My stomach is more settled.

I chat with Debe just before she joins meditation class.

Pat and I walk to Madre Tierra for Smoothie Monday. Scott has taken over from Alison.

The food and sun combination knocks me out as soon as I get back home and hit the bed.

A bowl of vegetable soup with a plate of rice wraps up my day.

Our new resident at the center named Ed joins us for post breakfast chat.

Pondo returns to the center in the room next to mine.

Olivia, Pat’s daughter, comes by to see her dad. He’s not home and we start a conversation. It’s around dinner time so we decide to eat at Madre Tierra. Soup, salad and we split an order of fries.

Miles, Heather and Liam are soon followed by Tamera and Frank as fellow diners.

After breakfast Pat and I set out to go to Kitzia’s place where they sell organic produce.

I cross the new bridge that replaces the slanted bridge over by Rumi Wilco. This one is all metal.

Towards Rumi Wilco

Facing Away From Rumi Wilco

The Old Bridge

Another Shot of The Old Bridge

Half the Old Bridge lying along the river bank below the new (Recycled)

Old Bridge when it was being split in two

As Pat and I step off the main road a pick up truck stop and offers us a ride for the rest of the way. Lots of people there and most of the pre-picked produce is gone. More is being harvested in the field. Now that’s fresh. I buy bananas and cacao pods. The cacao is from somewhere else. I buy one of each color. I am curious to see if colour makes a difference for ripeness or taste.

After explaning my symptoms, Sarah Sherman suggest I may have a parasite called Giardia.

Pat, Sarah D. and I share a cab back into town.

After dropping off my groceries, I go to Charlito’s for some Sweet Potato fries and a fresh squeezed glass of orange juice.

I pick up a letter at the post office.

I buy blank DVD discs in town. 3 different places and 3 different prices. 50 cents, 75 cents and $1.25.

Carmen says hello and points to Thomas in his truck nearby. He’s back from Tenna and is staying in Loja for a couple of days before going to Yansasa.

Dinner is a t Sambucha’s tonight. Heather passes by and offers to show me her new apartment. I love it.

Gavin fills me in on some of his experience here in Vilcabamba. He’s been here quite a long time.

Gavin from the net

Gavin’s Book Causes a stir – 2008 VilcabambaTV.com

2 more fresh squeezed orange juices at Natural Yoga. I know they are fresh because I see her goes to the store and buy a bag of oranges.

Fresh Cacao Pods for sale at Kitzia’s

Another sunny warm day. Clear skies.

Alison drops in just before noon. She’s just come back from climbing Mandango with Scott. She did the climb and back in under 4 hours. I gift her some chocolate and bid her farewell. She is returning to the USA via Columbia on August 6th.

I Skype with Celeste who is recovering from and revelling in her Laser corrective eye surgery yesterday.

Debe and I enjoy the soup at Charlito’s.

There is a local fellow named Arturo who I’ve heard walks every day from Malacatos, about 10 kms from here. I had seen a video on VilcabambaTV.com featuring this man. He’s kemp, so appears on the surface that he’s cared for. He asks people for change. Yesterday I gave him a $1 bill and he returned. Again today in Charlito’s, I gave him a $1 bill. He grabbed my drink and held on to it. Charlie chased him away. A few minutes later he came back and threw the bill back into the restaurant. The video claims he prefers bills but my experience is the opposite.

Later in the square, Renate, Pat and I saw Arturo again. Pat mentioned that he had a preference for Coca Cola so I went and bought one. I gave it him and he kept it along with the 50 cent piece I also gave him.

By 4:30 pm I am napping.

I do some work.

The ATM at the church wouldn’t let me withdraw $200 saying I was over my limit but let me withdraw $100 twice for 45 cent fee each time.

On my way back I connected with Ben and Sarah D. at the variety store just before they went home to Monte Suenos.

I also introduced myself to Nate who designed the WaterWomanEcuador.com website. I like his work and he’s looking for more work. Contact him here http://newparadigmdesign.com/contact.html.

