Day 7

I have gotten used to the idea of dry toilets. Proper use (using sawdust to cover each use) prevents pest infestations and strong smells. The location of the bathrooms on Neverland Farm are spaced well between most communal areas and housing to make them available to volunteers. However, the garden and the house I am living in are quite a distance from both toilets.

I am still getting used to a communal lifestyle. Each meal is served on a large cement table and, with the addition of three more people on the farm, is becoming less spacious. Each group of volunteers is expected to feed everyone at various times during the week with whatever is available. We have oatmeal quite often. The chickens on the farm have not produced any eggs that I can see.

Communal table for volunteers

Today, the cook's dog was put down with a euthanasia injection, which I believe is kept around for the horses. The dog had a type of cancer and was euthanized by a couple of brave volunteers and the farm manager. Afterward, Beth and the owner headed to Loja to do blood testing and see if Beth truly had malaria. The volunteers spent the day weeding either the garden or the papaya-transplants hillside in preparation for the 150 saplings. The fruits produced will be sold or traded.

Weeding the hillside lead to many bug bites. Luckily I was in the calm garden where bush needles and bees are the only threatening pests. Those who wore shorts were covered in small red bug bites that itched. Leaves off of the "fikay" tree were boiled and provided as an antiseptic soaking bath for heavy scratchers. I also soaked my hand as I was instructed. With care, I should be back to normal in a couple of days. As of now my finger is still sore and difficult to move. It feels better than it did this morning although I still can't grip with the middle finger.

Possible Improvements on this farm:

• More locations of compost piles (i.e. near places needing larger amounts of fertile compost instead of all in a garden area far from the central living space where the papayas are growing)
• Smoother paths for wheeled manual vehicles and animals. Currently, rocks and wood are barriers.
• Quality of land accessible to animals: the chickens eat freely from a pipe that connects the kitchen sink to a stream. The soap is a toxic (not grey water eligible) chemical mix

Chemical soap used to wash dishes and pipe leading to water source