Rainbow Mountain

W/ So Polie we came to the end of our adventure with the biggest challenge.

P/ You mean bigger than Chwis’ Inner Inca. I’m still not sure how we got him away fwom there when he started signing autographs.

W/. Yes, you can be a challenge Chris.

C/. Hmmm, I really don’t feel appreciated! I am so misunderstood.

P/. That aside Chrwis in appweciation of your new found woyal status we took you to Wainbow Mountain where you could survey your kingdom.

W/. 5200 metres high and we were walking.

C/. Yes we were walking uphill. We got up at 3.30am to do it. And it snowed. It was the dry season and it snowed! It was cold! I could have done without surveying my kingdom Polie. You could have left me in bed and fetched back photos.

P/. It was lovely, Chwis.

W/. In fairness Polie, we should have been able to see the multi layered minerals in different colour bands but the snow hid them.

P/. Yes Wic, that was a shame. But we climbed it. Not bad for three guys who live at near sea level.

W/. Well two of us climbed it and one of us rode a horse!

C/. What else would you expect royalty to do? I wasn’t made for climbing snow covered mountains! It was -5C at the top. What sort of holiday was that?

W/. But when we reached the summit, in the snow, there was that Peruvian fellow who had seen us coming and put his kettle on to make us a cup of coca tea.

C/. Yes I remember. He was there in sandals making tea and selling snacks. It was crazy.

P/. Crazy, insane? It was certainly a timely weminder of how many people have to eke out a living. It was also a weminder of how much we take for gwanted as we twavel the world and explore. It is so easy to be a spectator as we pass thwough.

W/. And how simply they live in a house that was barely a room or two, cooking on an open fire.

We must talk about POVERTY because people insulated by their own comfort lose sight of it.

Dorothy Day

It’s easy to forget.

C/. But what do we do Polie? Everywhere we have been there has been poverty.

P/. I agree Chwis. We are a small voice in a mighty storm.

W/. Well until we know otherwise we do the little we can. A gift here as we go. Inconveniencing ourselves occasionally to allow room for kindness. Being aware wherever we are.

C/. Little by little?

P/. I guess so. Small acts of kindness.

I have found that it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay…small acts of kindness and love.

Gandalf

W/. So we went up the mountain and it looks like it was more than just a climb to the top. We seem to have learnt something as well and lets hope we are more mindful as we travel and ready to be kind.

P/. Yes, I guess we all have a wesponsibility once we are aware.

C/. I think I can do kind. I will start practicing.