Smiles for Miles

Reunion shenanigans. 

Tanner's family hosted a reunion last weekend (as they do every 2 years). This time it was at a campground in the foothills of the Rockies just outside of Calgary. We arrived in time to help set up and enjoy the sunny summer weather. My favorite thing about this reunion was that there was no cell phone service unless you hiked a few kilometers up a hill. This created a forced visiting scenario where people actually talked and laughed and got to know each other a little better (which is kind of the point of reunions!). 

Bath in the river at the reunion. 

We took hikes, had a group yoga class one morning, and bathed in the trickle-of-a-river a couple of times. Tanner and I were asked one question over and over and over again during the 4 days that we camped with the extended family tribe: "What are you doing next and where and when are you going to settle down?".  The first couple of times, I tried to formulate some sort of intelligent response and then when that still wasn't satisfactory for some folks, I decided to start responding with "I have no idea what's around the corner for us. Do any of us really know for sure? We don't know how much time we each have on earth, so we may as well live the life we dream of." That seemed to change the conversation back to politics or some other "normal" topic that was less unsettling for everyone. 

Some creative artwork someone in the family drew on the trunk. 

We ate a lot more than we normally do that weekend, and we were grateful that the organizers were kind enough to offer vegan options at all meals. We still indulged in some things that we normally don't, but regardless we had a lot of fun with aunts, uncles, siblings cousins and little nieces and nephews. We look forward to the next reunion in 2017. 

The day the reunion ended we began a week of mostly liquids to cleanse our digestive systems and bloodstreams of some of the excess stuff that we indulged in over that long weekend event. We have discovered how simple it is to consume liquids on the road. We enjoy lemon honey teas in the morning and many mornings we also have a dose of a warm cacao drink, which helps with the cleansing process. In the afternoons our favorite thing to have is coconut water. The stuff in containers isn't quite like what comes from a fresh coconut but some brands almost have it right. Yummy. 

Thrive Vegan Cafe 

We then returned to the West Coast and arrived on Whidbey Island, Washington to retrieve our stash of cacao and have a visit at the home of Tanner's aunt and uncle. They also own a vegan and mostly gluten-free and organic cafe called THRIVE on Whidbey in the village of Freeland. We were able to continue with mostly liquids there and enjoyed some fresh greens smoothies and hearty soups while we were visiting for two days. Tanner's mom had also just arrived there for a visit, so we had a mini reunion there. 

Just down the road from Thrive, there is a 72 acre park called the Earth Sanctuary. It has been created as a natural preserve with wetlands and forests and also as a space where one can meditate, walk a mandala or hold a sacred ceremony. We enjoyed it with Cori, Tanner's mom, one morning. We sang and drummed and played our singing bowl and enjoyed the birds and insects and nature's sounds and energy. I would love to return again, as we only had enough time to see part of this special place.

We ferried off of Whidbey back onto mainland Washington. A billboard caught our eye that had a picture of the iconic Uncle Sam and it read "Greece is broke. Are we next?" Interesting.  A while later, along the Oregon Trail highway we passed a group of protestors holding signs that read "More War Means More Debt" and "Honk for PEACE". Of course, we honked and waved some peace fingers. They smiled and waved. It felt like a a scene from the late 60's. At least that's what I imagined.

We arrived near Bend, Oregon at the home of a Couchsurfing host, who I will call Kelly. We had stayed with Kelly about two months ago just for one night and got along great. So we retuned for a second visit. When we had arrived there the first time, she informed us that she is epileptic. She told us what to do if a seizure were to happen and we shrugged, smiled and said no problem. We were all happy to see each other again this week. She and her little doggy welcomed us into their humble home in the forest with open arms and happy paws. We did a lot of catching up. Kelly has been trying out medical marijuana in a CBD paste form to help ease the epilepsy and lessen the seizures. She believes it has helped and continues with the Rx medications from her doctors as well. She is 29 years old, an only child, and has really been struggling to find the balance between relying on her family for support and spreading her wings into adulthood. 

The next morning Tanner and I were on day 6 of almost completely liquids. We had some lemon tea and a mug of cacao each. We piled into our car with Kelly and her pup and drove into the Cascade Mountains just to the west of Bend.  We proceeded to complete a 10 mile (17kms) hike together. Tanner and I decided to attempt a barefoot trek. I made it through the first 8 miles and then put my shoes on so that I could pick up the pace and return to the car before the sun set. Tanner went the whole 10 mile loop barefoot (which the guide book led us to believe would only be a 7 mile loop). At the end, our feet and legs were dirty and hobbit-like, but we both made it out without a blister or cut or scrape. It's amazing what we can achieve when we have our minds in the right place. Kelly was so proud that she completed the 10 miles, which was by far the longest she has ever done. Back in the car, we enjoyed coconut water and some watermelon scooped out by spoon. The little dog slept all the way home. It was quite an adventure for all of us.

Throughout our visits with Kelly, she reiterated how well she felt in mind, body and spirit having us around her. We shared our knowledge of healthier food shopping with her. We told her about how to avoid additives and chemicals that she suspected may trigger some of the seizures. She basked in the sounds of our singing bowl, drumming, and songs. Tanner's mom just passed on a Love Tuner to us the morning that we drove to Kelly's place. It's a small whistle that sounds like a single note on a harmonica. It's tuned to a C note at 528Hz, which creates a sense of love and peace. ( www.lovetuner.com ) It is extremely soothing and the player receives the greatest benefit, as the vibrations carry throughout your head and body. We played it numerous times throughout the visit, several times in which Kelly felt the precursors for a seizure coming on. She was so happy and relieved when she felt like herself again! Before we departed, she told us how grateful she was that somehow our energy and intuition helped her to remain seizure-free. She later texted us and said she would like to have a Love Tuner of her own so that she can calm herself at all times. She knows that anxiety and stress increases the frequency of the seizures, so anything that is calming is helpful to her. She thanked us again and told us we were her spirit doctors. So beautiful!

