Friday, October 10, 2008
Ithica, New York - stay at the farm, waterfalls, 12 Tribes
I went to visit the city of Ithica in New York and some friends that were working on an organic farm in the hills north of there. Pat and Max, friends from California, lived in a cozy little cottage with a wood stove behind the barn to the side of the farm. They were both WWOOFing. I stayed in a loft in the barn, which was a cozy and had a kitchen and composting toilet. It was a cool 40ish degrees or so at night, quite a change from sunny California. Fall was beautifully painting the hillsides, the leaves speckeled the hills with reds, oranges, yellow and greens.
I first heard of Ithica from some friends I had met in Sonoma county when I lived there. They intrigued me with their eloquent speech, graceful friendliness, good food, taste, discussions, hospitality and eclectic and intelligence. They reminded me of living in the Renaissance. They had all met in Ithica, where some had gone to school at Cornell. It had long been on my list, as I had heard of it being beautiful (or Gorges - gorgeous) and green minded, with it's own currency and a community clinic.
I met Pat at the community coop in the afternoon, after taking a rental car from the train station in Syracuse. Pat is a fascinating human, and we had fun walking all around the town. The city is at the bottom of a lake, with hills on either side, and waterfalls throughout the area. It has an intellectual, artistic, and environmentally conscious atmosphere. We walked through the town and I got my first overlook from the top of a tall garage where I could see the beautiful city below, the hills surrounding it, and the lake. Looking down, I could see the library was covered with solar panels, and old stone churches dotted the city. We walked to the pedestrian strip called the Commons and up into a hillside cafe to ghost a bluegrass band show at a cafe. We continued back to the commons, past the original Moosewood Cafe and ethnic restaurants and did the first half of a planet walk before we decided to head back to the farm, as it was late.
My first morning I awoke at the farm to Max's greatful singing to beautiful morning, and he invited me to join him for a raw farm breakfast. We went into the field and picked various kale and collards, and wrapped them around raspberries that we also picked. The combination together is great, and as many raw things together mimic the taste of cooked creations, this combination was strikingly similar to peanut butter and jelly. We caught up on our journeys and gave reverence to everything.
We then met with Pat, and took my rental car into Ithica. Looking for the most gas efficient car, somehow I ended up with this fancy luxury cruiser with all the toys, including a navigation system that directed us around - not my first choice but a lot of fun. We went to one of the waterfalls in town. It is supposedly one of the smaller ones, but at about five or six stories high, it was impressive. We meandered through rocks and trees until we reached the round pool beneath the falls. A fellow true to his spirit, Pat disappeared, and we soon after caught him climbing his way up the side of the waterfall (which looked a bit perilous, but I trust his path). In the meantime, I shared the fable that Pat had told me with Max. It is said that if you drink the waters of Ithica you will always return. Max, also quite true to his spirit, was ready to try the water from the waterfall. I was entranced by the waterfall, and we climbed the side and cupped our hand, taking a drink. It was an incredible moment, I felt transcending of time and space and fully enamored it the moment and my love of the great waterfall.
Afterwords, we went to the farmers market, which I am not sure how to describe. It was near the lake and slightly felt like a clean festival, with musicians, vegetables, flowers, herbs, food, organic clothes, etc. in a long old wood barn-looking building. The atmosphere was quite charming, and mixed with the best bee pollen I have ever had and fresh vegetables, it was a memorable experience. It seems there people are used to living such a naturally cultured life, and I sucked it in like a sponge.
Max and I went off to the big waterfalls, just down the road from the city. These waterfalls were considered a holy place by the native americans, who would come from all over to see them. Indeed I feel forever changed by the grace of their magnificence. We drove to the top and walked out to the lookout, then from the bottom we walked in alongside the riverbed. At a point you could walk along the riverbed. At the bottom of the falls, I stood in gratitude that my life was able to bring this to me.
Max and Pat had both mentioned the Mate Cafe downtown and the spiritual crew that ran it. The fact that it was serving tea, not beer was intriguing and we went in for a drink. The cafe is run by the 12 Tribes. It is lovely, with full logs and branches replicating trees amidst plants inside, log curvy benches, a fireplace, beautiful woodworking. I got to know Naomi first, this sweet smily girl with long braids. She was so full of sweetness she would make my eyes water, indeed they all did. They serve various delicious food options, with plenty of sprouts, greens, superfood additions to satisfy my vegan diet. I went for a mate and smoothie and Max and I chatted with various staff. We were invited to dinner, which we missed but we made it in time for their evening worship, which I loved. They do a sort of study of the bible every morning and evening and I loved the youthful entheusiasm they had for the bible. I also loved the interpretations, for the most part, as they seemed to get to the core of Christianity. The crew dress modestly but quite artfully, women in long skirts and modest loose shirts, men grow out their facial hair. They are quite shiny people, healthy and happy, and devoted to Yashua (Jesus). Most people go by a given Hebrew name. They live communally in a big mansion that is beautiful and clean. It looks like it is out of Switzerland. I loved it and wanted to stay longer, and I did a few weeks after my train pass go to visit again.
