown into the trash pit and burned...but its cause of death is still a mystery.
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