We are seeking funding through Indiegogo to assist us in gifting items such as the Love Tuner, which has a price tag of about $60. We would like to continue to give freely without leaving ourselves penniless in the meantime. Please consider donating at the bottom of this blog post. Any amount will help to shift someone's life for the better.

As we drove away into the wildfire smoke in the badlands of eastern Oregon, we opened the sunroof and offered some Chiapas organic tobacco in gratitude for the experience and the people and the earth. We do this whenever we leave a place or take food from the earth. We often do it with our feet on the earth, but in a way, the tobacco is more spread out from the sunroof. We have learned this offering from several native friends throughout our travels. From what we have seen just this week, this American land can use some serious love and gratitude. 

Here is the link to the One World Wellness Indiegogo campaign...

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-wellness-retreat-that-comes-to-your-door/x/11104312

We Are A Global Tribe

I am having a self-administered timeout lying in the dry, waving summer grasses of southern Vancouver Island on this warm day. Our visit to the island is coming to a close already. Today in particular, I have had a of feeling like I'm watching a comedy film mixed with a sci-fi-mind bender. There was an electronic roadside billboard that scrolled through colorful weekly specials at the grocery store and in the mix there was a slide that caught me by surprise that said something like "DROUGHT: the new normal"...maybe there were other words following those, but that's all I saw. I laughed and thought to myself "what the?! Why would anyone write such a thing? Seems like they are putting a curse on this beautiful piece of the earth. The new normal? Who are they to decide that?" I knew I wasn't alone in this sentiment. Words are powerful creators.

Then, I walked across the parking lot to the auto insurance office to ask about my car insurance renewal. The woman at the desk was very pleasant and I tried to take in every word she spoke. At some point between her telling me I should raise my coverage to $5 million if I'm traveling in the USA ("because when they sue, they go for the jugular") and me laughing in amazement, and then her laughing nervously...and her whispering through her bright lipstick that I should use the other auto insurance broker when I renew because I would save more money...my mind all but short circuited. I looked at her name tag and smiled and thanked her by her first name. As I walked out to the car, I felt stunned. A friend had to cancel our tea date this morning because she was working hard to help the woman who she is care-taking for and who is fading away quickly to another realm. She was cheerful on the phone, despite life's great challenges. I know that in every scenario, there is an opportunity for all parties to learn and grow. She knew too.

...Which then encouraged me to step down from the role of organizer for a new moon women's circle that I had helped to get going. I have almost always been very comfortable in a leadership role, so I often jump in with both feet when someone mentions a great idea or suggests that a such and such could happen. I suddenly realized that I had my own agenda during this limited visit to Vancouver Island.  I needed to fulfill those obligations and complete my own tasks before taking on new stuff, as wonderful as it all may be. It felt so good to notice what my pattern was and to make a decision to play a different card from my hand. I am a hub. I am a connector. I am a leader. I am a trailblazer. I'm also a woman who needs a time out in my bathing suit on a warm sunny summer's day to just lay on the earth and watch the bees and the birds live their lives. A honey bee climbed up my leg this morning during yoga time. I said to it "hello. I'm not a flower. Carry on." Then I thought about what I just said. I am a flower, dammit. Who do I think I am kidding? I can't hide and shouldn't try to. Waste of time. "Bee the flower." That's all. Thanks for the message little bee.

So, next I went to the post office. I mailed a CD called The World Peace Diet: Living in Harmony with All Life by Will Tuttle, PhD. It is headed to some new vegan/ loveatarian (their own term...love it) friends down island. It's about eating a vegan diet to heal ourselves and promote peace on this planet and it's about much more than eating. They want to share it with some of their clients. It's amazing, intensely valid and mind expanding. (Have a read or a listen to this brilliant book if it sparks your curiosity.)  These same new friends hosted one of the most wonderful collaborative events that we have ever been a part of to date last weekend. We were so grateful to have been in the mix of it all! It was a full day of love, music, nourishing food, beautiful surroundings and amazing people. They called it Cosmic Heartbeat. It was exactly that. 

Us with a Cacao Medicine jar

It's now a week later and people are still talking about it and basking in the residual positive energy field that was created. We delivered cacao orders right up until we just got in line for the ferry we are currently waiting for. We missed the one we were hoping to get on, which can happen when you call an island home, and so the ferry fairy has gifted us two hours of free being time. Here I write.

Leaving one of our global tribes behind on Vancouver Island (again) was no easy task. I had a very emotional week asking myself why. Why are we leaving again, and so soon? Are we crazy? I knew the answer already. It's in the ocean and the sunshine. It's in the stars and the wind. We are being ushered in the direction that we are being called. A friend recently asked me to show her 6 year old daughter some new yoga postures. I just couldn't say no to that request. Her uncle had bought her a yoga mat and she learned some basic yoga in school this year. Her family was doing their best to support her in her recent diagnosis with epilepsy. When I mentioned the idea of a yoga date her eyes got huge and she jumped up and down. She is a brilliant and cheeky girl with tons of energy, and her toddler brother has even more energy. Which is why I gave him my phone to keep him busy and capture some yoga shots from a two-year-old's perspective. Here it is...Lola the Bassett Hound and all.