This crawled across my floor last night before going to bed.

Spider Totem

The spider symbolizes hard work, creativity, unity, and freeing ourselves from being bound. Spiders spin intricate webs and spider web silk, although seemingly fragile, is one of the strongest fibers known to man.

Spiders are careful and diligent web weavers, knowing exactly how to ensnare their prey without getting caught themselves. Spiders symbolize creativity and those with spider totems are often involved in creative careers or somehow use their creativity to benefit others.

Personal Reflection…

When spider appears it may be to challenge you to see the ways in which you may remain trapped. Are you weaving your own web? Or are you becoming trapped by outer influences? Spiders are often challenging totems, but they teach us how to create our own path in life. Spider also teaches us how to be a part of the whole as we walk our individual path. All things are connected and we are all one.

Redeploying my energy.

Gaseous intestine.

Hooked up with Jade and enjoyed a couple of hours with her at Charlito’s.

Nap. Bit of work.

Up at 6:50 am.

I watch some more of the YouTube videos on VilcabambaTV.com about local personalities past and present. I discover my neighbour George here at the Meditation Center is a former banker and a deacon.

Over breakfast I confirm with George his life as a banker at Chemical Bank and a Deacon in the Catholic church. He is also a former marine and is wearing a gold medal on his sweater and a cap associating him with this experience.

I finish watching the Back to Eden film (its free to watch online or download) I downloaded yesterday. It clearly shows how to grow an abundant garden without ongoing the ongoing effort of watering, fertilizing, weeding and pest controlling which is associated with farming. The main person in the video gives away the produce for free and feeds it to his chickens. The key appears to be a 4 plus inch layer of soil covered with a 4 inch layer of mulch, The mulch is both wood, chips, bits of branches and twigs and leaves. Simply leave (think of the word) where the leafs fall.

At the Juice Factory I sit with Fran. I also enjoy hugs from Sarah D., Irena and Jerri. Jerri is off to her new home do get it cleaned for her to live in.

Back to the center to make chocolate. Cacao paste, maca, coconut oil, dates, tahini butter and dried red bananas.

A couple of naps are dispersed in these events as well.

I wake feeling a bit nauseous with aching legs. Part of me is hungry but I choose to fast. Some tea and water.

I listen to a recording that Kacper and Josh have on their website http://www.silentfurnace.com/.

There’s a another YouTube which suggest that the key to cosmic consciousness is being in alignment with what is. This really resonates with what I am exploring in myself.

I decide to stay home instead of attending the Full Moon ceremony at Monte Suenos. 

Half a year since I boarded an American Airlines flight to South America and started my almost possessionless journey (still have about eight banker size boxes of stuff).

A night of quiet is refreshing to wake from.

The residue of an event sits with me during the day. A reminder to be centered and to change patterns.

The trip to the Juice Factory fills me with soup, salad and two Vilca Verde smoothies. It also introduces me to Caila. New in town from Guatemala. There is a moment of wishing I was younger.

I connect with Peter and Sean who are sharing a Villa in San Joaquin.

I lie down for my second nap of the day. Each feeling longer than the clock reveals.

I finish the novel Roppongi by Nick Vasey.

I am intrigued with the idea of writing. Inspired by Jade and one of her favourite writer’s essay on how he constructed his award winning novel  http://www.shantaram.com/pages/ShantaramArchitecture2010.pdf and other material revealing itself to me.

I stumble across a cache of 88 pay-to-see videos produced by a former resident of Vilcabamba named Nathalie Duffau at her website http://www.vilcabambatv.com/ . Do I spend the the money to see what’s behind closed doors? There is other footage available here for free about some people still present in Vilcabamba.

Pat and I take a taxi up to Madre Tierra for lunch. It’s the last time Alison will be sering at the Monday smoothie bar. Faldo and someone new are at the bar. I order a Banana, coconut water, papaya, cinnamon and ginger smoothie. I also get a bowl of zucchini soup. I buy the rest of the dehydrated cabbage chips in the jar.

