Never Never Land

Never Never Land is an incredible farm who´s previous owner originated the frutarian diet, so you can imagine the huge variety of tropical fruits available right in front of my house. There are people here from all over the world, and there is always something exciting and new to experience. I drove an oxen team the other day, I have eaten all kinds of interesting foods, I´ve had intense talks and debates with people from all over, and I got Giardia! I have been reading almost nonstop during my free time, absorbing all kinds of new ideas about nutrition, diet, disease, spirituality, etc. This place is truly magical, and I feel lucky that I should be able to spend these weeks here. There is a gigantic tree near the river which must be several hundred years old. It is immense and there are all kinds of nooks to sit in and think or read or nap. There are three dogs native to the farm and each has their own quirks. Boomer is a Husky...who lives in the jungle. He takes his hot frustration out on the neighbors´ goats and chickens, so he is now permanently on a chain. Tuti is an annoying black lab mix who barks at anything that moves, but will protect any person on the farm with her life. Nova is the favorite of everyone here. She looks like a mostly white welsh corgi and she is extremely down to earth. Everyone is a good cook, and i´m learning how to make breads and all kinds of different dishes. That´s about it for now, i will hopefully post next weekend.

Vilcabamba

Here I am in the town of eternal youth, Vilcabamba, on the way to my new home outside of Tumianuma. This town is really nice and is known for its multitudes of octogenarians and claims to have many residents over 100, although upon further research it isn´t really too out of the norm. I wouldn´t be surprised if it were true, because the town is set in a beautiful valley and all of the citizens here seem really nice. It is 10 in the morning now and I spent 15 hours on a bus last night coming from Quito to Loja to here. I´m waiting for another bus at 1 to take me the final leg to Tumianuma. I will be working on an organic farm there called never never land, so you know it´s legit. It is owned by an American woman and as far as I can tell a whole lot of ¨hippies¨. It should be a great experience, search google for Chirusco Never Never Land and the website should come up. I wish I had brought more books as it is difficult to find any used books that don´t cost 8 dollars, which is more than a night in a hostal and breakfast. I´ve been reading a ton, and I´m gonna hopefully do some MCAT studying in the quiet evenings on the farm. I will be out of contact for an indefinite period starting tomorrow, but i will try to make the trip back here at least once a week to post pics, updates, and to use my skype, which i can now call landlines and cell phones in the states with! Until then. I love you all.

The Napo River at Sunset

What a mess. After trying for almost a week to integrate into the Colegio Tecnico de Yachana, I couldn't stay any longer. I am back in Quito, planning out my next move. Today will be full of e'mails and maybe a visit to the 'South American Explorer's Club.' I know, it sounds like it would be a bunch of brits in safari gear preparing to go hunt some indigenous tribes, but I hear it is helpful place for connections, ideas, maps, etc. I have one contact near mount chimborazo (the farthest terrain from the center of the earth), training guides in english so that they can better interact with their clientele. That sounds like a great idea, but i'm not sure if they are still taking volunteers and I also don't want this to end up like Yachana. I wish I had more interesting things to report, but I haven't really done anything yet meriting the creation of this blog. Let's hope that changes soon.