Spontaneity Burst - New Mexico Roadtrip

I don't know many people in Austin as I've been focused on my spiritual/personal development - on learning and practicing the art of happiness!
My closest friends would be Philip, our (well technically his) cat Moisha, and Joshua.
So, as Philip's chasing tornados, on my last day in Los Angeles I called Joshua to see what he's up to when I get back. Turns out he's leaving to go to a Summer Solstice 10 day Kundalini Yoga Retreat in the mountains of New Mexico - at 11:30 pm that night. Camping, roadtrip first. My flight arrived at 11:30 but the retreat sounded irresistible - the synchronisity beautiful, and the spontaneity more than alluring. He mentioned volunteering in exchange for cheaper cost which made the trip sound more realistic as the price is $700. It all sounded crazy, but I called their office late that Sunday to see how the universe would reply to this option: They offered to set me up with either a financial aid scholarship or volunteer scholarship. The volunteer scholarship had a 6 hour/day commitment so I opted for financial aid as I knew I'd be working for Swift Kick, editing Moseley's book, creating a website for my Aunt, and working on a business plan. Well, hoping and trying to be that productive while going to as many yoga workshops as possible and enjoying the mountains.
2 hours of logistics later, I had a tent, Philip overnighting the wireless card, approval from the bosses, 4 people in the car willing to wait while I packed, a yoga mat, ride from the airport, camelback, and had sent checks to "box pack mail" in Espanola, New Mexico so I could have access.
The other 4 in the trip who patiently waited until 2am are Josh, Sophia, Andrew, and Victor - Josh knew everyone, and Andrew knew Victor, but we mostly were strangers and we had ALL decided that Sunday to go on this trip :-) I had spoken with Victor through couchsurfing as we had hoped to meetup based on our similar interests. He was hitch-hiking through the US.
I never quite decided whether to go or not, just kept my options open by packing and well, I was already packed, and they were waiting, so off we went. The old white volvo stationwagon fit all of our gear perfectly, including a box of tuna the boys got in the dumpster and clothes we found at a Goodwill dropoff.
I did much of the night driving and was surreally surprised at the spectacular early sunrise over the desert of west Texas. If only I enjoyed the sunset every morning - what better way to start your day than awe at the beauty of life and nature?
Our first stop was at a springs only a bit off the highway - in a town that looked somewhat if not completely deserted. The signage was confusing, but we found our way, into a natural springs that had fish and rock bottom but had concrete walls keeping it in for us.
I really wish they would just let the spring be natural - rather than messing up the ecosystem like that. It was fun to swim with the fish! We had a half-dumpster/half-homemade vegan food picnic.
We then practiced various yoga poses on the rocks.... on the diving board... in front of the water.. and near the trees, to take fun photos. The other Texan travelers were pleasantly intrigued and friendly about the hippi city yoga group.
The small towns we saw along the way made me wonder how people make any money there - that there would seem to be a certain amount of cash in the town and it would be hard to make more - I tried to conceptualize the economics of small towns. Would companies owned outside the town be beneficial because its bringing money and jobs in ? Most likely not as the profit goes elsewhere. So helping local entrepreneurs sounds like a great idea, but where are the townspeople going to get the money to pay for the services? I've got to mull on this one a bit more as my spiritual focus has temporarily taken away immediate access to my economic wit.
I realized that I would go straight from the retreat to Colorado for my dads birthday and cousins recital... then I have no reason to return to Austin before going to friend/reunion Wyoming party fest at a farm and the National Rainbow gathering is close. After that maybe I'll go visit Philip and Fitz on the road chasing tornados for an NBC show - maybe see if I can help out!
Next stop was Albuqueque, to sleep on the floor of Josh's former roommates house. We slept in one room as the ferret would purportedly be making quite a bit of noise in the other.
On the way I learned that Victor, the belgian, just finished school in Montreal where he was doing a masters degree in sustainability impact assessment... and as i've taken a class on it we had quite a bit to talk about, in half-french and half-english.
I also learned how Andrew went to a sort of free-school similar to Waldorf and we discussed childhoods, and education and how important it is for children to have their creativity, imagination, independence, and choice.
The next morning we slept in a bit, I did some work and they patiently hung out, and off we went to find the co-op and stock up for another picnic but this time at a hotsprings. We went first to a wonderful co-op where I saw a man I'd met at the Austin World Wellness Weekend and soon realized it was a great friend of Josh's. He gave us directions to the retreat but I'm not sure any of us were intently listening enough as we later realized.
We walked to the costume store across the way... I opened the door cautiously saying it didn't seem right and the owner of 16 years came around the corner to explain that you don't browse... she asks what you're looking for and then brings out your options.. she talked and talked... about how her costumes had won prizes... how they're authentic and she's even created a bigfoot costume.
I really like Albuquerque.. there's something beautiful, enchanting, real and alternative about it. Across the street was a metaphysical bookstore.. but though we hesitated we passed it by as we already have many books in the car on such topics.
We drove north from albuquerque and after a couple asking of directions, stopping at waterfalls, losing sunglasses and skinny dipping in their pursuit, we found the hotsprings.... enjoyed scrumptious watermelon and soaked in the hot water despite the heat. The view was amazing - nature at it's best.
Sophia made an avocado-sprouts masque and massaged it into my hands, and victor and andrew's faces - the sprouts floated around the hot springs like bubbles in the water.
As it was time to move on, we got out of the pools and moments later tons of people started arriving. We continued on to the retreat.
We found ourselves in Espanola, with no map, no internet, and no directions. But you're never that disconnected... we called Andrew's mom and directed her to the website. The directions still didn't make sense, so we followed a sikh woman in a turban to the dollar store and i asked her, after explaining we'd just been swimming as I was in my bathing suit and feeling inappropriate in her presence.
And off we went.

