Hi, everyone!

I only have a few minutes before the internet cafe closes, so I can't write much about recent adventures, but I wanted to send a quick note because I’m heading to the Rainbow gathering in Costa Rica in the morning, and will be camping in the woods, far away from internet access for at least 3 weeks.

My last 2 weeks in Mexico were wonderful, there wasn't much work to do since the camp was ending, so I spent a lot of time exploring the mountains, reading, writing, meditating, getting better in Spanish, watching sunsets, hiking up rivers, learning about the stars...

Now I’m in a little Mayan town on Lake Atatlan in Guatemala called San Pedro. I’ve been here for 10 quiet, beautiful days, swimming in the deepest lake in the western hemisphere (over 1000 feet!), walking around neighboring Mayan villages, eating fabulous, incredibly cheap food (there's a little international community that serves Thai, Chinese, Californian, & Indian veggie dishes, complete with tofu, for about $2, in addition to the Guatemalan restaurants).

I’ve been reading a lot, I just finished "I, Rigoberta Menchu" which I highly recommend if you're interested in reading a personal account of one Indian woman's experience here in their struggle against the oppression. The effects of 40 years of armed struggle, which just ended in 1996, are apparent in all sorts of ways here, maybe I'll write more about that in my next email.

But I’m off for now. Much love to you all. I'll write next month from somewhere in the Costa Rican rainforest!

Love

asha