The intense heat that overwhelmed us in the first half of July has tempered. Temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius feel comfortable and pleasant now, as these were the night temperatures during the first heat wave of this summer. The knee high grass growing throughout the garden has withered and turned golden brown and slowly the afternoons are filled with the incredible sounds of the cicadas. Our environment tells us to adapt our daily rhythms as the timing of our bodily signals of hunger and sleep have shifted. While our focus and aim to live life optimally provide us with a certain continuity, we experience that life changes continuously.
Managing the daily practical things of the guest house and presenting it locally and internationally, aiming at living and working together in harmony, adapting our likes and dislikes to necessities and finding balance between personal needs and being of service are challenging as well as inspiring aspects of living here. There is always room for improvement, there are always chances to let go of unnecessary habits. Patience is a good friend in finding new ways and in becoming more creative. To this the purpose of this place *) creates a baseline, like a basso continuo.
*) Cf. to last months newsletter.
The gifts of the garden also move with time. In these first few years we are just beginning to learn what kind of crops to grow in the garden at what time. We just harvested all the onions and now is the time to harvest the garlic, all kinds of peppers and delicious passion fruits. The pumpkins are almost done and the herbals like mint, basil and sage are thriving. The tayer leaf, a vegetable that produces large green leafs from central America, and was brought here by one of the residents, is growing very well and we already have enjoyed the calcium and iron rich, spinach like, creamy vegetable twice. We have lots of space and plenty of ideas for growing and cultivating more plots and crops, and we are still finding our way in reviving and managing the soil, making sure the source of all these gifts is healthy and stable.
Two larger two-person bedrooms, that can also be booked as a single suite, have just been completed. Talking about changes: when we arrived here one of these rooms served as a garage, then it became transformed into a meditation room, into a temporary kitchen and then again back into a meditation room. The other served as a tool shaft and a workspace. The guests that already stayed in these rooms were pleased with the luxurious space and the comfort of a private bathroom and toilet.
Currently, we have a long-term guest staying with us. Working on a project at the university he came looking for a place to live. He found a tranquil, natural and beautiful environment to balance his demanding job. P. will be living with us for at least two months. Special long stay prices for people like him, or for people that like to have a break from their current daily life, are a new dimension to the Guesthouse.
Surround yourself with tranquility and peace, join in our daily rhythm and/or
assist in the tasks that carry the Monastery Guesthouse in a practical way?
Please feel free to inform about options and possibilities.
