Calm in Coroico

La Madre, a wee'un and Daniela at the Uchumachi Govardhan finca, near Coroico.

Searching for a little peace away from the city Daniela and I headed to Coroico and to this small farm Uchumachi Govardhan run by a lovely Hare Krishna family.  La Madre, Ragga and their wee girl Jaira.  Arriving we were surprised we were the only 'volunteers', though over the three days we were there a gorgeous travelling family passed through - Spanish Irene, Chilean Igor and their two wee girls, then as we all left a German couple arrived (funnily enough the lad had been a volunteer at Sustainable Bolivia last year). 

Made very welcome by the family, we shared delicious vegetarian meals either sat on cushions in circles either in the meditation-holy room, or outside on the grass.  Both having grown up in agricultural families in Colombia la Madre and Ragga are hugely experienced in farming and have spent the last 3 years preparing the land, planting and are beginning to harvest, so we ate lettuce and bananas from the land in our meals.  They do buy some produce from the town but hope to be fully sustainable in 3 more months.

(Left) A weaving that Daniela mostly made, though she taught me the technique so I contributed a little to the design. 

(Right) the patch of earth Daniela and I helped la Madre prepare for planting - a few hours strenuous labour clearing the land of rocks and roots and sifting and turning the earth multiple times to make it as fine and welcoming as possible for small seeds.  My first real experience of working with the land.

Ragga was eager to talk about the Hare Krishna philosophies that he and La Madre follow.  What most impressed me about the belief system is it's tolerance and respect for others, such as Buddhism, Christianty, Hinduism, Islam.  Ragga explained that rather than a religion, the Hare Krishna movement is an 'etiquette'.  In the same way that all cultures use different language and perspectives to describe and understand the world, so too do different cultures use different names and rituals to relate to the spiritual world and the energy or essence which some call 'God' 'Allah'  'Pachamama' etc. This really resonated with me and I've had similar conversations before.  It makes most sense to me that we are all praying to the same Being.

The other part that I enjoyed hearing was the idea of the soul, that we all have obligations as an eternal soul and as a temporal being.  So our eternal part is the part searching to deepen consciousness and lessen ego, and the temporal part is the part of our identity that interrelates with our friends and family in the here and now.   All beings, be they animals, trees, rocks or humans, have an eternal soul and 'Krishna' is in all beings (which in turn links to the Upanishad's world view that I was reading about in "Seeking Silence in a Noisy World"by Adam Ford where Brahman, the World Self and World Soul, is in all beings, meaning all beings are One, Brahman (god) is in all, and all are Brahman.)

Daniela, as we left the finch, heading for Coroico for a 'Women's Gathering' where women and girls of all ages, Bolivian and foreigners, danced, laughed and played in celebration of womanhood! :-)

The sunrise view out the back of our 5 boliviano accomodadtion in Coroico... at 50p that's got to be the cheapest 'hostel' experience so far... Daniela and I sharing a bagged-straw mattresses on the floor of a rickety room, shared with a lovely couple -a Uruguayan artisan and Brazilian musician traveling living from their work and 'el Pirata' as Daniela named him, a Bolivian artisan also traveling with his jewelry who shared his local rum with us.  Unfortunately a sixth room member was a mouse that the couple warned us about that disturbed Daniela all through the night until eventually around 5am she decided it was time for us to leave - as I said to her, she became my mouse! :-) 

Laughing about it in the square we were cheered by drinking hot milky quinoa and eating cheesy pastries. 

Arriving back into La Paz the familiar Obama-Osama bus was spotted again!

Thanks to the Family at Umanachi for sharing your home and food and knowledge with us! 

Wishing you happy and peaceful planting, harvesting and hosting in the months ahead, and that you make it to Colombia as you are hoping.

:-)

Music with Daniela in La Paz

La Paz bus terminal - a place I now know well - waiting for a couple of hours for Daniela's bus to arrive from Chile I met a lovely group of Peruvian musicians, self-called 'cholitas' (ladies who dress traditionally) on their way to a Christian convention in Cochabamba.  One lady in particular was really chatty, curious to know about the weather and harvests in the UK, telling me about her family and life in Peru and happy to teach me a few Aymaran phrases to the laughter of her friends: camisaraki (how are you?) waliki (well) and the only one I could remember "waliki skilva" (nice to meet you).

"For 'la mamita' (literally "little mother" - an affectionate term for a girlfriend or wife) with love"

Mural facing our doorway at the hostel "Family House Hotel" on Pisagua street, very close to the terminal.

