Blog Full - Maurice Leavitt | Personal Essays, Travel Writing & Reflections

2 Jul 2022

Kindness, Good Nature, Affection, Generosity in Lima, Peru

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Love, Spiritual, The Human Condition | 0

It was unfortunate that I felt I had to leave Ecuador last minute. I believe it was a good decision as things have gotten worse. When I travel, I typically give myself a little time to research and investigate the next place I am considering traveling to. In this circumstance, I did not have the kind of time to do that. In fact, I had very little time. I was not planning or expecting to be in Peru at all. Due to what I would consider limited time. I only have about 10 weeks until I need to be back home to start my 24^th year of teaching at the college. I was thinking I was going to stay in Colombia and Ecuador. I like to stay in a place and really soak in the culture and the people. Not just to see the touristy things and leave.

But, as my friend Kathryn “The Bag Lady”, who, BTW, has stage 4 cancer and refuses to stay at home and continues to travel, albeit through USA. She posts regularly on social media so I am not breaking any confidentiality, said to me… “Just take what the Universes puts in your path. That usually makes for the best adventure.” I truly just want to be here and let the rest unfold. The universe is doing just that whether I like it or not. It really is up to me to see all this for my benefit or choose negative thinking. Seems like a simple decision, right?

The universe is a stage
on which your mind dances with your body,
guided by your heart
#YogiTea.

I am remembering the saying, wherever you go, there you are. No matter the location. So here I am with the same body and mind no matter where I land. Unplanned and unexpectedly, now in Lima, Peru. I’ve been here for a week and preparing to go to Cuzco and Machu Pichhu as I write this. I didn’t have a particular drive to be here.

I’ve always known Lima is a place with a reputation of having wonderful food and restaurants. I have not been disappointed thus far. It’s all about corn, beans, rice, potato, and fish here… I am in heaven. Of course, you can find all the Amerikkan shit food like steaks and burgers and pizza, in addition to chifa (the word they use to say Chinese food) and other international options.

Immediately upon my arrival to Lima, Peru, I experienced such generosity and kindness from people. Charly, my taxi driver from the airport, took me to a place to get an inexpensive sim card for my phone because he did not want me to overpay (At the airport, they wanted to charge me over $100 to “rent” a sim card). Percy, the owner of the apartment I am staying, is a man in his 70’s, well-educated and travelled and offered me his time, conversation, and compassion for the position I am in having left a violent Ecuador at the last minute. Ana, who has been more than happy to show me around a bit and share with me all the nice places to eat. I have been overwhelmed with kindness and generosity that has come my way since I’ve been here in Lima. When love’s reciprocity is in action, the balance of giving and receiving where you can’t locate where you are in the cycle, I just melt. My heart is filled with gratitude.

I tear up just writing this. (I am sitting in a coffee shop in Cusco, Peru reflecting on my time in Lima)…

…to be continued

29 Jun 2022

Civil Unrest & The Human Condition – Ecuador and Peru

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, The Human Condition | 0

This is a tough one for me to write. I’ve been in a bit of a tough spot inside myself and having to contend with my thoughts and feelings. The divide and disdain of the country I am a citizen. The continuing dissolving and tearing apart of my family. The job changes in my work. All the while contending with the changes inside myself after living in Asia. Any why now, add upon all this a worldwide pandemic. There are times where I haven’t been sure which way is up. I have a feeling that I am not the only one who has similar feelings like this.

Why would I even mention all of the above? Especially in a public blog for F sake! I’m certainly not looking for sympathy or to perpetuate any suffering for me or others. But it’s a natural occurrence to experience “suffering”, just as the buddha describes it. I’ve written about it a lot too. It is because I believe we all go through similar things that … 1. allow us to stay stuck in our own thoughts or 2. to use life’s circumstances to grow and become the best versions of our ourselves.

This is how I am translating some of what is going on here in South America. I am not a native Ecuadorian nor will I claim to know what their experience is like. and from my experience being here.

Ok, so, here’s the deal… I was in this bubble on a boat in the Galapagos with no real connection to the world and experiencing paradise. Then, in preparation for leaving the Galapagos Islands we are all briefed about the state of emergency and the civil unrest in Quito, Ecuador. You could feel the people in the room stop breathing out of fear.

