FLACO - MY SPIRITUAL GUIDE

I am not a dog person.

I did not grow up with dogs, I am scared of the more aggressive ones and even the overly friendly ones creep me out. I am good with the companionable keep-your-distance mutts, but that is my stretch.

So God, in his infinite wisdom, has seen fit to send me, in this time of yoga, meditation, vegetarianism and spiritual enlightenment, to bless me with Flaco.

If Las Piramides had a mascot, Flaco would probably be it. What that says about the place is neither here nor there... this poor creature is emaciated, smells terrible, has only half a left ear and by all accounts has very little reason to live. He lurks around the place, digging through the trash and leaving a god awful mess, he instinctively senses when you have food and comes way too close into your personal space... bringing his smell with him... and if you don´t close the kitchen door at night, you WILL find him- and his five thousand fleas and diseases- sleeping on the counter, the very spot where you want to prepare breakfast.

So everyone who comes here has a different reaction to Mr Spiritual Guide. Some people try to ignore him (my first reaction), some people try to change his behavour through intimidation, hysterics, aggression or a mixture of all of the above (adequetely describing my further reactions) and some people decide to bring him back from the dark side, feeding him, loving him, carressing him (not there yet). They are the folks who are bound to find him curled up on their bed one night, as one poor oak found to his horror.

Some chick tried feeding him back to health (his appearance did not alter a jot), another pure soul attempted to ship him off to a vet who would nurse him back to health (he did a disappearing act when she had the vet here - twice... smart dog, the vet was talking of putting him a cage and injecting him full of vitamins) and still others have tried nursing him, petting him, etc etc...

I have given up my contest of wills with Flaco, and have resigned myself to a flanking strategy, which is to remove the source of my greatest frustration, the rubbish bin in the bathroom (which he has emptied 3 times and I keep on having to pick up the pieces). It is now secure in my room, I am the only person doing the full Moon course so the other folks must just find another ansible for their trash... OUT OF FLACO´s REACH.

In my newfound quest for holiness, virtue and the Light Side of the Force, I am attempting to re-engineer my feelings by occassionally feeding him and even being nice. This is a stretch to believe, and an even greater stretch for me to attempt, but doing is learning I guess. I will work on my virtue of kindness, compassion and PATIENCE all of next week...

In the interim, my newfound zen and love (in the sense that WP loves the Blue Bulls, I guess - actually hating them but knowing they are a necessary enemy) has manifested itself in a really good Sunday, where I met up with old mate Scott in nearby town Panachachel, and also bumped into a familiar and friendly face Claire from Ireland, WAAAYY BAACCCKKK from the hostel in Guadelajarra. So now I am off to sauna...

This week we do numerology, the Kaballah tree of life, the Tarot and some other fruity things. Will let you guys know if I have an out-of-body experience, find I can control my dreams or meet up with Elvis in the fifth dimension for a duet...

Hasta luego mi amigos!

Distant Mountain - the hippy formerly known as Pieter...