Iglesia de San Fransisco in Plaza San Fransisco - turning right at this corner leads to a warren of streets known as the 'Mercado de Hechichería' or 'withches market' where you pass llama foetuses that are apparently buried under a new home to bring good fortune to the inhabitants.  The streets are also full of artisan gifts of all sorts, Andean clothing and musical instruments, including the 'cuatro venezuelano' (4 stringed Venezualan guitar) that Daniela bought.

Museo de Instrumentos Musicales


Ekeko - "the household god and keeper and distibutor of material possessions" according to the Lonely Planet Bolivia guidebook. Ekeko miniatures of varying size, colour and material can be seen throughout the La Paz markets.  During the festival time of Alasitas Ekeko figures like this one from the museum of musical instruments are draped with miniatures of objects and possessions that the family would like to acquire in the following year, and also apparently show what the family can share with the community.

Altitude: the lay of the mountains in Bolivian. La Paz is the highest altitude capital city in the world at 3,640m.  It's high altitude position explains the shortness of breath that I and all newcomers to the city experience   in first walking its streets.  Potosí (where I am as I write) is the highest altitude city, at 4,067m. 

Musical instruments in Bolivia: Lucy Pickles you were right - there are harps in Bolivia! Although I'm yet to see one in the markets there were a few in this museum of musical instruments in La Paz, so I'll keep looking out when I'm back in Cochabamba's Cancha.

Daniela Arcena - beloved friend from La Serena in Chile, one of 'la Familia' from the fantastic couple of weeks I spent there back in March earlier this year. 

Fruit stalls line the streets of the Villa Fatima neighbourhood leading to the bus station.

"Rivales" (Rivals) - this image of Obama and Osama Bin Laden painted on the back of this bus made me laugh when I spotted it at the Fatima bus station.  Daniela and I caught our less colourful bus to Coroico from here.  

Pachamama in La Paz

'la alegria de los colores latinoamericanos'

'The joy of Latin American colours'

Two weeks into this branch of my journeying here in South America and I'm writing this blog from Potosí, looking back through photos from the last couple of weeks and wow, what a lot I've seen and experienced already. From my first few days with Camilla in Cochabamaba's heat and chaotic cancha, up into altitude and artisans of La Paz, through a couple of calm vegetarian days at the Hare Krishna homestead in Coroico with Daniela,  past the flamingos that withstand freezing temperatures and fierce winds in the Uyuni salt lakes, to today, passing through the Potosí mines with Vivi.

What a lot of sights and smells, people and foods, extremes of temperature and altitude, and above all, what grabs my attention above all, the explosion of colour, pattern and texture that is all over Bolivia in its textiles, costume, artisans, markets and murals - as the mural above celebrates - "the joy of Latin American colours". 

So in a (hopefully not too wordy) catchup, I'll start uploading photos of some of the highlights from the last couple of weeks in the posts to follow.  For now, here are some photos of my favourite murals in La Paz from my first day wandering there, waiting for Daniela to arrive from Chile.  Their focus on Pachamama (Mother Earth) reflects Bolivia's strong connection to the earth agriculturally and spiritually, a part of the culture that really attracts me. 

"The question in play is humanity itself and the moment to undertake the task is now or never" J.D. Perón

Public campaigns in the streets of La Paz encouraging happiness: 

(right) "And if you open your heart to the world?" 

"200 years free, we are a fire that never goes out"

Details from a mural in La Paz celebrating the 200th year mark of Bolivia's independence: the Bolivian War of Indepedence began in 1809 full independence was proclaimed on August 6th 1825.

Post Transit: Cochabamba with Camilla

London - Miami - La Paz - Cochabamba: Moley, Mini Mole and Munkey are off adventuring again. I happily bumped into two ICYE volunteers at Heathrow - Sarah and Emma that I recognised from the recent training in July and was chuffed to learn they'll be in Cochabamba the whole time I am! 

29 hours in transit and I am safely landed in Bolivia.... let this new branch of the Hecho Juntos journey begin :-)

Strong sun and shadows dapple the Sustainable Bolivia house which is like a sunnier and looser version of Unit D Omega Works, so I'm feeling right at home - this colourful moth has me smiling about one of the highlights of these last 6 weeks in the UK - Fish and Piers' moth-theme wedding last Saturday where the dance floor was the most jumping I've experienced at any wedding!

