Alejandro, the beloved Tronconian, as our main guest star.
Chris, Present Moment Guest, a beautiful soul visiting from San Francisco.... unplugging for a week to take "Self" time out. Smart Chica.
Last, but definitely not least... a surprise appearance by the infamous Seferino de la Poblado,
Plus extras.... dogs, burros, cows, and people of Poblado.
On this episode, we leave the beachside bliss in exchange for a wild walk/burro ride in the jungle. Alejandro, this time, taking the position of Captain Team Love, leads us through on a tour through the hillside jungles of Guerrero. He is a very knowledgeable, kind hearted spirit that has been making a living running an eco tour business in the area.. amongst other jobs. We were so fortunate to have Alejandro as our guide, being that he knows so much about the flora and fauna, the history of the area, and most importantly he is involved in giving back to the local community of indigenous people.
On our way to "la Salta" we came across the surprise guest, Seferino, a last minute, unexpected add on to the group of three trekkers. We came across Seferino as he was working his "ejido" land, half farm (corn and mango), half cow grazing pasture... plus the burros... Senor Seferino is of la Poblado, which is not what I would call a town, but more of the suburbs of the teeney, tiny village. He has most surely lived in this isolated area of the jungle his whole life, making him a hidden gem, untouched by the roughness of society. He also knows the environment, not from text books, but from actual life experience and age old wisdom passed down from generation to generation. Ask him how old this ceder stump is, and he will most sure have an answer more exact than most machines or ecologists.... Or why the ants and the coral snakes have a simbiotic relationship... He was a great co-captain of Team Love. AND just as I was eyeing his burro, wishing I could have my own burro to ride... he offered up his saddle and I most certainly took him up on his kind hearted offer. Hell yeah I want to ride the Burro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"La Salta" means "the jump" so you can only imagine what we had in store for us at the end of the trail... my favorite... rock/cliff (pequeno) jumping. The water was incredibly clear-green and refreshing... sun rays pouring through as I swam underwater with my eyes open of course. (reminded me of lake swimming on Quadra)... The jump was just the right height... just enough for the adrenaline rush... Gentle back massage underneath the waterfall... swimming with my baby girl, all grown up now, Yola for the first time ever! (Yes, she swims in the ocean, but the wave thing is a challenge and she is cautions... this time, it was a free for all in the calm waters of the water hole)... muy buenos tiempos....
The heart felt climax of the episode comes at the end of the eco tour when we get to experience and taste the real life of this small village. Alejandro, coming up as often as he does, with or without tours, has formed a relationship with some of the people there. He takes kids up to teach them about the environment, and work with them on small tree planting projects. What a guy, huh? A couple of Present Moment guests, the lovely Alfred and Joe, (personal favorites of mine... I really should blog a whole episode on them and their Apples to Apples... tal vez despues....) donated a whole bunch of school supplies for the children of and we just happened to be there for the repartition... School Supplies Santa. So on our way back through the village, we stopped at various houses to deliver the goods. And I must mention the houses, all adobe. That means mud, kids. Amazing and beautiful structures. Why bother with cement when we have earth? I might have to incorporate some of this adobe into the tree house concept? Think it will work? These people also still cook on wood burning stove and mill their corn on stone to make tortillas. Can you imagine the beauties that come out of that kitchen? Yo quiero... por favor....
This eco tour was so much more than seeing the beautiful surroundings in nature... trees, birds, mucho mucho butterflies of all colors and sorts, water hole swimming and diving, bonus burro ride for me... It ended up being a real experience of the indigenous culture. Unforgettable. And this is exactly what my brilliant mother is trying to do in Canada with Aboriginal Journeys. People take away a cultural experience beyond just site seeing. This is the stuff that changes peoples lives and what we can take back with us to "society" and apply these simple, beautiful customs. Theses people have very little in terms of what most of society would call "wealth" and they live very simply, yet as most of us know, the secret to life lies not in possessions, but in open hearts. These people live from their heart, no matter what comes up in life. I am sure things aren't always easy, but love conquers all....Just something to remember as we get tossed around in the chaos of society.... Love, Compassion, Gratitude... teachings to be found in the simple.
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