What was I going to do about it? The group I was with could not stay in the hotel in the city center because you could not get there, and there were lockdowns with little movement allowed for the residents. I could not get to Otavalo for the largest textile market in South America nor to the surfing camp in Montanita. I felt it would be best to leave Ecuador as people’s freedom of movement had been severely stifled. Things have gotten worse since I left.

There is this expression – “As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul…” ― Hermes Trismegistus. This expression is considered a universal truth or law which shows us that the outside world reflects our inner world. What we feel and what we believe tend to manifest in our lives.

For example, we have all had periods in life where bad things happen, and it feels like we don’t get a break from the problems and challenges? If we can stop and remember that our outer world reflects what we think, believe and are feeling. To shift back into a positive and upward spiral we need to change the perspective of our inner world. As we transform the negative thoughts and feelings into positive ones, we will begin to attract the people, opportunities and outcomes that inspire us to pursue our greatest desires.

To live our best lives, it is so important to be true to ourselves and to take ownership over our feelings and our beliefs. Once we do this, we begin to make the world a better place. Inner peace creates outer peace. In addition, by being true to ourselves we no longer have an overwhelming need to seek validation and approval from others

Many have expressed concern for my safety while I am here. Yet, I do not feel I am in danger. I actually feel more unsafe in my own American country with all the gun shootings and violence and the power/money hungry society in which I am a citizen. I am embarrassed to admit that I am “Amerikkan”. I realize making peace with being called a “gringo” and “farang” when in a foreign countries is the gateway to my peace. Why might this be important enough for me to write about in combination of this civil unrest in Ecuador and Peru? That’s a good question I’ve been pondering how to express in writing.

The people (Ecuadorian, Peru, USA and others) are unhappy with their governments’ lack of involvement in the stabilization of the prices of gasoline and other necessity items to live. I realize this is happening all over the world. It’s just that most of the people here truly cannot afford gasoline at about $8/gallon. I wonder about this is the USA … If the government is involved in setting prices for some food (wheat, corn), electricity, natural gas and heating oil… so why aren’t they involved in the gasoline industry?

Instead of keeping all those negative feelings and thoughts inside, the people are transforming them into something more positive and effective. Taking to the streets. Protesting the lack of government involvement in caring for the people. At first, peacefully! Although it has gotten more violent. I think this might be a good example of the expression, “As within, so without”. A practice that is not particularly easy to do all the time.

I’ll get off my philosophical high horse about all this “As Within, So Without” stuff for now and get a little more down to earth… In all seriousness… I am not concerned for my safety here. Sure, there is violence and places around in which you would not want to enter. I have good situational awareness with eyes behind my head. I am not wearing flashy jewelry nor expensive clothing. I realize I am not immune to some of the things that happen to people and tourists, but I will not be dragged around by the nose by fear.

So, off to Lima, Peru I go….

(to be continued)

26 Jun 2022

The Conservation Effort at Its Best – The Pacific Ocean Archipelago – Galapagos Islands

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Love, Nature, The Human Condition | 0

Since I was going to be in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru I wanted to make sure I made it to the Galapagos National Park. I’ve heard such wonderful things about the Galapagos. I will admit that I got a little concerned about all the rules and regulations that could “stifle” a good time but, I was willing to surrender into the greater good of the collective… the land and its inhabitants.

What I saw was unbelievably amazing! Only the local indigenous people are allowed to be the national park guides. And in order to enter the national park, you MUST be accompanied by a Galapagos Naturalist Guide. What a great way to educate visitors from the locals who grew up there. Did you know that only 3% of the Galapagos islands are inhabited by the 40,000 residents? And there are 150,000 visitors annually.

There is a wealth of information to take in about the Galapagos… the volcanic nature of the islands which erode over time, the shifting of the tectonic plates that send the islands eastward and underwater and the animals that have adapted to their environment by changing their physical characteristics. Even the extinction of some animals because they could not adapt and the humans decided they would take 700 giant tortoises off one of the islands to near extinction.

The combination of the conservation efforts and the responsible tourism in the Galapagos has led to the preservation of the area and allowed most of its human, plant, and animal inhabitants to thrive. The only other place I have seen this kind of conservation effort is in the Grand Canyon. And even the Grand Canyon I saw more evidence of humans’ impact on the delicate ecosystem than here in the Galapagos Islands. I think they are doing something right here. This has been the highlight of the Galapagos trip for me, above and beyond the rare animals that I have seen.

