Lots of activity just outside Pondo’s room next to mine.The lock is broken on the inside. Eddie uses the drill to bore a hole into the lock and finally with Bernie’s help the offending lock is removed and replaced.

FULL Moon fun.

The internet is down for my Mac and iPhone but keeps working in PC simulator. This is how breakfast time passes.

The internet comes back at the same time Pondo is liberated from his room.

I hear the voice of Jerri outside and get a chance to say hello, share some chocolate and exchange a couple of hugs.

At around 1 pm, I arrive at Madre Tierra for lunch and great conversation with Sabina. There is tug at my heart knowing she is leaving tomorrow. We say goodbye and I walk back home.

I nap for a couple of hours.

At 7pm I venture into the square to get some cash from the ATM. From there I pop into Pura Vida where Nate and company are playing guitar. I stay until they stop for a cigarette break.

Nate & Company

The Audience

I work on setting up the website for buying Bitcoins by purchasing digital books via PayPal in USD’s and offering a rebate in bitcoins. This will allow me to deal effectively with people who “Charge backs” to get a refund from PayPal by claiming they didn’t receive the goods.

Pat, Ed and I eat at Charlito’s. I order the hamburger and sweet potato fries. The hambuger comes on Charlito’s bread smothered in Guacamole. It really hits the spot.

Ginna comes by to pick up some of my new goldenberry chocolate and share what’s new in her life.

I head up to Madre Tierra to join in the meal and farewell celebration for Sabina. There’s salad and at least 5 different pizza’s served.

Sabina

I get to know Melissa who is in charge of marketing and the spa manager.

We gather around the fire pit where chocolate coated bananas wrapped in foil are heated in the fire.

Chocolate Coated Bananas in the Fire Pit

The pool deck looks very inviting with the lighting. The baton with fire on each end is passed around for people to try their hand at including me.

Playing With Fire

I head home around 11pm. 

I show Pat how to load pictures from his phone into iPhoto.

I eat the Madre Tierra lunch special. Peter and I chat for a bit while I’m up there.

Lunch Special (Soup not shown )

The french baguette from the shop around the corner from the Juice Factory is chewy yummy.

I download a copy of Norie’s new book to read on the Kindle app on my laptop.

I walk over to Hamony’s place for our 7 pm get together. She serves a salad for dinner. We talk about the book idea and many other ideas & experiences. Mike, her neighbour, comes to buy the cream I made. The vacuum sealed chocolate bar goes into Harmony’s freezer to chill until it travels with her to the States.

I walk Harmony into town to use the ATM and then walk her back home.

I have to call Bernie to open the front gate because someone put the bar down which leeps me from getting in.

I write up the seed of a story inspired by Harmony’s vision.

Standing in front of street artist Retsam, I hold a Tagua nut in my left hand and and cobalt stone in my right. A tingling sensation floods my being. All thoughts but one drown in the revelation. The “keys” are in your hands. I feel light. Lifted by joy. Retsam’s face bursts into a toothless smile. He is reflecting my inner delight. 70 years of searching and inner contemplation come together. My restlessness dissolving into peace.

Around Retsam’s neck is a Tagua pendant. I see the tree carved into the ivory polished surface. The sun illuminates the cobalt infused trunk and intricate branches. My inner voice prompts me to say, “i’ll take them all” in my broken Spanish. Mandango, the sleeping warrior mountain in the Valley of Longevity, stirs as I gaze in his direction. He invites me to bring the pendants to his summit. To be purified in the equatorial sun.

“Find the cobalt children,” the voice continues. These are the children left poor and without parents all over the world. The pendant will unlock their gift and bring peace to a world in turmoil. They are the seeds of transfusion. Reuniting the spirit molecule in everyone they come in contact with.

I’m in a Ruta taxi Loja bound at 9:30 am. Front seat.

I slowly make my way to the Apple Store. My iPhone is ready just like they said it would be. All the programs and data are still there. I am surprised since they replaced the motherboard. The clerk puts my Ecuador Claro cell phone chip into the iPhone. Voila. It works. I can now use my iPhone to make local calls.