Our other new little friend, Grace, who is 8 years old, "graced" our car by signing her own bumper sticker on the trunk. Our car is officially blessed. We added our new One World Wellness bumper sticker to the collection. Let us know if you would like one. We can send you one of these beauties to help us spread the word!!!

We received a new generous donation to our Indiegogo campaign from a dear friend who has seen our work in action. She knows that what we do is much needed on this earth right NOW. Much of what we "do" is nearly impossible to put into simple words. It's felt and received and shared and only those receiving our time and energy can explain what is really happening when we connect with one another genuinely from heart to heart and soul to soul.

We were so grateful to gather with friends old and new on our final evening on the island to celebrate both a birthday and a Bon Voyage. We sat over the latest angelic gateway near our friend's garden and enjoyed a beautiful fresh summer potluck picnic supper.

I am marveling at our little Jetta, packed to the brim with nearly everything we own. We decided to leave our two bicycles with our pal who will take good care of them for us while we are on the road for a while. Other than that, we have decided that if we will continue on this vagabond-wellness-team adventure that we will need to upgrade to a van or small motorhome to better accommodate us and all of our wellness gear. (Plus a cozy place to sleep in the back would be an amazing bonus.)

Until then, we motor on in our little car. Across land and sea to answer the calls of the universe. It's calling to all of us. All we have to do is answer. Listen. Just be still. Listen. The instructions will be given freely. 

You will be supported. Have faith. All is well. This is my new mantra.

With LOVE,

Kristin

Welcome to Loveland

Lucy the Coon Hound.

The sun finally just broke through the clouds after a chilly morning in the wild, green foothills near Salt Lake City, Utah. We were invited by some new friends to join them and all of their dogs at their rustic getaway cabin for the weekend. It's finally allowed me to take some time to catch up on my writing. Another beautiful place on our earth! More beautiful people to connect with!

Our final days in Mexico were really special. The great people we encountered made it difficult to cross the border and trek back into the "real world" of the USA. The kindness and generosity of the Mexican culture is something we can all take a lesson from. They give and give almost to a fault. We felt like we were treated as family everywhere we went.  On our last night south of the border, in Los Mochis, we Couchsurfed with a wonderful man with whom we shared our final Mexican sunset and a bounty of beautiful conversation. We were sad to part ways, as this has been a common theme for us for many years in many places. It's hard to sever the ties that we create with each special spirit that we cross paths with...though those invisible ties seem to remain forever intertwined within our soul memories.

We crossed into the USA in Nogales, Arizona. We hoped that our huge cacao stash wouldn't cause any issues as we passed on through. We were thoroughly searched and had to surrender our mangos and a half-rotten cacao pod. The guards questioned our boxes of cacao. They informed us that it's necessary to have all food items labeled with contents and point of origin. They then proceeded to shout "CA-CAO! CACAO!" As they made finger guns and pretended to shoot each other. Hilarious. And so very American. We always keep a decorated glass Mason jar with us, for the last couple of years at least. Of course, we brought it on this trip. It contains our positive intentions, affirmations and loving requests to the universe. It really works. As a border officer dug through the trunk of the car, he asked what the jar was. We simply said "it's our good vibes jar." He laughed and said "Cool. That makes sense." I said "I put some good vibes into that jar that would help us get through this border crossing smoothly. Let's see if it works...." Just then, his partner came back from consulting with her supervisor and gave us a packet of papers. She smiled and said we were just getting a warning. Next time, we should follow the rules.

We headed for Tucson, Arizona arriving at nightfall and found a quaint and very affordable motel room. The man behind the desk was not so friendly. Somehow it came up that we just crossed back into the USA after 5 months in Mexico and Central America. I was feeling like I just stepped out of a spaceship onto another planet being back in America. I said "I am glad we found this sweet motel. I feel..." And he interjected with "a lot safer?"  I paused and looked at him with a bewildered stare. I shook my head no. I felt like a fish out of water. On a unicycle.

So this is culture shock.

For the record: Mexico and Guatemala are both beautiful, welcoming countries full of regular people just like you and I. For many decades, North American media has portrayed these places, and much of our planet, as dangerous, violent and "out to get you".  It's simply not true! There was never, ever a single moment in the last 5 months that we felt we were in a hint of danger. The scariest thing is the USA border crossings! The worst thing that happened during our trip was that some of our favorite bumper stickers got peeled off of our car in Guatemala. (So we are replacing them slowly.) 

A bumper sticker from our 2013 USA trip 

We got used to all of the Mexican police and military check stops after passing dozens of them. We often got waved through with a smile. When we did get stopped, we felt like they just wanted to chat for fun. It was fun. We realized quickly that these people are just like us. Only it's their job to look intimidating and ask a lot of questions. It is definitely true that there is some corruption, crime and poverty in every place on the globe. The USA and Canada are no different. The biggest difference that I noticed in the Mexican and Guatemalan people is that they have an inner determination and self-sufficient attitude that many (certainly not all) Americans and Canadians just don't have. They aren't waiting around to be taken care of. Especially in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. I whole-heartedly support the stance that the indigenous (and other) people of that place continue to take. Independence. Freedom. Equality. Respect. Peace. Love. That's all any of us desire. Let's make it happen. Our future can be in our own hands. Grab it by the reins!