The park rules here in the Galapagos can easily be seen as over the top. As a challenger of the status quo, I was able to really sink into some of my perceived limitations about the restrictions and accept them for the good of the whole ecosystem. It was a great decision to take an 8-day cruise to see a lot of the islands as it can cost hundreds of dollars to hire a guide and a boat ride to one of the islands you may want to see. Sometimes it was a bit difficult for me because I wanted to spend more time onshore and not on the boat. I knew my surrender was imperative to have the most positive experience, to honor and respect the land and animals. The park rules are the best for the good of the whole. I wish there was more conservation and sustainable efforts around the world somehow.

I am completely awe struck. The landscape and the animals that are just as they were when Charles Darwin was here at age 22 in 1835 (and even for many centuries before that). There is evidence of how creatures had to evolve and adapt in order to survive on these islands with limited natural resources. The different species of Galapagos finches, with their specially evolved beaks that allow them to eat specific foods, helped Darwin understand that organisms can evolve over time to better survive in their environment. Darwin developed his theory of evolution here in the Galapagos. The adaptation and survival of the species of animals were clear to him here.

There is such a wealth of information to learn here, and I’ve only scratched the surface in the 8 days I have been here. I’ve met wonderful people on the boat… and even some who I am embarrassed to say represent the loud and entitled sector of the USA which I was hoping to get away from.

23 Jun 2022

Worthy of Desire… (Almost At The Galapagos)

by Maurice | posted in: Adventure, Personal Growth, Spiritual, The Human Condition | 0

It’s been a great 10 days so far on this South American adventure. Cartagena, Colombia did exactly what I thought it would… wring out the winter from my body by sweating through every article of clothing I brought with me with 90F temperatures and 100% humidity. It was awesome to see the tropical storms breeze through and watch the streets be flooded. The week I spent there was not enough and if I did not have this Galapagos tour planned, I would have stayed. Which means, I will return before the summer is over… or should I say winter because it’s the southern hemisphere… well, kind of.

It became time to get to Ecuador and to the Galapagos Islands whether I was ready or not. But before I landed in the Galapagos, I had to meet Roxanne, a young woman from Germany on the flight from Quito, Ecuador to the Galapagos. Roxanne is in her early 30s and I overheard a conversation she was having a couple rows behind me that raised my antenna. At first, I wasn’t sure I was hearing things correctly, so I listened more intently…

This young lady had asked her employer to go on a part time basis so she could focus on some things in her life. She had requested a 4 day a week and was refused because the business wanted her 100%. So, she gave her two-week notice. After she gave her notice, her employer realized she was serious, and they were willing to negotiate with her. She was not. She was done.

She explained the realization she had about her situation. That the corporate world wants their employees to be 100% dedicated to the business and their mission, while the business doesn’t have to take an interest in their employee’s personal desires for themselves. Every single employee becomes dispensable and replaceable to big business. Get a load of this… she was saying the jobs become dispensable for the people just as the people are dispensable to the business. It’s unfortunate that a lot of people become so attached to their jobs and making money that there isn’t much room for movement should a person want some time or space to do something different.

I was struck by this woman’s story. Not only because of the courage she had to quit her job so she could do the things that brought her pleasure. But, because I think she hit the nail on the head when she said big business doesn’t care about their employees, they only care about their own mission, productivity, and economics.

I admire the courage it took for Roxanne to quit her job and follow her dreams. She told me that her desires are worthy of having AND exploring and seeing through and that no employer of hers was going to try to convince her otherwise. This young woman is brilliant and courageous. She was about to spend three weeks in the Galapagos with only the first few days planned out with places to stay. Something I did not want to do in the Archipelago region of the Galapagos due to all the rules and restrictions.

It makes me wonder about the employee-owned business model. Like Bonners Soap Company or Publix and how they may support the individual employees and their own desires for themselves outside of the work environment.

What is the moral of the story?

You are worthy of your desires. Just don’t get attached to the outcome and remain open to the boat being steered in a direction you could not imagine it going to. Just take what the Universe puts in your path and let the rest unfold. Balance the observer within and the driver.

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