Bliss in the Bush

Stoop of my kaya.

The entry to my kaya.

I am fortunate to have been so warmly received here at Ulusaba. I live in the staff village nestled at the base of a koppi (hill), among front-line employees of Ulusaba. The back-of-the-house staff live in smaller units in a neighboring complex. The staff village is surrounded by electric fencing to keep out the predators; although elephants, leopards and hyenas have been known to make an appearance.

Llane, the general manager of the property, has given me my own kaya, or cottage, for the duration of my stay. It is a studio, for the most part, with a bathroom and kitchenette. The roof is thatched, the floor concrete. It suits me quite well!

I brought with me a few personal items: framed photos, treasured books, yoga deck and music. I am absolutely content with my minimalist lifestyle and feel that I am not lacking in anything.

ALTHOUGH, I have yet to take to cooking here. I did bring my recipes and aprons, but on the one occasion that I cooked a favorite recipe, I was disappointed with the outcome. Everything will have to be standardized again, what with the different flavors of spices and food. I have taken to eating a lot of nuts and vegetables. Gregg, the co-founder of Pride & Purpose, and his wife, Ilse, have been very gracious to me, feeding me dinner many times.

We are self-contained here—no weekly trash pick-up. In fact, I lobbied Llane about implanting the practice of digesting trash: dig a large hole, enclose it with sheet metal (leaving the base exposed), put a secure lid on it and use it to decompose food scraps and paper products. (Thanks to Kevin for the beta!) There is a spazza in the staff village—a small grocery store. I’ve been provided an allowance to buy food.

So, I wake in the morning to the music of birds greeting the day, brew a cup of tea, do a few soduku puzzles, eat some nuts and do a half an hour of yoga. Its absolutely blissful!