Voltar à terra

Eco Lodge Brejeira em cinzas… in ashes

- Agosto 12, 2018 -

Escrevi sobre o Eco Lodge Brejeira aqui no blog Voltar à terra e também recomendei a visita no livro Voltar à Terra. Mas as alterações climáticas que se manifestam com estas temperaturas drásticas no planeta fizeram mais uma vez grandes estragos no nosso país. Destruindo florestas e ecossistemas e lugares paradisíacos como era a casa da Claire e sua família- era um espaço turístico, ecológico e sustentável e era também onde viviam e partilhavam os seus sorrisos, experiências em permacultura e sabedoria visível na ligação com a natureza.

Nem acredito que esta roulote cigana já não existe: http://voltaraterra.pt/horticultura-biologica-na-roulote-cigana/; http://voltaraterra.pt/a-agua/

Pedem-nos ajuda agora!!! Quem conseguir mesmo que seja com pouco aqui está a conta para onde poderão transferir a vossa ajuda. Se tiverem dúvidas aqui vai o email da Claire: claire.versteeg@gmail.com

Há também uma campanha de crowdfunding a decorrer para ajudar a família:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/alex-severn?utm_id=108&utm_term=WQ5EyeJMQ

Obrigada!!!

….

“Dear friends, dear everyone whom in some way or other have been in touch with or set feet on Eco-lodge Brejeira,

Here I sit, at the neighbor, in the safety of the naked burnt land, where we will spend the night until things are safe enough on our own land.

Brejeira…the hill that welcomed us more than twelve years ago, full of promises, bare after a big fire of 2003. The land where our dream started, and was realized, stone by stone, step by step, until Eco-lodge Brejeira was born out of our love, dedication, patience and creativity. The land that has received so so many people, made many people dream beautiful dreams, breathe pure and simple life. The land that witnessed laughter and tears, light and shadow.

Today, Eco-lodge Brejeira has died. Eaten up by the hungry flames that are devouring the Algarve, insatiable. Dreams turned to ashes, back to the bare hill it was when we started. No water, no internet, no buildings, no nothing. Back to the basics of life. Eat, drink, sleep, shit.

Today, we went back after having fled for the dangerous sea of red flames. We went back to see what was left. Like the first moon-walker, we set out step by step into this surreal black landscape, with awe and fear of what would be met.

Gone was the Gypsyvan, nothing but an iron skeleton and two burnt green pillows to remind us of what it used to be like to relax and enjoy that view, now one of gray ashes and smoke for as far as the eye could reach.

Gone was the Yurt, the beautiful Yurt on that deck where so many have felt alone in the world and loved each other wildly and passionately. What happened to the little kitchen of love? What happened to the shower with the most amazing view? What happened to all the small details and care put into every little corner?

Gone, all gone.

The Firevan miraculously still standing amongst a sea of grey ashes and burnt trees and bushes. Smoke still coming out of the log that carried it up and down a hundred times over the little river. The rest? All disappeared in smoke, sad remains of what once was a harbor of peace for many a living soul.

But amongst this landscape of destruction, amidst this sadness and pain, little sings of love. Big miracles of life. A call for Hope, for Sacredness, for Life. A left-over heart, untouched by the flames, brightly present. A piece of burnt paper from some magazine, lying in the burnt ashes of the Yurt, with Maria, and a prayer of Fire to find that one and only true presence of Love in oneself. And the biggest of all miracles: our own Yurts, our homes, were spared.

In it, I see signs, I read a message: the Eco-lodge has died, the cycle has been completed. But we are allowed to live on. In it, I read hope: love is what matters, and love is what will help us get through this.

Our source of income has disappeared, our infrastructure is gone, our life investments have been cruelly eaten up by the flames. But we still have ourselves, we have the land, we have the memories, the many many beautiful memories. And we have hope. From death new life can be born, from ashes a new phoenix can rise.

And so we humbly ask you for help, all of you who have set feet on Brejeira and witnessed the simplicity of life. We ask you, friends and family, close and far, if you can assist us in this new phase. We humbly ask you, if you can spare it, a tiny contribution, so we can restore the damage and get through a phase without income to start a new, simple life. So we can take care of the land in a regenerative way.

Because we believe that we must keep on dreaming. Because we believe we can support and hold each other. Because we believe many drops make a sea.

And to those who live near and so generously offered a pair of hands, we will be very happy to accept them, and to get in touch when the emotions have settled, the loss integrated, and a new plan made.

Many, many thanks to all of you who have made Eco-lodge Brejeira what it has been, eight long years.

With intense gratitude,

Claire, Sander, Ayla and Ravi.”

If you wish to help, you can do so to Klaartje Versteeg under the mention of “From ashes to dreams” to the account with the following codes, at ABN-AMRO Bank in Bennekom, The Netherlands.

IBAN: NL62ABNA0539050075
BIC/SWIFT: ABNANL2A

Não sei como se recupera das cinzas. os meus tios estão nesta luta, também e a minha avó que ficou sem a casa onde viu nascer os filhos e crescer os netos. Não sei?… Como se recupera das cinzas!?

Estas fotos foram tiradas durante a minha estadia no Eco Lodge Brejeira. Difícil acreditar…mas sim, é o mesmo lugar.