We've been in San Agustin (Huila) for about two and a half weeks now, working on Fundacion Viracocha’s farm and hiking the surrounding area. We are sheltered in a wonderfully cosy stone, cement and bamboo (actually, guadua to be precise) hut that has the shape of an octagon that is only about 10 to 12 feet wide. The hut is just up the hill from Steffen and Lina's house. On the ground floor, there’s a ceramic tiled counter top, a sink and a stone wood oven in the "kitchen" section that sit
on a floor which couples stone masonry with lacquered flattened guadua. There’s a cute basket to store our vegetables located in its special stone storage space under the counter. A hammock hangs smack in the middle of the ground floor separating the kitchen from the sitting area. There are 4 windows and 2 doors, six of the eight sides of the octagon therefore providing a glorious view, through the trees, over the valleys below. The hut’s remaining two sides are occupied by a guadua staircase (or rather a very sturdy ladder) to the bedroom above and a tiled wall behind the kitchen counter. Steffen's horse grazes in the field right outside our door. In the bedroom upstairs, the feeling is very organic, grounded. A well of light shines in from the ceiling and the windows encircling us on each of the 8 facades, one of them jetting out in triangular shape with una vista increible.

The farm seems to be in much better condition than it was last year at this time, having recovered from the disastrous drought that resulted in the loss of so much produce. We’ve been cleaning out beds and making compost so far and, apart from doing our little part to help improve the lives of some of these people, this is proving once again to be one heck of a workout as we prepare for our hike of the Inca Trail to Macchu Pichu in early April.

We hiked up to the indigenous ruins at Los Idolos on one of our first days here, a 4 hour hike which consisted in descending to the river, crossing over a somewhat rickety foot bridge and then climbing back almost straight up the other side of the gorge while encountering only few switchbacks. We arrived at the ruins after crossing through a few farms, finally reaching a gravel road which wound its way there. After spending an hour or so at the ruins, located in a steeped park full of serenity high above the valleys below, we then followed the mostly upward sloping road for another hour to reach the pueblo of Isnos, where we enjoyed a well earned comida corriente in a local restaurant in the parque central (delicious carne de res for me and huevos pericos for Nat).

New years’ eve was very natural, simple and intimate, in the company of Steffen and Lina and their two children in their “ecohouse”. We enjoyed good intelligent conversation while feasting on home made pasta and consuming Chilean wine.