Ecovillage updates...

Well, the week of experience in group living is over. It was really interesting. On a whole lot of levels! I got to Yacu Yura (prounounced Shacu Shura, as per the Argentinian pronunciation of the letter "y") without too much difficulty. Jimmy and Gabi, the only current adult residents at Yacu Yura, are excellent people with a definite 60s vibe. But the project itself is more mature than what I´ve read of group living experiments in the 60s, which is cool.

So, a day in my life at the ecovillage. We get up at 6:30 (when it is still not quite light) and meditate together for half an hour. After that we have breakfast, and then circle time, which involves breathing together, singing, dancing, sharing what is on our minds and hearts, and then planning the day´s work. For me, the latter has been a week of gardening. I have decidedly rougher hands than I´ve had in a very long time! Pulling grass is not for the weak of heart (or bicep...) :) Then at around 2pm we reconvene and have circle, another round of singing, dancing etc, more mediation, then lunch. Lunch is usually over at 3pm, then there is whatever chore I am signed up for (compost, pot washing, etc.) and then the afternoon is free time, which I´ve used for reading and siestas. Then in the evening, we meet up in group again, and have discussions or activities -- interactive games, lectures on philosophy, discussions of eco-human integration... all sorts of things. And then the next day we do it all again. It´s been intense -- lots of spiritual development work and intercommunication with Jimmy and Gabi and the other group members. There are only three of us in this particular week, aside from Jimmy and Gabi (and Gabi´s daughters), but that makes it all the more intense in some ways. Hmm.

I think the most interesting experience for me in the week was near the beginning -- we went out into the forest (which is a lot like a South African forest -- hot and prickly with a lot of crawly critters) for 24 hours by ourselves on a vision quest (albeit a short, quite well-supplied one). I built a fire (and lit it with one match; I was ridiculously proud of myself) and kept it going for the whole time I was out there. Sleeping under the stars was magnificent. And in the morning when I heard the morning mediation bell sound in the distance and put out my fire... I saw something moving in the leaves near my fire pit. I shone my flashlight on it and lo and behold: a tarantula!! I had no idea that they even had tarantulas in this part of South America and I am *very* glad that I didn´t know that all night and day while I was blithely sitting there probably only inches from it at times. It makes the crinkly noises I heard under my sleeping bag seem much more ominous. Oy. But spiders are associated with feminine energy, creativity and power, so as a totem animal, I feel I could do worse. But still!

I am staying for another week at the village. Today I came into town with Bernardo (one of my two fellow group experience members) to do things like go on the internet and eat a bit of unhealthy food (we are strictly vegetarian at the village and really close to being vegan. Very good for me, I am sure, and very tasty too, but a girl misses coffee!!), but will go back until Friday at the least. They are happy to have me stay longer, but it is a question of balancing my desire to see more of Argentina before the folks come at the end of November, and my desire to explore more of this internal territory that is coming to light at the village. I´m not sure yet.

But for now, off to find some coffee (or possibly chocolate... mmm, chocolate! Maybe both!?). Ciao :)