Truth Warriors are Us

I'm finally taking a sweaty moment here to start this new blog post while we are pulled over in the baking mid-day sun at a state border stop between Nayarit and Sinaloa. The guards informed us that we can't take any fruits into this state. We have been existing on a 80% fresh fruits diet for quite a few months, so to us this was very unwelcome news. So when they tried to open up our car and take it all to the trash can, we sat here instead, for at least a half hour eating mangos and bananas. We also splurged and purchased our first jumbo jackfruit this morning. I didn't even get to take a photo of it. We dug out a knife and cut it open just to try a taste before handing it over to the fruit police. They explained that there are too many pests and fungus that can be spread to all of the fruits in Sinaloa. Fair enough. I think that most people conform and hand over everything and just drive away. Not these two vegan fruit fiends! In the last week alone we have tried three new fruits: Starfruit, jackfruit, and guanabana (which I have seen all of in Asian markets in Canada but never tried). Not to mention fresh cacao fruit and seeds. Yum. The sheer acreage of plantations and the heaps of fruit on the Pacific coast has been completely mind blowing.

Thousands of forests of coconut palms. Miles of mango trees. Fields of piñas, papayas and lime trees. They are trying to feed a very hungry planet here!

So now that I wrote that all down, let me back up and recap some really beautiful and intense experiences. Some of the more intense days of this entire 5 month road trip, actually. 

Our next stop on the South Pacific coast of Mexico was Puerto Escondido. We had some cacao ceremonies booked at a healing and wellness retreat center there. We were also asked by the owner to see how his new team of volunteers was doing running the place. The long and short of it was that the team was having a tough start. This place requires a lot of time and dedication. It also requires, like everything that we do everyday, clear communication with others. 

There was a second round of intense waves slamming the whole pacific shoreline those first few days that we arrived in Puerto. It felt a bit reflective of the energy in the wellness center. People getting tossed to and fro in the waves of miscommunication.

We recognized that possibly a cacao ceremony for the team and the three guests might be a useful tool to create more openness and unity. So the eight of us convened on the beautiful rooftop palapa one afternoon and for several hours we created a sacred space of connection and communication. It was like magic. People arrived all flustered and exhausted. They left uplifted and full of gratitude. Mid-ceremony, a funny little seed blew onto the floor in front of me. It was like a disc of clear rice paper with a small heart-shaped seed in the center. It was a tiny confirmation for me from the universe that these cacao ceremonies are planting seeds of love across the planet. We are all planting seeds each moment. With every interaction. More love seeds, please. 

We really enjoyed the team at the healing center. They were from Mexico and Canada. Such awesome young people full of passion and hope. We enjoyed sunrise meditations and early morning yoga each day that week. We shared buckets of mangos from the street outside the house. We shared vegan recipes and then ate more mangos. At the Saturday market we were able to purchase our first fresh whole cacao pods! So pretty, and tasty too.

I really appreciated the conscious manner that team meetings were held at this wellness center. One person spoke at a time without interruptions. We all encouraged each other to speak the truth and to express our truest feelings. It was very tough for some of the group to share openly and to receive what others had to say. There was some major intensity but also major growth for all involved. Including us. So after a week of these morning meetings, we were dubbed the Truth Warriors by the staff. I accept that title, as one of many, and plan to continue assisting others to bring out the truth for the betterment of all of humanity. 

After a week in Puerto, we drove to Acapulco. It was a pretty neat place with lots of VW beetles and a huge mercado in the early morning as we departed after our quick one night stay. They had so many flowers at this particular mercado. Beautiful. 

We then headed to Zihuatenajo. It's a beautiful city. We googled a vegan cafe where we planned to stop and rest while we got an oil change for our Truth Mobile. It was not a cafe at all but an amazing woman in her lovely home who was a raw foods warrior. Patti invited us in and made us raw vegan pizzas made with local and organic fruits and veggies. So amazing. We got that oil change and so much more. We were invited to stay at Patti's home after we saw the sprouted cacao beans on her counter. The cacao chat began and the rest was history. She took us to see our very first cacao tree just down the block from her casa.  We held a cacao ceremony at her home and shared many special moments there. We departed early the second morning and Patti was up making us vegan raw burritos to go for our road lunch. Wow were they amazing!!! I thought mine were amazing but hers were out of this world. It continues to amaze me at how dazzling we all become when we are living our true calling! When life calls you, answer! Don't take a message or screen your calls. Don't say you'll call back when it's more convenient. Just take the call and enjoy it!

We were stopped at checkpoints several times in Michoacan.  This is the state with some of the highest level of unrest because of drug cartels. We decided to trek through despite all of the negativity that we found online. We have heard so many negative opinions of Mexico and Central America since we began announcing that we were taking this journey last fall. We have not encountered a single situation that I would call dangerous or scary for over 5 months. Michoacan was heavily militarized and there were many checkpoints where we had to get out of the car for inspection and questioning. Which usually resulted in laughter.

The best part of these stops was that the soldiers would dig through our car asking what things were and we got to give them some free healthy living lessons! It was awesome. This state was also one of the most wild, uninhabited and beautiful that we have seen. High cliffs overlooking a blue wild ocean. Thick lush jungles covering winding roads for hours shaded us from the sun. We saw dozens of giant white butterflies flapping huge floppy, white wings and giving us the feeling that they were our tiny guardian angels. Two more days to go in magical Mexico. Magical.

"The destiny of the world is in your hands."

In and Out with a BANG!