I first heard of Ithica from some friends I had met in Sonoma county when I lived there. They intrigued me with their eloquent speech, graceful friendliness, good food, taste, discussions, hospitality and eclectic and intelligence. They reminded me of living in the Renaissance. They had all met in Ithica, where some had gone to school at Cornell. It had long been on my list, as I had heard of it being beautiful (or Gorges - gorgeous) and green minded, with it's own currency and a community clinic.
I met Pat at the community coop in the afternoon, after taking a rental car from the train station in Syracuse. Pat is a fascinating human, and we had fun walking all around the town. The city is at the bottom of a lake, with hills on either side, and waterfalls throughout the area. It has an intellectual, artistic, and environmentally conscious atmosphere. We walked through the town and I got my first overlook from the top of a tall garage where I could see the beautiful city below, the hills surrounding it, and the lake. Looking down, I could see the library was covered with solar panels, and old stone churches dotted the city. We walked to the pedestrian strip called the Commons and up into a hillside cafe to ghost a bluegrass band show at a cafe. We continued back to the commons, past the original Moosewood Cafe and ethnic restaurants and did the first half of a planet walk before we decided to head back to the farm, as it was late.
My first morning I awoke at the farm to Max's greatful singing to beautiful morning, and he invited me to join him for a raw farm breakfast. We went into the field and picked various kale and collards, and wrapped them around raspberries that we also picked. The combination together is great, and as many raw things together mimic the taste of cooked creations, this combination was strikingly similar to peanut butter and jelly. We caught up on our journeys and gave reverence to everything.
We then met with Pat, and took my rental car into Ithica. Looking for the most gas efficient car, somehow I ended up with this fancy luxury cruiser with all the toys, including a navigation system that directed us around - not my first choice but a lot of fun. We went to one of the waterfalls in town. It is supposedly one of the smaller ones, but at about five or six stories high, it was impressive. We meandered through rocks and trees until we reached the round pool beneath the falls. A fellow true to his spirit, Pat disappeared, and we soon after caught him climbing his way up the side of the waterfall (which looked a bit perilous, but I trust his path). In the meantime, I shared the fable that Pat had told me with Max. It is said that if you drink the waters of Ithica you will always return. Max, also quite true to his spirit, was ready to try the water from the waterfall. I was entranced by the waterfall, and we climbed the side and cupped our hand, taking a drink. It was an incredible moment, I felt transcending of time and space and fully enamored it the moment and my love of the great waterfall.
Afterwords, we went to the farmers market, which I am not sure how to describe. It was near the lake and slightly felt like a clean festival, with musicians, vegetables, flowers, herbs, food, organic clothes, etc. in a long old wood barn-looking building. The atmosphere was quite charming, and mixed with the best bee pollen I have ever had and fresh vegetables, it was a memorable experience. It seems there people are used to living such a naturally cultured life, and I sucked it in like a sponge.
Max and I went off to the big waterfalls, just down the road from the city. These waterfalls were considered a holy place by the native americans, who would come from all over to see them. Indeed I feel forever changed by the grace of their magnificence. We drove to the top and walked out to the lookout, then from the bottom we walked in alongside the riverbed. At a point you could walk along the riverbed. At the bottom of the falls, I stood in gratitude that my life was able to bring this to me.
Max and Pat had both mentioned the Mate Cafe downtown and the spiritual crew that ran it. The fact that it was serving tea, not beer was intriguing and we went in for a drink. The cafe is run by the 12 Tribes. It is lovely, with full logs and branches replicating trees amidst plants inside, log curvy benches, a fireplace, beautiful woodworking. I got to know Naomi first, this sweet smily girl with long braids. She was so full of sweetness she would make my eyes water, indeed they all did. They serve various delicious food options, with plenty of sprouts, greens, superfood additions to satisfy my vegan diet. I went for a mate and smoothie and Max and I chatted with various staff. We were invited to dinner, which we missed but we made it in time for their evening worship, which I loved. They do a sort of study of the bible every morning and evening and I loved the youthful entheusiasm they had for the bible. I also loved the interpretations, for the most part, as they seemed to get to the core of Christianity. The crew dress modestly but quite artfully, women in long skirts and modest loose shirts, men grow out their facial hair. They are quite shiny people, healthy and happy, and devoted to Yashua (Jesus). Most people go by a given Hebrew name. They live communally in a big mansion that is beautiful and clean. It looks like it is out of Switzerland. I loved it and wanted to stay longer, and I did a few weeks after my train pass go to visit again.
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