Tashirat

I came to Mexico for a vacation and an opportunity to evaluate the path that I wanted to walk on for the next few years of my life. As I explored the internet (since the internet always is true) for ashrams that I could afford, I ran across Tashirat through the WWOOFing website (Willing Workers On Organic Farms). Tashirat offered a deal of working in the garden for 6 hours a days/6 days a week in return for a place to crash and free yoga and mediation. On the website, it seemed as though there was easy access to alternative medicine, nutritional guidance and diet analysis. I was even looking forward to trying an enema. I imagined that morning yoga and mediation would instantly transform me and that I could master any yoga position in a matter of days. I also invisioned that I would be granted perfect health after a few days on a raw and vegan diet. Yeah. Not so much.

I am creature of habit and consistancy. I like order and efficiency. I came to a place that does follow this. Heck, the entire country doesn´t even believe in this! Even though the application (a very long one, 13+ pages) asked if we were flexible, I was unprepared to stretch my comfort zone this much. At the beginning, I could think of nothing but going home and say adios to this place that seemed to disapoint me. I mean, I came here for me, right? For the first week, I woke up wondering why the hell I was here. I tried to wake up positive in the morning-with a daily lunch break meltdown and blue cheese cravings being the only consistant events of the day.

Tashirat is a place that 10 or so individuals (staff) have the left the material world, have said goodbye to their biological relatives, nights out on the town, glamorous dinning, and consuming traditions for a new life that is dedicated to community service through diverse and difficult ways. They live in humble homes with only clothing as their own possessions, with daily meditation at 5 am. They are mothers and fathers to 5 or 6 kids that the rest of the world has abandoned and abused, which many of them experience disability. There is also a school for 45+ children that come from nearby that sometimes arrive to school with no shoes and always an empty belly. The diet for staff, children and volunteers is stict. No meat, dairy, coffee, sugar, or processed food (most of the volunteers cheat, I have yet to do so... so it´s raw fruits and veggies for lunch and dinner with a cooked vegan dinner at night) The school and staff try their best to feed and teach this children but with a budget dwindling everyday. The children are inspiring. The staff are amazing.

Volunteers from all over the world for many reasons sign up to give back to the community. They all come with different expectations, talents, and backgrounds. Currently there are volunteers from Scotland, Japan, Tiwain, Canada, Belgium, Sweden, Mexico, Australia, USA and Alaska (I definately throw out the Alaska card in Mexico, it makes me look cool)



After 2 weeks, I am finally realizing why I am here. I know that the work that I am doing is more important than myself. I know that I can love the children. I know that I can work hard without a monetary bonus. I also know that I have much to work on. I have come to the realization that self discovery and improvement has no end date. I came to Tashirat for a different reason, but I am fortunate enough to say that I will be leaving with a different outcome than I had imagined. The internet is so slow, I won´t be able to add any photos until maybe I return to Tara and Landons. Boo.

Real de Catorce

This little community is a four hour drive from Monterrey (6 hours with a soon to be momma and a passenger under the age of 1 and a slight detour after being pulled over by the police). Real de Catorce is found at the end of a 30 km cobblestone road nestled up in the mountains. I didn't think ahead that perhaps if we went up in elevation it would get even colder. As we approached a 2 km tunnel, we realized that it was snowing. Yes snowing, ridiculous.

We checked into our hotel. What I mean by "checked in" is that one of us knocked on one of the lit up apartments in the complex and asked how much. Not that it was up for bargaining, it just is a bit different in the ol' u.s.a. For $25 a night, we got.... oh yeah toilet paper and soap. No heat. Limited hot water (thank goodness I get up before everyone else and can take long, hot showers). Our group met up outside at a little torta stand. Yup, just tortas. You want beef? Nope, just chicken tortas. The only accomadation from there is to say you want tomatoes or not. It was one of the best chicken tortas I have ever had. It was great to step back and shoot a few shots of how easily pleased everyone was. We stood outside in the snow by a little stand, watching the family prepare 14 tortas (yes I had two, but I rationalized over consumption because of the cold). That works, right?

It was below freezing, but with long johns (base layer for this trip), 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of socks, 4 shirts, 1 hoodie, gloves, and 4 blankets, I survived the cold night, barely. I woke up feeling a bit shorted on warm weather, sandy beaches, and a tan, so I took myself for a morning walk to talk myself out of the bad mood. The scenery was euphoric. The sun was rising and penetrating through the thick fog. The cobblestone paths, frantic lost chickens, and light pouring over the mountain and onto the rooftops of homes that had once been present in a booming economy. I roamed around the town for an hour or so in awe of this town. Real de Catorce is about as far from modern infection as possible.

After a hike up a large mountain, a walk into an abandoned church (which you have to step over graves to get to it, but it's cool as Mexico loves and celebrates the dead) and more street food (this time I did get sick and had an appointment with the BR for a lengthy time), this weekend getaway proved to be one of the best times I have ever had.

