Ten days at Samana Wasi now. It remains a wonderful place. I spend the days painting (lamps and walls), reading, resting, teaching some English... I also gave one judo class, which was great fun. We did it in the meditation room though, which is shaped like a pyramid, and which apparently couldn´t stand too much of our stumping and running around, so we had to be very careful. Next time, outside will be better.
We love the kids and I guess they love us too. It is one big and apparently happy family, the father of whom is now 78, and started to adopt the first kid when he was about 60, after hearing what his task in life was from an old Qechua Indian, somewhere high up in the mountains, where he was brought blindfolded. Yes, it is all a little bit strange, but very exciting. The guy, Anton, wrote about these experiences in three books. He also wrote about mysteries and UFO´s. Told me that not too far from here they found an old big rock in the shape of a ufo... He´s full of these weird tales... I love it...
We have all the meals together, and yesterday it was the end of the second trimester for the kids, and reports were handed out. Funny to hear an 78 year old guy go over the boys´and girls´marks, chiding or congratulating them. They day before he was giving a whole explanation about a coming referendum in Peru, on regionalisation. Cute to see how (most of) the kids were listening attentively.

Anton really has a specific mission with this orphanage. He wants to educate the kids with specific values and with a lot of love, trying to make a new kind of human. I must say the kids are really nice. They look smart and are very social, helpful and kind. Whether they have any paranormal gifts, as is written in one of the books, I don´t know :-)

Wanted to upload some more pics but my camera´s batteries just gave up.

Health flash: I am under attack by fleas. I think we picked them up at a cheap hotel in Cusco, and brought them to Samana Wasi. They were feasting on Heather first, but then, for reasons not communicated, moved to me. There must be about a hundred bites on my body. On Heather´s advice I bought a fresh Aloe plant at the market and rub myself with its juice at night, but I am not sure if it does anything other than making me all slimy :-)

some of the ninos taking karate class
heather sunbathing












the guest house, all for us, in the background. flowers like this and others are everywhere. peaceful huh?

I´ve been in Samana Wasi for a couple of days now. My impressions are mixed. I love the place. The kids are great and the place is absolutely wonderful. However, it seems that if there is ONE place in Peru that does NOT need any help, it is this one. The kids have a wonderful live. They are able to play in a wonderful domain, have meditation and karate lessons, get two warm meals a day, have each other as friends, etc... There are like five or six gardeners constantly pruning the flowers and mowing the glass, there´s nannies and a cook... I don´t feel needed, so I am not staying because I still have an urge to help (although I guess teaching English is useful). I stay for now because I feel good here, but we´ll see what happens next. There is still time to go to Bolivia if I want to, although that would entail a lot of bussing.
The food is pretty good, but there isn´t enough of it and I usually leave the table hungry.

By the way, a poem I came across, by Dorothy Parker, that encaptures very well the traveller´s sentiment, at times:

Why is it, when I am in Rome,
I'd give an eye to be at home,
But when on native earth I be,
My soul is sick for Italy?

And why with you, my love, my lord,
Am I spectacularly bored,
Yet do you up and leave me- then
I scream to have you back again?