Earthing

Earthing, also known as grounding – it’s something I hadn’t heard of until a time when I was sick for a long time not knowing what was wrong. A friend of mine who’s a doctor, asked me if I’d tried earthing, and said she thought it might be helpful, and it certainly couldn’t hurt. At the time I was desperate to feel better and so I looked into it, but living in New England, and being winter, it wasn’t practical to walk barefoot outdoors.

The idea of earthing is that there is an energy that emanates from the earth, and it’s an electrical current. People who live close to the earth, by having a lot of direct contact with earth, benefit from this energy because it’s naturally healthy for our bodies. Being confined for a large part of our lives in buildings and living indoors interferes with our contact with the current and may not be so good for our health. There’s a company that sells a device that transfers the current to a pad so you can do your earthing in your home.  

I bought the earthing pad, but to be honest, I didn’t notice a difference and gave up on the idea. I was sick at the time which was later diagnosed and treated, so maybe I just was too far from healthy to feel the benefit. When I got better, I never went back to using the earthing pad so I can’t comment it’s effectiveness, but, rather than using the device, you can give yourself more contact with the earth for free by walking barefoot in the yard or swimming in a pond. The problem is, living in New England, it’s just too cold to be able to do that to an extent that would make a difference.

The more contact you have with the earth, the greater the benefit to your health, so the you receive optimal benefit being in the water. With the earth’s energy surrounding the entire surface of your skin, you can absorb thousands times more energy than you can from walking on the earth in your bare feet.  Do you find it easier to fall asleep on a day when you spent time in the water? Did you ever notice that this effect of feeling tired, but relaxed and satisfied was not the as great if you expended an equal amount of exercise on land? This could be why.

Fast forward, and years later, I’ve returned to good health and I’m living on a Caribbean island. The big difference in my life is that I spend a lot more time outdoors. I often have breezes on my skin, and I certainly don’t have a need to take vitamin D supplements anymore. I swim in the water regularly, and I do feel that there’s something about this that’s giving me a great health benefit. It’s hard to describe, and impossible to measure, but there’s no question in my mind that it’s significant to my well-being.

the boulevard

The main town on this island has a boulevard that has a walkway that goes along the sea for a couple miles. All along the boulevard are steps and boat ramps into the turquoise sea. Towards day’s end, there’s a migration of locals heading to the area; there are runners and walkers, and swimmers who come down after work to get their exercise, as well as family members gathering to sit on the benches while children play in the water. It’s nice to often see disabled people taken to the water for some exercise, relaxation and fun.  

the sea pool

The sea pool is an area where the swim team regularly practices where they set up pool-size boundaries for laps and water polo. It’s a popular spot for people to enter the water because it’s one of the few sandy entry points into the massive coral reef. I go to the sea pool almost every day, and there’s usually other swimmers there. It seems like there’s a common understanding among the people who go there that it’s more than just cooling off from the heat of the day, we’re soaking in nourishment for our hearts and souls. The people I’ve met there are wonderful, they’re friendly, happy, grateful, and carrying a certain peace in the way they live their life. I have to say, based on this experience, I firmly believe in the benefits of earthing.  

Full Moon Yoga

If you love yoga, you would love yoga practice on a tropical island. You may be in a class where warm, soft breezes caress your skin while you relax deeply into your pose, or where the lapping waves on the shore play a musical rhythm to accompany your movement. A class that begins at the end of the day may end at dusk with a silent shavasana that lasts as long as you need to fully experience it.

The last time I visited the island, I knew my company was closing and I was going to lose my job, so I expected that it may well be my last time to enjoy my favorite vacation paradise. During that trip, I saw a post on facebook about a full moon yoga party that had just happened the past weekend. It was at a place that’s called an “earthship” which is a self-sustaining structure made out of recycled materials, and the pictures were amazing. Even though I missed the full moon event, I enlisted the help of my friend Margaret to set out to find it, but we ventured though rugged roads through a cactus forest until we gave up. We never found it, but I’ve always wanted to see it.

Now two years later, I’ve come to live here, and a yoga session at the earthship was high on my list. Last weekend, Yogarriba offered a full moon yoga session at the earthship. They were even serving prosecco and chocolate after class, so I was excited to go to this event. We met at a church so we could get a ride from someone who knew the way and had a vehicle that could make it up the rut-filled rocky road. It was much farther into the hills than I thought, no wonder we weren’t able to find it. We made a turn up a long hill and on one side of the road, you could see down the valley. Ahead of us was the earthship, a round structure with a roof top with pillars enclosing the magical space. 

