Silent Night . . . . . Literally!!

Happy Boxing Day to all the Canadian folk : ) I’m back in the main area of Puerto Princesa and back in communication. It was an interesting Christmas, and in fact I kept forgetting it actually was Christmas (perfect!!) I arrived at Bahay Kalipay (otherwise known as BK) on the 23rd in the afternoon. I got to experience the inner dance which is what the founder of BK is known for. I had a session with him in the afternoon, and then he led a group session in the evening. It was an interesting experience, but nothing that really impacted me like some of the other new things I have tried while I have been here.

On Christmas Eve it was a coconut feast/silent day – they do this once a week, and Christmas Eve seemed to be the best time for them to do it. So, I did actually get to experience a coconut cleanse (loved it as I have discovered I LOVE young coconut), and the silence was nice to unwind and reflect after the whirlwind of saying goodbye to a home and family I had grown to really love.

While I was there, there were 4 guests along with the 2 main staff and a couple volunteers, so it was pretty quiet. I always find that this is more comfortable for me than a big group of people, and I find it interesting how I continue to attract situations where I am part of a smaller, intimate group. On Christmas Day we headed to their other site called “Maia Earth Village”. Similar concept to BK, but more out in the countryside and quite a bit more rustic (and I found BK was almost pushing it for me on my “rustic scale” – Piddy . . . . . you would have hated it!!) Maia was just a quick stop (some people had to pick some stuff up), before we headed off to the main Christmas event – the beach!! YEAH!!! Luckily the skies had cleared (it had rained all night and most of the morning) and made for a beautiful day of swimming, eating (raw food of course!), interesting conversations and just vegging out. On the way back a few of us sat on top of the jeepney – how very Filipino!! Christmas dinner was a low key affair and there were no programs going on in the evening, so Amy, Robert (a couple of the other guests) and I watched a movie before hitting the sack.

I didn’t get to spend a lot of time there, but I’m glad I got to experience it. The people there are so welcoming and they really have built a beautiful community. I’m back in the center of the city and am doing the tourist thing tomorrow. Off on a city tour as I haven’t really seen much of the city besides the immigration office and the mall. What is even going on here? Guess I’ll find out tomorrow : )

I’m not in the main area of the city any longer! This is the road to BK.

Welcome!

My room. Everything is open which means you really want to make sure you have no food in your space as critters can and do come in. I got a roommate on my last night, and she made the mistake of leaving her bags open. I came into the room to find a squirrel scurrying away from her bag. Not a sight I really enjoyed seeing!

The balcony, and . . . . .

. . . . the balcony view.

Other sites around BK:

reception area

dining hall

yoga space. I spent plenty of time on those hammocks!

bathroom area

Did I mention it’s rustic?

Buko = young coconut

the labyrinth walk

Off to Maia

Being shown around the site.

The construction of the places is super cool. It’s still in construction and there are a few different houses named after different colors in the chakras.