EcoTruly Park

6:30am on Monday Jan.11, my bus arrived into Lima. I got off to collect my backpack, was swarmed by taxi drivers trying to take me away, and with my broken spanish asked where this other bus station was that i needed to find. I find that if i get away from the taxi drivers, and regroup myself, i can handle the next adventure. I went to the counter to exchange some money cause Ï only had a 100soles. I then went outside, picked a nice looking taxi guy, showed him where i needed to go and bartered the price of the ride. I got to the next station, told them which little city i needed to get to, and the guy pointed to the which bus. So by 7am I was back on a bus heading north, the direction i just came from. I was glad i saved my sandwich from the night before, and just rested for another hour and half until they stopped in a little village called, Chancay. From there i got another taxi and they took me to EcoTruly park. I arrived at the door around 9, which was locked, and waited for someone. It was really weird to arrive, because i didn´t really have a check in, they just put my bad in another room and told me to go sit down for breakfast. That i can do! I was so happy to hear someone spèak english as i was sitting there with strangers. Other volunteers started talking to me and kind of told me what was going on. I met 5 people from all over, 3 of which were leaving the next day. Though out the day, 3 new girls showed up and we all were in the same boat of questions. One from Lima, Australia, and Poland. On tuesday 2 more girls from Ireland arrived. and a few other south americans from other countries.

This is my 3rd day at EcoTruly park. In the mornings we start at 7 with yoga, which has been really good, because for 2 months i havnet been able to really do any type of exercise, and i feel gross. Short and fat, my muscles are tight and my right hip is out of place. My sacrum is stuck again. great! so the yoga has helped free up my hips and get some flexibility. Then there is breakfast. Here they study Hare Krishna and they believe you should have clean hands and a clean mouth before eating, or if you serve the food to someone. Around 1030, i helped out in the kitchen preparing the vegetarian food. Yesterday i made the apple juice from scratch. I started by washing, cutting the apples, boiling them, then pureeing? the apple, draining the peels away, and mixing it with the water the apples were boiled in. It was so delicous. In the afternoon, they had an art class for us and we learned how to make a dreamcatcher. It was nice, except we didnt get to keep them, they are going to sell them. Usually we have time in the afternoon to do whatever we like, but that dreamcatcher took a while. I mentioned to the other girls that i do Rolfing and also told them about power animals and that i can find their animal. I figure,we all are on our own little journey and having a little guide would be good. They were all excited to find out what their animal might be.
The people are really friendly here and its pretty laid back. They may ask for help in the kitchen or in the garden. I pulled some weeds in the strawberry patch on monday, but they havnet asked for garden help since. There is a huge organic garden here, and i hope to meet the farmer that comes twice a week and teaches how to grow. Apparently the land is all sand, and over the years they have figured out how to grow many different plants here. On Monday night, i went to the Hare Krishna temple where they started with singing and playing the drums. After a few songs, they read out of their Book, and another person translated to english for us. It was all interesting, then we went to eat at around 8pm. Its abit late, but they served soup and some mango desert. They also have food that they brng around that they cook only for Harishna, so we can sample this really good food they make. I dont really know to much more about it, but its all very interesting.