WWOOFing...the true story

Got into JuJuy on the 16th and stayed for a night. Was picked up the next day I arrived to the farm to be greeted by Martin, his wife Elizabeth and their son Matias. Very nice people. However, the mood here is sober to say the least. This is due mainly to the fact that there's been a drought which is severely affecting life. Northwestern Argentina usually gets tons of rain this time of year but this has not been the case as of late. I guess there used to be running water. Now there isn't and you have no idea what a difference running water makes in your life until you don't have it. No showers, no hand washing, no washing your clothes and no going to the bathroom unless you use a bucket. This means the following things have happened as a consequence:

1) I tried to bathe once in the river. Keep in mind that Aldea Luna is on the side of a mountain. The river is on the bottom. To bathe you have to hike down an almost 50 degree angle for ten minutes with a bucket, soap and a sponge. Once you get to the river, you need to try and find a spot that isn't less than 5 inches of water. The problem is, because of the drought, this doesn't exist. I tried wading in 4 inches of silty river splashing water on myself for ten minutes until I gave up and came back up. By the time I made it back up the slope, I was sweating. Conclusions: Showers will be once a week

2) You get water by going to a giant red barrel, putting a tube into it, sucking on the other end and siphoning water out of it (very much like how one might steal gasoline out of someone's car...from what I've....read) and filling another bucket. This is your water for the toilet and washing your hands. Flushing down more, er, fibrous waste means that you have to pour about 2 buckets of water into the toilet. Since this is almost half of your water bucket that you just lugged from the red water barrel, it means that it's much more efficient to just go outside instead of wasting water. However, going number 2 on an angle covered with mud is not as easy as it sounds. Twice I've slipped down the hill, and twice I've cursed the day I was born. Lesson: Find a flat spot to crap in so that you don't slip into your own excrement after it. Also, bring a shovel and remember to bury your business, otherwise one of the dogs will eat it...immediately. True Story.

3) You have to wash your clothes in the river over a stone. Conclusion: I will burn my clothes instead of washing them and simply buy new ones.

Regardless, life is relaxed here and all of this is exactly what I was expecting. The work is 7 hours a day, tough and demanding and you fall asleep like a baby at night and then wake up to do it all over again. We planted corn right before I left and also have carrots, peas, peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins and other things. Life here is like being a 15th century English Serf. I've been using iron age tools since machines are out of the question and they don't really have the money to buy new stuff. Meals are purely vegetarian which takes some getting used to and you have alot of time to think and play guitar which is exactly what I wanted. Christmas is coming up and I'm going to Buenos Aires to meet up with friends for a break than going back. I'm eating a hamburger when I get to a major city.