Easter is here

Hi all
Easter is here once again and that means the Caminata from Ambato to Banos. I am hoping this year that I will be walking with a friend of mine, who lives in Puyo. I did this pilgrimage last year. It is a long walk one that I ended up having 7 huge blisters on my feet. I will use this walk as a reflection of the past events. It has been very wet of late, so wet that I might reconsider the walk. So I will know more on Thursday night if I will be walking. I would still love to the the walk as they close down the entire road on Thursday night at seven o'clock. I will let you all know of the happenings later.
Post script to the sad happenings of last week. It turns out that one of the landrones may have survived but he is in bad shape in the hospital. Their victims at this point are numbered up to 8 including a boy who is now a vegtable in Quito hospital and a quichwa 18 year old girl who is now dead. It also turns out that the mob was formed by the community to block the way of the police from interfering with the community action. It turns out the the community removed the ladrones from the police jail where they were awaiting trial as they were finally caught. It is understood also by the community that the reason that the community felt action was required was because the ladrones in the past had paid the police or had threatened the police so that they were let go from the previous thefts and murders. I beleive that these landrones were also much older than first discribed. I beleive that they were well into their twenties. I think that there was a funeral next to our house and very few people attended. Sooooo again now that the update is over.
Talk with you all later
Live well and love well
Robin

