Before arriving yesterday in Arequipa, Carpe Diem had been in Rio Muchacho for the last week. Rio Muchacho is an organic farm situated 10 kilometers outside of Canoa, a surfing town. After a day chilling on the beach, we bused into Rio Muchacho, needing to cross 2 rivers to do so. Rio Muchacho is self sustainable and dedicated to environmentalism in every possible way. A few examples: the toilets feed into a compost used for the crops and methane collected from pig manure is used as electricity. At 6:25 AM every morning, the group would assist the other volunteers and workers at the farm with the morning chores. Chores included feeding the farm animals and cleaning out their pens. Breakfast at 7:30 was the best meal of the day in my opinion. The farms two chefs provided tons of fresh fruit and oats. All but one of the meals at the farm were organic (to the dismay of some of the carnivores in our group). The rest of the morning the group either worked around the farm or received lectures from Nichola or Dario (the farms two wise owners). We learned how to make a compost, the maladies of modern large scale farming, and the effects of the lunar cycle on farming and- according to Dario- when to shave. After lunch and a rest period, the group worked on the farm for a few hours more. For the first few days the majority of the group worked in the garden, weeding and planting the seasonal fruits and vegetables. The last two days at Rio Muchacho we went down to the local school to help with repairs. The school is dedicated to providing local children with an education revolving around sustainable practices. We helped build the roof, touch up paintings of signs and with much more needed work. At night, the group watched a variety of agriculturally focused movies, and one night got to make chocolate from scratch. It was tastey beyond words. One other afternoon activity was swimming and resting in the nearby river. Overall, the group really enjoyed our stay. After two plus weeks of rustic living, however, I imagine that more than a few of us were more than ready for clean clothes and the luxuries cities can provide.