Home, for the next month, starting Monday! This is Ratana, or Jewel, kuti. Coincidentally the very first place I stayed during my first visit, several years ago. Exquisitely private, gets some nice sun, very open-woodsy setting, and no serious uphill walking required to reach it.
Inside is simple, but adequate. Lots of natural light, windows open only to the forest, no trails or other sources of other humans. This is what it looked like a year ago -- things get moved around, but usually they are the same things! I don't imagine it'll be much different now.
Heat source for those cool nights. Tiny little wood stove that really will heat the place nicely. I never really got the knack of keeping it burning low for a long time. With the drought down there, I don't even know if I'll be allowed to use it.
The view from one end of the deck. The other end is about the same -- this one leads to the trail to the landings, kitchen, and all other development.
I am really looking forward to being there. A month of total peace and quiet, nobody else in the house, no yappy little dog. Now, I live in a very quiet, very wooded space that would be hard to top despite the dog, and I have a really cool roommate. No complaints there, but the redwood forest, and a kuti with no electricity (i.e. no electronic distractions or noises) is a whole different thing.
I'm also looking forward to having something to do with my time. I'm bored, again. Life swings that way, for me, it seems. I am fairly well (not 100% but largely) convinced that much of my ennui and lack of energy comes from boredom, as much as or more than anything physical. I'll be cooking there -- at least part of the time. Don't know if I'll be doing all of it, but there will be other chores, including some driving. All that is good. Keeps me busy. And somehow, this forest always energizes me. The head nun wrote to me the other day, in her inimitable poetic fashion,
Our hermitage forest is so rejuvenating, with its ocean mist-cleaned air and the breath of so many herbs and soft fragrant earth beneath the trees.
She is so right! It's magic, in its own way, and it always works its magic on me. I expect it'll do the same this time.
Looks wonderful - I'm sure they'll appreciate your cooking very much. Interesting comments about boredom - as an introvert, I know I don't want to fill my retirement with socializing, but I imagine it could be hard to motivate myself otherwise. I think this is why I love gardening, there's always things that need to be done.
ReplyDeleteJust occurred to me, you may not get this if you've already left - oh, well, have a good trip. Jane
Hi, Jane, good to hear from you. Trip was delayed a day, due to issues at their end. Leaving tomorrow, but I'll have the computer with me, just not in the kuti. The wireless doesn't work that far from the source, and that's a good thing because it's good for me to not have the thing always at hand and available.
ReplyDeleteYou're lucky to have gardening -- I've always loved having a garden because you are right, there is always something to do in it. I'm not overly social either, and it is hard to motivate to do other things. I really need to find something to fill the gap and fill the time. Sometimes I feel as if I'm just wasting these years, when I have plenty of time and plenty of good health. I should be doing something useful with it, but what?
I hope they enjoy my cooking! It's always a challenge for me to come up with a variety of things over a period of weeks, especially with a few individual dietary needs to take into consideration. But, today my mind was being creative and ideas were flying, so I wrote them down in a big list because I know how such things generally pass through my mind without sticking.
Turns out they are having a one-day meditation retreat this coming Saturday, which should be interesting. I've never been there for one of these, as it's a relatively new thing for them. Ayya Sobhana is teaching, leading guided meditations as well as a 'mindful' creek walk. I may or may not go on that, although I did it once and it was a fine experience.
Thanks for reading, and I always appreciate your comments.