I am getting ready in a few minutes to go out the door and head to the airport for my next adventure. I will be at the ashram in the late afternoon and I have no expectations or visions for what my experience at Tashirat (www.tashirat.com) will be. I know that I will be safe, I will be seeking further faith and spirituality, digging in dirt, learning and eating healthy, organic, and raw food for the next month. I am uncertain as to how much internet use will be available, so it is possible that it will be some time before I check in. Off to the city folks!

14 enero 2010

I did my routine walk this morning through the town and up a bit into the mountains. I was joyfully accompanied by Tiffany and her son. I took photos of random nice houses tucked among the trees until I was reminded that it might be a bit suspicious to take photos of all of the nice house, considering the unrest in all of Mexico. Ladies with babies are so smart.

It was a perfect day for photographing the town! I love the midtones that overcast days provide for photos. I have been really enjoying the different scenery, people, and houses. Although much of Mexico is delighted with modern gadgets and hipster clothing ( yes Portlanders, Mexico got the memo), there is still a slower pace of doing things and large cowboy hats for men over 45 are still in.

I think Mexico has some of the most genius business plans. A few nights ago while Tara and I were cooking up some grub, a "toot toot" noise came from the streets and what do you know, this guy cooks squash in a portable oven and toots his horn around dinner time. While I hate squash, how cool is it that people just push food around honking horns. I can just imagine me trying this in Portland pushing around some swiss chard and cooked beets in Sellwood (organic of course). I imagine that most people would just continue to do what they were doing and not yell out the window "cuanto cuesta?" as my sister did. The other random business plans are performed right out of the home. A legit business may only sell Pepsi, jesus statues, and whatever baked good grandma cooked up in the am and boom, you got yourself a business. They just open their door, put up a sign that says Abierto and sit and wait.

Here's the door deal

Recently, Santiago was given money from the government to repaint their houses. While some of the home owners declined to repaint, many of them chose to do so.
I can't get enough of them, but I promise to stop, soon.













All of the 40,000 residents in Santiago live on streets just like this. It is easy to get lost and forget which colorful door is the one that I am staying at.












This house didn't get the paint memo, thankfully.













3 Doors down.

Taco de Trompo

3 words: taco de trompo. I have just experience my first bacon taco (to be honest I had 5 of my own, and one of Tara's) ! After a round of freshly fried tortilla chips, a variety of house salsa and onions, outcome mouth watering bacon tacos. A quick meal that can promise weight gain results in a matter of days, perhaps hours. It is unfortunate that I have been introduced to this fine meal, as I am off to a place that doesn't allow meat products, sugar, or processed food which no doubt excludes the majority of mexican street food. Oh what to do.

It has been so cold here since my arrival that Landon and Tara have finally resorted to using a heater. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it is so cold in the house that even after long johns and other second or third layers, my frugal friend Landon has put on the heat. It was an adventure last night as I left the warm bedroom and into the laundry room where my bed is located. I slept with 2 blankets and a sleeping bag, double layers and of course, my kooka. Landon was so sweet as he tried to tell me that he WANTED to sleep on the couch so I should go join my sister in the heated room. I was not convinced and in all actuality, I had one of the best nights sleep in a long time. So January 11th, what are we going to do today? I can always start by listening to covers of Man in the Mirror, drink coffee and freeze. (photo of Tara buddled up reading)

The houses are beautifully painted, which go well with my purse!













Right outside of Tara and Landon's house

The First Weekend in Santiago, Mexico

It has been freezing cold! While I was aware that I am traveling during the winter months, I was unprepared for 36 degrees Fahrenheit . I flagged down a taxi that took me to the school Instituto San Roberto de San Agustin where my brother in-law teaches and my sister is a teachers aid. There were almost no children on campus because of the cold weather so I was able to have a full tour of the building and meet the staff.

Later that evening, we stopped by to visit with friends from Alaska, Tiffany Burns and Alec Dickinson and the new addition to the family, 7 month old Harper. It has been wonderful to see others from Alaska, it even seems as though we are still in Ketchikan but with better food and more colorful houses.

Yesterday we drove up to the Sierra Madres mountain range where there was snow! The locals all flocked up to play with the snow and have snow fights. The purpose of our trip was to go to a small roadside restaurant called Restaurante Fito, where it is rumored to have the best huevo's con chorizo e machicado. A group of women were huddled around a massive pile of pig skins, but this dish was not ready yet, so we "settled" for the homemade tortillas and huevos. We continued up to almost the top of the mountain and walked off a bit of lunch by adventuring through small crevices in the rocks where small streams were abundant. I took a few photos with a slow shutter speed, but none too great to write home about. The evening ended with order tacos at Nora's (a small local taco shack) complemented by the biggest bowl of guacamole that Tara made. It was damn good.