The surroundings were decorated with lanterns in the trees and uplit cactus in the landscape.

  

We met downstairs in the tasting room, a cozy place with a bar and tables and a glass water decanter with fresh lemongrass from the greenhouse giving the it a refreshing flavor.

After everyone arrived, we headed up the stairs for the yoga class. 

At the top we had a breathtaking view of the sunset and the twinkling homes in the valley. The evening light illuminated the bottles that were embedded in the walls.

The yoga session was wonderful, in the peace of the hills and the warm breezes passing through the group. We were arranged in a circle, and we outstretched our arms to support each other in several balance postures. It was surprising how supported I felt and even though I wobbled in my tree pose, the support that extended through the entire group didn’t falter and nobody fell out of the pose. I had never experienced that before.

After a while, Lolymar asked us to turn and face the full moon now rising in the clouds above the horizon. We sat in silence for a long time.

After a while, we continued class, then rested in Savasana. I felt Lolymar caress my shoulders and glide her hands up my neck with rose oil that smelled heavenly. I enjoy a silent Savasana, with only the sounds of the natural environment to bend my thoughts passing through my mind like clouds. Understanding that we need to spend enough time resting in the last pose to have the maximum benefit, she waited until we were quietly getting up on our own before concluding the class.  

After class, many of us were trying to capture the moment taking pictures, but in a few moments, prosecco was being served in the tasting room offered with sweet oranges and handmade chocolates. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful night.

To learn more about Yogarriba, visit the website: http://www.yogarriba.com/ 

If you're planning a visit to Bonaire and you're interested in learning more about the yoga experiences available on this island, leave a comment below and I'll be happy to suggest something that fits your schedule.

Duo Xtreme Bonaire

I had heard about the Duo Xtreme Bonaire mountain bike race, and having experienced the climate for a month, I knew this was going to be a grueling competition. I happened by the race in progress on my walk and stopped to check it out.

The race had two courses, 50 and 70 km and was a duo race, where cyclists raced in teams and had to start and finish together.  They had several divisions from junior to masters for men, women and mixed teams with cash prizes. This year, they had 112 participants from Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, United States and the Netherlands.

I saw lots of smiles among the volunteers and cheers as each team came in. What a fun day for the competitors and their friends and families.

rough terrain

finishing the race despite each having flat tires

Neil helps out the volunteers

Rincon Cultural Market

The oldest settlement on the island of Bonaire is a small town called Rincon, nestled in the desert hills with the main port of Kralendijk to the South and the Washington Slagbaai National Park to the North. Once a month, at the Magazina di Rei, they hold the Rincon Cultural market, so I decided to check it out.

It was about a 30 minute drive from town driving on a clear road passing through a cactus forest with views of the brilliant blue East Coast. Along the way, I passed inviting entrances to a goat farm, a botanical garden and several other sparsely situated tourist attractions. As I got close to Rincon, rock formations rose to the brilliant blue sky on my left. It was in that area that I drove through a cloud of butterflies with their orange and black wings flicking my windshield. I never saw so many butterflies! As soon as I arrived into the town, the Magazina di Rei was on my right. From the parking lot, I could hear the traditional music inviting me to join the fun.

traditional dances

To enter the market, you walk through a garden with native species into a patio area with seating and tables overlooking the valley where the townspeople live. In the center was a band playing music and a beautiful woman doing traditional dances. There was a nice blend of local people and tourists enjoying the music, when I met a friend who offered me a drink. The juice at this market is well-known, the woman who worked at Budget Marine told me not to miss trying it. Andy bought me a drink of lemon juice - it wasn’t like lemonade, but more like juice with a strong flavor sweetened perfectly.

I strolled the market and met a family who own a local restaurant, Posada Para Mira. They offered wonderful sandwiches made on fresh bread. Next to her, a woman was selling hand-made bags and dolls. There was a table offering all kinds of plants and in the pavilion local artists and vendors offered their goods. A fully operational kitchen offered all kinds of freshly made local foods. It smelled amazing.

The people were lovely.

Posada Para Mira

The building itself was built in 1824 and houses an interesting display about the history of Bonaire. Historic

Exhibit hall

line dancing

artifacts from tools to musical instruments are explained in detail with well-maintained exhibits. Outside the exhibit hall, there was a bush that attracted the same orange and black butterflies that I had seen on my drive.

At this time, the music was playing a last song where people joined in to do a traditional line dance, and that was followed by a presentation by a seasoned fisherman explaining how to build their style of traditional fishing boat. The talk was entertaining and generating lots of laughs.

