Where Wonder Meets Wander

So now the adventure begins. For the longest time I have been wanting to do a spiritual-recon adventure in the Maya lands of Mexico. I lived there for a time and am very familiar with the Yucatan. Yes, its full of beautiful beaches and the sun always shines, but there is something much deeper lurking beneath the surface of the untamed jungles and glistening white sands. In less than a month, my journey will begin. In the meantime, I want to write about what has happened up to this point so both I and you can get a feeling for the overall picture, the history leading up to this adventure, the spiritual questions that have already been answered, and the questions that are still floating out there in the ether. I know long-winded articles can be a bit much, so I am going to try and keep things brief and do a series of posts, each on a different aspect or experience and all relating to the mysteries of Mexico, the Maya, and the Yucatan. That means going all the way back to the be...

Dangers of Fluoride I am having trouble staying focused this morning. My thoughts seem to have a life of their own, I feel a little scattered and unable to concentrate, and it may be due to years of fluoride exposure. Even if this day’s scatteredness is just due to the rain, I have most certainly been impacted by the fluoride that has been in my drinking water and in my toothpaste since I was a little girl.  Did you know that fluoride was originally labeled by the EPA as a toxic waste that was part of the uranium enrichment process? And yet, we are being forced to endure its effects with the promise that it is good for us, even necessary. Well here is a short list of some of the things that fluoride produces in our bodies. Cancer Genetic DNA Damage Thyroid Disruption – affecting the complete endocrine system and leading to obesity Neurological Damage – diminished IQ and inability to focus, lethargy and weariness. Alzheimer’s Disease Melatonin Disruption -- lowe...

Sometimes you find yourself trying so hard to do some good in the world, or to become successful, that you lose touch with who you really are. You spin your wheels trying to figure out what people want of need and how to meet that need or desire. But when you do that, you and everyone else misses out of the gift of who you really are. Find your joy. Follow it. This is where your power to change the world lies. Rocking the boat and letting all the pretty water in, laura for more like this, fantastic trips and retreats, the happify project, and more go to www.lovelylatitude.com

Tell me please: What are SECRETS OF HAPPINESS? According to the  Happy Planet Index , Costa Rica is the #1 Happiest Place on Earth!  I love this quote from the study:  People  living in Costa Rica have higher well being than the residents of many rich nations including the  USA and the UK, and live longer than people in the USA. Panama has repeatedly been the NUMBER ONE SPOT to retire overseas according to  International Living.  Check out this quote:  Internatio nal Living’s   Annual Global Retirement Index is hitting the presses. And in the top spot: Panama. I should say: Panama  again . Because this tiny powerhouse has topped this index more times than any other country. And this year,  International Living  is going over the top promoting Mexico as the up and coming best place to retire saying: The U.S.’s southern neighbor consistently makes  International Living’s  list of the...

True Story with Pictures and Video.  Unexplained. Still wondering... laura www.strangertruthtravel.com

We took the panga down the coast of Isla San Cristobal, through mangroves to Dolphin Bay and then through the cut by the teak trees and all the way to the mainland where a mechanic lives in a house in the water, well not really IN the water, in the mangroves. Its a long ride from Bocas Town, about 40 minutes, but our trip was well rewarded with the elusive engine part we were looking for. Finally, the starter on the panga was fixed. There is a tiny gas station next to the mechanics house, but we decided we had enough gas to get home, and anyway, storm clouds were brewing and we wanted to try to beat the rain. We backtracked out of the bay, and raced through the mangroves as dark thunderheads spread across the sky. Leaving the mangroves behind, we headed north and kept the island close by on our left. The rain had begun and visibility was getting low. We figured we would have no problem if we followed the island until it ended. From there we should be able to see Bocas town....

This is Pato. He is deaf and cannot speak. When we first met him, he stood in the background and didn't really connect with people. He spoke some sign language, and read lips, but he didn't interact with many people. I am sure growing up in a poor community did not make many resources available to him.   So we started waving and then buying him M&Ms and acting funny and making him laugh. Soon he was coming over to the house and cutting the yard and fixing the fence. We paid him, which I am sure was a great boost to his self esteem. But the most important part was, he was learning to relax and interact with people.  Well, last week we found Pato a job! There is a little shop around the corner where they build beautiful handmade furniture from local hardwoods. I had them make me a bed and two dressers and they did a beautiful job for a price that made me really happy.  We walk by the place every day on the way to the store, and after being so happy w...

Soon I will be setting foot in the Land of the Maya, in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Its a land filled with ancient ruins, extensive cave systems, remote jungles, endangered reefs,  and one of the world most mysterious histories.  Thanks to your generous charity and many wonderful donations, I will be handing out gifts to poor children and families who are dealing with poverty while I am there.  As they say is Maya, JUMBO TIK!  (thank you!) While I am there I plan to spend time with indigenous people and learn some of the Maya language. I cant wait to do some traveling across the Yucatan Peninsula, which is one of my favorite things to do. My daughter will be with me for this trip and we will definitely drink ice cold coconut water and munch on sliced mangoes tossed in chili powder, lime, and salt as we stop in little villages and check out local art and meet the people.  YEY! I now have a GoPro and that means lots of videos. I promise I w...

