Alix & David's Land.

From Dan's throne like toilet, in the distance you could see a cluster of buildings through the trees, an idyllic array of adobe mud houses. We had heard about 'the German's' who lived there and brewed beer, apparently they were looking for volunteers too. This would be our next stop. We arrived with the two German's from Dan's and were warmly welcomed with a vegan feast (suprisingly tasty) and were shown to our digs (actual beds with walls around) luxury to the max. Me and Lyndon lucked out with a beautiful huge truck converted into a mini home with a kitchen and sitting area and an elevated double bed with a door that opened up so we could see the stars. We could see ourselves staying here for a while. 'The German's' we found out were actually Austrian, Dan's deliberate slip. He told us not to mention the War. There was a definite rivallry in the air and we felt like we had almost betrayed him by going over there, however we were ready for comfort and work, it couldn't be avoided. Alix and David were a couple in their mid thirties who had moved to the Bolivian mountains with their now fourteen year old daughter Cosma. They had started with only the truck and then managed to substantially trim down the jungle around them and build a selection of impressive mudbrick houses. Their friend Lina, also lived with them in one of the shelters, she was like the adopted auntie of the family and we really grew to love her in our time there. Right from the off they had us all assigned to certain jobs around the land, anything from sorting out wheat to weeding the beds, washing leather in the sun, brewing beer, making mixtures for adobe bricks, building foundations for a new building, making a mud wall, planting veg and helping to prepare food. The food was interesting to say the least.
The veganism wasn't just a diet for these people, it was a lifestyle. We would endure daily lectures on how it could improve our lives, how vegans never get sick, how the diet can cure cancer and many other things. They were on a strict fermented diet. Everything they ate had been either fermented or pickled an never boiled over 80 degrees. They didn't use oil and therefore nothing was fried as they believe this removes the goodness. They had a lot of evidence to back up their beliefs and we completely bought it however on our weekends off the first thing we did was head down to the village for a burger with all the trimmings and whatever greasy fatty deep fried sweet tasty goodness we could get our deprived hands on. To their satisfaction we always got sick after we had had  a splurge as our bodies were 'rejecting the badness' (they loved telling us we told you so) but it was totally worth it.
One good thing about the fermented diet however, meant that beer and wine were included and every night we would stay up until the early hours getting hammered with the family, and it would be seen as being healthy. Wine had never tasted so sweet. It was true also that you didn't get hangovers if you sticked to it, all round winner. The alcohol fueled nights began to take their toll in other ways however, and we found ourselves in the midst of some serious family affairs. It all got a bit much and after three weeks we decided to end on a high and left after an amazing goodbye party (in which Dan also came to), fitting way to end things.