Amalaa arrives and a few minutes later Jade arrives. A bit later Ginna and Felix also arrive. Wolfgang shows up after this. During all this I enjoy another smoothie of Babaco, banana and coconut water.

Babaco Fruit

Matthew, Raphael and Mofwoofoo arrive. The busiest I’ve seen the place. It turns into 3 hour hangout for me.

A Full House

Talk To My Agent

Before Pat and I leave I get a freshly squeezed mandarin juice. It’s so satisfying. I give Alison a goodbye hug.

Ginna, Felix and the puppy stop by to pick up some movies. I finally get to share some chocolate with Ginna because the new batch doesn’t have peanuts.

Pat, his daughter Olivia and I dine at the Hidden Garden. The chapotle spagetti is satisfying. 

The electricity in Vilcabamba is shout down as announced. The sound of silence is broken by a disco beat nearby. I am surprised and then conclude it must be a car stereo.

Power is restored before 10 am.

I see that it’s Sarah D.’s birthday today on Facebook.

I use the meat grinder to combine the dried red bananas and dates into a sticky goo. All prepared to add it to the chocolate ingredients up at Monte Suenos with Sarah D.

After a nap I take a taxi up to Monte Suenos. Ben is there playing guitar. We chat while waiting for Sarah D. to arrive.

I am delighted to see and hug Sarah when she arrives.

Sarah and I combine melted cacao paste, coconut oil, almond butter, the date / banana paste, maca powder, mushroom powder and acai powder. She kneads into a paste like mass. Once in the containers it goes into the freezer.

Sarah and I catch up on what’s transpired while she’s been gone. We enjoy the chocolate and fresh made warm almond milk.

There is a celebration for Brian, Meredith’s husband who passed over last year on this date. I am invited. We bring one tray of the chocolate as our contribution to the dinner.

There are about 20 of us for a sit down dinner. Caroline sits across from me and we get to know each other better. Chaska also sits across from me after the dessert round.

A fire is lit and we gather around it. Some people have already taken their leave. I take charge of the fire. Sam plays didgeridoo and a singing bowl. Meredith burns a note.

I take a taxi back to the meditation center. 

I can hear the music coming from the celebration in the square.

An all night party with some heavy base sounds finally ends at 7 am. I woke once during the night but managed to get back to sleep in 15 minutes.

My day starts off with the runs. No other symptoms. Not feeling sick. Feels more like purging.

The possibility of rain and the uncertainty of my bowel movements provide the fodder for the impulse to cancel walking to the organic farm market with Pat after breakfast. One more run to the bathroom and I decide to risk it.

The market is really a house with a few acres of land. Frank, Tamara and Kitzia are the principles of this adventure. Frank takes me into the garden. All the plants look vibrant and healthy. Frank describes the “chicken tractor” he built. A portable coup used to move the chickens from bed to bed. No chickens yet.

Almalaa, Elisa and a few others are there. More people arrive. Jade and Scott arrive. I drink 4 glasses of fresh squeezed Mandarin juice. I like the ambience. There are plans to make part of the garden into an organic cafe and social hub.

Amalaa joins Pat and I as we journey down a street nearby to see if we can find Carl’s place. He’s the energy behind the cold pressed coconut operation on his property. Carl is home and describes his process. A device splits mature coconuts in half. There is another machine that eviscerates the meat from the coconut. The meat is dried and fed into the cold press device that looks like a 1 inch diameter tube. The press is bicycle powered. Carl shares the story of how his poor health was cured by the coconut and led him to this adventure. He has many other inspired plans.

Pat buys the 30 ounce jar and I buy the 16 ounce jar Carl’s Oro Blanco coconut oil.

1/3 of the way into town I hail a cab for Pat and I to get back to the Center.

An hour nap refreshes me.

Jade and I hang out at the Juice Factory until it closes and her client arrives.

I get a chance to talk to Acaiah and Jerri who are waiting for the sweat lodge to start.

