offered frogs by an 8 year old :) I feel as if I have been here
forever and yet definitely not long enough. I am so glad that my time
in Ecuador ends with these people fresh in my mind. What an incredible
community this is. I know that I will come back here in the not too
distant future.
Last night, Wednesday evening, I was chatting to a guy who is spending 5
months volunteering here, Galen. He is only 18 years old and decided to
come here to learn Spanish and see what it is he wants to do with his
life. Well, we were talking about how its almost impossible to explain
to people what its like here - and he is so right...... there really is
no way to explain this unless I describe every moment, every action,
smile and nuance along with the temperature and the weather, the mood
and the time of day and bite of yet another mosquito or sun flea..
well, see.... there is no way. I can show you a photograph, tell you
the story, but when I see that photo, I can close my eyes and smell,
feel and re-live that moment and hear that laughter and sense the
peace. No one else can, so any description I type is only a small part
of the real experience.
After my final Spanish lessons today, we, just Miliza, the kids, a guy
friend of hers and I went to the swimming pools. No, this is nothing
like any normal swimming pool. We drove from here, through Masawhailli
(spelling!?) all the way back into Tena, though some incredibly bad
roads - really really bad, then up into the mountains on some tiny
rumble roads where we passed a man with a tiny baby sloth. Yup - got
photos. About 6 more miles along this road we pass a beautiful view of
the Napo RIver. There were huge, I mean h u g e boulders glistening in
the sun and the water rushing, all white and frothy, through them with a
backdrop of seemingly endless primary jungle dripping, as always, with
moisture. I had never imagined the Napo River like this! A short
while later we stopped, walked across a bridge, well, it was a bunch of
loose planks resting on a rickety frame and really did not earn the name
'bridge'. The kids happily skipped over it and neither Miliza or her
friend freaked out, so I headed out after them. What an incredible
place they took me to! We clambered over some rocks, along a
(thankfully) short trail and there were the swimming pools of crystal
clear ice cold water rushing to get to the Napo, and on the way they had
created these see through pools that were just way too inviting to
resist. So in we went. Oh wow - the showers, by comparison, were hot
water! The rocks were covered in moss and there was a small beach of
white sand on the other side framed with Japanese looking trees with
pink flowers. I carefully picked my way across the water with my
camera held good and high in the air, and then had fun. We swam and
played around for about an hour - it was so incredibly peaceful there
that it felt as if the rest of the world did not exist. The kids found
some really tiny little frogs - about a quarter of my finger nail in
size and one came across and offered them to me......but we set them
free. Being out there with the kids swimming in only their panties, with
their beautiful brown skins and jet black hair was a tad like being
thrown into the middle of Jungle Book with Mowgli. And then came a
small group of tourists, very nice German people and they enjoyed the
pools, but broke the magic feeling for me.
Too soon it was time to head back for the hour long drive back home.
The kids were in the back seat with me and trying to teach me Spanish.
Judging by the amount of raucous laughter, I know that I got many many
things wrong! Then they asked me to sing a song and that started a good
many songs along the way - happily passing the time. There was always
at least one kid holding my shoulder, resting their head on my arm,
playing with my hair or flat out asleep with her head in my lap. I
video'd them singing some songs and will put those on youtube sometime
next week. It really was great fun.
The car windows were all down all the way, the kids age ranged from 4 to
8 years old, no seat`belts are even visible in the back, let alone used,
so the kids jump around, hang out of the window but are generally very
good about being silly around the open windows. When we first left
Sinchi Warmi on the way to the pools, we picked up two kids who were
walking from school - its about an hours walk for them. So they jumped
into the back of the pickup/bakkie and off we went - at around 80
kilometers per hour around corners and all. The kids held on tight but
also moved from side to side at times giving me the heebie geebies, I
must say. And on the way back, little Karla suddenly hung her head out
of the window and threw up, so Meliza told them all to get into the
outside back again. I was quite amazed that there is no slowing down
when the kids are in the back at all - and sometimes those roads were
really bumpy and they were bounced fairly high into the air. The kids
seems to know what to do without a problem at all and the parents know
it. At one point at the pools, one of the kids was standing literally 4
inches away from a serious drop off. If she had taken just one half a
step back, that would have been it for her, but no one worried, no one
shoo-ed her away, she just knew.
