Well we saw yesterday when coming home from Otavalo, the the picture is complete, the signature and stamp are there. Truly inspiring…..
While in Otavalo we went with a new acquaintance (who just happens to own a coffee and chocolate shop), to a new community called San Raffael. This is actually the same community where the medicine woman I met when I first arrived, lives. In their community the reed business is quite common. They get the reeds in very large quantities from the lake on the lower side of the town. We stopped at a little store where furniture, baskets, mats and ornamental items were made to sell. There was a big basket style chair that was quite comfortable for me to sit in, but it had a pretty high price tags of $320.00 American on it (without the cushion). While I would have loved to have one, I just could not see paying that much for it, despite the fact that it was hand made. Sometimes here, we are not sure if the price is set at two levels, one for gringos, one for locals, which of course we would not know.
Still, I admire the quality and uniqueness of the furniture, and perhaps if I did not struggle so much financially, I would not give it a second thought. Selling anything handcrafted and original is difficult as I experienced over the years with my artwork, letting it go for a fraction of the price in the end so that I could make this trip. The act of letting it go was very therapudic and healing though and I have no regrets for doing so. I am grateful, especially because it allowed me to get here, to experience this amazing place. More than once I thought of the Buddhist monks that do such amazing sand paintings, very detailed and beautiful, only to destroy them. It is an act of letting go of possessions, which I began to understand the importance of during those weeks prior to leaving.
We went to the lake where we saw something surprising, also made from the reeds, something I just would not have thought of.
The boat itself is made from the reeds, while the seats and mast are of wood construction. Pretty cool, and from what we understood, you could enjoy a tour of the lake in this boat. You have to admit it is very imaginative.
It was a good trip, gave us food for thought as far as finding a place to live, but I have to admit I like it better where we have been staying, just because it is greener. The temperature is lower where we are, and it is busier, but the energy here is good (not that it was bad there) so I will plan on staying in this area. I love the mountain and the energy from it.
0 Comments