In many ways, it felt like going back in time, to an authentic local gathering of people sharing music, food and fun. It’s a great way to spend a day and still have time to explore the sights of Rincon. 

the best juice!

Local artist shows her talent

Soaps and botanical products made from local plants

So many butterflies!

Update on Hurricane Recovery Efforts

Red Cross volunteers who are continuing the hurricane relief efforts

It’s obvious living near the airport that there’s been no slowdown in the increased activity since the hurricanes devastated the nearby islands of Saba, Statia and St. Maarten. The island of Bonaire, where I’m staying, wasn’t hit by the hurricanes, but Saba and Statia are a part of this country, so Bonairians are putting their hearts and souls into helping with the recovery.

I counted four flights taking off and landing during the time I was watching the sunset, evidence that the efforts to bring relief to hurricane victims is going as strong as ever. The need doesn’t end when the news coverage subsides, and as conditions deteriorate, the coordinated efforts between the six Dutch Caribbean hospitals is more critical than ever. As the fuel supplies dwindle on the affected islands, more and more patients whose lives depend on generators have to be evacuated.

The two organizations of Medic Air and Fundashon Maridal are working together to save lives; Medic Air has a medically equipped Learjet and Fundashon Maridal provides medical crew for air ambulance providers and both are working in coordination with the six hospitals in the Dutch Caribbean. By the first weekend following the storm, 83 patients needing hospitalization were airlifted to safety, and the work continues. Evacuees are typically brought from the affected islands to hospitals in Aruba or Curacao, then the planes land in Bonaire to refuel, load supplies and pick up more volunteers; and the cycle repeats continuously.

Groups of volunteers are going to the islands to help with the cleanup and delivery of food and water. The first group of volunteers arrived on Statia on Sept 17 and the effort continues with volunteers staying for one-week shifts. I talked with a couple of Red Cross workers who were at the Cultural Market in Rincon this past weekend, and asked about how the hurricane relief efforts were going.

I asked the young woman named Roshendra if they needed more volunteers, but she said they are fully occupied with training the volunteers they have. She told me this week they have been focusing on preparing the next group of volunteers for going to the island. There’s a lot that’s invested in each volunteer because they need to be very well informed about the conditions they will be going into, not just that they will be without ordinary comforts, but they will see people in very desperate conditions. They have more than enough people already working with the Red Cross and local NGO’s waiting to be trained to help. She didn’t say this, but it was clear to me that helping with a donation is the best way to offer help.

The fresh group of trained volunteers were leaving for Curacao that evening, and from there on to St. Maarten. The Dutch Red Cross operates twenty-four shelters on St. Maarten and many are only tents. I asked how many people are in the shelters, and I presume they don’t have the resources to do a headcount because she looked at me as if the question was overwhelming, All she could say sadly was "It's a lot."

I met a volunteer who had returned, and I was careful not to prod because it seemed clear he didn’t want to talk about it. The only thing he would say was that it was horrible, and the violence was the worst. I took the opportunity to ask Roshendra her thoughts on how the volunteers were handling the experience. “Yes, it’s very hard on them and we know this. We spend a lot of time preparing them, but no one can fully understand before they go there.”

“The typical reaction they have is at the end of their stay, they have a very hard time when they have to return. They don’t want to leave when people there still need help. But we have to have them come back, we only allow them to stay for one week at a time.”

I asked about making a donation, as I haven't found a way that people could make a donation on-line. This is a small island, so if you want to contribute to this organization, you have to make a deposit to account 41385602 at the MCB bank in Kralendijk. 

I want to thank all the wonderful volunteers who are doing so much to help others. They are truly remarkable people. Visit their website at http://afdeling.rodekruis.nl/afdeling/bonaire

#irma #jose #maria #hurricanes 

Swimming in the Caribbean Sea

It’s common to see people setting their towels on the sea wall and going for a swim, especially towards the end of the day. I thought about doing it myself, but was only accustomed to swimming laps in a pool. On my walk along the water yesterday, a man stopped to say hello before setting out for his swim.

It’s completely different, he told me, because of the movement of the water. You’ll be a far better swimmer if you swim in the sea, he advised. Typically, he swims two kilometers, and he pointed out where he swam out past the yachts to the deep blue water and up the coast and back again. “There’s nothing like it, swimming among the creatures,” he told me. “Once a young sea turtle thought I was its mother, and swam beside me all the way from out here to Harbour Village. The feeling is just indescribable.”

There he goes.

