Thursday, February 3, 2011

Day 3


We wake every morning to this sight... so many layers of spider webs EVERYWHERE that we have to be careful when walking down any of our paths. They are remarkably strong!

Today Kim started teaching us about the humanure system of compost.

It is amazing to me that the whole system is completely free of stink… so cool! With enough dry plant matter (grass clippings, leaves, or sawdust) it should never smell. And in the compost bins it never needs to be turned- it just sits for a year after the bin is full, and becomes the most beautiful soil.

We did our first day of work in the garden today, moving the compost heap down there and re-building some of the garden walls behind it.

We dismantled the potato tires and a couple of bags that had been left with potato plants and dirt, and found a small potato harvest, which was a big success! Here in the jungle everything is still a learning opportunity, and much of our food still comes from local farmers (especially in the summer when it’s too hot for much to grow happily in the garden). It’s funny to think about the summer being the slow growing time of year. Most fruits here are ripe in the spring… so different. It was hot today- about 91 degrees (34 C), so we had long siesta and then worked again at 4.

We’ve been swimming in the river at least twice each day if not more. It’s quite humid, and my skin is starting to adjust. It’s funny to see me next to others, coming here from the Maine winter. I look like a little white potato!

Tomorrow is our first day ‘off’ and we’re all excited to go into town. I think we’re all wanting to have a chance to communicate and let everyone know we made it safely. It’s strange to be without time, to get used to my body’s natural rhythm again, and to be without easy communication with everyone at home that I love. It has been a treat to use this time to let go a little… I’m still learning. I find myself looking for ways to fill in all of the free time, as if I have to get tons done because there isn’t much of it. (Today during siesta I taught Maggie and Kayla how to weave hats out of the tall grasses that grow by the garden.

It was a lot easier to do it in my head than in practice, but we did end up with three hats, and are all feeling excited about making more in the future. )

I am looking forward to letting go more, and embracing the more relaxed way of life here- living on jungle time (much like ‘island time’). Let go. Let go. Let go.

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