We are on the road to the Chocolate farm and passing through San Isidro.
Mom, this one is a story you will sympathize with. And it is good to note that sometimes the drama is just more fun to tell.
The news is that I almost died twice. While at the waterfall, (first time there by myself,) I slipped on some rocks and landed on my head. To my amazement it wasn’t cracked. Boy, do I have a hard head. Lucky to be alive. The real killer is when we were driving home. We saw a young girl standing on the road and waiting for a ride as people here often do, since the bus only comes twice a week. And as it happened she was someone we know. The moment she got in the car I started getting dizzy. She was wearing perfume and I tried to act normal but finally when I was about to pass out I reached up for the skylight window to open it. Jim helped me and suggested I stand up and get some fresh air. I was a little embarrassed because it would seem quite strange. But I guess not stranger than telling her I’m allergic to perfume. That always makes people feel weird. But this was strong and felt life threatening. After she got out it took me three hours to recover.
We visited a nice permaculture farm today - Fuente Verde (fuenteverdecommunity.org) a lovely development with lots for sale and six families living there. The woman we met, Tiffany, has a son 11 yrs. old who walks a mile to school everyday. When she talked about the freedom and the life she and her son have here and how she wanted her son to feel the rainbow of freedom in contrast to what kids go through in the states it was inspiring. I left thinking about kids with ADHD. How many kids would have ADHD if they started out with a mile walk amidst the forest and animals singing everyday?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Driving the Sierra de Muerte
Going over the Sierra de Muerte, we are listening to one of our downloaded podcasts. This one is about the ability of the oceans to absosrb Co2. Of course it is one more story about how the earth's ablility to withstand our overcomsumptive life style is reaching it's end. We all feel this now and every time i turn around there is more news about how the Earth is saying enough is enough. I pray that the young people of today will be able to enjoy the trees, the monkeys, the fresh water and so many other things which are the real joy of living in the natural world.
Living on the farm and introducing, or shall I say re-introducing, the idea of organic farming and respect for nature is an offering and a teaching. Many people around the farm would spray chemicals on everything if they had the money to buy it. But with our research on finding a better price for the organic cacao we can see for the first time in the two years we have lived there an interest in growing something organic. To hear the word organic coming out of Deanae's mouth was astonishing. Like a dream come true.
Then, on top of that, they are planting a vegetable garden box in their yard which will diversify their food supply. I see all this is very good for the planet but for the locals it is just a good idea that they can see will serve them.
Picking up a Tico Times (the local English language newspaper) today i was pleasantly surprised to see many articles about the efforts of people taking steps to protect our nature. I'm trying to focus more on the great efforts being made. Lets give that more energy. One article is about the country's attempts to answer the calls of people who have been working for years to protect monkeys and other wild life from being harmed on electrical wires. Another article is about the increasing population of a non-native and devestating population of Lionfish in the Carribean reefs, all written by people who are in touch with nature and have the inspiration and compassion to get involved.
This touches me with a kind of piercing of the heart quality which brings with it my own desire to help in some way or at least continue with even more fervor to live with less impact. Boy do I have far to go till i live without impact, and i bother everyone with my fanatical attitude about the use of plastic, perfumes, and "to go" containers. That's just because time is slow. Soon, and maybe even in my lifetime, everyone will be using sustainable products of every kind in every corner of life.
Today we met Juan who is going to help us design a website for the farm. He is a very young and very talented man. He has his own website design company and has been successful to the point that when we met today the first thing we talked about is how he is tired of web design. It bores him and he is now planning on attending film school in Cuba. No doubt he will be good at that, too.
Both Jim and I felt kind of old after sitting with him. But it was sweet to see and feel the raw energy of youth. He will be among the leaders who will hopefully make the changes necessary to continue living naturally on this planet.
Today i ponder how our life on the farm can further love and respect for nature.
Jim is learning how to make video and also edit so we can add fun stuff to this blog and he is threatening to make avante-guarde movies of the farm.
Living on the farm and introducing, or shall I say re-introducing, the idea of organic farming and respect for nature is an offering and a teaching. Many people around the farm would spray chemicals on everything if they had the money to buy it. But with our research on finding a better price for the organic cacao we can see for the first time in the two years we have lived there an interest in growing something organic. To hear the word organic coming out of Deanae's mouth was astonishing. Like a dream come true.
Then, on top of that, they are planting a vegetable garden box in their yard which will diversify their food supply. I see all this is very good for the planet but for the locals it is just a good idea that they can see will serve them.
Picking up a Tico Times (the local English language newspaper) today i was pleasantly surprised to see many articles about the efforts of people taking steps to protect our nature. I'm trying to focus more on the great efforts being made. Lets give that more energy. One article is about the country's attempts to answer the calls of people who have been working for years to protect monkeys and other wild life from being harmed on electrical wires. Another article is about the increasing population of a non-native and devestating population of Lionfish in the Carribean reefs, all written by people who are in touch with nature and have the inspiration and compassion to get involved.
This touches me with a kind of piercing of the heart quality which brings with it my own desire to help in some way or at least continue with even more fervor to live with less impact. Boy do I have far to go till i live without impact, and i bother everyone with my fanatical attitude about the use of plastic, perfumes, and "to go" containers. That's just because time is slow. Soon, and maybe even in my lifetime, everyone will be using sustainable products of every kind in every corner of life.
Today we met Juan who is going to help us design a website for the farm. He is a very young and very talented man. He has his own website design company and has been successful to the point that when we met today the first thing we talked about is how he is tired of web design. It bores him and he is now planning on attending film school in Cuba. No doubt he will be good at that, too.
Both Jim and I felt kind of old after sitting with him. But it was sweet to see and feel the raw energy of youth. He will be among the leaders who will hopefully make the changes necessary to continue living naturally on this planet.
Today i ponder how our life on the farm can further love and respect for nature.
Jim is learning how to make video and also edit so we can add fun stuff to this blog and he is threatening to make avante-guarde movies of the farm.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Back in Costa Rica and a Scorpion Mother
Keli and I are back in Costa Rica.
But this is a different Costa Rica from the countryside of the chocolate farm. This Costa Rica is more like a dirtier and more chaotic version of any ugly city in the United States. San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica is one of the most unlovely capital cities of any country in the world.
We will soon be traveling to the chocolate farm and we will be updating our blog with pictures of the fruit trees we planted last year, the weeds that have covered our garden and the termite holes that infest our new wood house.
Check out the new video of the scorpion mother at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv7Pskg1iyg
But this is a different Costa Rica from the countryside of the chocolate farm. This Costa Rica is more like a dirtier and more chaotic version of any ugly city in the United States. San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica is one of the most unlovely capital cities of any country in the world.
We will soon be traveling to the chocolate farm and we will be updating our blog with pictures of the fruit trees we planted last year, the weeds that have covered our garden and the termite holes that infest our new wood house.
Check out the new video of the scorpion mother at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv7Pskg1iyg
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