Lots of Ruta Taxi’s waiting when I am ready to go home. Front seat again.

I get the taxi to drop me off at the Vilcabamba Hosteria. I order a different steak with mushroom sauce this time. I even get to order different potatoes. What arrives looks and tastes just like the filet mignon.

Hosteria Vilcabamba Meal

I pick an envelope and my shipment from Amazon shipped using TransExpress. Only a week and half from Amazon.com to Vilcabamba. Fastest postal item yet. 

I go over to Heather’s place where we discover the vacuum sealer bags from Amazon don’t work in the FoodSaver machine. Heather is kind enough to use one of her bags to seal the chocolate I brought. I spend some quality time with Heather.

I make a new batch of cacao butter, coconut oil and rose concrete cream.

I chat with my friend Geoff in Canada via Skype.

I get a Ginna hug at the Juice Factory before heading off to Norie and Richard.

Norie, Richard and I lunch on fruit salad. Their pond just got stocked with 2000 Tilapia minnows.

With Norie’s help we make chocolate. I press the ground dried red bananas into the tray. I remove this and pour a thin layer of melted chocolate into the tray. I press the bananas back into the tray. I spread a layer of golden berries over the banana layer. I sprinkle a small amount of sea salt over this. I pour melted chocolate combined with coconut oil and tree honey over the bananas and golden berries. The chocolate seeps into the mixture. The tray goes into the fridge to set.

Norie gifts me 3 her butterfly cards which she used to raise funds during her time of illness. I bid farewell to Norie and Richard about 4:45 pm.

The Butterfly Cards

Only enough time to change and go to Shanta’s. Sabina arrives on her bike and we get to know each other sharing a pizza and garlic bread. Sabina is volunteering at Madre Tierra. She’s leaving on Sunday to go back to Switzerland (too soon I think). We speak in German. I like practicing with her. Many words come back to me.

We walk back to my place for tea and chocolate. I like her presence. She’s on her way home about 10 pm.

I arrive at Harmony’s place at 10 am.

She brings out a platter of fruit for me to snack on. She shares her vision involving a book and supporting abandoned children all over the world. We exchange a lot of ideas and she asks me to contribute a chapter to the book. I am asked to share my experience of the divine will expressing itself through me and acting according to this inspiration.

Pamcho the local artist drops by and delivers 9 pendants he made. They are made from the Tagua seed which, when hardened, is like ivory. He shares with me the process he uses. I ask him to make me a sample based on a drawing I show him.

Harmony gifts me a cobalt coloured jar and one of the pendants Pamcho sold her. I gift her some of my cream and chocolate.

The Pendant made by Pamcho

I chat a while with Will just outside the Chinese restaurant before taking a taxi to Madre Tierra.

I order a hamburger with fries and enjoy a conversation with Sabina who is my server.

At home I grind up dried red bananas in preparation for tomorrows chocolate making with Norie.

I do my laundry.

I spend 3 hours attempting to programmatically send text messages.

The square is busy with people after I finish my soup & rice at the Chinese restaurant.

There is a young black bull tied to a pillar close to the church. People are filling out what look like raffle tickets.

I take my computer and make my way up to Chaska’s new place. Which Mark England is renting to her. View of Mandango.

I burn her some DVD’s of the movie Genetic Roulette while we watch South of the Border by Oliver Stone. 

I wrap up some work after breakfast. 

The shower pressure waxes and wanes as does the temperature of the water.

Lunch consists of rice soup, basil sauce over spagetti and a glass of orange juice at Charlito’s.

I pass by the church. There is a bamboo structure being erected. Looking closer I see it’s also fully lined with fireworks. It will be lit in celebration at 8 pm. A few members of the high school band are playing on the steps of the church.

The Fireworks Sculpture

High School Band

Church, Band and Sculpture

I nap from 2 – 4 pm then tackle the last of the work. Which gets done.

I download the Genetic Roulette movie for Chaska.

I’m uplifted by music video my friend Kathleen posts on Facebook

The rain puts a damper on the fireworks.

