Sunday, 24 January 2016

Goodbye Cloudbridge

Sometimes you find somewhere that you know will always have a special place in your heart. Cloudbridge is one of those places. It’s partly the sheer outstanding beauty of the place, partly the wonderful, crazy assortment of people we met there and partly the sense of fulfilment we have from our work here. These three marvellous splashes of colour in our lives exploded on our canvas creating a painting that will be engraved into our souls for a good deal of time to come.

It is so rare to find people who are truly passionate about what they believe in and what they stand for, and yet Bro and I have been fortunate enough to meet so many on our trip. Tom and Frank are two of those people. They live for that forest, they breathe the forest, and they are part of the forest and I have rarely met such dedicated souls of the Earth. These guys are up at 6, they work all day, they hammer, they dig, they plant, they drive, they manage, they fix, they rescue, they create, they cultivate, they nurture, they observe, they support…and Cloudbridge grows and recovers and breathes and relaxes a little, knowing that it is in safe hands.

And then there’s everyone else. We have loved our experiences of volunteering for many reasons, but partly because of the wonderful hodgepodge of people we meet, all making their own way through the world, on their own mission to make it a little better. The guys we met at Cloudbridge, have certainly enriched our lives through knowing them, and have taught me so much about the kind of person I want to be.

So Frank, Tom, Linda, Genevieve, Charles, Anna, Alan, Bob, David, Jenn, Barb, Michelle, Simon and Brigitte…I salute you!
Gradually getting there
David's leaving do
Tree maintenance up the Montagne trail with Frank


Another bumpy ride in the truck...contrary to appearances (and despite the fact that Bro is hugging two boxes of wine), we had not had a single morsel of alcohol...promise!
Moth brooches...all the rage in CR!
Michelle's last night 
Bracing the chilly waters!
Beautiful picture of Bro's of Marcos...local farmer, fresh-milk supplier and epic moustache-sporter!
A last goodbye with Team Cook, Tom and Linda at the bustop in San Gerardo

No comments:

Post a Comment