hola?

Dear blog... where have you been all my life?  I swear I was shut down, timed out or deleted in some way! How relieved I am that this is still active and usable, and I am able to look back at what are now memories.  It has almost been a year already...  Guess I have some catching up to do on what else has been checked off the "list"
More to follow shortly!

finalmente

hoy (today and my last day!)- lima

Life without:
a hairdyer- time efficient, but at times chilly
jewellery- bare, but safe
more than 3 pairs of shoes- comfortable
makeup-  fresh
a vehicle- active
my family (friends included)- incomplete 

its funny how we live our lives within comforts and necessities, yet when removed its easy to see what we can, and cannot live without. 
as i expected, 6 weeks flew by and i am preparing for my long flight home. and i am now ready, and excited.

From The Presence of Soul by John Payne- "You are not here to become, to be, or do anything that is not who you truly are.  Your mission is whatever you make of it."

ayuda, estoy viva

tuesday

wednesday

y despues,














machu picchu is a very special place, full of energy and life.  if i have been on any sort of journey, id say it has a been a spiritual one- from a reiki healing session, to an akashic reading- i knew i was now going to machu not only to see it, but to feel it.

"the incas teach us a very important lesson- the respect, protection and worship of their environment.  you are not tourists here, but inhabitants as well"- Darwin, the guide.

(please also note how i am sitting in all of the above pictures... wobbly legs + rocky cliffs, bad combination)

esta semana

sunday- cuzco

monday- sacred valley

"society, youre a crazy breed, 

i hope youre not lonely, without me"
- eddie vedder

las mujeres

¨and when a strangers love,

can make your heart explode

 ... i want to give it all back¨

from left to right:
marcia, diana, audriana, elena, helen

chau chau argentina,

te echo de menos ya

¡hola peru!

sabor

¨If I squeeze my grape,

then I´ll drink my wine¨

Thursday evening I took the 10 hour bus ride to the country of wine, the province and city of Mendoza.  Located on the edge of the Ande mountains I knew there would be some beautiful sights to see, so as soon as I got there I turned around to head into them on horseback.

 

After working up quite a hunger, I think I selected correctly with the best rated ¨restaurant¨ in Mendoza- Los Chocos.  I use quotations as its technically an underground restaurant, that is above ground- into chef Martin´s apartment.  Sharing his table with a couple from Atlanta, and New York it was a refreshing experience with different atmosphere, company and tastes.  The detail of presentation and eating all local ingredients made this one of the best meals I have had.

The five courses with wine pairings included (copied directly from his menu):



Mendocininan tortita (local flat bread), pork chorizo, burnt tomatoes and smoked "pepato" cheese

Mendocinian Empanada with Milcayac sauce

Goat cheese duo, beat root carpaccio and figs with a grapefruit and toasted walnuts vinaigrette

"Ten hours" beef shank, potatoes and garlic cream, greens and "malabar melon" chutney

“Algarroba” and olive oil moist cake, burnt fruit and creamy Cedron sauce .



What better way to cure a wine headache than to drink more wine.  My new Londoner friend Rohan and I booked a wine tour with a company called Trout and Wine (I believe they do fishing trips as well, Dad) so we were picked up Saturday morning at 8:30, drove for about 45 minutes to the Lujan de Cuyo valley to our first Bodega- Pulenta Estate.  What was amazing was not only touring the vineyards and tasting, but seeing the actual process of wine production- picking grapes, sorting, and transferring to tanks for fermentation.
The Pulenta family also owns a Porsche dealership so you could see by the art in the winery how they try to combine their two passions- drinking and driving.

 

In contrast, the second bodega was a small boutique winery- La Azul in the Uco Valley.  The entire process happens within a smaller sized building, and they produce only about 40,000 bottles every year.

La Gran Reserva- straight from the Oak barrel!




The next and last stop- Salentein, was breathtaking.  It included a modern art gallery, lodge, and restaurant in the Andean valley.  We had a tour of the winery and then the tasting over lunch.



What a delicious day!

Later that evening a bunch went out, and I also had a complete tasting of Argentinean cervezas.  But we dont need to go too into detail about that (as the details are a bit foggy). 

Mendoza- Te amo. 







hacer

The days I have worked have been quite repetitve, but as they are dwindling to an end I thought I would write a bit more about them.

Did I mention I paint?  Apparently they think I am a good one at that.  I have been painting walls, fences, gates, cages, you name it.  My arms (and some of my clothes) are now beautiful shades of green, orange and brown.  This brown unfortunately will not wash off in the shower...

As if the men arent bad enough, I had a parrot whistle at me yesterday as I walked past.  Como?!

Other than my daily feeding duties, I pretty much just rake.  Ive been told raking is the work of buddhist monks- and it takes all my willpower mentally and spiritually to endure 3 hours worth.

I have been telling myself I did not choose to volunteer to become a hero, save lives or end war, solely just to help where needed.  I did, however, perform one heroic act and rescued a goat that had its head stuck in the wire fence- so technically I saved one life.  Goats arent the smartest of animals.

Each day, instead, I have been wishing there was something I could do for the stray dogs in the street.  I know this problem exists in other places but I am discouraged.  People have cast out beautiful shepards and labs to now be stepped over and ignored.  But what can one do?  With more time perhaps open a shelter, educate or create an adoption program- but that would also require changing the people.

To do what little I feel I can, I set out this afternoon with a bag of dog food and a jug of water.  Through the second glances I was receiving I had one older man come up to me and say (in spanish) "the people are seeing what you are doing, bravo".

Not requiring any acknowledgment, this, and the trail of dogs following me to my doorstep made it completely worthwhile.