Equine Therapy

Horses are amazing animals with a wonderful sensitivity that can teach us a lot about ourselves.  We spent a wonderful weekend at 4 Volcanoes Ranch at San Pablo near Otavalo, Ecuador on an Equine Therapy course.

 There was a definite Steiner element to the garden with free flow forms and mixed planting.

Playa Escondida

We have just returned from our favourite campsite - Playa Escondida.  The backdrop for this idyllic shoreline is an ecological refuge of 100 hectares.  Since 1991 they’ve been dedicated to protecting the diverse flora and fauna of this semi-tropical forest from local hunters, logging, cattle and shrimp farming, not to mention commercial tourism; all forces which threaten the fragile eco-system of this vital littoral.

They are affiliated with Socio Bosque, a government iniciative which pays people to not cut down their forests, or introduce any competing agriculture, cattle, or non native species onto the land.

The beach is part of 38 kms of protected coastline which has recently been officially declared the Reserva Marina Galera-Cabo San Francisco.

Danza Primordial

 Back at Tinku for a session of Danza Primordial - an interesting experience where we visited our different chakras beginning with The Earth and our Ancestors.  A lovely experience with lots of lovely images and feelings.

 Meg of course made friends with the animals.

 Yoga.

 Dog walking at Alangasi with the PAE - Ecuador's equivalent of the RSPCA.  They have 130 dogs at this centre.

Touching base with Permaculture again in Ecuador.

Working back in Ecuador - More of a focus on people care this time, starting with ourselves.  The Hobbit House.

 The rain season starts - view across from our Hobbit House.

 At Centro Tinku in Quito where there is always lots of warmth and and a welcome.  A Permaculture Centre in the heart of an urban area near the Hospital Metropolitano - built on an abandoned concrete basketball court.

Megan with a new friend - Guardian.

 Helping out at the Minga - when people get together to work as a community on a project.

 A feast on the open fire.

 The outdoor kitchen.

Markos Toskano - manages Tinku.

Ingrid Betancourt

I saw the interview on the BBC World this morning with Ingrid Betancourt who was rescued from her kidnappers, the FARC in Colombia. I have been following this story for some time as she was kidnapped while I was living and working next door in Ecuador. She gave an amazing interview and truly is an amazing lady following her ordeal. Latin America can be a very beautiful, but very dangerous place and it is hard for those who don't know it to understand what is going on there. Ingrid has moved to France for the time being as her safety cannot be guaranteed.
Safety is something we can take so much for granted, but in many countries there is no such thing. I had Colombian friends who explained to me the difficulties of living in Colombia where they could not travel by roads because of the threat of being kidnapped. I was very lucky in Ecuador where I travelled alone many times up and down from the Andes to the Coast on some notoriously dangerous roads in a car that often broke down and had no end of punctures. I was always told to drive straight through any road barriers and not to stop for anyone. Thankfully people always stopped to help me.
The locals here often ask me if I am not scared living in a deserted village, but for me here, there is a peace that never existed in Ecuador. A peace in feeling safe. Everyone should have a right to live in peace. If there is one thing I would like to create here it would be a refuge where people could find that little bit of peace that we all need.
There are still a lot of hostages in Colombia that are not free, several hundred for extortion and some for as long as a decade. Most of them from normal, everyday families. I hope that an end to this conflict can be found and those people may find their refuge. In the meantime if you get a chance to listen to this remarkable lady then do so. A Colombia Peace rally is to be held on July 20 around the world.

Permacultura Galicia

Went to an interesting project in Pontevedra which deserves support. More information can be found at http://www.andreaasociacion.com/index2.html
It was a great example of connect what resources were available and making excellent use of them. I hope to add more about this project later.

Bees -

To take a photo of the Spiral it was decided that the room in the old house would be a good vantage point so made our way across the dodgy floor boards to get in.

Why won´t this window open?

Because the bees have used propolis to glue it closed.

What bees?

Probably those above your head!

Lots of bad words and a quick retreat out of the old house that had been shut up for at least a year.

We were ok. The beehive was deserted but what amazing creatures. Mice had taken it over and devoured the stores.

But where are the bees? There were no dead bodies. I checked my own hives and with the same findings. The hives were empty of bees. No dead bodies just coddling moth larvae. There had been young but they were dead in their cells. There was no clear pattern of reproduction within the cells so I am at a loss as to what is going on and a little upset that my friends have gone. I will get some more one day but from a hive that has been left to its own devices to build up a resistance. I cleared away the empty hives ready to blow torch them to disinfect them.

I can´t help feeling concerned that bees are disappearing at an alarming rate and not enough is known about why or how this can be revearsed.