A Land of Balance

Hola from Quito! We just finished an incredible week staying in the community of Llachón on Lake Titicaca.

Llachón, a land filled with incredible natural beauty, beautiful people and even slightly more beautiful stray dogs. This little village on the peninsula's southern tip is home to a wonderful and proud community rooted in tradition as well as love for one another.

Before I get started on our adventures in this new place, it's important to understand the culture within it and how it shapes the community. Fundamentally, Llachón is a land of balance. Cultural balance between maintaining strong traditional ideals and incorporating new technology and new ways of viewing the world. Social balance between remaining deeply in touch with the native community and including foreigners in their affairs. And lastly physical balance of the land between sustainability and necessity.

So with all of these factors in mind, we dive into our week in perhaps the most beautiful place I have ever been. Our host, Magno welcomed us on our first day with a characteristically warm smile that we would all come to know very well. We were given our individual families and lugged our 70-pound duffels down the hill to our new homes.

Over the next week, we helped our families with everything from herding sheep to hauling sandbags and picking habas (Lima beans). We held dancing lessons on the beach. A four-hour lesson on the "Carlton" was specifically challenging for the budding pupils. We went on an incredible hike, one of which resulted in Magno strongly encouraging me to put my shirt back on or else it would bring hail. I scoffed and said "yeah I'm sure there's a strong correlation between those two things." Waking up that night to the most violent hail storm I have ever experienced was plenty proof of Magno's all-knowing power, and would solidify my place in the community as "Landon, Gringo Lord of Hail".... moving on. We made a lovely bonfire and sang songs deep into the night; met some unbelievably sweet doggies, and I had my heart broken by a 35-pound brindle-coated mutt named Luis; traveled to Uros, one of the floating islands nearby which is actually floating on the water, sustained by buoyant reeds. This community fascinated all of us. Having to replenish the surface upon which they walk every 10-15 days is a task which truly demonstrates the love for their people's history. Also, not to overshadow Uros, but our group ate some delicious food, and then some more food, and then still more. And we ultimately became closer with one another as well as the community surrounding us.

It's safe to say that when a community welcomes you with open arms that it is easy to feel at home. And for me personally, this rings incredibly true. Llachón has this look to it that oddly combines Hawaii, Scotland and New Hampshire and though its look may seem eclectic, its feel is incredibly singular. And that is a feeling of love.

We're heading out this morning to our next homestay in the community of Agato in Ecuador and I'm really looking forward to new experiences, meeting new people, and of course, meeting new dogs along the way.

Chau, Landon