I feel further uplifted watching Moulin Rouge.

The rain continues gently drizzling on the roof as I drift off to sleep. Green mountains are coming again.

Happy Equinox! Third day of perfect weather.

I chat with Juno, Jade, Jeanette and Tara via Facebook.

I enjoy the lunch special at Madre Tierra.

Renate and I hang out. We hook up with Pat and we wind up sitting at the Natural Yogurt place with Jerri and Nicholas.

A quick jauntt to the library before heading home.

Not too much later Pat & I eat at the Chinese restaurant. We chat with Dennis and Debra.

I wake up before sunrise. At first my thoughts devise a way to give everyone a vote using text messaging. My mind switches to a solution to the Monsanto protests.

There is a much more effective way to deal with Monsanto or any other Multi-National.

When people protest in the street it’s the governments that deal with the problem NOT Monsanto.This also gives the government an excuse to attack their citizens. Instead, if everyone sent an email every day to say investor.relations@monsanto.com or sales@monsanto.com then Monsanto’s email server would be shut down. This could expand out to the personal email addresses of Monsanto’s management, board of directors and any people directly profiting off of Monsanto. They could attach a photo of no GMO to increase the load on the email server even more. http://www.picfront.org/d/8Oka

I eat soup at the Juice Factory with Elisa.

I take a cab out to Norie and Richard’s place with my chocolate making supplies. Norie is in Loja. Richard and I enjoy a conversation and then I make some chocolate – dried red banana, peanut butter and 2 kinds of cacao.

Grinding Dried Red Bananas

I forgot my phone. Richard hangs out with until a taxi comes along and picks me up. I climb into the back portion with 4 other people.

Pat points out the fire burning on top of the mountain in San Pedro.

Fire In San Pedro

Pat & I dine at Hosteria Vilcabamba. We order our filet mignon “medio” and it arrives just right.

Dentist in Cuenca recommended by Marcelle and Robert:

Our Cuenca dentist is Dr. Juan Vega. He is very personable and competent. He is a recommend dentist on Cuenca High Life and his information is listed below. 

Dr. Juan Fernando Vega R.

     Speaks English     Aurelio Aguilar y Av. Solano     Edificio DTM Consultorio 201     Specializes in reconstructive dentistry and amalgam filling replacement     Phone: 409-1853 / 288-3682     Cell: 092-180-227     Email: juanfervega@hotmail.com

I am up before the alarm. No water.

I say goodbye to Ben’s mom Pat. She’s leaving to return to Canada.

Two Ruta taxis are waiting when Pat and I get to the bus terminal. On our way to Loja a little after 8 am.

Pat takes care of some banking. We make our way to the notary where I get 2 documents notarized. Only takes 5 minutes.

A breakfast mango and apple juice then off to the Apple store. I give them my iPhone to send to Guayaquil where they will replace the motherboard. It’s only way I can get it unlocked from Canada and use it here. They tell me it will be available by next Wednesday.

We explore Loja along the main streets; 18th Of November, Sucre and Bolivar.

We eat lunch at Riscomar. I order a green banana dumpling and shrimp soup. All the dishes come with rice and black beans on the side.

Several Ruta taxis waiting when we get to the taxi stand so we’re on our way in a flash.

There is about a 5 – 10 degrees difference between Loja and Vilcabamba most days. Vilcabamba being the warmer.

I drop off my backpack and venture into the village. I pick up my parcel from iHerb.com. 6 boxes of double bergamot Earl Gray tea and 2 tubes of toothpaste.

I take a nap.

The evening is spent selling Bitcoins and some work.

I talk with Celeste on Skype.

I meet up with Ginna for lunch at Jardín Escondido. There are a lot of things that Ginna is excited about in her life right now. I am delighted by what is unfolding for her. Her puppy has grown quite a bit.

Jardín Escondido

I share my coffee / cardamon chocolate with several people. I sell 1/2 a trays worth.

I make a batch of coconut oil, cacao butter and rose concrete cream. Good for massaging, moisturizing and smelling nice.