The next day, I decided to go for a much less ambitious swim. When I arrived at the place called the “sea pool” (where the swim team practices) I was glad to see someone else in the water. Just as I arrived, there were two talkative girls who had just entered the water with their mother.

“Hi,” the older girl greeted me with a big smile. “Hi, how are you doing?” I chimed back. “I’m cold! The water’s cold…” sharing her opinion. I welcomed the opportunity to cool off from the heat and said how much I liked it. The younger one enthusiastically swam up to us and announced that her sister had swam in the Special Olympics, jumping into the conversation. “Today’s practice day, I have to do a practice swim for the meet tomorrow”. She was one of the local kids on the Bonaire Barracudas swim and water polo Team.

I introduced myself to this friendly family, and tried to remember their names. I told them I was nervous about swimming in unfamiliar water since I wasn’t as strong as the kids and asked about the currents in the area. “The current won’t take you out,” their mother assured, “there’s hardly any current at all. When there is, runs along the shore either this way or that way.” indicating the two side shore directions. Rachel, the younger girl was eager to share her local knowledge. “Right now, it’s going this way”, pointing North. “So it will be easier to swim in that direction, and harder to swim back.”

“How do I know if I can make it back?” I joked. “You can do it, of course you do it!” she claimed. She started out with the current, and I headed in the same direction after her, happy to have swim buddies around while I did my workout.  It was like swimming in an aquarium, with every stroke seeing bright fish, small fish, schools of fish, corals and urchins. I stopped for a moment and popped my head up, finding Rachel right beside me.

“That’s incredible! How can you focus on your stroke when you are looking at so many fish?” I asked. “You just focus so you can go farther and see more fish!” Clearly, she was having a lot of fun with me. As I was swimming, she kept tapping me on the shoulder pointing out the marine life that was not to be missed. I caught on to give the thumbs up or she would keep tapping me with grand enthusiasm. I sprinted away until I had to stop to rest, and she was right there with me. “Float on your back when you need to rest.” she coached me, along with some other pointers. I enjoyed the swimming lesson more than she knew.

Back again at our starting point suddenly, there were lots of kids in the water, a formal practice was underway now. “Are you practicing with us?” the coach asked Rachel. “Yes!” she called back, as I made my way to the sandy entrance to the sea pool.

It was more than getting some exercise, more than going out for a swim and cooling off from the heat of the day. It was an opportunity to connect with others and have some fun. I spent all morning cleaning my apartment and working on a job application and by the days end, I just wanted to get out to see some friendly faces. It’s easily done her on Bonaire.

This weekend is the second International swim meet for this young and powerful swim team. I Rachel and all them the best of luck!

Bonaire Barracudas Swim and Water Polo Team

http://bonairebarracudas.org/

Historic Fishing Boat Restoration

One of the first volunteer opportunities I found after I arrived on the island was working on a historic fishing boat restoration project. Getting started was easy because so much help was needed, and it was great for me to get involved with such wonderful people.

Coming up in October is the 50^th International Bonaire Regatta, and an effort is underway to recover as many old fishing boats, or “Boto di Piskado” as they’re called, so they can be a part of the races. The effort of the people here to resurrect their heritage has been remarkable.

I was told to come to an old boat house where the work was being done and was quickly put to work scraping and sanding the old boats. The property is a historic building that’s used as sailing center where sunfish sailing is practiced to perfection. I'm told he head of the sailing association is the world champion sunfish sailor, and the main sailing instructor is world renowned for his athletic accomplishments –  three-time world champion, and also holds the record for sailing a sunfish from Bonaire to Curacao, as well as the record for swimming around the island of Klein Bonaire.

The building is currently under renovation having been rescued from attempts by big companies to build a modern hotel on the site. Everyday I’m there working, guys are working long hours in the heat to bring back the historic charm of this uniquely Bonairian landmark.

You’ll see when the boats came in, they were in pretty rough shape, but no one was deterred from the work to be done. The regatta is in two weeks, so there’s still lots of work to be done, I actually have to stop working on-line and get down there to do some painting!

  

Yopi sits by his favorite boat, "Aransta", a boat he built himself.

After removing all the rotten wood, all that's left of this boat is the shell of the hull. It's more work than to build a new boat from scratch, but the locals love this boat because it's won the most races, so it will be restored. It's called "Tuy yo y Ju" translated, me, you and the little one.

This is the boat I scraped, Barabas. It's a favorite of the locals because it's a fast boat.

This one has the ribs restored and is ready for painting.

The project was delayed this week because there was no money for paint, but it came today. Yopi painted the flags of the United States and Bonaire, and the sponsor that paid for the paint will have their emblem painted between the two flags.

