Life @ EcoDharma

Some of you may have noticed it has been a while since my last post. Well, I basically have no internet at EcoDharma, I can sort of check my e-mail if I really, really, really need to. It is a different way of living, and I think I am enjoying it. I am sitting in a cafe 2 towns over, there cigarette burns in the table. 

I would say I  have become a tougher person (not at Chuck Noris level yet). I am not talking socially, I am talking wearing the same clothes for so long they become clean again. On the weekends I go out and say I will come back before dinner, I usually am. You can walk a day in almost any direction and not see a soul. There are tons of abandoned homes in the area, in the caves you can find cans of food.

Nick and I climbed over the ridge into the park just behind EcoDharma. There was a pile of steel that had been forgotten by the park, we helped ourselves to this excellent building material. We took the entire pile, 100-150 pounds. With the steel on our backs we could not fit through the 2 foot hole from which we entered the park. We went to the cliffs edge where part of the fence had fallen off. Then shuffeled along a 3 inch ledge until we were on the other side of the fence. It was a big drop, 25 meters to the first landing, the whole thing must have been 150 meters.

We had P-Day (Pickle). We made about 20 liters of pickled zucchini and cabbage. We still have cucumbers to go!

The rocks change their color all day, but they are lit up best early in the morning or as the sun sets.

Here is the closest town, 9 people live here year-round.

I went on a walk to the "pools" but totally over shot them. I found an 8 meter waterfall, and an allo vera plant taller than me!

It's nice here. Miss you all.

the most useful thing to know while traveling

is by far, knowing how to cook.

It is something you can trade with anybody.

For example: "Hey I'll come over and make you dinner, want to stop by the market ahead of time?"
I think it is hard to say no to that. When you think about it most people have a kitchen, dinning room, or some place to sit outside and eat. It is probably the most universal room in a house besides a place to sleep.

Thank god I took a few cooking classes before I left, plus everything my parents taught me. So far I have been lucky, each meal has turned out okay or great! I have learned a lot, sometimes I get taught a little on the job about Catalan food or just general tricks.

One night at the bakery I made pizza from scratch, my hands were too messy to take pictures. It was really great pizza, I think everybody enjoyed it. Haun helped with making the dough, I went out back and got some tomatoes and made some sauce. I got a little more dough than I expected, so the pizza was about 24"x18", luckily it cooked all the way through.

It's hot, I can expect the 90's almost every day. I pass this dog 2 or 3 times a day when I live in Salas. He never lets me pet him, but he's friendly. One day it was scorching. I turned on the spicket, he began to lap water right out of it. The locals came over, unhappy that a dog was putting its mouth where they get their water-sometimes (the all have running water). They tried to call the dog away from it, but the poor thing was dying of thirst, it didn't listen. I continued to let the water run, then washed my hands right under his mouth, pretending it was normal. Finally the dog and frowning locals left.

It is easy (and useful sometimes) to pull off the "stupid/I don't know what your saying/American look". I am starting to understand listening to spanish. I usually know whats going on, except when it's really fast.

Lleida's bus station

Well, I don't have any pictures of the bus station, I was afraid to pull out more than a one euro at the time. On the sketchy scale ranging from the DMV (1), to this bus station (5 or 6), and imprisonment by the Talibán (10). I was not 100% sure if Iris was going to come get me.... I knew I was going to wait at least an hour.

Well an hour went by. A man whistling the same song passed my 6 or 7 times in the same direction, he was just circling the block. I began to chat with what I thought to be a local woman, maybe 25 with a black lab that licked me consistently through our conversation. I was trying to make a plan B other than going back to Barcelona, internet cafes are closed on sunday. She pointed at my Sanuk sandals and said "that company sponsors me to climb", whoa. Her boyfriend finally caught up, they offered to take me to their flat to email Iris. As I opened my mouth to say yes, Iris pulled up on the curb.

In Barcelona I bought two miniatures at a "chinese shop" or that is how it translates, also known as a dollar store. The locals promise that it's name is not as racist as what it translates to. I paid 4€ for both, which would have bought me a pencil at Sagrada Familia. Honestly I am really happy with them, and only after purchasing them did I truly discover how precious they actually are (in defects!).