Norie’s book “Return To The Garden” is available on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0098OC3LI/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb.

I complete my simple overview of Bitcoins http://bitcoinbook.tumblr.com/.

A real world guide to using Bitcoins is in the works.

Beautiful sunny warm day.

I do my laundry.

I take a taxi to Madre Tierra. I eat a flavourful bowl of beet soup and what’s called the staff lunch. As I am finishing my soup Frank and Tamera arrive with Marcelle and Robert. Synchronistic because I had hoped I could say goodbye before they move to Cuenca on Wednesday. I buy a loaf of bread baked the day before.

Beet Soup

“Staff” Lunch

Perfect afternoon to doze off in the hammock.

Keta calls and comes by a short while later with his wife. They both speak german. He’s a Peruvian jewelry maker who sells his products on weekends. They come by to accept my offer to place some of their wares on the website http://yessy.com/manny/.

Will is sitting with Pat when I emerge from my room for breakfast. Ed comes over as well and we sit around chatting.

I work on the Bitcoin website. Ideas still flowing through me.

I eat at La Roca’s today. They have a Sunday buffet. I help myself to soup and a plateful of food. When I go to pay the owner says I only ate a small amount so he knocked the price down from $8 to $5.

La Roca Meal

I walk about the village and sit in the square for a while.

Pablo Singing & Playing Flute at the water fountain

Happy Birthday Molly!

Trina posts on Facebook that she is flying to Colombia tomorrow.

On my way to eat lunch at Madre Tierra I see a wedding taking place at the church. Then I look over and see several motorcycles parked close by. They appear to be part of the wedding though the riders are with the machines. When I get back from lunch the wedding is over and the motorbikes are gone.

Motocycles Next To Church

I take a nap.

I meet Chaska, Robt and Elizabeth for dinner at Cafe Cultura. Love the company, conversation and food.

Soup

French Onion

Appetizer

Carrot Terrine

Entree

Pan-fried Trout Fillet

w/ Saffron Sauce

Side of Sauteed Bok Choi

Dessert

Chocolate Fondue

over Custard Cream Choux Pastry

Great to see Virginia on her first time out and about.

I like this email from Nasser:

ANSWERS OF A BRILLIANT STUDENT WHO GOT A -0- ON HIS TEST.

I would have given him 100 !!!!  How about you ??

Q1. In which battle did Napoleon die? 
A1. His last battle!

Q2. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed? 
A2. At the bottom of the  page!

Q3. How can u drop a raw egg onto a concrete 
floor without cracking it?
A3: Concrete floors are very hard to crack!

Q4. What is the main reason for  divorce?
A4.  Marriage!

Q5. What is the main reason for failure?

A5:  Exams! 

Q6. What can you never eat for breakfast? 
A6.  Lunch & dinner!

Q7. What looks like half an apple? 
A7.  The other half!

Q8. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what will it become? 
A8. It will simply become wet!

Q9. How can a man go eight days without sleeping ?
A9. He can sleep at nights!

Q10. How can you lift an elephant with one hand? 
A10. You will never find an elephant that has only one hand!

Q11. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in the other hand, what would you have ?
A. Very large hands!

Q12. If it took eight men ten hours to build a  wall, how long would it take four men to build it?
A12. No time at all, the wall is already built! 

Finally breakaway from working at about 2 pm. 

I order angel hair pasta with pesto sauce at Pura Vida. Yum. 

I enjoy a Jerri hug at the Juice Factory.

I make my way over to Heather’s place to check out the Food Saver. I am interested in using it to seal my chocolate and send it to my Sarah in Toronto. And probably a few other friends also.

A whole evening passes in delightful conversation with Heather.

Seeding the Bitcoin world and beating a path to the new frictionless economy.

