Simple things that keeps this world spinning.

These last nine months that I have spent travelling the Americas have been everything and more, I feel it has changed me for the better in so many ways. I witnessed some unbelievable sacred, sublime and absurd places of interest such as the newly crowned 7th wonder of the world Machu Picchu, the endearing 'Oaxacan Street Children’s project', healing at Lake Atitlan, walking on hot lava in Pacaya volcano, spooked out in Palenque ruins, being part of a Shaman fire ceremony, swimming in dark cenote caves, seeing inside the wacky church in San Cristobel, pruning down to wrinkled skin in temazcalli sweat lodges, holding sculls in the bazaar voodoo doctors clinic…enough said! Learning to listen to my gut intuition at shaman school, being blown over by Uros straw people, blinded by tiredness in the vast Salt flats of Bolivia, creeping around kooky Witches market in La Paz, flying over the Nazca lines wearing halloween masks. I felt very privileged to experience a rare glimpse of my own ego energy, higher self and possible future during the Ayahuasca mind trip session deep in the jungle of Peru, now that was something very weird and special.



Extraordinary individuals have guided me along my merry way with extra assistance from my faithful entourage of guardian angels; I now humbly accept and appreciate myself much more. All those negatives that clung to me like colon plaque were tackled head on as if Id gate crashed all major Star-Gate fear zones. I allowed myself to dig that extra bit deeper as this time I had nothing to lose. I dissected every proton, neutron, electron and atom of self doubt, to examine, share and then disburse past debris back into the universe. This new me now feels enriched, which has surprisingly lasted until today, nowadays I do my best to live with a sense of humor and optimism for each day, no more living in the past. The real test will be when I return to England with all its cold realities! I wish to share my over all praises and grumbles about the countries I have just visited. Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru, Bolivia.


PRAISE

1. People actually say Hola (Hello) with a big smile when passing in the street. Simple things that keeps this world spinning.

2. I came across many humble people who would share half

One pissed off angel.

of nothing just to make me feel 100% welcome.

3. Family and community that glue everything together (Not in a Blue Peter way of course!). The elderly had my heartstrings playing old band tunes as I noticed how they smile with their eyes; they are fun and greatly needed individuals with fascinating histories. How ever old they seem to be they help out what ever the hour of the day by farming, selling, peeling, plucking, cooking, entertaining all the children by helping to make stuff to trade on the streets. They are greatly respected for passing down ancient traditions and strange and funny stories.
The children had my heartstrings playing full on symphonies as they continue to smile in the face of adversity; they are such fun, creative little people who play freely in the streets. The down side is that there are still huge majorities that are forced to sacrifice schooling to support their whole families, by having photos taken for a few pence, to selling stuff they resourcefully make up with grandparents, like bits of jewellery, trinkets and stuffed rag dolls. The children are happy and grateful for anything they receive, like coins, pens and scraps of

Ken Dodd hidden in dusters

food or one very important necessity that we simply call ‘an education’, but without an education the cycle of poverty will only continue.

4. All the wonderful sacred sites and dare I say I loved most of the ruins, fascinating kookie religions and ancient fairy tale histories that are so well preserved and respected by millions around the world.

5. Hot weather & incredible scenery.

6. FREE wireless high speed Internet in 90% of the hotels we have stayed at.

7. No ‘in your face’ advertising for consumerism (apart from Mobile phone bill boards and McBurgers wearing Peruvian hats). There didn’t seem to be any excessive advertising for personal credit cards, loans, mortgages, store cards, debt management. Peru did suffer great national debt that was the fault of a corrupt government and various natural disasters in the 1980’s. But they are finally getting themselves back on track with a stronger government and money slowly being spent in health systems.

8. Saying that, I found most major towns and cities are proudly catching up to first world standards. I witnessed a great example of this, when a remote Guatemalan mountain lady wearing full traditional textile dress

Three wise ladies

anxiously patted her whole body up and down, as she tried to find her ringing Nokia phone, she answered ‘HOLA’ really loud that echoed and bounced around the lakes. It was a very Trigger Happy TV (Dom Jolly) moment; I pissed myself with laughter appreciating the irony of it all. Even though there are still many N, C, S Americans who may not own much else they generally want for nothing and are happy with what little they have, the best thing I personally did for a lot of indigenous folk was to give them photographs that I had taken of themselves or their family, especially of the elderly and the children, the reaction was this;

