Leaving Yakabagh

After our story-book encounter with Gulyahat, I was even more excited about our next farm-stay.  The sight of our accommodations - a bare mattress in the attic - deflated my excitement.  35 hours of work a week for this?!  We ended up in another room, a small step up from the original offer.  

Our mattresses in the attic

The chores weren't tough, the work in the fields was pleasant, and the people were generally friendly.  But the atmosphere was beyond frustrating. 

Instead of trying to describe our whole stay, here's an glimpse:

Before we arrived, the house was full of bees.  There were nests in windowsills, on the ceiling, and in the shower.  Sinan, our host who slept in a tree house above his portal, insisted that the bees were rightful inhabitants, a part of nature like us all.  And so they stay.  You leave them alone, they won't bother you.  He'd been stung 4 times.  Everyone else - his daughter, wife, and friends who stayed for who knows how long - had all been stung several times.  Eventually, a friend took the nests down.  The bees still have free range in the yard, but at least there is refuge inside.     

 Andrew hoping to be teleported to New York, or Gulyahat's house

Some parts of my stay were nice, but there was an overall feeling of neglect, and selfishness that made me ask, why am I here?  The Yakabagh House on the website was a productive, vibrant community.  Upon my arrival, I quickly learned the place and its people had moved in a direction I did not want to support with a month of free, full-time work. 

One week was enough.  To Sinan's credit, he arranged that we come here, Pastoral Vadi.  He listened to our misgivings (which I didn't detail but you get the idea), and kindly offered to call the owner of our current home.  Not wanting anyone to dampen the positive energy of his house, he assured us that our leaving was "good for you, and good for me."  Then off he went to a rave for the weekend.  Not for the partying of course (he's a yogi), but to reunite with "The Family (the Rainbow Family that is)."  I'm happy that Sinan and friends have found a lifestyle they feel comfortable with, however alternative it may be, but the Yakabagh House was not for us.