Life is very different here - the kids are not watched all the time like
hawks, they climb up on railings, get hurt, get up and sometimes they
get left alone while mama does other stuff - and thats all ok. It works
here. And its good to see.
After getting back from being offered frogs, I packed up my suitcases
getting ready to leave - a good many clothes were not going to make the
journey back with me and also sadly my lovely green suitcase (sorry
Steven and Laura!) - but Its wheels got severely damaged in Tena and
well, they could use it better here. So I filled it with the clothes I
did not really need to bring home again and lugged the thing down those
precarious stairs that Lucia fell down yesterday. I asked Betty if it
was ok to leave it here, whether they could use it and ........ yes! was
the answer. Good. I turned to go upstairs to carry on packing up and
was in deep thought about how I am going to leave these people.. In such
a short time, even with the language barrier, I feel so incredibly
comfortable here. Anyway, I heard them calling to me in Kichwa to come
downstairs again. Betty then handed me two pictures..... These ladies
had made two wooden pictures for me, studded with jungle beads (seeds)
and wood burned designs. I will attach a photo of them. I was
overwhelmed at their thoughtfulness..... but it had only just started!
Each one of the six woman, and one extra had brought me a gift. A gourd
with beads for a jewelry holder, hand made pottery bowls, a balsa wood
toucan, necklases, bracelets, a ring, key chain and a waist chain and
more - all made from jungle product totally.. It was, simply put, an
incredible evening. Betty again expressed extreme thanks for all the
things you all helped put together, they said that I was assured of a
place here anytime I wanted to come back and that they never thought
that so much would be given to them. I had to say something in
response, but it was difficult to express that it was THEM that gave me
so much more than I could ever bring in 20 suitcases, let alone two. It
was an emotionally heavy couple of minutes with us all feeling so
incredibly grateful - I think I got the better end of the stick though!
I really have gained so much here. This place really is soul food.
And then supper was served and all the kids disappeared - they came back
all dressed up in traditional dance outfits, from 4 years old up to
around 13. They stood there and the dance was officially dedicated to
me as a thank you. A most beautiful dance for me followed, accompanied
by music coming from that little tv way above our heads. It was good to
see just how much fun the kids had doing this - again there was much
laughter and huge grins had by all.
I found it easier and easier to talk to the women here, and the guys
started talking too. A couple of the smaller kids hung on to me
continuously during the week, but this evening for the first time, the
older kids came across to talk as well. They have a small understanding
of English and seeing as everyone is gathered around in the same area -
everyone chimed in with translations. There is such a feeling of
community, bonding of real family between them all. Its really
beautiful to watch and feel.
Before the evening was over, I had said goodbye to most of the women and
children - only two were going to be around the Center in the morning
when I left. There were a few wobbly lip moments on my part, many many
hugs and both a heavy and light heart. It really is quite an incredible
feeling to be happy and sad at the same time - it made me feel with
every fiber of my being...
I felt emotionally very full when I went up to bed, full and happy with
a knowledge that I have been taught so much, that I have learned so much
from this community, this family........ I know I will be back someday
in the not too distant future - mosquitoes and all!
This has been an incredible experience for me here. When I first
arrived at the front steps (there is no door) of the Sinch Warmi Center,
already slapping mosquitoes, I wondered just what I had got myself
into. I could not have imagined this total experience. Not only is it
a simply beautiful place, but it was created by women, particularly, who
built it from nothing, who run it, sell the fish, veggies, cocoa and
other plants, fruit and vegetables to sustain themselves all while
raising the kids. They have a vision for this place and I hope that it
grows, that its successful in the long term because if anyone deserves
it (and I use that word sparingly), they definitely do. Along with the
daily chores and duties, they all had time to make me feel not only
welcome, but as much apart of them as I could possibly be.
It was a simply beautiful week. There really are not enough words to
describe it. Sinch Aqua/ Sinchi Warmi Center in Misawalli, Tena,
Ecuador is well worth a visit!
love and light and ....... so much more!
Annie
two photos attached - The main Sinchi Warmi Center - on the left with
the balcony - that was my room. The other is the frog offering moment :)
--
www.amazontravels.blogspot.com
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