troubled souls

Well I am sorry to say that this story will be a disturbing one. If you are in a good mood you might not want to read this.
Here goes, There were two criminals here in Banos who along with committing the crimes of stealing, accompanied the thefts/home invasions with murder. These criminals were known in town as dangerous but also they were young, Rachelle's age, all the more upsetting. I understand that the last two victims were an old man and a boy. Here, theft is not such a crime as it is seen as a survival thing and the public has way more tolerance for that crime. In fact, the law here says that if the thief has stolen under $200, it is not a theft. Had the actions of those two people had kept to theft, nothing would more have been said, however that was not the case. The Banians (people who come from Banos) have a limited patience, long though it is has a decisive end. That end came last night.
I went to get minutes for my cell phone, when my wonderful neighbor wanting to protect me and keep me abreast of town events told me that dos landrones (two thieves) were in Banos and dah de dah de dah (because she was talking so fast that I didn't understand her) and the police not helping. At first, I thought there were a bunch of thieves in town and we had to be careful. Shortly thereafter, Rachelle phoned me to let me know she was coming back to town with her boyfriend and she would be arriving shortly. I was concerned for her and told her what I had heard. She then arrived to the terminal, to find that Banos had found and shown its limit to patience in the form of a mob of about 1,000 people. The Banians extracted the 2 thieves and removed them from their apartments and dragged them out to the streets. Rachelle being scared and never having seen a mob, got into the first taxi to home. She arrived safely but disturbed,as we all were. My girlfriend who had been helping with the death of a friend asked if she could stay over, as she felt the need to be surrounded by us, family who love and are there for her. She was traumatized after dealing with the death as well as the happenings of town. After this the stories came in short pieces and then moment to moment, changing often. At first, we heard that the mob was taking the ladrones to the bridge to throw them over. This is usually done on the second bad offence and to the towns' intolerance. So in fact, this was not done. It would have been terrible because this is a very high bridge and the river far below is between cliff walls and is not even ever thought to be passed through by the extreme sport enthusiast. No..... instead the 2 received a severe public beating.... This morning after many different conversations it turned out that neither landron survived. In fact, my friend who was helping with the cremation of the friend who passed the other day and was in Ambato saw the 2 landrones at the funeral home. I understand that the mob became unruly, lost control and that family members of the victims of the thieves were involved in the beatings. Their anger, frustration and loss brutally came out. What was shocking to me and also very disturbing is that some people even filmed, video'ed the event. According to belief, the Banians did not murder the thieves. Banians put them in the hospital, God gave the final judgement by finishing their lives. Here, when criminals are no longer tolerated they are made an example of with no feelings of remorse or dis pare for the recipients of public justice. They are the hand of god. They are warning to future thieves thinking of making a business here to think twice.
The police obviously stayed the hell away from the public action, as the public would also penalize them for allowing the thieves to get away with the crimes to begin with and not put them in prison when they should have and therefore in the eyes of the public are accessories to the crime. Here, the police are servants of the public but the police are often afraid, you can certainly understand why.
For me, I am very disturbed by this form of justice, I am confused.... I do believe that crimes should not go unpunished and I have often said that such severe limits in Canada should also be in place, but this was the first time I had to face myself and my beliefs. I could NEVER do this kind of thing to another person by my own hand, my heart is too soft. But I have to say, that maybe they could have been helped or educated or whatever, like they do in Canada. But in Canada, has that actually stopped those crimes with its' compassion?????
I will carry with me, for my entire life, this night, for with it I carry questions of justice,responsibility, Buddhism, and God.
My friend that died,.... committed suicide with a gun to the head. I think that this form of suicide is nasty for the survivors. The gore. I think that is an unkindness for the survivors who would like to have the last vision of their loved one to be as somewhat pleasant as possible. In this case it was not. My girlfriend who was helping his partner get through this was traumatized a bit by the realities of death and post death. Because the man suicide, the police required an autopsy. Although I don't see the necessity as the back of his head was missing, clearly indicating cause of death. I think they also wanted to make sure that the partner was not the cause of death.
When the friends and family brought the body to the police station, they did a body cavity. This means that they opened the body thorasicly. Then end result is the body was trussed back together like a chicken and there was alot of mess..... again gore. Here, everything is an expense, so the people who work there, did not clean up after, if you get my drift because that expense is felt to be to the family. When asked for materials to clean up the police offered nothing. To clean up the body his friends had to tear up some of the clothes of the body and clean him themselves. Yuck, how could you not be traumatized. His body was taken this morning to Ambato for cremation (my preference to those who are listening). The friends and family loaded the body in the oven. When the burn was over, they were told to sift through the remains for metal pieces as the un-ashed bones had to be put into a "blender" , "grinder", to create a powder. they did their task they found keys and a few coins. Thank god it is finally over. While my girlfriend was there she was relaying the hard cold facts that she was dealing with to help her handle the situation. Shen I called her, suddenly she said, " oh my god, the Blender is going". You can imagine the icy feeling in my blood and the goose bumps on my arms.
In Canada, we are separated from the gore of death. We are kept from the facts, to pretend that nothing bad or demoralizing happens post death. I never thought of that part of it. You knew that the person died, and then you were at a funeral, the end. But that is not the truth of the matter. That truth has made me feel different about what will happen an the end of all things on this life. I have time to think about and come to terms with the end. I realize that the end, where my body is abandoned by my spirit, is no more than just a machine, a vehicle used to pass through this life. In the mean time, I will carry on in my life, trying to be a good person, being open to and having more of life's' experiences, being apart of life's' joys and sadness's, and doing what ever it is that I am supposed to be doing on this earth. This has been a weekend of death and transition to the next step. This also has been a weekend for being fully present for those who we are in relationship with. Being there for those who need us, whether we were close to them or not in this lifetime. It has also been a week of being real with the normal transitions of life. Justice has permanently found a new place in my mind, fairly close to the compassion area of my brain.
Next time I am sure I will be relaying more of life's more pleasant and inspiring details.
Live well, and love well
Robin