As I soak up some sunshine in our tropical back yard amongst the flowering vines and hummingbirds, some neighbors are sending celebratory explosives up into the air that shake me and shock me every time. They are a crucial component to an annual festival for San Marcos, and most, if not all pueblos, called la feria. They have been warming up their bombas for many days already, beginning at sunrise and exploding them well into the dark nights. In the small town centro, food vendors and carnival rides are being erected for the big event. Excitement is in the air. 

We are one month into the 6-week rental of this lovely casita on Lake Atitlán. It has been a great spot to be while I work through a whole lot of physical challenges that I never saw coming. An intense clearing of a head cold, an accupuncture-induced clearing of the reproductive system and most recently some sort of digestive cleansing disaster that is slowly coming to an end. I made it!!!

The six and eight-legged wildlife here don't seem to realize that there is a boundary between the indoors and outdoors. I have relocated at least half a dozen scorpions of varying sizes from walls, floors and stairs. The spiders in the house outnumber us easily 20-1. (That's even a weak estimation.) The hugest one (a bit bigger than a toonie...for you Canadians) was living in our bedroom and we allowed him to hold his territory for the first few weeks because we hoped he was trapping and eating some of the mosquitoes. But the night he was hanging out right next to the light switch when I turned it on in the dark was his last night indoors. Most recently the tribes of ants have discovered our kitchen. Sigh. I am convinced that you must love bugs to live here in rural Guatemala. Looking back, the ayahuasca journey I participated in last fall prepared me for all of the creatures that I have encountered on this voyage. On a less creepy-crawly note, the tropical birdsong is so beautiful and the colorful lizards, hummingbirds and butterflies in the gardens and forests make up for the insects. The plants and flowers are incredible. 

We visited medicinal plant cooperative last week and a woman gave us a tour of the herb gardens. She told us they are the third generation of women to continue the plant medicine traditions in the region with this cooperative.  They learned from their grandmothers and have brought the knowledge forward from many generations before them. We brought home some delicious medicinal teas including horsetail and holy sage. Combined with fresh ginger, cinnamon bark and a hint of local honey, it tastes delicious! 

We also walked through some small villages on our three-hour hike around the west end of the lake, from San Marcos to San Pedro, on the Saturday of Easter weekend. The Holy Week before and including Easter is called Semana Santa here. It's a really big deal in the Catholic tradition here. Each community lines their main streets with a coating of colorful sawdust and using various stencils, a whole team creates a beautiful carpet of perfectly manicured rainbow designs for the parades. There are also many weaving cooperatives around the lake. I want to support them all, but then I would have tons of cool colorful Guatemalan woven stuff and nowhere to put it! The empty space in our trunk is reserved for something else...

I finally admitted to myself that I needed some formal Spanish lessons a couple of times each week so that I can rise above kindergarten level with my conversations here, or in any Latin country I may find myself in. My maestro is a man from New York who lives here full time and is a key person responsible for the success of Konojel, the organization that we fasted and raised funds for a few weeks back. His humorous, light personality makes each class fun and I am learning a lot! I have also been supplementing for several months with the app Duolingo, with which you can learn many different languages. I have learned tons of Spanish vocabulary words with it. It's no substitute for a real conversation though!

The three of us seem to be receiving an ongoing message about water in our daily lives since being here in Guatemala. For approx. 20 out of 30 days in the current house (in addition to no water for a week in the first casa) we have had either no warm water or no water at all. The water heater went on a vacation for nearly 3 weeks and in between meeting nearly every plumber in this part of Guatemala, we managed to take cold trickle showers and heat our dish water on the gas stove. I admit though, that there has been something charming about hand washing our laundry in wash basins and sunshine drying it for the last couple of months. It's all been part of our adventure here!

(A few more bombas bursting with a bang in the background...)

So where are we headed next? Well as you may recall, we had both registered for a yoga teacher training course in Oaxaca, Mexico that was from March 21st for one month. It's now coming to a close and we are not there. We let them know that Guatemala got ahold of us in early March and that we wouldn't be attending this time around. They said "stop by for a visit anytime if you find yourselves around this area. We would love to meet you anyway!" Yoga trainings are happening all over the planet all the time so our perfect one will come when the timing is perfect.

Our main focus moving forward from here will be working with the spirit of cacao and sharing the cacao plant medicine. We had a meeting with the cacao tribe headquarters here and told them that we would really like to take a lot of cacao with us in the trunk of our little car when we depart in a couple of weeks. We have both been using the cacao medicine most days in one form or another for quite a few months. It's been a combo of delicious, healing and educational. We often do a shamanic drumming journey after consuming a ceremonial dose of the cacao. We have both received huge insights from this practice. We plan to weave our way back up through Mexico and eventually into the USA, sharing cacao magic all the way!

A huge finale of bombas just went off overhead. I think that means adios... for now. 

Ps. If your community in North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) is in need of some cacao ceremonies, let us know at oneworldwellness@yahoo.ca and we can work you into our travels. 

*Stay tuned for a cacao tour schedule!

Ok...I just had to include this second PS. A Mayan woman selling magic mushrooms just came to our gate. You just never know what might be offered to you in the buffet of life!

Home is Where the Heart Is

We have made so many wonderful connections in Mexico in our first two months. The time has flown by and it already feels like one of our many homes. Especially the lovely hostel. We knew we wouldn't stay forever and as the universe began to send us subtle (and then some not-so-subtle) signs, we knew we would be departing soon. Where, we didn't yet know. However, the yoga instructor training begins on March 21, so we have that much figured out. A deadline to meet...for a change.