Our working area has tents for shade and a large sign from a sponsor in front of the site. 

The sailing center restoration is underway, it appears there's a structure for a viewing stand in the front. The neem trees also need to be taken down. They'll be replaced with a native species. 

For an entertaining look at the project, check out this video: https://vimeo.com/234431330

Eye of the Storm

Not long after I arrived on the island, I received a very brief email from my brother that said “be careful of Irma!...” I’m fearful of hurricanes, so I took to the internet and followed her like a hawk. At that time, it had just formed off the coast of Africa, and it looked like we could potentially be in the path. I felt immense relief as she veered towards the Leeward Islands, but still I was captivated by the coverage and aghast at the impending devastation.

This country is called Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius and consists of those three islands; Sint Eustatius is affectionately called Statia by locals. I’m on the Southernmost island of Bonaire, which was unaffected by the tragic trio of Irma, Jose and Maria, but the tiny islands of Saba and Statia were destroyed.

Like most people after the storm, I was thinking about what I could do to help. People here on the island were posting on local facebook pages asking to organize the help that’s needed. In a couple of days, a facebook page came online, but even before that, people were already gathering supplies and holding fundraisers. The radio played everywhere you went announcing events like a local restaurant donating all the proceeds for an evening, and non-stop chat about the big party on the weekend. It was a party on the beach with a popular band headlining lots of local talent, where everyone who had raised money would announce their totals and you could make last-minute bids on the auction items before the winning bids were announced.

The tiny airport on this island that usually sits silent was now seeing flights coming and going all day long leaving with supplies and returning with refugees. The airport was loaded up with planes in the field seeking refuge from Jose and Maria. Cruise ships that were scheduled to visit the devastated islands visited our port nearly every day. The heat and the lack of wind seemed unbearable as the storms sucked up all the energy to our north, but it was hard to complain about the weather considering what our neighbors were going through.

It was beautiful to see the people on this island come together. It seemed the entire island turned out for this party with cars filling up overflow lots as people filed in on scooters and on foot. Here, it’s said, it doesn’t matter whether you’re the governor’s son or a fisherman’s son, everyone gets along, and that was evident by the kids of diverse races and cultures playing together the sand on the beach in front of the stage. In the back, there was a food court with about 30 stands offering local food with the proceeds going to disaster relief. The beer stands, where proceeds from the sales also being donated, were heartily patronized.

Local bands took the stage with a backdrop of photos of the hurricane damage and messages of hope. Auction volunteers manned a table to the side next to the Red Cross volunteers proudly standing by their flag. People who had come from the islands where they lost everything watched the show, enjoying the support of this wonderful community. Between acts, they showed this video produced by musicians who live on one of the most devastated islands. Please enjoy the uplifting music of the United Artists of Statia.

play viideo: "Eye of the Storm" by United Artists of Statia

Follow my journey by liking my facebook page www.facebook.com/tropicOfDestiny

#irma #hurricane #eyeofthestorm #statiaartistsunited

Tropic of Destiny is a place where you’ll find relatable experiences as I journey into a new life on a tropical island. To get here, I had to make some tough decisions - give up my home that I loved, say goodbye to my friends and family and take that leap into the unknown. What brought me here, and what will I do with my life now that I’m here? The diverse and interesting twists and turns of my life will reveal why this journey is critical to my survival. I have a renewed desire to become the person I’ve always wanted to be, and my creative side will emerge as I have to make my way in a completely new environment.

I’m looking for a simpler and more sustainable life, more authentic relationships that are rooted in face-to-face experiences more than on-line conversations. But it’s more than just that, it’s also a journey from anguish and suffering into a life that respects my own needs. It’s a struggle to free my mind from fears that have followed me through a lifetime of traumatic experiences. I wish I could say my doubts and fears no longer have a role in my existence, but what will happen if I fail?   

After I arrived on the island struggling to make that adjustment, I turned to a dear friend when my doubts would raise a litany of concerns. His words lifted me up and carry me through my days:

“I believe in you and what you are doing and believe that if it is meant to be, then it will be. I don’t worry simply because the journey is just as important as the end goal. You are already successful because you had the courage to actually start the journey. Live and experience every moment that is in front of you. Take a deep breath and absorb each precious memory, the smells, the scenery, people, sights, tastes and sounds for they are the makers of dreams, my dear Jeyna, and you are the Dream maker”.

I invite you to join me on my journey as I share my experiences and navigate the challenges ahead.

#paradise #sunset #Caribbean #tropicofdestiny