Honoring a transition

Hi there
Today has been a very interesting day so far. A much older friend of ours who was living here in Banos, and had both the beginnings of Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease chose to leave the planet. He also chose to leave the planet on his own volition. I have alot of respect for his choice as his suffering was also affecting his partners well being. He chose to have breakfast and coffee with her, then he went to his favorite place, his garden, to say goodbye to the world. Some people have a problem with suicide but for the most part if there circumstances that are such, I feel that it is a fair way to go. It is also not my place to judge someones passing, or the method by which they do it. Through my experiences and previous life of being a massage therapist and working with many different situations, I have to say that I have noticed that many people have problems with death. I think that they also have a problem with what is next and have fears based on ending. I have my beliefs firmly in place so having people pass is Okay. Saying that though, I feel that having children passing before the parents is tragic. I am hoping to be fortunate in that experience. Although I didn't really know him that well, I do know that he had a very balanced Buddahistic style of belief and that he was "good" with everything in the process of living and the universe. He had also had the experience of having died when he was younger and was brought back. He was sad when he was brought back as he said the next step was marvelous. His partner said that he smiled a very unique smile before he trip to the garden and that it was a smile of peacefulness and resolution. So who has a problem with it.... the people here who of course are catholic and of course that is a bit of a no no. I am sorry for them as if the circumstances were better there would be no need for this action, but his suffering was starting to be great, and it was a kindness and release for him choosing to leave earlier than planned. Unfortunately, for many people his passing is the problem and who is left behind to deal with the situation. His partner has to deal with the paperwork, some social blackening (due to the suicide)and of course the body and the burial. He was very kind to her though as he organized his paper work in previous time, and in time for his passing. I think he did the best that he could. She is at peace with his passing and therefore I am too. I just wish that other people would not focus on the act of passing but the action of the entire life previously lived. He was a good man who had traveled the world in a spiritual quest to understand the meaning of life. He said to me after all those experiences, he still didn't know, but he felt it was being. He ran into many different spiritual people throughout the world,and had many adventures. He finally told me to read his book and I read the poem of "I". It was a wonderful poem about the action of being. I think that for me, he impacted me by his life and his living. He lived and lived well then he transitioned to the next step. His life was that simple, he was generally happy with his life until he started to suffer with his health and then he chose that is was time to exit the planet. There is honor and bravery in that action. I honor him in his choice and his life, and let the powers that be only be the judge.
Live well and with compassion
Robin

The weeds of Ecuador

There are many ways to look at weeds. You could say that weeds are plants that choke out more "useful", "productive" plants. You could also say that weeds are plants that are in the way, they block the view. I like to look at all things with a different point of view, not only about plants but other beings too, but today I will keep it just about plants but I suppose it could be about other things too, depends how you look at things, I suppose.
I had in the past studied and took classes on herbalism and preparation of those herbs and their uses. I went into the woods and harvested plants, spent quiet time in the forests of Canada looking for them. I talked with various peoples about them and tried to understand them. I looked for ways to use them in my therapy to help others. When you ask different people about those plants some will call them weeds. Biologists often call them apart of the web of life. I like the last one best, but my feeling for them is "gift", and utter beauty. They are also natures balancers and indicators of natures state.
However much that I love these gifts, I am not entirely connected to them, meaning that I am not of the person or character to "grow", them. I love them, respect them, incorporated healing with them, studied them and I photograph them but I am not in synch with them. I truely have a black thumb. Here in Ecuador, the earth here has been called "Generous". It is really, even I can keep plants alive here. Often when someone likes a plant, they take a cutting from it and just stick it in the ground and wha-la, it grows and lives happily there. It makes up for my personal lack, connection to the plant kingdom.
Here in Ecuador, you could never ever possibly see all the plants and learn all their part of nature, there are just toooooooooo many of them. I have had the pleasure of seeing orchids growing in the jungle that are only 4 or 5 mm big, thank god I had my glasses with me or I would have missed the whole event. I have tasted and seen plant and fruits I never dreamed of, whose names I can't pronounce or even remember. I was told of and tried the "magic" fruit. When you bit this fruit and chew it, it tastes .....okay. But the trick is next, now you bite a lemon or other super sour fruit and it is sweet. I didn't even realize it was supposed to be sour till someone pointed it out later. I am embarassed about my powers of observation sometimes, but back to the main topic of this blog.
I have been overwhelmed about the plants here and the peoples attitudes about them. I have yet to visit a shaman, I know of one in Salasaca, where I have seen severe burn wounds on a child almost completely gone in 1 month, all with plants. I do have to say I am not tremendously interested in the "trip" without leaving the farm using certain popular plants. Ayahuasca or San Pedro are not high on my list of things to do, although I think that that kind of experience has worth, many people spend lots of money to experience and come here just to experience them with shaman.
I, in the past and even now, I have been intimidated to paint these wonders. I have hundreds of photos of the plants here, most of which are considered "weeds". The colors are endless, and shapes amazing. I have seen some plants that look like aliens (even some bugs). Rob and I have purchased garden plants even that look unusual and breath taking. From my collection, I have taken the simplest plant to paint.
Now, I am for the first time going to attempt to paint a flower, one that I found in a rubble pile. Often in Ecuador the people throw their garbage in the side of the road or dump their building rubble where ever. There in this pile of yuck was this flower. The light shone behind it making it glow, it was in peachy/pinks. I have to say I am not a "Pink" girl.... ever but this was nature giving pink from life. After a few days the flower had finished and was gone. The locals would not remember or even noticed it, but I did. The attempt is on the canvas now and I am trying to make the flower bloom for all to remember. A local friend came over for a visit and for the first time asked to see my art as she had heard about it but had never seen it. She asked where this flower came from and was shocked to hear that it was from here. I hope that she will remember what she didn't see, after all it is one of the treasures from her own country. I think that after this experience here I will be looking at Canada from a different perspective. I learned from working with severe "Special" kids how to love and appreciate life more, now I have been given the opportunity to appreciate my environment more.
I am trying to connect with this plant by painting it. When I paint, I connect to the being, the energy of its life. I am hoping that by painting them I will connect more. I would like to paint more "weeds" in the future as they are so many and so unappreciated. It is hard to paint from these plants as the most remarkable and fantastic are almost impossible to capture and have them look "real", like they are apart of this earth. The jungle is like the deep sea, there are creatures that look alien there too, but the jungle is easier to get to. The other day. Rob and I found a......hmmmm..... a fungus or orchid.....plant that grew on the side of a tree that was round orange.... about the half the size of Rob's melon (head) and was made up of bright orange with a multitude of blossoms..... with a number of delicate yellowish tendrils sticking straight out. Now this description is with words that are failing, now try and paint it. Yikes. It was fabulous and impossible to describe to give it full and complete honor and accuracy.
So this is my first attempt, it is a simple flower and fortunately on a large canvas. Another thing that I am trying to capture is the yellow light that is here. In Canada there is a pink light but here in Ecuador there is a yellow light. I am finding it a challenge and I have to take many breaks to deal with it. So wish me luck with this attempt. I will photo the painting when done. Wish me luck on trying to capture nature at its best.
Talk with you all later, be brave and honest
Robin