One man that we enjoyed getting to know at the hostel asked how things seem to flow so smoothly for us. I said that we simply do what feels right and when something feels difficult or unpleasant or forced, we step back to reevaluate and change direction. It's a fairly simple system. Intuition guides us when we listen.

While at the hostel, we enjoyed reading Discovering Your Soul Signature: a 33-day path to purpose, passion and joy by Panache Desai. It's a brilliantly written spiritual instruction manual to guide us through our thoughts and beliefs about ourselves and to peel away the layers of old dense energy to become our true selves. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to heal old patterns and beliefs and to move upward and onward in their spiritual journey. We have just started to read it a second time to dig a bit deeper.

We ended up hosting four Saturday night Cacao Ceremonies for peace and healing. They were so wonderful and the connection and heart opening that comes through the cacao plant medicine was profound for many of us. This has lead us to feel inspired to go meet the cacao shaman who inspired our cacao teacher. He resides in the mountains of Guatemala in San Marcos la Laguna on Lake Atitlan. It is a remote, two day trek from Progreso. We should have about 10 days at the lake. Then we will make a two to three day trek back up through Chiapas and Oaxaca to the Om Shanti Comunidad in Mazunte, Oaxaca, Mexico. We set our intentions and made arrangements to journey onward.

We said our goodbyes to all of our new friends at each of the mercados where we sold our vegan energy balls. What an outstanding bunch of people. We said adios to the vendors that we got to know at the local mercados where we shopped for fruits and veggies. A local couple made me a beautiful ring with a stone that was given to me back in September on the day of my Canadian citizenship ceremony. What a lovely creation with lots of beautiful memories inside!

It was bittersweet to say goodbye to our new family and yet exciting to welcome new adventures. After almost six weeks at the beach in Progreso, Yucatan, we packed up our little blue car, with a new Canadian friend in tow, and headed south for Guatemala.  A dear friend has been there for a month, and awaited our arrival.  Tonight another sweet amiga will be meeting us here, arriving via bus, shuttle van and then boat.

We made it to the lake! It was the most amazing two days that I have ever spent in a car. I will write about those two days in my next post. I'm feeling like it will be very difficult to express that experience in words and photos. I will do my best. 

PS. This little neighborhood perrita is playfully tugging on my towel as I lay in the yard enjoying the sunshine, breeze and birdsong at San Marcos. Hasta luego amigos.

Lessons in Surrendering

 

Los Jaguares Eco retreat near Tulum was so wonderful. Our hosts, Fausto and Claire were very sweet and welcoming people. We enjoyed "roughing it" in what they called "glam-ping" cabanas. We had beds with mosquito netting, a flushing toilet, wifi, outdoor nature showers (except one morning when no water was present...oh well!) and lots of jungle critters to keep us company. 

It was a refreshing change of pace from all of the sounds, people and traffic of the cities. 

Upon arrival, we were given a little tour of the property. There was a lovely fresh water pool, lots of hammocks, an outdoor kitchen, several cabanas, fruit gardens, a jungly labyrinth and an earthen temezcal, or sweat lodge. They told us that one of the residents was seasoned in leading group sweats, so we attended a group sweat with him on the second night of our stay. 

This was my second sweat ceremony, and the first one in Mexican style. Much of the tradition was similar to the one that we attended in November on Vancouver island with a local First Nations shaman-elder. On the island, and in the native tradition, it is customary for women to wear long dresses and be covered up. Here we all had on our swimsuits. After a very hot, sweaty day, when the darkness set in, we gathered around the ceremonial fire where the stones, or abuelitas (little grandmothers), as they are referred to, were heated until red hot. We said prayers and gave thanks to our ancestors and to the natural world around us. We filed into the hut and sat on a bed of fresh, leafy branches from a tree that I can't recall the name of, but it smelled wonderful. 

The ceremony was about 2 hours long and consisted of music, chanting, prayers, offerings, cleansing and lots of emotion and special connection. There are four parts, or doors, of the ceremony where the flap is opened up and 13 additional hot stones are added to the center of the circle inside, and each stone is verbally welcomed in as it is placed on top of the pile.  It was so lovely to experience the various traditions all coming together. There were about 10 people from various countries and we all shared the desire to cleanse and reflect inward upon our own mental and emotional blockages. I have found both sweats quite challenging, especially at the beginning part, where I have to convince myself to physically go into a hot, dark cave with a group of sweaty people that I don't know. The shaman reminds us that we are all in there healing together and that everyone is facing their own challenges. After a while, my mind settles and it is very pleasant and rejuvenating. Afterward, we filed out and showered ourselves with cool fresh water using a coconut shell, and then gather for a light meal. I look forward to another temezcal experience soon. Each one is different!

The next morning while it's still relatively cool, we go for a trek down the cleared path into the jungle for a medicinal plant walk with a local Mayan man named Umberto. He speaks Spanish and Mayan, and with our pocket dictionary, intense listening skills and lots of humor, we manage to learn a lot about the plants and about each other. He shows us lots of useful plants and describes how they are used for headaches, tooth aches, snake bites, skin rashes, cuts, and lots of other handy things. At one point, we can hear and see the trees shaking and swaying amongst the busy bustling of monkeys. We can't see them, but we know they are there. 