We had vague directions and it wasn't on a map.

First day in Mexico...

I'm bemused by pink-white stripped dress paired with blue-white polka dot shoes and $5 grocery store sunglasses as i traipse around Puerto Vallarta. There are enormous seagulls above me, constantly inspiring me to stop and just admire.
To get here, I packed all night, and finally decided to trade 2 hours of sleep for having to finish getting ready at the airport (nails, hair, and legs). 7am rushed to the San Antonio airport to my first row of empty seats (seems to happen to me 90% of the time). As most flights these days I was asleep before they closed the door and woke up with the shuffle of getting bags from overhead bins.
Mexico City Airport is huge, clean, and pretty much like any other big international airport. However, on little sleep, I didn't think to explore much and only 20 minutes before my flight after my 8 hour layover of intermittent internet I paid $10 for, did I discover the huge sparkling mall.
My flight arrived at 9:30 pm and my couchsurfing host Gustavo (from Houston) met me at the airport and helped me figure out that renting a car would definitely not be worth it! I'm used to the independence of cars, and being able to offer rides, be in control, etc - but I'm loving walking and trying to communicate with taxi drivers.
The desert welcome event was already technically over for the arriving wedding guests, but I managed to get in touch with one of my good friends using Gustavo's US-landline phone in his downtown apartment and the party was just starting at Villa Suzanna. The cab driver had never heard of it, but for $17 and after asking for directions and almost not making it up the Milliondollar villa crowded cobblestone streets, I walked through the open door of a 5-story villa with a breathtaking view, pool, hottub, bar, and new and old friends enjoying the ipod-hooked-up music and local bartenders, chocolates, and more.
I came to this wedding knowing... the groom, and 4 great guy friends, wondering how I'll fit with an older crowd - from all parts of the country and the world, as a single youngun comparatively. What role was I walking into?

Within minutes I knew it would be amazing and everyone was so friendly - connections here and there.... Kelly knows Ashley who i danced and hung out with at Mardi Gras 2 years ago.... Fitz worked on a project with my old boss.... and people that I'd met at New Orleans Jazz Fest.... Aspen SneakerBall.. Vegas Birthday Party....Mardi Gras.
Conversations varied from egos and The Power of Now and sleep, to airplanes crashing, getting arrested at the Olympics, Hunter thinking my friends a Thug, midnight roadtrips to Vegas, how on earth the ladies could be reasonable and go to bed hours ago.

The evening ended at 4:25 after my guy friends, the groom, and I had spent hours, the last ones standing/dancing strong, conversing and laughing. It made me smile that myself and my good friends were the last, a reunion harking back to Vegas, Aspen, Boulder, New Orleans.....

There's already talk of how we can have another destination wedding, trying to setup guests :-)

Around noon I meandered out to find the sand sculptor my couchsurfing host was helping out. Apparently this sculptor makes $50,000 in 6 months in tips out here. I can tell why - it was incredible. absolutely incredible. Like a tourist I snapped a photo.

There's a definitive lack of vegetarian food available.
Again, a similar feeling to Vietnam of being a walking dollar. My humanity is tested when I'm constantly approached in such manner - my tendency is to want to ignore them, but they deserve respect and recognition as I can hardly blame them for their position - could I see myself doing the same thing in their situation? Than how can I be rude to them?

