_After saying goodbye to our trusted Pibe, we jumped on a taxi for $12 and went to Gambhira, an Eco Yoga village in El Curval, small town 30 min from Santa Marta. We'll be volunteering there for few days, doing some yoga and meditation in Nature, and possibly getting involved in their natural building program. $12 each, lodging and 3 meals included. Once there it was a little different from what we expected: there were basically no other guests there, a part for a couple of long term ones, and a total of 10 people including us, almost like a family. Only two of them slightly speak English, which means that I'll definitely improve my Spanish here! Also the ashram is more religious than we expected: they are Hare Krisna, and their practice and rituals are different from what I'm used at Ananda Ashram in NY. I'll learn a lot of new things! All the structures were built only with the natural techniques used in the native indian's tradition and I hope I'll have the chance to help them finishing two cabanas. Our lodging is a round cabana with mud walls, palm roof, and hard beds! There are mosquitos but we have nets over the beds and it's fresh and breezy at night. The delicious meals are completely vegetarian, only milk is allowed. They compost all organic material and use it as a natural fertilizer. The Finca is located on ancient Tayrona land, the Indian that used to inhabit the area before being all killed by the Spaniards. There are still their ceremonial rocks standing around, stone trails and a lot of pieces of their ceramics around... I guess they could have some archeological value but they are considered like normal stones!
A lot of interesting different things to understand and get used to.
1 Comment
Amanda
3/12/2013 06:13:20 am
Hi guys! I'm so grateful to have stumbled upon your blog! What an amazing journey you're both on! I'm currently living in Colombia and am considering going to the Gambhira Ashram (it will be my first Ashram experience, and I'm still a beginner in the yoga area) and am hoping for another follow up on your experience there! Is there any way that I can privately message you with some questions? It would be really appreciated! Blessings
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