Umberto told us that his grandfather lived off of the land in the area and thrived on a life of simple hunting and gathering and using herbal medicines until the beautiful age of 110 years. He said no junk food, just wild foods! No eye glasses, no diseases. Only healthy people. A good reminder of what has happened to our "food" system in the last century.  We could have enjoyed these lessons all day, but we had to be on our way to our next destination southward in Bacalar, Quintana Roo on the second largest lake Mexico, Laguna Bacalar. We would like to return to Los Jaguares again soon, we feel like there is more that is yet to be experienced there. 

We arrived at Villas Ecotucan just outside of Bacalar and checked in for a stay in a jungle cabana. This place was a very lovely setting. It had just rained for a few days and the humidity level was sky high. Our tile floors and bed sheets were very wet. It made for some chilly sleeping conditions. The mosquito netting on both beds had large tears, so we patched it up the best we could. The mosquito netting was crucial. The mosquitoes were thick there after all of the moisture, which we were told was very unseasonal. I sure donated my fair share of blood to those tiny vampires. It was a bit frustrating, as I would have preferred to spend more time outdoors, but the itching ad scratching was over the top! 

In the mornings, I awoke to flocks of green parrots socializing in the trees. They returned each evening at sundown too. We enjoyed a swim in the cool, clear water of the lake, accompanied by one of the several resident pups. We were happy to move on from there, away from the mosquitoes. We originally planned to head south through Guatemala and loop back up to Merida while stopping at various Mayan ruins. However, the weather forecast was more rain. More mosquitoes. More damp clothing. So we rerouted back toward the west side of the peninsula to sunnier (and less popular) beaches. Half way across, we stopped at a rural coffee shop for a break. A man stood outside having a cigarette and asked where we were from and where we were headed. He told us that the citizens of the state of Campeche were revolting against the development of their land by outsiders and to show their disapproval to the government, they were barricading the main roads into the state. Hmmmm. We didn't see that coming. We thanked him and chose an alternate and more remote route through the jungle and through many tiny pueblos. It turned out that the road we chose was under some pretty serious upgrading conditions. I wish I had taken a video. It was quite a ride. Here is a snapshot of the highway modernization. 

After a very long, hot day and plentiful  bumpy tope speed bumps, we made it to Ciudad Campeche and found a hotel for the night. The next morning we decided to head for a small beach town on the north coast of Yucatan. It's pretty busy and touristy, but it's hot and sunny and sandy and the sound of the ocean is so calming to my soul. We have spent today resting in the sunshine and exploring more bits and pieces of Mexican culture including mercados, zapaterias to find some sandals, and the laundry mat. I tried to find a place where I could wash our laundry all week between the little remote villages, but I finally gave in and dropped it at a lavanderia down the block where they wash and fold it for you (I also gained a few stray men's tees that I will have to return to the shop mañana).  

Seems to be a very common cultural thing here: everyone having someone else do everything for everyone. Pumping your gas. Helping you to park in a public place. Selling you toilet paper squares. 

There are SO many little cultural differences. Like the scented toilet paper everywhere. I even had my own normal TP in my pocket yesterday when we stopped at a rest stop on the highway. A woman ran over to the washroom door with a key and said "tres pesos". I said "tengo mi papel" and showed her my private stash.  She shook her head no and said "tres pesos" as she unlocked the washroom door and handed me a heap of perfumed paper with blue hearts printed on it. Self-sufficiency is not a thing here. Service is a very big thing here. Learning, learning, learning. Tres pesos at a time. 

Home Sweet Motor Home

Winding through the rolling coastal hills of Southern California, we breathed in the ocean air and the scent of eucalyptus groves. 

We learned that the eucalyptus, which is native only to Australia, was brought to the California coast during the Gold Rush, in the late 1800's to help reforest the barren land and supply lumber for the massively expanding industry. Tycoons bought up large tracts of land and planted millions of blue gum eucalyptus seedlings. They built large sawmills, anticipating the harvest of these giant lumber groves. Little did they know, that these trees can't be used for lumber until they are at least 75 years old. Until then, the wood just isn't the right consistency and quality for lumber. The oils also didn't stand up to their native friends across the globe. So now these 150+ foot-tall giants are seen along nearly the entire coast of California. They sure are lovely. 

We decided to take our time and enjoy the famous El Camino Real coastal highway along the majority of the California coast. It was certainly the curviest road I have ever experienced. The huge cliffs and rugged landscape were just awesome. I can't imagine the job of constructing the roads and bridges all along the Pacific Ocean. What a gigantic project. 

As we came around one curve, we saw three California Condors perched on a cliff beside the road with their wings spread out wide, catching the rays of the setting sun. I remember learning about their extinction when I was in grade school. So I did some research online and discovered that in the 90's the remaining few were captured and repopulated then released in 3 states in the southwest. As of May 2013, there were only 237 of them recorded in the wild. If you aren't familiar, condors are giant vultures, with a wingspan of 3 meters, or nearly 10 ft. The largest bird in North America. Pretty cool. 

We arrived in San Francisco late one evening during a crazy wind storm that blew from the coastal mountains out to the ocean. We thought that was strange, and so we asked our hosts about it. They said that a couple of times each year these Santa Ana winds come out from the mountains and are historically reminiscent of major energetic shifts or natural disasters, such as earthquakes. (Shiver). Luckily, we didn't experience any quakes. 

The next day we took a ferry from Oakland to San Francisco for the day. We rented bikes and rode along the Embarcadero, which follows the piers and turns into a trail that ends up at the Golden Gate Bridge. 

