Barefoot Kids



Barefoot Kids 


Hi everyone! Time has been flying here in Peru, and we are loving it! The people, experiences, and environment have truly exceeded our expectations. We are already going on our 4th week here! 

Our main tasks here have consisted of a TON of gardening. We have been enjoying so much getting to be barefoot, hands in the soil, reconnecting to this beautiful earth we live on. We have become transplant masters, giving all the little seedlings the best care possible so they survive when moving them from the seed trays to the earth. So far, I think we have close to a 97% success rate haha. We have also been learning about making organic, home-made fertilizers out of things such as banana peels, fish, egg shells, and aloe vera. Each one containing a different nutrient that helps the plants. Our host also makes his own manure tea from cow and cuy (guinea pig). Guinea pig is a real popular animal here in the Sacred Valley. They eat them as one of their main sources of meat. You will drive along the road and on each corner there is someone or some restaurant roasting guinea pig on a stick. Connor and I have yet to try it... but we will...stay tuned. Anywho, cuy apparently makes great, nutrient-rich manure. 

Outside of work, we have been enjoying getting to meet new people and try new experiences. The Sacred Valley is known for people moving here from all over the world to explore their own spiritual journey. That means that there are lots of opportunities to try new things... from gong sessions to rebirthing to lucid dream courses...you can find almost anything here. Connor and I have slowly started to try new experiences and even won a raffle prize for an acupuncture session. It's not everyday you find yourself in a tiny room with an Israeli Chinese medicine doctor in a small town in Peru getting needles poked in you, but hey, this is all part of the experience. And truly every new thing we do, our minds and perspectives are expanded. 

We did a big hike here to see some smaller ruins (not Machu Picchu yet...) - about 11 miles in total - and both of our first mountains we have hiked that reached over 14,000 feet. It was a challenging yet magical experience to be so high up in the mountains, experience this high altitude, but also be the only 2 people on this hike. So quiet and so grand. The Andes mountains range is incredible...very surreal to be here and get to feel the energy of these mountainous giants every day.

This place has been beautiful to allow for time and space to delve deeper into ourselves. Both hard yet rewarding work, we feel really grateful to be surrounded by people who are doing the same. In about a week and a half, we will be off on our next adventure, but separate for the first time in our travels. I will be going to complete my yoga teacher training course for 3 weeks still here in the Sacred Valley. In the meantime, Connor will be heading to a meditation retreat. We are excited to be accomplishing these goals we have had individually for some time, but of course will miss being together everyday. 

After those experiences, we know we won't be done in Peru just yet, so we will see what the end of the year brings! It is quite unreal to think we are approaching the holiday season already. Let's see what Thanksgiving and Christmas feel like in summertime down here! 


Miss and love you all! Keep reaching out - we would love to talk!


Con amor,

Abby y Connor


The volunteer home/kitchen

Chickens at the market 

They grow over 1,000 different 
varieties of potatoes here in the valley

Wanting to buy tire sandals, but everyone 
is so short in Peru they didn’t have my 9.5 size

The duck pond/garden area

The volunteer house

Baby transplants


This place is called Casa Girasol - Girasol means sunflower in 
Spanish and literally translates to “gira” - turn and “sol” - sun

Strawberry towers

Some live music 

Our hike to the ruins

Coca leaves for the altitude 



Dancing after reaching 14,000 feet


First peep of the ruins

“Little Cusco” ruins from the Incas from the 15th century 

Look at the size of these adobe/brick 

My adorable husband <3


A sheep in overalls in the mountains…I couldn’t.


Some yoga on the terrace

A homemade bread


Alpaca and baby with native-style dress of Peruvian women


Barefoot and playing with the kids - 
some things never change even across the world!

Trying to learn the handpan from our Russian guru


Acupuncture time!

Connor got a needle in between his eyebrows for his circulation

Ceramics spot


A little lunch date 


All the events going on in the Sacred Valley

A selfie found on our phone from 
Russian Yom to brighten your day :) 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Bienvenidos a Chile!  Hi all! Thanks for being here. My lovely husband Connor and I are officially in the Patagonia region in the south of Chile. I’ve had to say that maybe 100 times since getting here for it to actually set it. It has officially been one week since arriving, and BOY has it been eventful! After a 26 hour travel day involving 4 flights, an hour bus ride, taxi ride, and a 30 minute walk downhill with our packs, we finally arrived to the Fundo (farm). We found our place we were told to stay in, what they call their “sheep shed,” and made ourselves at home. Two twin beds and a sink in a closet-like space is pretty cozy, but we have found our way (thanks to Connor and his years of organizational practice). The next morning we met all the people on the farm which includes a family of four that owns it, a ranch hand with his wife and baby, and then two other temporary helpers who are here for the rest of the month of April.  The farm here uses the model of regenerati...
Read more

ONE MONTH!!!

Image
ONE MONTH!!!  How has it already been one month here? Time truly is flying, especially when the weekdays are filled with lots of tasks. It is strange to feel both that we are in the routine and also still so new to everything here. Overall, it was a week of challenges and really great moments. As things start to become more routine and not AS new and exciting, it is interesting what needs and wants start to surface. The first few weeks are filled with new people, new experiences, and a new location. You want to be a part of everything and soak it all up. And then, all of a sudden, you realize you haven't had a moment to yourself for weeks. Now it is finding the balance of our own needs in this space. It has also been a challenge to truly be so inexperienced at most of the things we are doing here. Some activities we are figuring out with some good ole common sense and others require a bit more trial and error. Trying to remind myself that the growth is GROWING in these moments when...
Read more

Feliz Pascua!

Image
Feliz Pascua! Hello all! Week 2! As time always does, it has been both a fast and slow 2 weeks since arriving. It is Easter (Pascua) today and we are enjoying a relaxing holiday, eating warm food and sitting by the fire. This past weekend with Good Friday (or el Pasion de christo) through Easter Sunday has been very low key around the farm with not much work aside from the daily routine of feeding the animals.    The temperature is slowly but surely dropping as the fall season progresses. We have gotten down to 36 degrees at night with most of the highs in the low 50s. It rains, not super hard but some, about every other day. It is cloudy most days, although there were a couple of sunny days this past week which were pleasant surprises! It has been a big adjustment to not have our normal comforts and basic needs met, such as a temperature controlled room/home. It takes time to make a fire in the stove to heat up the space. At night in our room, we do not have a stove so it is ...
Read more