With Argentinian Gypsies in a Village by the Beach

Me, with gypsies

Like a lost cat, I wandered into a Peruvian, beach surf town. It kind of reminded me of the scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, when the children enter a new and different world - a world so different than the one they knew.

After washing up on shore of this little beach town, I fell in with a group of young gypsies - who work for housing. I followed along and started volunteering too.

My bosses appreciated the work I did, and started paying me with food, which included freshly baked bread; soy lattes, which quickly became called "love lattes"; curries; and homemade peanut butter. I laugh often to think that I get paid with food, but I guess it's nice to get paid in a currency of compassion.

Because meat is more expensive, and we have some vegetarian gypsies in the group, I began learning a number of vegan and vegetarian recipes. Generally, we eat and drink together every evening, but we have challenges to cook, because the gas range isn't strong.

Already, I've made a Korean noodle stew and ratatouille with noodles and quail eggs. The last meal, I could feel was par excellence, and I told the gypsies, I learned from the Italians, that the food has to be cooked from the heart. Everyone could tell that dish was cooked from my heart.

I don't know where I'll be going next. Only the winds know. But I'm glad that winter is beginning to vanish in Peru.