My American Tourist "know-how" was properly illustrated when the couchsurfer had to explain how to tell between USDollars and Pesos. The US symbol being $ and the Peso being the same but with ONE line - I was hardly looking close enough to notice. Yay for Americanism - and fortunately the exchange rate is easy to convert ...move the decimal over one spot!

I was dying of thirst from the heat after working a bit in the afternoon but nothing seemed to have fresh juice or Chai Tea despite their menus advertising them.
I ventured into the grocery store and bought: strawberry smoothie, mango, water, mango juice for a total of $4. It definitely crossed my mind to stock up on cheap food in a second suitcase!

I miss my cat.

free vaccines.... hiking in the mtns... penis/bread

I am still in Belo Horizonte, or was when I started this email at least - surprisingly enough. I didn't expect to stay here so long, but time is quite strange here.4 days of my 5 weeks ....random?
Its not a touristy town at all, in fact, the walk Roman and I took around the artificial lake, is really the only thing to see. The city was designed actually, by a fairly famous architect, the streets running one way being the states in the Brazil, and the other way being the indigenous tribes (mostly wiped out).

We are the first couchsurfers, apparently, who have come here. Everyone else just passes through... so we were quite welcomed by the community here! We have been staying with the same couchsurfer and her family, who is letting me use the internet, wash my clothes, cooking us vegetarian snacks, and helped me figure out where to get my yellow fever vaccine!

I got two shots yesterday, the most vaccines I can remember getting really except when I went to Africa. I barely have any of the normal shots you get. I got the rubella shot, which means I am not supposed to get pregnant for 4 months. I think I can handle that.The shots were free.,... absolutely, for anyone who walks in and it was such a pleasant medical experience - probably nicer than almost every other one I have had. She was so nice..!
I agree with Romans comment after, that we have been mothered a lot in Belo Horizonte, which we both needed a bit of after all of our intense travels recently. Sleeping in, etc.

One evening we were supposed to meetup with a couchsurfer named Raquel - who wanted to take us out. She gave us instructions to her place as we were already downtown, and we arrived at quite the swanky apt building, probably one of the nicer ones I have been in! Her dad opened the door, with shirt open, apologizing as hed just gotten home from work and proceeded to lay out all sorts of bread, cheese, fruit, cake, and tea for us for dinnner!
Raquel recently was in Germany, and works in risk-management at a bank and is hoping to study economics abroad!

We went out to a nice bar, with a $5 covercharge - she said my chacos and skirt-tanktop were ok, because we were already obviously gringos... Gringos is descriptive, not derogatory in Brazil and theres nothing wrong with being American.
I think if I had dressed in tight jeans and little high heels, etc. people would have thought I were Brazilian as we could have easily been in Europe... Everyone was very white!
Race, the 49 colors of it according to Lonely Planet, is relatively linked to class here. She said that her friend who also works at the bank, is discriminated against and another couchsurfer Valeria, who lived in Park City Utah for 4 months said she was quite surprised when she was considered colored in the US as she is considered white in Brazil.

Couchsurfer Sidney and his fiancee (english teacher) meet us at the bar and were very friendly and patient as I insisted on trying to speak Portuguese. I later received a thank you-goodbye email from him saying that I changed his view of Americans - that he didn't know Americans were so nice! Yay! Though it is sad that his stereotype was so easily influenced, at least it was positively influenced... had I known he had such bad images of Americans I would have made more of an effort to paint a somewhat realistic US situation, but we can keep in touch.

There were a couple of guys hanging around Raquel's moms very expensive car and Raquel seemed a bit worried and annoyed. She gave one of them 50 centavos and then explained that she hates this. Its guys who are often unemployed, and they "watch" your car for you when you are doing something like going out to see a show, shopping, etc. They sometimes demand money upfront and other times when you get back. This time, he wasnt there when we parked, just asked for money when we got back.
Raquel says she dislikes it because its a kind of violence and intimidation... you dont know what they might do to your car if you dont give them money and you cant really tell them no.

We slept and slept - can't quite decide whether it was oversleeping making me tired, or me catching up on my sleep slowly. Either way, no alarm clock rudely interrupting my dreams has been nice and I have most mornings awoken with the sun, though promptly and peacefully gone back to the dreamworld for a bit.
Then we got in touch with Valeria, who had offered to take us to the mountains.
We met up with her in the Centro and took a quick taxi ride up towards the surrounding mountains. Belo Horizonte is an incredibly hilly city itself, encircled by mountains that stretch to the horizon.
I dressed conspicuous, in a conductor hat so shed find us easily, and black and white and blue - quite self-entertaining. The dirt was red and orange with iron and other melange of minerals found in the area. It was a simple 2 hour total hike, but surprised Valeria that we were so eager to get into the mountains...Roman missing the Himalayas and me missing the Rockies. We had a breathtaking view once we got up a bit, increasingly so, of the 4-6 million person city stretching out in front of us.
Valeria said that despite the grandiosity of the area and population, that it felt like a small city, that you meetup with the same people, and it has quite a small feeling - that people live small - like its a bunch of small towns side by side.
She is ready for the big city of Sao Paulo, boasting at least 12 million.
Roman and I found Belo Horizonte quite peaceful, however, refreshing after the insanity of the favelas.

