So for anyone confused with where I am and what I'm doing like Louise, I'm sorry, let me explain.
I am currently sitting in a living room that was built with straw and clay walls and connects onto the kitchen, which is an old camper trailer. There is a cat sitting on the table next to me drinking out of my water glass that has a reddish tinge because of the high concentration of iron. The water isn't for drinking, don't worry. It's to put my finger in which I burned today while making a fire so I could take a bath. The living room and kitchen are on a goat farm located down just a few dirt roads that are very confusing to navigate while you are walking home in the dark. So far I have not attempted this on my own...... the dirt roads take you to a little town called Pedralva that as far as I can see has a bunch of pituresque white washed houses with blue shutters and a pizzeria. The pizzeria is closed in winter, so right now there are really just houses. After Pedralva you hit a paved road that runs north-south parellel to the coast line. The coast line is amazing. Cliffs go on and on and on separated here and there by beautiful beaches. Taking the road south for about 15 min. you come to a town that actually appears on a map - Vila do Bispo, Algarve, Portugal.
So, that's where I am.
As I mentioned in my last post, these farmers that I'm working for aren't really your typical farmers, they're punks. They are german and moved to Portugal looking to become self suficient and searching for a better way to live. They host Wwoofers, about 100 a year, which is what I'm doing. BAsically wwoofing means that you come here, work, learn about their lifestyle, and in return recieve three meals a day and a place to sleep. They aren't completely self suficient but what they've managed to build out here is pretty amazing. All the buildings are of clay or old campers. For the outhouse their is a compost toilet, and there's a second outhouse for going pee because apparently urine doesn't compost. This two different outhouses thing has led to some hilarious misunderstandings and conversations. To take a bath their is a bath house and a water heater with a woodstove underneath. So if you want a bath you have to make a fire about one hour before and heat up the water. Because of this we often have baths on the same day. This usually happens the night before our day off. I love how little we shower here! haha
Cooking is done on a tiny little stove top (remember the kitchen is in an old camper) and the oven is outside and also wood-heated. Hmmm what else is cool about this place........there are 5 cats, 4 dogs, numerous chickens including some babies that constantly wander into the kitchen, 3 pigs and about 12 piglets, 2 donkeys, 23 goats, 2 ducks, and a horse arrives on Monday.
Goats are funny. After making goat cheese for a week ( and getting pretty good at it I think...) DAni finally came back and I got to experience my first day of goat herding. THe day starts with milking them, which was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be except that I'm not very fast at it yet, Dirk is insanely fast. He can have like 8 litres by the time I have 2! But he does do this everyday twice a day. Anyways then Dirk gave me a staff and led the goats down the road a ways for me. He explained to me the boundaries, pretty simple, don't go too close to the stables, go up the mountain but not down the other side, and don't let the goats in the fruit tree field. OKay. Got it. Oh and remember, goats are smarter than you think.
I was kind of nervous but Dirk left and the goats wandered around in the field, started going up the mountain, came back down a ways, went back up, found another field, and well, they ate. I watched, they ate. Pretty simple. Every once in awhile one would come and sniff at me, try to eat, decide I wasn't food and move on. Sometimes they need a head rub too. One in particular will come and rub against your leg for awhile then lose interest. THere is a baby named Olga who is so cute. She's always getting left behind and never cooperates when you tell her not to go somewhere but thats not a problem because she's pick-up-able and adorable. At about noon the goats paused to take a lunch break. Meaning, they stopped eating. I really never realized that all goats do is eat constantly. But then in the afternoon they get it in their heads that they want to go in the fruit tree field. I remember this one, this isn't allowed. But I use my goat herding staff and I show them who's boss. No fruit tree field for you goats. After managing to keep them out for about half an hour I'm feeling pretty good about myself. It seems that they've given up and start back up the hill. I follow with Olga trailing, bleating behind. They stop and I sit under a tree and decide to start eating my lunch. Olga wants my lunch as well. I've managed to eat half of my sandwich without Olga's help when I realize that the bells sound a bit more distant. I look around and all the goats except Olga are gone. They never move that fast! I stand up and see that they've run down the hill and are now happily eating in the fruit tree field. They tricked me! They lured me up the hill, waited until I started eating, sent Olga to distract me, and then escaped! And they weren't very cooperative to get out of that field either.....but after that I had learned my lesson, goats are smarter than you think. They have gained my respect even if they do still try to eat me.
Anyways I gotta go, my cat is waiting for me to take him to my sleeping bag and tomorrow I have to get up and make cheese and prepare for a birthday party! Fun fun. German birthday party = lots and lots of beer! And hopefully a cake!
