As those of you who have lived and traveled in Latin America know, it´s not exactly known for its efficiency...as such, I have had an interesting time trying to get this blog out...after returning from the jungle several days ago, I was updating, and the power for the entire block went out. This appreared to not fluster anyone else in the internet cafe, who presumably lost all their work too...this is just the way of things here. It´s nice in a way to not have too much of an attachment to an outcome, and to free yourself from the perpetual need to be making progress...in your work, in your day, whatever, but it´s not easy for a purpose-driven, fairly anal-retentive Gringa. But that´s precisely why traveling is great...it removes you from your comfort zone and makes you see value in other sorts of lifestyles and ¨purposes¨ and concepts of time and space...I´ll be damned if it doesn´t take an entire day to buy a bus ticket or complete one seemingly simple task like go to the bank or prepare a meal though....oh the steps that are simplified in our stream-lined culture. And if you just want the quick update of where I am now (you Gringo, you), I am in Lima...I thought I´d be in Cajamarca by now, but you know how it is...I had to spend 2 plus days literally just hanging out...leaving the house only to take a 3 hour lunch. And unfortunatley, I´m not yet accustomed to the long post-lunch siesta, so I spend even more time just hanging around, waiting for my host to awaken (I am couch-surfing...see couchsurfing.com if you´re in the dark about this fabulous form of cultural exchange-free place to stay).
It´s all about finding a sort of order in what may seem like reckless disarray. As such, I present you with several journal entries with some degree of meanderig...
18.08.08: I´m back from the jungle....and I feel like I didn´t make it clear exactly...at least not to myself, I sometimes forget exactly what´s really going on....I was in the AMAZON RAINFOREST. As in the place that crappy theme restaurants are based on, and fabulous movies like Fern Gully and The Jungle book reminise of.... Ok, I just have to ground myself in reality sometimes.
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14.08.08:
Ahh the jungle. Neat 12 hour days. No electricity. You have no choice really but to retire at 8:30pm, and wake up with the sun. It´s a nice feeling to allow your body to syncronize with nature. And hot water? Who needs it when it´s approximately a million degrees outside with 100% humidity. I´d rather swim in the river anyway. Just when you think your body can´t take the heat anymore, that you´re going to dissovle into a puddle and evaporate (if only that were possible with the humidity...nothing dries here), a dip in the Tahuayo river, a tributary to the Amazon, refreshes your entire being. And around the dock, oh my gosh, there are about 45 butterflies, sometimes it looks like a thousand, and they are flourescently colored--pink, green, and yellow--flying madly and creating a visual something like a tornado...then stopping in the river bank to suck up the salt. I didn´t believe my eyes the first time I saw it. It only became real perhaps when one landed right on my chest and searched around with its snout, appearing to look for my heart beat. I stood there and watched it for several moments before it flew off.
Coming here, we saw several pink river dolphins. The males are bright pink on the top, and the females are more grey. Like birds and many other animals, the males are more colorful to attract their mates, and the women blend in more to protect the species (since women are more important of course). It´s said that the males take human shape and take human lovers...so if a woman unexpectantly becomes pregant, it´s said that she must be impregnated by a pink dolphin. I might have to use that one... however pink dolphins also tend to be the cause of birth defects.
We also saw a sloth, being pretty sloth, up in a tree. And oh my the birds...Apparently in Peru there are more birds per square (insert small amount of) area than in all of Europe together, or something like that... All I know is there´s a lot, and they are beautiful.
15.08.08: 740am-ish:
Lounging in a hammock, receiving a full body embrace that actually suspends you mid-air. Swaying back and forth ever so slightly, you get the feeling that maybe the earth is cradling you in her vast arms and allowing you to feel her axial revolution... slow down and notice the buzz of life all around...
16.08.08
It´s challenging for an American to live in the jungle, aside from the obvious lack of luxuries, you know, like potable water. The days are so hot that a siesta is basically required, and once the sun goes down at 6, that´s it! You´re ¨work¨ is done. And it´s quite clear, that you are not in charge. Not only does mother nature hold the ultimate trump card with all the animals, and plants, hungry insects, and rain, and whatever else the jungle wants to throw at you, but you also realize that the knowledge you´ve acquired over the last 20-60 years is completely worthless here. You don´t know anything about surviving. You are totally dependent. Whew, that´s uncomfortable for us, isn´t it?? It´s a good exercise in letting go of control and letting yourself just be a part of it. It´s a facade anyway that you can really be in control...much less exhausting to just give in to nature.
17.08.08
Everything is wet here. I hung clothes out to dry two days ago, and they might actually be more damp then before...I suspect mold is growing in everything here.
I haven´t changed my clothes or showered...There´s really no point. And in fact, it´s nice not to worry about what to wear, I go to sleep and wake up and go. Maintaining such a high level of sterility sure is exhausting... (that being said, I can´t wait to give myself a good scrub, pluck my eyebrows and clip my toenails--both of which are growing like crazy here! If I stayed any longer I´d be like that lady with the 9 foot long curly fingernails...but even scarier, with a unibrow).
Today we went to Tierra firma, which is the land that doesnt flood during the wet season. One word is all you need: THICK. It´s just fat with life. Layers upon layers upon layers. It´s impossible to be a bystander--walking through, you become part of the jungle--you find yourself mid-shin in mud, and your body becomes tangled into the intricate world of spiders´webs, leaves, flies, mosquitoes, giant ants, and an other host of unidentifiable critters that stick to your sunscreened (and bug sprayed) skin and become nestled into your clothes and hair.
We saw a red poisonous frog about the size of a quarter, as well as a fantastic flourescent pink and orange fuzzy catterpillar. I can only image what sort of magnificient creature he will become. I just love how obvious life is here...present in all forms, along all stages of the cycle.
Here I am continually reminded of 2 Buddhist films (whose names I´m not certain of):
1. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring
2. Woman of the Dunes
As well as the story of the American lawyer and the Mexican fisherman
Sorry, for failing to elaborate...if someone knows the story, share it in the comments section, would you... :)
Ok, I have much more, and I´d like to write about Lima and Iquitos...but for now, I think we´ll call it good. I missed the siesta today, and it´s way past bedtime.
mmmm, fond thoughts of all of you, and piles of kisses,
love, Rachel
Also, here is the link for that video about Belen and our work, en Espanol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOMuVBFsAOk
super sweaty and lovin' life