Valeria, very surprised, asked Roman and I, why on earth out of all of the places in Brazil we had chosen to spend time in the favelas - that we were the third foreigners she had met who had chosen to do so and she didn't understand why. I also met, via some searches online (Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum), a young Danish man who is studying the phenomenon of tourists visiting the favelas. I am undecided, as there are pros and cons... it is important that people understand whats really going on in different parts of the world - but the lives of people should not be a tourist attraction at the same time. It depends upon the motives of the tourists I think - whether its for entertainment, or for understanding which they can use to help through various means.

We decided on trying the local food that night - which meant that I tried a taste of some local meat, along with 3 different deserts, a lot of garlic bread and garlic rice,...
Whats the opposite of commiserate? Because thats what Valeria and I were doing regarding our couchsurfing experiences, and the community in general.
Then we got onto the subject, of the fact that if you mispronounce the word for bread, it means a slang word for penis - that was good for a couple of laughs as Roman shared the multiple times and various situations wherein the german volunteers kept trying to pronounce it right...

As everywhere else in Brazil so far - it costs $1 to ride, there's no bus schedule, the buses are nicer than any greyhound bus I have seen - quite a bit better actually! And, there are two employees per bus - one driver, and one that takes the money. Is that more efficient? My first reaction was that it's not an efficient use of their money - but it might be, when considering safety, faster loading-unloading, etc. Also - with unemployment so high, the cost might not be as much as I imagined to add another employee. They have been quite useful so far with directions!

Walking around the lake the first night, I realized that Palm Trees, the very existence of them in my immediate surroundings, make me happy - a sign of relaxation, vacation - along with white birds being beautiful and symbolic. Of course, these perceptions are very much affected by my upbringing and culture. It's just another reminder that my truths are my truths alone.

Couchsurfing - can help bridge the gap between living in a city you are visiting, and visiting/seeing a city you are in. The difference between living your lifestyle and seeing touristy sights and living the local lifestyle and enjoying the city.

Were I in control, no one would receive a degree in international development without having lived for at least 3 months or more working for a development project in some capacity! My observations made me wonder whether my sister, after a year of working as a volunteer in a development organization in various capacities, knows more about development than I do - or more, what has she learned that would complement my knowledge and vice versa.

I have been excited to see the technology leap that has, according to my meager experience, occurred here, at least in terms of the energy efficiency of the showers. They are using, in the favelas and middleclass neighborhoods, one of the most efficient ways of creating hotwater if you are unable to use renewable resources to do so, which is heating the water right when you need it rather than keeping large quantities of water hot 24/7.


Now we are in Brasilia - arrived this morning on a very bumpity rockety 11 hour bus ride which affected my dreams in strange ways. Its a desert-flat area, and the most spread out city I have seen in Brazil. The weather is marvelous so far, and the city is quite strangely organized. We are staying in Quadra 209, Block i, apt 410. Everything is organized by numbers, laid out in the shape of an airplane. There are two people responsible for the city's design, one who designed the layout, another the buildings, and apparently they get blamed for everything.

Every night I have been looking at the moon and its been kind of refreshing to have that consistency and watch it change - it might be helping me understand the passage of time as I see the moon wax from a Cheshire cat grin to a large, hmm, elegant banana I guess might be the best description.

The couchsurfer we are staying with now couldn't have been a better match in terms of my research here - he is studying international relations and has many government, environmental, and academic contacts. He is presenting at an intl relations conference this week, on the structural relationship between the NGOs working to combat desertification in the North East of Brazil. He also wants to travel around different cities in Latin America learning best practices that he can bring back to Brazil to try as pilot programs. I am excited to explore what options are available, and to build contacts in case I am successful in my application to be the next United Nations Youth Caucus Coordinator.

It was his birthday today - and I pleasantly impressed myself with my portuguese skills as I was able to have such conversations as whether Brazil is considered Western (to which I inquired what their definition of western was), and the positive and negative aspects of virtual world technology among other things.

Thats it for now! I know - quite a mouthful - but I cant leave anything out - it just builds up as little curiosities..... more to come :-)
Love and more love!
Emma