The earth shakes

Hi there Everyone:
Here we still are when mother nature is trying to balance herself out and we are in the heart of the action. Above us there were the quakes of Haiti and below us the quakes of Chile, the other day Ecuador not wanting to be left out were the quakes of Guyaquil and this morning there were the quakes of Banos. The ones in Ecuador have not been strong but they might be actually after quakes from Chile. The one this morning was strong enough to wake me out of my sleep so there you go, at first I thought it was Rob trying to wake me up until I realized Rob is back in Canada and there should only be kids and dogs waking me up.
We have now gone from being nervous about the volcano to nervous about earthquakes. Well, I guess we will just have to live life and live it for now rather than making yourself sick about worrying. I like that philosophy better anyway, living life and not sweating the small stuff and things we can't control.
I feel that all these earth shifts and earth changes are mother nature trying to come into balance with herself. I read that the Chile earth quake have started polar shifting or tipping of the earth axis and changing earth with making the days shorter. It is a kind of cool thought to be in the general heart area of those changes. I feel like we won't be left out of witnessing anything. So we still have our evacuation packs on the ready and that is about as good and we can do at this point.
Rob is now in Canada, about to go to work and just as he leaves I get sick. Getting a cold is one thing but getting a cold in Quito is another. When dealing with the elevation on top of the conjestion now there is a challenge. So needless to say we were quick to leave Quito after Rob left and I spent the day in bed trying to get over the cold. It is almost gone just a little head conjestion left and after several days of eating cooked foods which helped to contribute to my sickness and now again bad skin. Again, I am back on track with Raw foods and I know that health will return.
Dane and I have to work like madmen to get his school done for the year, yikes. But I know that we can do it. So this is the end of this report as school is required to be done. I will make and tea and fruit shake and get going talk with you all later,
Robin