mighty mighty torros

Janitzio island, Patzcuaro

So Friday the sun came out and changed the face of everything... the forest AND my mood! So after work on Sunday, I went with a bunch of other volunteers to the nearby magical town of Patzcuaro where we ate a shitload of cheese-based food, drank tequilas and squished 6 of us into a hostel room. On Monday we visited the teeny tiny adorable island of Janitzio in the middle of the stunningly massive Lake Patzcuaro. Growing out of the top of the island stands a proud imitation of the statue of liberty, the Jose Maria Morelos - a great hero of Mexico´s independence. We visited all the tiny little craft shops ascending the island and then ascended the statue ourselves. This gave Yvonne and myself the strangest cramp ever to be experienced. A sign of unfitness? I certainly hope not. That evening we said a sad goodbye to Genevieve, one of my favourite people I´ve met so far. A strong, fierce and fiery chica from California but with Native American blood in her, Gen lives and breathes eco systems. Initially the two of us seemed incompatible as friends - she was shocked that I didn´t know you could get callouses on your hands (from using tools apparently) and I was similarly shocked that someone would choose to NOT shave their armpits. However, once we were able to laugh at our striking lifestyle differences we were able to laugh about nearly everything else and now I dearly miss her already. We also shared a mutual appreciation for booze and occasionally obnoxious behaviour which helped.

The next two days were two of my favourite spent in Mexico yet and another Bosque-r named Yvonne played a large part in that. Yvonne is a 32yr-old investment banker from London but has a severe case of hippie-at-heart syndrome. On Tuesday the two of us went to the charming town with the wholly satisfying name of Tzintzuntzan, dragging Jacky the Canadian in tow. Tzintzuntzan had a fiesta going on all day that apparently began at 4am! It was just like a summer fete back in England with the bunting and families and craft stalls and food. Except somehow 900% more colourful! It was so much fun and we left giggly and smug... Although not as smug as the next day, whereby we went to an authentic Mexican Bull Riding competition! This was at a bull ring, again in Tzintzuntzan (a town made of hours of fun), teeming with Mexican families and smelling of Macho men and of course, tequila. It was JUST LIKE something you´d see in the movies. Big muscly Mexican men jumping on raging torros which fling them wildly around the ring until they eventually get thrown (rather violently) off to the song of the ´bandas´ playing excitable music and the delight of the thrilled audience.

Yvonne and I could not stop beaming our English smugness at having found out about this exclusively Mexican event and having witnessed such a cultural delicacy of local entertainment. Truly brilliant! However, after this fun we had to part ways with Yvonne as she boarded a bus to Morelia to continue with her own travels to Belize. I really miss Yvonne too - an inspiring, intelligent, energetic and really fun girl with a big heart. She was like another big sister! I look forward to dinners at hers in Balham when I´m back in London and visiting her at her dress stall at the Upmarket in Brick Lane.

And so now I feel lost once more! I seriously do not like saying goodbye and Jacky keeps making fun of me for taking it personally when people leave the Bosque and for feeling like they´re leaving me! But i can´t help it! Also, the rain is supposed to make a lasting appearance from tomorrow and we all know how i feel about that. An amazing last few days though to keep me smiling for a while...

Muchos love xxx

The Forest is my Friend

View over Patzcuaro lake from the Bosque

Living out here in the forest is good for a person in general and I'm gradually discovering the ways, day by day... Firstly it has made me feel so much more CAPABLE. One of my best friends back home, Charl, always sees me getting out of stuff I don't like doing by pretending I'm not good at it and therefore someone will do it for me, this includes but is definitely not limited to: washing up, carrying stuff, turning on an oven (!)... She is the only one who doesn't let me get away with it by insisting that I NEED TO LEARN. She is so right and nothing like this experience out here in the Bosque has made me realise that more. As you are forced to do all this stuff, not just for yourself but for other people, you grow more confident in your own abilities and instincts and therefore feel more capable. I've realised that I actually prefer this feeling to feeling dependent on others...

Another way this forest has been good for me is in terms of my FEARS. Out here, I have realised that I am pretty much scared of everything!!! Ghosts, murderers, fire, falling down, dropping things, injuring myself, getting dirty... Basically, anything that anyone could possibly be scared of I have somehow thought of first and am already worrying about! I always thought I was a little fearless viking but being out here has definitely shown me otherwise! My biggest issue here has been the forest at night. It is VERY dark (especially on a cloudy night when there is no moonlight) as there are no lights here and so we use torches to make our ways back to our cabanas from either dinner or hanging out at the Casita. This involves walking through the pitch-black forest, more often than not - ALONE. My first night I was PETRIFIED by the thought of this and insisted my room mates walked back with me. My second night I conquered my fear to some extent by repeating over and over to myself the comforting mantra , 'The Forest is my Friend', as advised by Shaya. Gradually I felt more and more confident being out here in the forest and recognising that there was definitely NOTHING (human or otherwise) lurking behind any of the trees at night... However, for the past 2 nights I've been sleeping in the cabana alone and so Judith and Miriam have kindly walked me back both nights so I wouldn't have to face both the walk and the empty cabana as a double-scary-whammy. I'm confident that my childish fears will soon subside, I'm twenty-frickin-three so they better!

Brian left on Saturday whilst Shaya, Alejandra and Aaron left on Sunday. Some of the other volunteers went away for their days off but I decided I wanted to stay here at the Bosque and enjoy my time off without rushing about. Judith and Miriam, two super friendly and sweet German girls, have been here so it's been nice getting to spend some time with them. We hung out on Sunday night by the fire of the lodge, playing guitar and making animal balloons. Another thing I like about this place! I feel like my life here is so much more innocent and simple! No need for raves and debauchery for entertainment... Simple pleasures. Sunday night is when the rain started... It was so stormy and there was even occasional bouts of hail! The rain hasn't really stopped since...

Yesterday we were going to go to Tzintzuntzuan, another town in Michoacan to see some ruins but the weather was so horribly cold and rainy! So for most of the day we chilled by the fire and read instead... And then when we got hungry we hitchhiked in to Patzcuaro (with some policemen hahaha) to go to a German restaurant (the girls were food homesick) and ate enough meat for a week's supply! Last night we hung out by the fire again and the girls introduced me to a delicious Bolivian drink which is hot, spiced milk and vodka! Absolutely perfect end to my day!

Although today is also my day off, I am working on the vlog a bit more because I want to post it by the end of tomorrow!

Hasta luego!
A xx