 We rode out onto a pier to see Alcatraz in the distance. It was a Saturday, and parents had their kids out on the pier helping to catch fish and with checking their crab traps. We were fairly intrigued by a billboard that showed various species of fish in two columns. One side said "less chemicals" on green writing and one side said "more chemicals" in red. Neither one sounds appealing to me.  I feel sad that our oceans are so dirty because of humans. The world has treated them as a garbage dump for way too long. (One more point on the long list of reasons why we strive to eat a vegan diet.)

Lavender, olives in distance. 

After San Fran, we headed northeast into the mountains to  see a relative at a place called Lakeport, on the shore of Clear Lake, the largest lake in the USA. En route, we passed orchards of walnuts, olives, pears, and thousands of acres of grape vineyards. The terrain was very hilly and barren, covered in dry grasses sprinkled with gnarled scrub oaks. 

Ceago villa

We got a tour of some of the surrounding villages and had a stroll around a winery. Neither of us was feeling like ourselves that day, so we opted out of wine tasting. If we had done a tasting, this would have been the place. It was called Ceago and it was organic and biodynamically maintained. In addition to grapes, the grounds featured lemons, oranges, olives, and lavender. 

The same Santa Ana winds had hit the east side of the lake a couple of days prior, and dozens of massive oaks and palms had fallen across roads and roofs had been torn off of quite a few homes. The whole community seemed to be outside chopping wood and mending fences and roofs. 

Our next stop was the Redwoods. We made a quick detour to drive through a tree (I know. It sounds very touristy.) I can recall my grandma telling me about her family driving through the same tree 60 years ago. It's called the Chandelier tree and its over 300' tall. It would have taken a whole car full of people holding hands to hug that tree!

We drove along the Oregon coast and chose a state park deep in the majestic cedars to pitch our tent for the night. It was a clear quiet night except for the faint babbling of a nearby creek. There were only two other campsites occupied in the whole campground, probably due to the chilly weather. We woke up in the middle of the night to the most bizarre sounds we have ever heard in nature. My best description is a heavy old squeaky wooden door, mixed with humpback whale song and a child's plastic kazoo whistle. We heard two calls back and forth for about 5 minutes. Then they stopped. We were speechless and laid in silence for a half hour waiting to hear more. Nothing. 

Our conclusion? Sasquatch. Laugh if you will, but nothing else either of us has ever heard (and we both grew up surrounded by nature) anything like it. Not coyotes, not elk, not birds. Hey, it's possible that Bigfoot exists. Just sayin'...It's possible. 

We spent a night in Eugene, Oregon. What an awesome, artistic town. Wish we had more time there, but we were on a mission to reach our relatives on Whidbey Island, off the coast of Washington for Thanksgiving #2. 

They own a health food store and a vegan cafe, which were both welcome destinations after two months of mysterious greasy restaurant meals that our stomachs (and waistlines) weren't fans of. They also just completed a large retreat center on the beach, complete with a walking labyrinth, built with care by family and friends out of ocean treasures.  While walking it in a slow, meditative pace, a hummingbird zoomed by twice and then hovered right behind me. A good omen, I assume.

We spent 5 days there resting and enjoying the ocean and the eagles that were gracing us with their presence and songs daily. After 4 days of soggy, foggy weather, the sun came out. My "second mama" came across the bay from Victoria on a ferry to spend a few days with us before she departed to Puerto Escondido, Mexico for the winter. She will be teaching health and wellness at a place called the Sanctuary. Will that be our next destination? Time will tell. It's sooo tempting!

We arrived back on Vancouver Island and were thrilled to see that our moHo awaited us right where we left her with some good friends. A familiar place at last! We saw our first skiff of snow of the season today and were grateful that we didn't have to dig out of the blizzard that much of Alberta has been enduring this week. Sorry Alberta. We do miss our wonderful pals, but not the -30 Celsius weather. We have the heat on full force in here as it is, and it's only just below freezing here. Yikes. 

So. What now? I am personally feeling quite lost and out of sorts today. My mind is still traveling after two months, 28 states, 3 provinces, 2.5 oil changes, 7 ferries and 18,000 kilometers of road. You may wonder what I have concluded at the end of this journey. Did we find the answers to some of our questions? I will try to be concise:

1.  Wherever you go, there you       are. So. True. Always. 

2.  Be greatful for all that you have. There are millions (or billions) of people who have much less than you do. 

2.  Humans want to reach out and connect with each other, even with perfect strangers. Sharing stories, food, love and laughter is what makes life more wonderful. 

3.  Every place has its pros and cons. It is what you make it. 

4.  Most people are oblivious to what exactly is in the "food" that they are putting into their mouths and the mouths of their children. Or where it comes from, for that matter. If our moHo was a billboard, it would be flashing food facts to help people make more informed choices. Ooooh. I like that idea. 

***5.  In every state we visited, at every age, in all walks of life, people are working themselves to the point of illness and misery. (And we aren't exceptions...yet!) We saw the pattern daily. Everywhere. People hoping to achieve their goals and dreams, only to be stuck in a perpetual struggle of declining health (cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure) and endless debt payments. What is the point? There must be a larger purpose for humanity. Why do we all keep agreeing to perpetuate this mad system? Mortgages, rent, healthcare, credit card debt, car payments, student loans, taxes and on and on and on and on. First world tread mill anyone? Unplug it for good. We can make a shift if we all take a stand. As we uncover the solutions to the madness, I promise to share it. Right here. Piece by piece by peace. 

Ps. Comments and questions are always welcome. :D