It’s the little things in life… (Lost post from March)

I stood today and caught snowflakes on my tongue. The sun shone down and a little old lady walked past and smiled at me.

I woke up this morning and sat for 10 minutes of meditation. When the others came for breakfast I was ready with a serving of smiles.

I am still using the same shaving cream as when I left NZ 10 months ago! And I share it with Jo…

Lost post from Easter...

Easter has snuck up fast! We go tonight to buy chocolate eggs (describe to make it sound pointless) to help spread the spirit. Who remembers these days what it is all about? I had hoped and planned on spending my Easter in the Vatican City and listening to the Pope give his annual Easter speech (supposing he does) but it has caught me unawares and so I shall spend it instead, painting the skirting boards of a four stoy flat complex filled with German teachers, one german bum, one german artist and a german metal chemist. Ah well, life goes on and in two weeks i will be travelling once more (o:

Lost post from Feb...

On another note, how has everyone enjoyed the recent season? It must be getting into Autumn if you are in New Zealand? Here it is spring. Today is the day it turned. The cold embrace of winter has retracted for another year as the warmth of spring returns to thaw out toes sat on the door step in that little pocket of morning sun. Hedgehogs sniffing the air. Birds building new houses. The daffodils are out in the garden outside. People walk with a confused air about them, no doubt wondering about the inward happiness they are experiencing. And today it truly fitted as a change of season too.

Awakening to a clear blue sky, I found my breakfast shared with a welcome visitor. The early morning sun joined me in companionable silence. I bid goodbye as work began, casting a brief glance outdoors to capture one last glimpse of warmth to see me through the day. Instead, the glance found me the lone audience to a magical dance. Snowflakes, some drifted lazily to the ground as if trying to prolong their momentary span of existence, whilst others swirled high up in the air to land gently on the roof tops and highest branches of the tress, had come out to enjoy the sun too and were seemed unable to constain their happiness, their sparkling was so bright.

If not for the slightest of chills added to the air and the briefest of blemishes left upon the window panes, it could have been mistaken for a swirl of passing dust. But the sun, gladdened by the sight of so many old friends, returned in all its glory, setting off an orchestra of bird call and opening a sea of colour across the outside lawn. The proud yellow blooming of the daffodils outshone only by the clarity and majesty of the simple blue petals of their neighbouring pansies. Resplendent in their modest form.

Our morning tea break, set to sit in the midst of such happiness was instead interrupted by a volley of rude hail stones, pattering the roof top like a thousand ill timed birds on the march. The wind rose and the birds fell silent as the sky slowly darkened to a soft blue. But the flowers kept hope and eventually, the return of the sun’s rays signaled time for lunch.

Then as the sun set and the sky grew fit for a murder, with the winds whipping the branches off the giant oak tree next door and the sky booming on its new toy drum, a sudden stillness arose. Darkness settled over all until the stars came out, ready to guide home the last of the nights miscreant wanderers.

Stuffs

To get to Tolva we hitched. Got a lift in a police car and when he dropped us off, he gave us his cell number and told us to call him if we ever had ANY problems. Sweeeeeet! Then next was something I have wanted for a while; a lift with a trucky! Nice Romanian guy. Rest were usual.

And today we went for a wander in some canyons and I was chased by a urethra fish! Lucky to get out of there with my urethra in tract! Maahahaha, what a pun (o:

Very shitty work

Mike Fenton, our host met us in the town centre. Straight up he was obviously a very english sort of english chap and of the good sort. Took us back to the flat we are staying at in town until the castle, Masia de fals, is ready for habitation, fed us with home cooked meals! and then we slept, ready to see what the next day had for us.

It has now been two weeks since then. We have built stone walls, smashed lots of old stuff (troughs, walls etc) and shovelled tonnes, TONNES, of 500 year old goat poo.

We work about 4 hours a day and they keep telling us not to overdo it and make sure we are enjoying it. It is easy as pie work really. No, easier! Making pie can't be that easy. More like easy as cheese on toast.

In between the drive us around all the local villages to sightsee, go out for dinner if Paul doesn't whip up some gourmet dinner himself like fresh cooked garlic prawns (delish!), wander the surrounding countryside (they live surrounded by protected land) and otherwise relax with a book or movie. We have been geo-caching, Jo made a pavlova (second actually as our first burnt) and there is again all the food we can eat. I put on three kilos in the first week!