“To say the cryptocurrency bitcoin is disruptive would be an understatement. Bitcoin not only disrupts payments and monetary sovereignty, it also disrupts the legal enforcement of anti-money laundering laws, asset seizure, and capital controls.”  

and

“Regulating a bitcoin is like regulating an air guitar. The only thing we know for certain is that it’s not going away.”

and 

“For those people in Argentina that want to bypass currency controls and also shelter their money from government-induced inflation, this Buenos Aires exchange community claims to buy and sell bitcoin for Argentine pesos.”

by Jon Matonis at Forbes Magazine

Pat and I go to lunch at Cafe Longevita. No spagetti available so I order a platter which I thought will be fish though the name of the fish didn’t sound familiar. Pat orders the chicken platter. My gamble pays off. I get served lightly breaded shrimp, fries and a coleslaw like salad. Another winner. A side order of rice comes out a few minutes later. Best rice so far in any place I’ve eaten.

I get to the Juice Factory afterwards and realize I’ve left my bag of stuff (camera, phone and keys). I zip back to find all is well.

I pick up my package with the stuff my daughter mailed me. Included is my German birth certificate which I discover is translated with legends into 10 different languages including Spanish. Yay!

Sarah Demeestere’s new short film “Osmosis” preview here http://vimeo.com/49404985. I love this “DuElle” also http://vimeo.com/30512392

I set up an account with TransExpress. transExpress gives me a US Mailing address to ship purchases to and have them forwarded to me here in Ecuador. Thanks to Yadira who is always “At Your Service”.

Dear Customer,

Many of you have asked if the Club Correos Website could be in English. 

Club Correos is powered by TransExpress which is available in English.

Feel more comfortable filling in the application form, once you have read all the information provided in English.

See link below:

http://secure2.transexpress.com/usa/frontpage

Register now,  enjoy online shopping and have your items shipped to  your PoBox in VilcabambaJ

https://secure2.transexpress.com/usa/register

Cheers,

Yadira Alarcón

at your SERVICE

yadiraalarcon80@gmail.com

skype: yadira-atyourservice

Cell: 088768877

Office: 2640485

Some Day Soon

San Rafael Falls was formed in the rain forest, which is closest to the city of Quito. To get to the waterfall of San Rafeal you have to drive on the highway, Quito-Lago Agrio which in the meantime reveals amazing views of the area Papallacta. The road then continues to the very highest waterfall in Ecuador.

Still some intestinal stuff going on though all seems well.

My friend Kathleen received her Webcam yesterday so this morning we did a Skype call together.

Hung out at the Juice Factory after the lunch crowd rush. Enjoyed a long conversation with Heather.

I take a nap and it takes a while to regain my energy after I wake up.

I read Jade’s latest posting http://passionfruitcowgirl.wordpress.com. I love the way she writes.

I dine on trout at Shanta’s. Daren is their enjoying a meal with a friend.

Pat & I go to the Juice Factory to meet up with Olivia. We’re there to say goodbye before she heads off to California.

Olivia & Friends

I sell my first container of caco butter, coconut oil and rose concrete to April the fire dancer who along with Arianna are off to the hot springs before also going back to the U.S.

Pat & His Daughter Olivia Say Goodbye

Quite a few people are leaving Vilcabamba after being here for Water Woman.

Lunch at the Chinese restaurant. Some work. Some Bitcoin stuff.

At 6:30 pm I take a taxi to Monte Suenos to enjoy the evening with Chaska.  Robt is staying there as well so I get a chance to get to know him better.

Like magic, a cab shows up around the time I am ready to leave without my calling it.

I work until about 1 pm.

I decide to check a recently opened restaurant called La Longevita on the main road across from the Sunday market. There’s no menu so after some mime type moves and the few Spanish words I know, I order spagetti with meat sauce. It takes a long time because she’s making it from scratch. It turns out to be delicious and just what I am hungry for.

I join Galen at Sambucha’s on my way home. His experience at La Longevita was quite different from mine. We are joined by Nadia, Chaska, Ariana and Gail.

Pat and I order a couple of juices at Cafe Terressa.

I come across a picture of me on Facebook that I remember being taken at Water Woman. Taken by a fellow named Jeff Eichen. See https://www.facebook.com/jfree1111.

New Bitcoins Explained Movie