Second installment

Hola,

Rains singing outside. Just as I started writing thunder began! Memories of dancing under thunderstorms spin in my mind...
And i'm digesting my first Tamale (warm tasty snack made from sweet corn flour, spices, raisons, sugar and wrapped in a sweet corn leave). Yum.

This week has been largely one of rest and recuperation. After an intense few days, i took to the mountains near Pisac to stay in a Yoga lodge and do some peaceful volunteer work. I wasn't planning on staying south this long, but its felt appropriate. Me and three beautiful woman arrived off an hour bus ride from Cusco to the remote yoga place, which turned out to be locked and empty. We sat and waited in the porch for hours, wondering, wondering. We were expected to be here; Jessie had sent emails to the coordinator who had responded. Was this just Latin American timing? Wondering, we relaxed and watched the land. The main lodge was a round mud structure with a thatched roof and a few smaller but similar structures surrounded. A nearby river roared and mountains nestled us in on either side. It was desolate, isolated and utterly peaceful. As cold winds started to blow the two sisters (Jessie and Ali) made a sweet image of snuggling under the porch in sleeping bags. I read and smiled. We had an encounter with a kindly next door neighbor who said we could stay at his if the owner hadn't got back by 8/9ish. It was 6 at this point.
To make use of time, and respond to hungry bellies, Katie and myself decided to walk into the closest town to stock up on food and move our limbs. After a while we realized the walk was longer than expected and the sun was going down quickly. In the distance we saw a black mammal freshly descended off the mountain. Hearts thumped and I recalled recent visions of Panthas. As we approached we each held a knife in our hand and kept to the opposite side of the road. Of course, it turned out to be a baby donkey more scared of us lol.
Shortly after the donkey encounter we were lucky to jump on a pick up bus and were dropped of by a selection of shops, replicating one anothers contents. There we purchased avocado, bread, peanuts and bananas. An acceptable dinner we thought, and pretty much all that was on offer. Getting back was interesting. We knew it was too long and dangerous to walk back alone, but there were no vehicles around. So we waited by the road with an intention to hitch...and a few minutes later a HUGE truck stopped and an elerly couple got out, having trouble with there back lights. This was our opportunity, and they obliged happily. Katie sat on my lap and we enjoyed a moon lit truck ride back 'home', hoping the owner would be back and our friends wouldn't have turned into icicles.
We got back to friends wrapped up in bed, and met a friendly 24yr old Spanish Virgo, Rama, who was looking after the place and not expecting us (the coordinator had left, spontaneously, without communicating to us!) So us four girls, Rama and a cute ugly dog, Samallie, have this beautiful place all to ourselves. Rama said there's not much to do, just cooking and cleaning-up after ourselves. We can treat the place as a haven, a place to retreat, relax, go into our spiritual practice. And so that's what we've been doing.
Ive made a few meals and a large vat of spiced hot chocolate. Its been nice getting into a kitchen again; not surprisingly I've taken on the "Mother/ cook" role, which feels very natural.
Yesterday was sunny and luscious, inviting me to dance and run around for hours in the valley. I felt the bliss of being in my body and letting the intellect settle like calm waters.
I'm really appreciating the importance of release and the many forms this can take (crying, dancing, moving, shaking, laughing etc...) In my life I keep coming back to the importance of being and coming into my body.

Now i feel ready to hit the road, have some fun and sun, mingle with new people, drink cocktails on the beach... so I'm in Cusco, booking a Bus to Lima and then up to Huanchao (a surfers hub full of beach huts, fresh fruit, warm waters and fish). It seems a long way away from the torrential rain blessing me now.