There are golden eagles nesting across the valley the castle is on and we have a telescope to see them (visible to the naked eye too and they often fly over top as we work). They also have a chick.

Our hosts are two guys Mike and Paul. 50 50 share in this castle and house place. 96 hectares of land and a heap of ideas. Really relaxed guys too as i think i have said.

And now Sam is flying over from home in 2 weeks (1st July). I head off at the end of this week to southern Spain and will stay there through July at least working on a property with a daughter who runs a surf school! Needless to say, the surf is why I am going there...

Woofing

Barcelona was good but I was in Spain to woof. Time to move on. I quickly photo shopped a photo of me to make me extra appealing to all of my potential hosts and then sent out my request...

Hola (insert name) (o:

My name is Mark and I am a 23 year old student from New Zealand. Along with a friend, I have been travelling the world for one year now and have just recently arrived in Spain. I am currently staying as a couch surfer in Barcelona but hope to soon move on into trying out woofing.

I left New Zealand after completing my university studies (Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Ecology and a Postgraduate diploma in Wildlife Management) and began to travel to experience new ways of living, see what else this world has to offer and most importantly, to enjoy myself along the way. When my travels are complete, i plan on returning to New Zealand to complete my masters in Wildlife Management.

I have recently joined wwoofing as it seems a great way to see a local culture first hand while also picking up some valuable lifestyle experiences. I would also love to learn Spanish as I hope to travel to South America next year.

Back home I live on a small farm where we graze horses and keep a few chickens, cows and sheep on a non commercial basis. As such, from woofing, it would be nice to have something to take back home when I finish my travels that could be put into use there.

Before leaving for travel, I worked for 3 months with an environmental consulting firm (Wildland Consultants) back in New Zealand and during my travels I have taught English on a volunteer basis for 2 weeks and worked as a builder in Germany for 2 months. I also helped a Thai friend restore and renovate a house in Thailand which he hopes to now put into use as a school for kids with fewer opportunities in life. In New Zealand, I have had numerous summer jobs labouring, painting, gardening, working in a petrol station and for our local government conservation group the Department of Conservation (DoC).

As a helper on your property, I promise to work hard and well. I am a quick learner and most importantly, I am keen. I am fit, smart and capable and am looking forward to doing something productive once more. Your farm sounded especially appealing to me as (insert favourable sounding reasons related to what they are offering).

I am available to work for (insert offered time frame). I have no time frame on this trip and so am easy to mould to whatever suits you. My friend I am travelling with can also help out if you would prefer a team of 2 people (he is 23, fit, studied Zoology and VERY capable with most things. He has worked as a builder on and off for years during university breaks and will join me in South America next year too).

I am sure you have questions you would like to ask me and I would love to answer them all so please don´t hesitate to ask!

I look forward to hearing from you, hope the weather is beautiful in (insert city),

Sincerely,

Mark A. Turner
a.k.a Kiwi!

Being told it usually takes one to two weeks before a reply was recieved and that you often had to call the people to get one, I was pleasently surprised to get a response from all three requests I had sent out within two days! And so now I am today heading off to Tolva where my first host Mike Fenton is.

Will he work us 12hrs a day slave labour?
Will we be in a hippy commune, eating raw turnips and composting trees with our own wastes?
Will the hosts be border line psycotics and have us fearing for our lives every second we are there?
Will we be treated like royalty and fattened up on the fruits of the gods?
Or will it just be plain old farm work?

Only one way to find out...

Take 2... or maybe 3?

Wow we do well. Lets see if we can get another host in trouble (o:

Schetki already had a surfer Jess from America and she lives in a small flat with four other people so not a whole lot of room. But she agreed to take us in after I told her we were considering sleeping in the ATM room (it's where a lot of homeless people sleep in Barcelona and would have been fine!). But she didn't think it so good an idea and so took us home with her. And fed us (amazing chef!) and took us out at night and was all round wonderful!

In return, walking home that night she spotted a cupboard she liked outside a building (it was trash day and we were walking in a nice neighbourhood where they throw nice stuff out) and so Jo decided to offer that we would carry it back to her place for her! Now don't get me wrong, I was very thankful for all she had done and thought it a nice idea but this thing was big! VERY BIG!

And so my arms were hurting like buggery by the time we made it back to her flat...

And during the day we ate enough fruit to give the whole of Whales the runs twice over. 1 euro got you a kilo of strawberrys or a kilo of grapes or cherries or or or... it was sooo cheap! We endup up with a kilo of each and were soon fill to bursting and regretting our greedy gorging. Kind of (o:

Stealth surfing...

