01 Feb Visiting Inan Itah community at Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

The most epic week of the entire filmmaking roadtrip deserves a longer post. Man, I could write a book about this week. When we were planning this trip with the filmmakers, we were very exited about the chance to meet people who live a completely different life compared to the typical life in the Western world. Traveling all the way to Nicaragua to spend time in a off the grid, semi self-sufficient community of people, was such a chance. After several weeks on the road, we finally reached Nicaragua and headed off to the vulcanic island of Ometepe to visit this remote place on the flank of the vulcano. Never we had imagined to end up where we ended up.

Fourteen month old Isa was welcome too and some adjustments were made to the kitchen to make the environment safe. The knives got a alternate home 🙂 so she could not reach. We slept in a tent, on an airbed next to the travel cot of our daughter. I think it has been the most rewarding experience of the entire roadtrip. Far outside of our comfort-zone magic happened. We were introduced to a way of living we could not have imagined existed. We ate fully plant-based for a week and got introduced to the necessity of skipping meat and animal products from our diets. And although inspiring, at that moment in time it did not resonate with us yet and we looked so much forward to eat a burger after a week of fruits, vegetables, salads, yuka balls, a variety of beans and rice and plant-based sauces. It took us another year to come to terms with eating a plant-based diet and adopting the philosophy to our daily lives on a regular basis.

We ate plant-based for a week, practiced yoga and meditation in the mornings, did some great guided breathwork, we walked around in the naked area, sat in the hottub with 21 other people under the stars, participated in a cacao ceremony. We learned all about building a self sustaining community with its own self-constructed water source, implemented solar power, compost toilets and a tropical garden full of vegetables and fruits. It is an amazing way to live. To be able to live off the ground you are set in and respect it as much as you would your own life. Some staple products, like rice, beans and oranges were brought up to the mountain village every week, but besides that, everything we ate was grown at the premises.

Most impressive of the entire week were the people we met. A wide variety of people come to this place, connecting and sharing the same world views. Looking for clarity within themselves, searching and working hard to come to terms with the life they led so far and look forward to what lies ahead. Many many future plans were changed after a visit to Inan Itah. Many come back to spend more time in the community and contributing their skills and knowledge. For us it was an amazing experience, it brought us back to living in the moment completely. No phones, just attention for one another. Real conversations, recognition of our own struggles in those of others we met. Breathwork with such intensity we still talk about it today. It is with a deep sense of gratitude in which we leave this place. Thankful for such an experience that changed quite a bit of our outlook on life. Thank you Inan Itah and all the people present in the last week of january 2017. You know who you are.