Hehe....

Iris and I covered her dads health food store for 2 hours today, I ducked out and found some coffee.

I got into an interesting conversation with Iris, concerning if home ever changes. She says the canal for irrigating the crops has been covered in some spots, there has been a bit of urban expansion as well. Then my thoughts carried on to imagining other changes, and then some things about home that does not ever change at all.

see you later Barcelona

Well it is time for me to leave Barcelona. I am heading up north to Lleida, where hopefully I am going to stay with Iris and her folks for a night or two. I need some time to catch up on backing photos, journaling, laundry, maybe get a hair cut.... you know. Definitely by wednesday I will be at EcoDharma again.

I want to tell you a little story first. I jumped onto the subway, no idea where it was going as usual, and ended up in some of the Olympic stadiums with some ugly art. I think it was the tennis courts and some other fields, but the experience was extremely strange. Not a soul was around, I must have walked 9 or 10 blocks in these giant structures not seeing anybody. I felt like I was in a post-apocalyptic movie.

Things have grown in a bit.

Pyromaniacs?

I did eventually pass these people. Then got onto the nearest subway heading down town, a bit freaked out by the area.

Later that day I went to the market again.

I have been vegetarian since I have been in Spain, I will probably continue this. It is funny, when I hangout with the locals they're more worried about finding me meatless food than I am. It's kind of them.

My hostel is on the edge of the Islamic district, the Jewish district is the next one over, I like to spend time there as well. In the Islamic district there is a large square lined with middle eastern food that is cheap and amazing, I will miss it. The prostitute street is next to it, it is difficult seeing that.

If I remember correctly the old building on the right is the poor mans hospital where Gaudi died.

La Sagrada FamÍlia

So there is this church that has been under construction since the 1800's called La Sagrada Familia. Imagined by Gaudi and built by public donations. When completed will stand 170 meters tall, slightly shorter than the near by mountain, Gaudi did not want to exceed god's work. I am guessing its a little over half way done, the city wants it done in 2 decades, but we will see.... Those colorful things you see at the top are baskets of fruit, in order by season.

The current entrance (the main one is yet to be built), is controversial due to how morbid Jesus's last days are depicted.

Once I went in all I could do was look up. It was a giant stone forest. The pillars split off into branches, supporting a massive canopy at least 40 or 50 yards up. Light will eventually shine in through all the holes in the ceiling.

Gaudi was careful with light, originally cathedrals tried to get the maximum light possible, but Gaudi thought light can be as blinding as the dark. There are rules he wrote to how the stained glass is made. He also designed the church for great acoustics.

The pillars are different colors because they are different kinds of stone, based on how much weight they must bare.

This is the side of the church Gaudi worked on, depicting the birth of Jesus, he wanted to set an example for future artist to follow. Gaudi died when he got hit by a tram walking home, he was wearing cheap clothes covered in dust from chiseling stone all day. They thought he was a homeless man so the brought him to the crappy hospital, when they realized he was Gaudi it was too late to save him, he died in 3 days. Bit of a waste.

He left behind some amazing buildings though.

walking towards the sea with Ben & Eric

As I got closer to the ocean I crossed a park containing Parlament and a zoo, I couldn't tell them apart (kidding). I met two Canadians, Ben and Eric when we traded taking pictures of each other a few times in the park, Ben took the next 2 photos. Ben and Eric were on their honeymoon and were also heading towards the sea as well, so I joined them. We got along great, we both had really interesting storys to share. We tried to hangout later in the week but our schedules did not line up.

Sooner or later we made it to the sea, we went to the part of the beach that is typically gay/lesbien/nudist. It was fun, I swear, it's weird for maybe a second, and then you realize there is no reason to care.

walking towards the sea

I got on the subway without looking where it was going, then I got off and walked to the ocean, it was one of my best days in Barcelona. Here is the old bull fighting arena, in 2012 it will be banned in Catalunya (the rest of Spain is giving them crap for it).

Siesta time, the streets are dead, Zzzz.