Do has a room in a flat rented from a guy who rents the whole appartment and then rents it out for more than he pays and so lives for free. She is not allowed guests in this apartment. or not without A LOT of prior notice. We had given her all of a few hours and so we were not to let the landlord know we were there. So began 3 nights of torturous living.

We had to hide in her room if he was there. Need to use the toilet? Too bad! Need a drink? Too bad! Accidentaly sliced your right nipple off and need a doctor pronto? Too bad! Your aren't going anywhere!

Second night we actually had permission (though it was grudgingly given and required A LOT of persuassion). Only we stayed the next night too and he caught us...

So next morning seeing as we had overstayed a night, the landlord told Dö she had to move. We had got her kicked out of her flat!!! Shite!

But on the bright side, during the days we explored the city, visited Gaudy's buildings and picniked on the beach with some more of Dö's friends. At night we cooked with Dö local spanish styles (Tortillias (egg potato dish) and so on), went to live jam sessions and visited the non touristy places (I'll do them when Sam gets here).

But overhanging this was the knowledge that Do was out. So we freaked all day wondering what to do and knowing little could be done and i could write heaps here but suffice to know that in the end she talked her way back in and we buggered off right royally from stealth surfing there. Instead we stayed with one of Do's friends who also wasn't really allowed to host us either...

Barcelona

We lift Bezier around midday. Our first lift was after maybe 2 minutes with two guys who couldn't speak English but were loving that we were going to Barcelona to chase girls and party. Um? Sure. Next lift took maybe 5 minutes from a toll paying higway place by a guy who had travelled heaps himself and wished he could join us in Barcelona but had a wife to return to and then another lift in about 3 mintues by a furniture guy who took us down to a better spot to get into Barcelona. Here we waited maybe an hour before finding a lift all the way in, offered drugs again and took the guy's number to meet up for a beer later (just realised we never made the appointment! Bugger)

But no offer of a place to stay. Bugger again. So we called up or friend Dö and she agreed to meet us for a drink. We met up and cruised to the beach for a picnic where we were joined by two other girls living in Spain, 3 American girls and a Spanish guy who also hosts. Nice food, the crazys went for a swim and the Dö decided we would stay the night with her. Awesome! Only we had to be sneaky...

Beziers

So with the realisation that trying to hitch a lift on a yaht in Antibes was probably not our most lucritive idea, I suggested to Jo it was time to move on to Spain. Never been so why not? Sam Feisst had also just suggested that when he arrives in Europe, him and me should try out some woofing in this part of the world. I figure why the heck not, I am doing so little else and need some new motivation until something crops us. So my plan now is to head to Spain to suss this woofing thing out for when Sam comes to join. If Jo wants to come, cool, if not, cool.

So our first stop on the way to Spain was a little French town called Beziers. Here we couch surfed a night, after having hitched up and then we hitched off early(ish)the next day so we didn't really see much. Must have arrived around 7pm to meet our host at 11pm and so we sat in and people watched till she got home from drum class. Got offered drugs a few times while we waited (must be the long hair?) and saw a guy get a speeding ticket but that was about it really.

Sleeping at the hosts was sleeping. Ate a little, had a glass of wine, a shower and then slept. Simple.

Leaving Antibes to get here sucked arse too as it rained as if a thousand drops of water were falling on us and cars kept driving too close to the curb, sending up sprays of dirty water like the water you find in the gutters on the side of a heavily trafficked road. We were left standing there in soggy clothing, like clothes left out on a washing line after it has rained, with our hair glistening like nose hair after a good sneeze, shoes squelching like when you step in a baby after a steam roller has driven over it, thumbs stuck out in poor imitations of the signal commonly used by hitch hikers and grins plastered to our faces like the Joker's after being made up by a bad make up artist in Batman knock off film.

But we did get picked up eventually and then again at the next stop fairly quickly as the rain had diminished and so with our raincoats off, we could hide the fact that when we got out of their car we would leave behind two big wet arse marks (o: Then we got another two lifts very quickly after that, one offering us their house for the night and the other taking us to our final destination. And so we arrived in Antibes.

Here we slept as mentioned and then left around midday the next day with not a clue as to where we were going to stay. Perhaps another lift would offer us their place? Or perhaps a girl Dö we had met at the Berlin beach camp would let us stay with her?

Only one way to find out...