I watch bits and pieces of some movies.

There is a party going loud and strong at midnight a few houses over.

Explained BitCoin to Pat over breakfast.

Soup and salad at the Juice Factory.

Laundry.

Pat and I eat at Shantaz.

Facebook message from Sarah Demeestere. She’s back from the States. We agree to meet up Sunday for chocolate making.

Problem solving for a client between events.

I get a sense of home being back in my room at the “Center”.

I make a to do list and start down. Picking off the easiest first. The list is a mixture of work and kind of play.

Pat and I catch up over breakfast.

Jade calls and we arrange to meet at the Juice Factory around 1 pm.

I arrive at the Juice Factory pretty bang on at 1 pm. Jade is there chatting with a couple of new people in town. She’s engaged so I head over to Jerri who is bouncing baby Liam on her lap. Sitting with her are Heather, Sarah and Miles. I get to bounce Liam on my lap and exchange funny faces.

Jade introduces me to the new couple and I bring him up to speed on my visa experience.

Jade and I begin our conversation over soup and salad. We cover her “phantom” baby phenomenon and explore a fabric of word and sentences.

Amalaa joins us for a while and before I know it the Juice Factory closes for the day.

Jade and I walk to “Canadian John’s” place and check out one of the houses he has for rent, I walk Jade back to Charlito’s for her meeting with Leisha.

At home I get back to more business and pleasure on the computer. More things get completed on my checklist.

I wake at the crack of dawn. Lots of ideas floating around for BitCoin after signing up at BitCoinary.com the latest innovation that connect buyers and sellers directly. It also lets members validate their credentials and from there it establishes an integrity rating similar to eBays.

Leon’s taxi is in for repairs. I walk into the city and find a place for breakfast next to the main Cathedral.

I take a taxi to the Ministry OF External Affairs office to drop off the revised migration record. They will call to notify me of the next step.

Another taxi takes me to the Elite Tours office. 10 minutes later I am Loja bound.

I put the chair back and daydream for a good part of the drive. I take a bathroom break when the driver stops for gas.

We arrive in Loja 3 hours and 20 minutes later.

I grab a taxi to the Routa De Mayo taxi terminal. 5 minutes later I am in the front passenger seat on route to Vilcabamba.

I drop off my stuff and walk to the Juice Factory for a smoothie. Just as I am leaving Olivia, Pat’s daughter, emerges from the room next to mine.

Chaska arrives and we get a chance to talk and make loose plans to get together in the next few days. Love being with Chaska.

Jerri arrives. I love her hugs and presence.

I return home to attend to emails and other stuff on the computer.

BitCoin Card coming.

My room is pitch black and the city is dead quiet here.

I wake up and start my mantra to get to sleep but the alarm goes off just before I can. I may have been awake about an hour.

I am feeling optimistic and pay for an extra night. I take all my stuff just in case though.

Leon picks me up punctually at 7:30 am with his wife in tow and drops me off at the airport.

My flight leaves on time and I gaze at the scenery from my window seat. There are a few mountains still covered in trees. Just outside of Quito is a lot of farmland. The flight takes 35 minutes.

A taxi takes me to the Migration police office and I am directed to the 3 rd floor computer office. I communicate in mime and my “correcto problemo” limited Spanish. I have all the right photocopies. She turns the screen to show me the correction. “Si” I say. She writes down the address of the other office where I can get a new copy of my migration record. They sure are migrating me all over the place.

The other office turns out to be at the other end of the city in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building. There are lots of people waiting. A woman hands me a ticket with a number on it. I look at the screen to see what position I am in. No numbers starting with “M”. I walk over to sit down. I look up and there’s my number. 5 minutes and $5 later and I have my document. Mission completed. Back to the airport.

There are 3 airlines that fly to Cuenca. First one doesn’t have any seats for today. Second one has seats for 7:30 pm. Third one, Tame the one I came on has a seat on the 5:30 pm flight. I book it. I have 5 hours to wait.