An old black woman approached my friend. She took off her necklace and handed it to him. Hanging from the delicate chain was a thin gold coin with an odd pattern stamped in it. “Do you understand?” she asked in think Creole English as she pressed it into his palm. “No,” he answered, puzzled. “I’m a witch,” the old woman explained. This is not a story. This is real. I have no idea why the old woman declared herself to my friend. Several times, I have heard that there are many witches in Bocas Del Toro and every person who has confirmed it has warned me not to talk. So why did the old woman approach my friend? And stranger yet, why did she go on to tell him that there are many witches in the area? Why did she tell him the lady across the street is a witch? And why did she tell him what the witches are up to? Normally I would not take something like this too seriously. But in light of recent happenings, I am reeling with this information. For ...

I love the color. And then there is the time it takes to produce something so intricate and handmade. The art of the indigenous people in Mexico is so vibrant and rich. I bought one of these purses and now I wear it proudly and everywhere I go I brag about its workmanship. I feel like I brought home a bit of the soul of Mexico with me. The woman who made these lovely bags made these amazing blouses too. All cotton and hand-stitched. Just imagine holding one and feeling the threads and thinking about the endless hours of labor that went into it creation. This art is a labor of love. Can we love the people who labored? Always looking around the bend, laura Please check out our FULL WEBSITE at www.PovertyProjectInternational.com Connect with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/povertyprojectinternational/ If you want to chat, you can email us at povertyprojectinternational@gmail.com Or if you want to help us out and DONATE, you can go to PAYPAL and ...

Rocks from the sea, balanced on each other at sometimes inconceivable angles. We have seen them before, in remote places where travelers and seekers have left offerings to the coast or to the gods of wanderlust.  And here we find totems, scattered along the shore.  But there is a difference. Here the spirit is not the same.  While others I have seen hold a sacred quality, built under sacred circumstances, as amazing as these may look, they hold sadness and a feeling of desperation for me.  You see, they were not built by pilgrims. They were built by a man and his wife who live here. Not because of any holy endeavor, but in a desperate bid to make a living.  I stood and watched as this old Mexican cabellero demonstrated his ability to balance one stone on another. He did it with the pomp of an entertainer and somehow it lost all its magical charm.  He had been balancing rocks for twenty years he said. In truth, it wasn...

This is St. Jude Thaddeus. He is the patron saint of hopeless cases. Here he is in a tiny outdoor church in the mountains of rural Mexico. The beads you see around his neck and on his staff are thank offerings for miracles the local people believe he has done.  I spoke to an old man who was sitting in the church waiting for mass to begin. He said not many people come to that church. It was so remote, I can understand why. There is something wonderful about connecting with the locals  It gives me the chance to hear their stories and their hearts. These are simple people, working hard and struggling. They come to this rural church several days a week to share a faith that is obviously very deep. It blessed me to see the whole family together. In order to know how best to reach out to people, I believe it is important to get to know them. And trips like this one to the mountains of Mexico are heartwarming and eye opening. Setting my feet in remote places....

Wanna listen to a story? There is a street bum in Bocas Del Toro, Panama named jack Sparrow. Well, that's what he calls himself anyway. I don't know his real name.  Relax and enjoy this recording of a little story about Jack.  Interested in more? You can get all the short stories put together in one book called  I RAN AWAY TO MEXICO: An Unexpected Spiritual Journey.  Its on Amazon now on KINDLE and in PAPERBACK you can order it here Enjoy! Laura Please check out our FULL WEBSITE at www.PovertyProjectInternational.com Connect with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/povertyprojectinternational/ If you want to chat, you can email us at povertyprojectinternational@gmail.com Or if you want to help us out and DONATE, you can go to PAYPAL and send your donation to   povertyprojectinternational@gmail.com All donations are tax deductible. Live is an adventure, Live it!

Some stories need no pictures but the ones we create in our minds... Puerto Vallerta. There is a thing. A thing called a Nagual . It is an Indian tribe, but it is also a witch doctor. A brujo. I met a man named Eduardo. He grew up in the mountains around Puerto Vallerta and was the oldest boy in a family with a father who was frequently absent. The Nagual can shapeshift. It has been seen on the roadside as an animal half-horse/half-dog, huge and terrifying. I sat in my kitchen a day before my scheduled flight to Mexico after receiving a message from my Aztec son-in-law. I told him I was going to Puerto Vallerta. He told me I should learn more about the Nagual. My daughter sent me a google document to read over. She needed help with her school work. Google signed me in as anonymous because I did not sign myself in. It signed me in as Anonymous Narwhal. Nagual is pronounced na-wal. Narwhal is a unicorn-ed whale and the word is pronounced almost the sa...