Day 4 The Farm

Volunteer housing on Neverland

Today I again met with Ralph, the free-spirited young man from Denmark. We both headed to the Neverland Farm first on a bus from Vilcabamba to Tumianuma, then on foot. The bus ride was wobbly, which I was now accustomed to, and the walk was an hour-long nature hike along steep hillsides and vegetated valleys. Tumianuma was an extremely small town and I understand why the secretary at the transportation center in Vilcabamba didn't know how to arrive here.

The directions to The Neverland Farm are a challenge in themselves: http://www.neverlandfarm.org/directions.php

I was lucky to have Ralph with me to guide me during my first trip to Neverland. At one point the farm's owner passed us on horseback and gave my me a friendly welcome before heading into town. I envied her animal transport because I had loads of personal items to carry with me. When we finally arrived I met several of the other volunteers, most of which had also recently arrived. There are nine of us total. I am the only person from the United States other than the owner herself. The women staying here are from England, France, and Germany. The men are from Denmark, Switzerland, Brazil, and Holland.

The volunteers work on individual projects during the weekends and relax at will, as this is our break time. Closest to the enterance of the farm I found my lodging--a 3-room house converted from a barn into a storage/living space. The bed sheets were recently changed and upon them sat a cat which will also be bunking with me. The other volunteers are staying in small buildings located closer to the common area.

As a paying volunteer ($50 per week) I eat three meals a day. I started with dinner: a communal meal consisting of rice, lentil curry, and sauteed onion and pork. Before dark I was given a tour of the gardens, the compost toilets, a hot-water shower, and a kitchen that carried an abundance of garlic, onions, lemons, and avocado--all of which grown on the farm. To end the evening I picked some guavas, all of which were infested with magits; such is the downside of organic methods.

Picking guavas