Day 6 (Tuesday)
On Tuesday I was assigned with Marta again to clean a room and get it ready for the guests coming that night…I took a different strategy this day and tried to do tasks I knew needed to be done that Marta wasn’t working on yet so that we could work “separately” towards the same goal. This helped a little, but there were still times where she didn’t like how I was doing things but I get it…she is used to her routine she has developed here and I’m intruding. Anyway, we worked separate and together to get the room ready and clean up the rest of the lodge. It wasn’t as stressful as the first day but still not what I had imagined I would be doing. That day for lunch we were sitting around waiting as food was being cooked and usually our meals were made for us…however when Steve asked what was for lunch the lodge owner said we were on our own…that the food they were making for lunch had meat in it. OK. Whatever. We made our own lunch, but later that night when they left the other owner offered us their leftovers from lunch for dinner. It is really hard to grasp what is okay to eat here and what isn’t. One day we asked what we can have from the kitchen, we told them we wanted to know what is off limits, etc and they say nothing is off limits! Use whatever you need and eat what you want…but now I guess meat is off limits? But then we are given their meat leftovers? Hmmm…still haven’t figured this one out yet. Anyway, Tuesday we had our first over night guests…we were told the night before that when guests came around to “disappear”, while it seemed like they may have been joking…it also seemed somewhat expected that we do that. We didn’t see much of the guests and they were always in opposite places from us, their dinner was kept very private from the rest of us. Which is completely normal! I get it respect the guests privacy and give them space. Something interesting happened while we were working that day though….the two guests came down the path we were working on and said a quick hello. They seemed nervous and told us they hoped they didn’t get us in trouble by talking to us and that they were so excited to hear our story and requested to have dinner with us, but the owners wouldn’t allow it. They also told us they felt like they were being watched over and shouldn’t chat with us too much because they didn’t want to add tension. It was weird for guests to say these things…but interesting that they picked up that vibe. They also mentioned that they went to the waterfall earlier that day and that there were a lot of locals there. They told us they heard that the lodge owners do not allow locals on the waterfall and how they felt that was wrong of them…that “doing things like that could get someone killed”. While we felt the same way and had since the day the lodge owners told us that the waterfall is “private”, I hadn't really thought about the danger with the locals. Its true they could get upset and retaliate some how? Maybe? I don't know. I still don't know much about the culture around here, but I do know when they are turned away they drive by the lodge slowly and stare us down and it is intimidating. The locals have been using this waterfall forever, but now the lodge owners are trying to make it so they don’t have access anymore. Technically the road the locals use to get to the waterfall is owned by friends of the lodge owners…and those friends want it to be private and so do the lodge owners. So, because the road is private, the locals are not allowed to access the waterfall even though the waterfall is NOT private…so the lodge owners have said that the locals can use the waterfall if they walk up the river but not if they use the trail…and believe me most people would not be able to walk up this river. I understand why they want the waterfall private, especially when guests are here but in the end I have to say if it were me, I would allow the locals to have their fun...I just believe too much in Karma and kicking them out seems like bad karma. Steve and I feel a bit weird about it and don’t plan to kick any locals out ourselves…we don’t like being put in that position. It is something to community enjoys doing and I don’t think it is a good idea for a bunch of Americans to show up and tell them they can’t enjoy one of their favorite pastimes. I'm at odds with things right at this point. The lodge is beautiful, but food is confusing. I thought I would be working with guests, but now I'm cleaning and were supposed to disappear. Trying to piece everything together and figure out where our place is here and what were supposed to be doing and what is okay. Maybe were too accommodating? Truly we are doing them a huge favor as well…they get to go home to their family for a month and know their lodge is being looked after… But I think there will be more freedom once we are looking over the lodge, at the point it will be expected that we interact with and take care of guests and we can buy our own food easily because we will be able to use the car to go to the grocery store. As of right now we haven't been able to go for a ride into town with them because their car was broke or not enough space, but we have been able to request them to pick us up stuff. I think going to the store ourselves and seeing the options and using our own money instead of paying them back will make the food situation a little easier and less awkward.
1 Comment
Dad
30/3/2015 07:35:12 pm
It seems you and Steve are kind of stuck in the middle between a local worker (strict eating rules), a Guest (protein and good stuff), and a Lodge Manager (you make your rules). Pretty strange that the guests can't talk to anyone, which is making them uncomfortable.
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