Valle de Sensaciones

I’m so happy - and so much more comfortable - on this alluring land with companionable people living ecologically and artistically. Valle de Sensaciones, deep in Las Alpujarras of southern Spain, began 7 years ago, when Achim came upon this land after traveling through this region year after year. Achim, Peter, and Rahma (all German) are the full-time residents; Lynn (Norwegian), and I are here working as volunteers to the project; and, there seems to be a consistent, incoming flow of guests.
Infrastructure and daily living in the soft, green valley is shared with a small ravine and the low creek running through it. Beyond that, the land opens to the will of Las Alpurjarras. The aguaduct and trees – orange, almond, olive, fig – are all that had been introduced previously. Energy comes from a solar system. A gas-heated shower and a composting toilet are both a part of an intricate, unique structure. The octagon-shaped community kitchen – encircled by a spiraling web upon which the grape vines grow in summer – and guest-treehouses – all inspirationally creative and distinctive – have been added since then.
A hexagonal, dome-shaped framework together with a large stone bench built into the ground bring beautiful intention to the fire circle. A sweat lodge further honors the element of fire. Focus to the land’s abundant water is brought by the charmingly constructed, swimmable pond. A bath “house” project in progress will bring this reverence further in the most luxurious of ways.
Awareness and honor are brought to all the elements within the set up of daily tasks (where cooking meals is fire, doing dishes is water, cleaning is earth, free days are air) and communal roles (where dealing with all things water is - water, organizing chaos is earth, creativity, spark, and firewood is fire, communication is air, etc.). We exchange and keep track of these duties on a mandala-inspired board in the kitchen.

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