I buy some snacks at the SuperMaxi store across the street and walk around looking for a restaurant. I settle on Chinese food. Shrimp fried rice and Wonton soup.

I plunk myself at a cafe at the airport watching the people coming and going on this sunny warm day. Two hours pass.

I walk around and wind up back at the same cafe for another couple of hours.

I am airborne by 5:30 pm. Window seat with two seats beside me empty. I drink my second pure fresh squeezed orange juice on the way. I had watched the oranges being delivered earlier so I know what kind and that they are fresh.

We pass 3 snow capped mountains on route.

Back on the ground at 6:10 pm. In Cuenca they put stairs at the front and back of the plane so exiting is quite fast. We walk to the terminal.

No answer from Leon so I catch a taxi back to the hotel. My room has been remade.

I stroll into downtown as the sun sets. I am still surprised at the shops I see that disappear behind steel roll up doors at closing.

I return to the fancy restaurant la Pergola ( www.lapergolalounge.com ) that I noticed right around the corner from the hotel. I am the only one in the room. I order grilled salmon that comes with a separate plate of mashed potatoes and a bowl of rice. I feel rewarded after a long days travel.

Feels good to come to a rest.

Came across some Vilcabamba history written by Jack who passed over recently. http://spiral-dream.blogspot.com/2010/08/one-year-later-in-ecuador.html?m=1

I wake up and use my Love – Peace technique to go back to sleep. Takes a little longer because I know I am getting up early.

I am awake and a couple of minutes later the alarm set for 6:30 am goes off.

I am at the bus stop by 7:35 am and get in the front seat of a Routa taxi within 5 minutes.

I walk to the bank to get some cash from the ATM. Then I walk all the way to the end of 18 Novembre st where the Elite Tours office is. It’s a leisurely 25 minute walk.

Loja Gate – You see this from the Elite Tours office (looking right)

Mural – Elite Tours is up past the first balconies

We’re of 15 minutes late at 9:45 am. I am in the back. Spare seat beside me. The other 5 passengers sleep most of the way but I take in the scenery. The young girls turn on their music on their phones while the vans speakers sound their own music.

No toilet stop on route and we arrive exactly 3 hours later.

I call Leon the English speaking taxi driver and he takes me to the visa office. I find out I have to go to Quito to fix the migration record and bring it back to them here in Cuenca. They will only take documents hand delivered by me. No couriers.

Leon drives me to the airport and I book a flight for 8:40 am to Quito.

Leon takes me to the Aqua Hotel (08-415-0950) about 6 blocks from the main square. Clean and safe place for $15 without breakfast which I would be up too early to get anyway.

The Aqua Hotel – red building in the middle

Super Shower with HOT water

Leon takes me to Eucalyptus Cafe www.cafeeucalyptus.com recommended by Ginna. I enjoy the French Onion soup and Pad Thai at lunch time prices. They even have free WIFI.

A shoe shine, a scoop of ice cream and a long search for bananas for breakfast before I get back to the hotel.

During the night one of those little black fly bites that make my skin itch initially keeps me from falling asleep. I say my LOVE and PEACE and sync the words with my breath. The itch subsides and sleep returns.

I am up by 7:30 am and I get into the kitchen before the girls arrive to make breakfast. I scoop the flesh of the papaya into my mouth. Once done I return to bed for a short while.

My conversation with Tom takes me to almost noon. I go to turn on the shower and there is no water.

I call Ginna to welcome her back and take a taxi to Madre Tierra. I order soup. Also the vegetables over Quino special. Falong, whose up there for the Kin conference sits with me during lunch.

I go to pay my bill and see the server on the phone. There’s a familiar business card on the counter. She’s booking a reservation for William on the mini van shuttle to Cuenca. Perfect timing because I was going to just show up at the terminal to catch one of the shuttles. I ask her if she could make a reservation for me on the 9:30 am one. Done!

William and I exchange numbers and agree to share a taxi to Loja at 8 am.

