Portugal
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23/06/2021
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Firstly apologies for the low response rate . I don’t live in Portugal full time and didn’t realise I could deactivate my account when I’m not there .
I'm Jessika age 34 born in England. I'm the creative director of a vegan/vegetarian cafe and chillout area that I create at music festivals (mainly psy trance festivals) I’m now stepping back into my role as a healer and massage therapist with Hawaiian lomi shamanic bodywork
Right now my mission is to live off grid, to live as low-impact sustainable lifestyle as possible.
sustainability can mean different things to different people for me when I think about being sustainable I adopt an aspect of Permaculture that I learnt about called the directive of return . “The directive of return is to replenish to an equal or a greater amount of resources used “ for this reason I do not buy anything that comes in any kind of packaging whether it’s recyclable or not for me I want to eliminate the unsustainable processes that go into manufacturing the packaging in the first place this does mean there is a large variety of foods and products that I do not consume or purchase .
every Saturday I go to the local market you will also happen have an opportunity to join I buy fresh produce that’s local and organic whatever I can’t get in the market I purchase from a supermarket. I use reusable cotton bags and I take plastic tubs for the fish and meat. I am happy to cater for vegans and vegetarians I have a vegan café and if I was vegetarian and vegan myself for many years. Sometimes there are ingredients and products leftover from the café which we use on the land like coffee , tea , nuts and sees but they are not replenished , I don’t buy more once finished. for me avoiding buying food and products that come in packaging is the easiest way to drastically reduce your carbon footprint.
Please only bring natural products for the ones that will end up in the ground Like soap, shampoo, toothpaste , washing clothes detergent . I make larger batches of completely natural products using soap nuts , this can be used to wash hair as a body wash to wash dishes and clean clothes you are more than welcome to use thisI encourage you to use this or to at least try it whilst you’re here
The work on the land is never ending, being self-sufficient is an ongoing journey there is no end goal it’s a continual evolution.
I like the work on the land to be a combination of practical jobs that are essential as well as creative projects. the main jobs on the land are creating an efficient and comfortable living situation whilst being as resourceful as possible. There are many micro projects like making new tables , storage , wood shed , washing up area etc . clearing from shrubs, grass and brambles and just keeping everything cut back and stopping it from getting overgrown for these jobs Those that are up for heavier work there are a couple of strimmers l. There are hand tools for those who would prefer lighter work. One of the main creative projects is to create pebble pathways my inspiration comes from Jeffery bale. I fully welcome artists , there are many rocks to paints and make the place look beautiful. we also need to create raised beds and do repair work on the terraces that have fallen I have a little experience with dry stone building.
Four hours of work a day is required for and a half days a week personally I like to do a couple of hours in the morning and breaks her out the afternoon when its hottest and do a couple of hours in the evening in the spare time there are lots of creative and artistic things to do like painting rocks creating dream catchers building stone sculptures
In my free time I like to do yoga and exercise I also like to dance listen to music and play didgeridoo I also like to read . I have a variety of books on the land about different aspects of eco-building and Permaculture.
The end goal for the project is to create an eco retreat and natural holistic spa.
I'm highly creative I have many skills from massage therapist, artist, dancer, professional hoop dancer and fire performer. I love to design and make clothes and build and create all kinds of things from furniture and structures to art peices and decor . I'm at the early stages of creating a video blog on you tube to share my experience if going off grid.
DIY and building projects
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
General Maintenance
You will get the chance to deeply connect with a truly magical piece of Mother Earth and to witness and be a part of the very first stages of living off grid.
clearing the land and keeping it maintained is always an ongoing task . There are brambles and shrubs to be strimmed. We have hand tools and power tools depending on your preference.
Rebuilding stone walls
Me and a few friends I met on a dry stone building course in Italy have rebuilt one part of many of the fallen stone terrace walls. There is a lot of stone work to be done, happy to pass on the little knowledge I have so far of dry stone walling.
Making pebble stone pathways
I would like to create mandala and key hole vegetable beds. Raised beds , growing veg .
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
This host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
I have a spare bell tent and normal tents with plenty of bedding , foam mattress , camping beds . It’s important to be comfortable especially in these basic living conditions
I have 2 x 4m geo domes which can be erected to create more places to sleep and provide shelter.
At the moment there is a small outdoor kitchen which consists of a 5x5m canvas cover and a gas burner stove ( it’s basic )
The shit pit will be made into a compost toilet and an outdoor shower/bathroom area created soon.
I just bought a tipi which will be my living space .
There is a beautiful river and dip pools and spring for fresh drinking water.
Solar shower bag and outdoor off grid shower set up
On your time off you can go for hikes up to Landeria. The river on the land has waterfalls and dip pool to chill out and relax and unwind from the stresses and conditioning of western modern society. Poco Azul a popular tourist spot of beautiful dip pools is just 3km away. Once a month I go to a spa in Porto welcome to join. Once a week on Saturday I go to the local market in Sao Pedro do sul. I also do my laundry here.
The are no modern facilities on the land. Its back to basics and back to nature living. Heating pots of water for an Indian style body wash, bathing in the river when hot enough using solar shower .
I've become a pro at one pot cooking. Food is very important and I ensure that everyone eats well and healthy. I provide 3 yummy healthy meals per. We eat meat and fish but can accommodate For veganS Its nice to have help to prepare the food with me. I'm very health conscious I eat in a healthy and sustainable way . We have a zero waste policy ! No food bought in plastic or packaging . Mainly gluten free , just buy one loaf of local bread a week which we eat at a picnic at the local swim spot , we also buy a local Cheese For this occasion too .
Friends from around the world come and visit at times and some may stay for long periods. So there is normally company from lovely open minded, conscious and creative people. Dave who is staying here is a sound healer and massage therapist too .
We have a Saturday night jam session party and bbq . I buy a bottle of wine we play and listen to music, dance and enjoy.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
There is no direct access onto the land you have to park at the top of the 600m track and walk down
This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.
More than two
Maximum 4 hours a day, 5 days a week
