Alpacas and the meaning of life

Walking the tree line along the high pastures before disappearing into the thicket of the forest on the way to our vegetation transect. 100m X 100m layed out in the cloud forest. A snapshot of this system and the types of plants and animals that call these forests home. For the task we've already come through here with our mammal tracker Don Jose, and today we have another type of "expert", our friend Josue. A student from the University of Azuay we met and started collaborating with on this vegetation transect earlier in the semester. Josue is a botanist and easy going wealth of plant knowledge. And so by the end of the day, the transect done and our pants muddy we stride out back into the light...

Stepping out into the light, reality and metaphor. I passed these guys on the ridge top, so fat and wooly. Aloof in their own universe staring out and contemplating the world from this high perch. So guys, what does it all mean? That is something I have had much time to meditate on so far through this life, in my meager 27 years. Maybe we'll none of us ever figure that out but for ourselves. For my part i turn to my compass: The North Star is love, the Westerlies gust forth wisdom, while from the East the trade winds blow ceaseless compassion, and in the bright southern skies creative beauty lights up the Southern Cross. The four compass points as I can see it as least. Navigating by those constellations how can we ever be lost?