I cab it back to town and find Ginna and Jill at Sambucha’s. I catch up with Ginna and say my farewell to Jill. William calls to say he is catching an earlier shuttle.

The waters back on but no hot water. Bernie gets Eddie to change the propane tank. Shower time.

I read a few more chapters of Roppongi.

Tom and I dine at Shantaz.

I bid Tom safe travels because he’ll be leaving for Tenna before I get back.

I am babying my tooth because it’s still sensitive.

A new girl is helping out preparing breakfast for us.

Thomas and I chat away the morning. He’s feeling better.

There’s just enough time to have a shower before Jill arrives on schedule to make a batch of chocolate for her to take back to Peru with her on Monday.

Jill gifts me a traditional piece of fabric from Peru.

Thomas invites me up to Madre Tierra. I enjoy my second smoothie of the day. We say hello to Kacper, Irena and Josh when they arrive for dinner.

The internet is down. Nap time.

I have many dreams though I can’t remember any details. I’m up by 7:30 am. Breakfast consists of papaya, bananas and coconut oil.

I’m in a Ruta Taxi on my way to Loja by 8:30 am.

I walk to the Notary’s office thinking I would be in and out but I am asked to come back at 2:30 pm to pick up the documents.

I catch a cab to take me to the dentist. We drive along the street looking for number 23-26. The highest number appears to be 21- something. I let the cab go and walk along the street. There mixed in with the 19- is 2326. I see the Dentist’s sign first and then see the number. I buzz but no answer. I call Yadira to see if she can get hold of her. A woman arrives and tries the buzzer without results. The woman calls and gets a hold of the dentist. We are greeted and I am asked to wait.

There is only the sound of drills and suction as I wait my turn. Next to no talking. A good sign since the Doctor speaks about as much English as I speak Spanish. I read a bilingual article on how a New Zealand man makes a full recovery from Swine Flu and Leukaemia with intravenous Vitamin C  drips after being declared incurable and terminally ill.

Into the office I go. The doctor is a one woman show. A quick scan around the 12 x 12 foot office. It’s clean and she does have one of those dental sterilization ovens on te shelf. The looks looks second hand and completely horizontal. I lie down and point to the tooth that feels like the filling is cracked. She gets to work. What feels like 15 minutes and she’s done. No pain. I point to the tooth on the other side and nods to let me know it needs fixing also. I nod approval to go ahead. As she drills away it becomes sensitive. I raise my hand. She says a word in Spanish. I look confused. She says ”pain” and I nod yes. My new Spanish word is “dolor” which is “pain”. It takes several attempts to get this tooth to the right height.

It’s time for the bill. $50.

I run a a few errands and pick up my notarized documents at 2:20 pm.

I ride in the front seat of the Ruta Taxi after waiting for one for about 45 minutes.

Whenever I bite down on the second tooth there is pain. I’m hoping it will go away.

The Tooth

I eat on the left side of my mouth and go to sleep.

NEW Moon

My day starts by catching up over breakfast with Thomas who is feeling under the weather.

I work all day except for the quick smoothie run to the Juice Factory.

Vegetarian pizza dinner at Shantaz with Pat.

I wake up early like yesterday but decide to go back to sleep until about 9 am.

I start reading David’s book.

Before falling a sleep last night I made a mental note to write:

I am feeling

I am sensing

I am thinking

It is when I think that any of these experiences, and any facet thereof, are some how better that I find myself struggling or striving.

I Am At Peace

I am ready to call the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cuenca to follow up on my unanswered emails when I receive an email from them saying “We are checking the attached information. I will return to you as soon as possible.”

Computer work demands my time.

I wash all my laundry. The strong dry winds make short work of their wetness.

Nap time.

Lone dinner at the Chinese restaurant.

More reading. More work.

According to this website:

If you don’t know where to get Valerian or Fenugreek, try a health food store or better still, simply say the name in your head when you need relief. All healing energies are transmitted via the sound of the name and are just as effective said in the mind or aloud, as in physically taking them. Try it and see.