1. They couldn’t quiet believe it was them on a fine glossy snap... they would break down and cry or offer me food.
2. They couldn’t quiet believe someone actually bothered to get it printed for them, instead of robbing their image for selfish use only.
3. Realising that I had captured a glimpse of time that their families will treasure forever.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs a lot of people have no choice but to use a simple open

The many faces of Peru

wood fire in the middle of one cramp room to cook a basic meal with no ventilation, hence the rosy dry cheeks of the street kids. But in the villages and more remote places, there is still little or no electricity or fresh water, a lot of these people have no real luxury items that we all personally take for granted, such as a home where the bricks don’t have massive gaps between them that large objects could be pushed through, no glass in the windows instead of empty square spaces, a working oven, extractor devises, air conditioners, fridge freezers, microwaves, dishwashers, kettles, toasters, DVD players, cable TV, computers, printers, I-pods, lights, 40 inch LCD plasma TV’s left on stand by, petrol guzzling cars, blagh blagh! On one hand they are living a truly spiritual life style, something I am trying to do myself, by letting go of everything I once owned, I suppose they are also indirectly creating a cleaner environment with zero CO2 emissions compared to us in the busy needy west who continue in polluting this earth daily without even blinking as we flick the kettle on between soap operas on TV, but on the other hand

Come dancing....

they deserve to have basic human needs such as warmth, clothing, food, clean water and an education.

9. I didn’t consume one factory ready-made, microwaved, processed, over packaged-salted-sugared over priced meal anywhere. We ate local home-grown produce cooked to perfection in all the hotels cafes bars and restaurants with no inflated prices. An alternative healthier option to drinking alcohol came from all the great fresh fruit juices we had every day, this assisted my ongoing natural detox.

10. Travel agents, hotels, laundry, and customer service departments throughout actually served us with top efficiency and a smile.

GRUMBLES

1. HUGE COUNTRIES….NO TRAINS!

2. Too many uneven, pot holed or slippery surfaced road-pavements. I moan as I slipped in to many other passers by, knocking them side ways. (nO one called a single ambulance) I grazed both palms many times and nearly broke my ankles 500 times.


3. Religious teachers and kooky others who we go to for some kind of wisdom, guidance and teachings, these people whom we take very seriously, but whom seem to think we are all jack pot lottery winners, a bit dense and miss guided.



Several Gentlemen....


4. Too much NIGHT NOISE aaarrgghh! (Including; constant traffic noise pollution (sadly no trains), a dog barking, packs of dogs barking, arguments and shouting, TV’s, people having loud sex…gross & yuck but thankfully didn’t happen too much!) I got through 11 pairs of earplugs…
My top 4 list of best comfy sleeps ever.

1st The best sleep ever-ever-ever (apart from occasional fire crackers in the night) but the most comfy humongous bed of all time goes straight in to number one www.lasmariposas.com.mx Hotel Las Mariposas, Oaxaca Mexico. Free Internet and yummy breakfast .

2nd Best and most importantly the quietest sleep, in the most comfy bed, crisp white sheets and over all WOW factor view of the Lake (room 7 & 8) was at hotel@islaverdeatitlan.com in lake Atitlan Guatemala. Free Internet, great food.

3rd Best sleep…in massive bed with crisp clean white sheets…private garden…huge free amazing breakfast & FREE Internet. www.casasanbartolome.com in Xela Guatemala.... room at the back.

4th Best bed and great relaxing atmosphere especially first thing in the morning when it was a cool temp, along with memorable stunning view of the ocean and the surfers Casa Olga Guest

Girls on show...

house, Zicatela Pto. Escondido

Gosh only 4 grumbles (that includes 4 praises). Things really have changed! I think it is only fair to say that each country lives within it own illusions and realities and its up to us visitors to tune in and appreciate this fact.
So, it’s a fond adios to Peru and N,C,S America.. Sadly we must leave these sacred shores to return briefly home to freezing England (Booo-Hissss) to try embracing the spirit of Christmas (Ooooh…if I have too?) and clinch at my new enlightened state of being. Flights are booked to leave the UK at the earliest possible moment in January to continue to cultivate South East Asia. Bravo!

When in Cusco a must visit for the best food in town is a bar/restaurant called
The Real McCoy in Calle Plateros 326 2nd floor Pist.... the best damn fresh crushed moijto in town.

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