Camilla's here in her 3rd month of the art residency I'll be on from next month, so as well as getting a mate's pick up from the airport (thanks Mili) I've been able to see the space I'll be working in and best of all have met some of the other volunteers and staff.  My mind's racing as I wonder how my work will develop over the 3 months, who I might collaborate with and where in the community there might be the potential for sharing skills through workshops.  

In wandering the streets I'm struck by how different Cochabamba feels after London.  Scorching hot as the country moves into summer, a rich mix of dress including the beautiful woven traditional dress that so draws my eye.  Streets lined with vendors of all sorts of colourful goods and foods, and as I noticed whilst sat drawing in the shade of a tree in Plaza Colon the air's full of a cacophony of beeps, alarms, vendors's bells, engine revving, pigeon's flapping, friends chatter and kids laughter. I wonder how this might start filtering through my work? :-) 

El Cristo de Cochabamba - 33 and a bit metres tall for the age of Christ (the 'a bit' makes it taller than the Christ in Rio!). Depicted here in a detail from a beautiful painting in the SB house, and in the far distance atop the hill whose steep climb  had me panting and heart racing today... a definite fitness opportunity for the months ahead!

Amelie's Mini Mole is joining Lily's Moley for these adventures, so keep an eye out for updates of their Bolivian experience!

Big love from Bolivia!

:-)

HEARTS 'n' ARTS Fundraiser

A big huge thanks to everyone involved in the Hearts 'n' Arts fundraiser for ICYE who are sending me to Ecuador as an arts educator with the Charlotte Miller Art Project in January to work with Juconi in Guayacil.

Special thanks to my Mum, Anne Alexander for donating so many things to the auction and for putting such a huge effort into organising the event along with my sister Becky Alexander-Kandola.  Thanks to Uncle Noel Willis for playing brilliantly and getting folk up on the dance floor, and to all the other lovely local musicians who played. Thanks to Uncle James Murphy for doing an amazing job as auctioneer on the mic. and to the formidably well organised team of aunties, Maria Murphy and Maggie Henderson for ensuring the smooth running of the raffle and bidding. 

Thank you also to all the kind individuals and local Leamington businesses who donated such generous prizes to our auction!

And of course, thanks to all you lovely folk who came along on the night and bid your hearts out! 

Your eager bidding raised £1500 on the night and has brought my fundraising total to an amazing total of £4420!! (Just £80 to go!) YAY!!

 A huge thanks and big love to you all for your incredible support.

:-) 

'Arts and Minds Auction - this Thursday!

Join us at 7pm at the Bethnal Green Working Men's Club for some bidding and dancing!

Fundraising for the ICYE, who'll b esupporting me next year as I volunteer with the Charlotte Miller Art Project in partnership with JUCONI as an arts educator in Ecuador working with kids who are street workers or at risk of becoming street workers in Guayacil.

As a p.s. to this post, writing after the event: 

Huge thanks to everyone that made the night a success and helped me raise £876 for ICYE (after expenses):

First of all a massive thank you to all the artists who so generously donated artwork and made the auction possible:

Rob Ryan, Åsa Lucander, Matt Oxborough, David Lopez, Dave Anderson, Anna Fyda, Barry Evans, Julia Bartl, Melissa Gates, Dominik Biegger, Phoebe Halstead, James Jessiman,  Phoebe Boswell, Tosha Albor, Mia Nilsson, Amanda Sue-Rope, Chris Ayers, Shaun Tan, Fleur Deakin, Sally Elford, Verene Grieshaber, Mike Glenholmes, Anne Gerrish and Marc Moynihan.

Huge thanks to Siobhan Linard for being an AMAZING auctioneer and keeping the bidding competitive, thanks to David Lopez for being a brilliant art-displayee-auctioneer sidekick.

Thanks to Lynsey Butler for her brilliant Hip Hop Housewifing that had us dancing til closing, 

and to Rachel Cohen and her Jazz Quartet for opening the night.

And of course thanks to all of you who came along and bid on the art.

Thank you!

Big love 

:-)

For the love of family and folk :-)

There's been a pause in blogging over these last few weeks cause since I got back to the UK on the 9th July its been a whirlwind of celebrating -  reunions, birthdays (including turning 30 - thanks for the delicious-1st-you've-ever-baked birthday cake Mum!) Fish's hen do, meeting newcomers to the clan (wee Oscar and Cora) and also in an amazingly lucky stroke of timing working on  Bastard Bunny film at the beloved 12foot6! Brilliant!  Happy Days!

Big love from London!

:-)