Felipe Degel is a famous guide, owns an inn, passionately tell stories, and, along with his wife from Quito, entertained me and a group of German tourists last night. Now that he is retired from guiding, he has turned to storytelling, singing and poetry writing. His memoirs are next. Photos of young Felipe show a strapping blond Adonis, seated at the water's edge, looking at the sea's mysteries. He is rounder now, partly due to having fits with his knees. Another reason might be the marvelous cuisine of his wife. He admits to being swamped by poetry, prose, song and tales, all of which have accumulated in his mind during his years of adventures.
He has also slowed down due to his conversion to Mormonism. He gave up alcohol (although guests may bring their own) and is a dutiful family man. His faith seems to have motivated him to reflect on the world in ways that an active guide, working 24/7, cannot.
Around 11 pm, he pulled me aside to tell me about THE ESSENCE OF LIFE. I listened attentively, to this Pied Piper/Mr. Greenjeans.
FELIPE: "I am Belgian but this is my home. When I was a young man here, we had nothing but I was so happy. I had friends like Gus Angermeyer, who lived in a cave. Today, with my five children and wonderful wife, I am still happy. I don't need all of these modern things, but they are ok. They are not what give me happiness, though. Back then, there was no electricity after midnight, but that allowed us to see the stars better.
TITO: How would you describe this feeling that tourists get while visiting the Galapagos?
FELIPE: "Tito, there is something on these islands that is impossible to measure? It cannot be quantified. I call it the Galapagos Profundo, the Deep Galapagos. It is the reason I am raising my children here. It is the reason I am happily married, live with very little and don't worry about making money. I offer talks to visitors, train guides and, try to make this world come alive to the young people of the Galapagos.
"For ten years, I have had one particular dream. It goes like this. My wife and will have an experiential education program for the children of these islands. It will be based on a large fiberglass boat, and there will be room for a group of school children to travel safely around this island of Santa Cruz. We will observe and participate in life on land and sea.
TITO: Cool idea. I agree that children must discover, for themselves, the MYSTERY OF LIFE. Each person will have different perceptions. When we allow children to search freely, each child's soul will discover something in nature that harmonizes, resonates. The soul of mother nature will get to visit with the soul of the child. Animals, who live in a dynamic harmony with nature, will become teachers. Do you sense this dynamic harmony here? It is so close. It is love, passion, humility, beauty, life, death, hope.
FELIPE: "As children travel around the island, they will appreciate it, love it, treasure it, save it. By seeing the natural world, children immediately understand something. They make links faster than adults. A child will notice sea lions and albatrosses, sea horses and sharks. They get it!! They realize they are seeing their own mother nature in action. EUREKA! WOW! AWESOME!
TITO: This is the teachable moment. Words are of use here. At this time, we need to teach the words, the signs and symbols of the sacred. It is time for a bit on History. Biology. Zoology. The children need to know how to describe, for parents and neighbors, the trust that the iguanas and sea lions have for each other. This peace and excitement. Why do the boobies let me walk up to them and take a picture? Can the world be more like this??? Children will look for guidance, perhaps some words to put this "depth" in context. We teachers can tell them the history of these islands. The good, bad and the ugly. The good that consists of responsible, simple living. The bad that is destructive. The ugly that is sewage in the ocean, destruction of animal habitats. Some children will awaken to the sacred space they inhabit. Some will become guides, some will educate their parents and siblings, some will look at the stars and some will snorkel with sharks. Long after you and I are gone, our legacy will live on. Let's make it a good one.
FELIPE: "I have to tell you one short anecdote. Gus Angermeyer lived in a cave, next door to this property. He had almost nothing, aside from things he found in the bay. Like driftwood. No one thought much of his driftwood, until one day a Japanese photographer visited Gus. The photographer was patient, unlike most tourists. Over time, Gus showed the visitor that, at certain times of the day, the sun struck the gnarly pieces of wood in ways that produced strange shadows. Since the sun has exactly the same schedule every day, you can count on these shadows to occur at the same time daily. So the photographer noticed these fantastic shapes, faces and animals that emerged from the wood shadows. He took many pictures and he sent copies to Gus. They were mainly black and white. Gus stapled or nailed the pictures to a piece of plywood and that is where they were, unnoticed by most visitors. But, actually, there are photos by one of Japan's foremost artists and they make an incredible statement about the nature of art.
TITO: What a wonderful story. It is the absence of form that is the shadow. That is what Gus found.
FELIPE: Tito, do you want to understand the Galapagos Profundo? Please come by here on Saturday night and Sunday, so we can talk. You can hear my 40-minute talk to a visiting group on Saturday and then we will have the long talk on Sunday. Bring your laptop. Meanwhile, here is some wahoo, beets and mashed potatoes. Excuse me while I entertain these German visitors with a slide show, my guitar and harmonica."
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Aside from the Via Activa, the communities here are doing a lot with their young people. The CDF, along with the national park, reach out to the townspeople as well. One successful project was to teach teenagers how to take pictures and document their world. The result was a juried show that will make its way to each island. I assisted with the show in Isabela, the island on which is the village of Villamil. The winners on each of the three main islands (that are inhabited) were young women who told very cool "stories" with their pictures.
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