The month has very quickly come to an end. Since I last wrote, we´ve done many more walks through the forest, spent hours playing Cuarenta (an Ecuadorian card game) and lying in the hammocks, and have enjoyed just going with the flow of Ecuadorian lifestyle. We spent our last night on the project camping in the Paramo at the base of Volcan Cotacachi. It was a gorgeous spot, with a full moon illuminating the volcano. I few llamas even came by to check out our camp.
We are in Quito tonight and heading to Baeza (2.5 hours east) tomorrow to take part in an event to promote the plight of the andean bear. A conservation group is organizing volunteers to construct a 2800m2 image of a bear using black and white stones. The idea is to use publicity to pressure politicians into protecting the bears. After that, we will all go our separate ways. I am going to Tena (a bit further east, into the Amazon) for a few days with another volunteer before coming back to Quito to prepare for my next volunteer stint on the Galapagos.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Sore Feet and Sunshine
THE PARAMO
I´ve spent the last few days camping in the Paramo (high altitude grassland) with another volunteer, and one of the project staff, Samuel, as our guide. On Sunday we took a ride in the milk truck up to Samuel´s house where we spent the night. Early the next morning, we loaded Samuel´s quad with the three of us, plus all of our gear for three days of camping, and then tied a horse to the back of it, and set out for the trail. We walked for 4 or 5 hours (with lots of steep ups and downs - we were very grateful that we had the horse to carry all our gear) before it started to rain. So, we camped at someone´s house, completely in the middle of nowhere (I think they were friends of Samuel). The next day it was just a short walk up to the lake, our destination. An absolutely gorgeous spot, I´m afraid my pictures won´t do it justice. We did some fishing and caught a good sized trout for supper. Seven hours of hiking the next day brought us back to Samuel´s, where I ate a ton of (organically grown) grenadillas from his field (these are my new favorite fruit!). My Spanish got a lot better, since Samuel speaks no english and the other volunteer I was with speaks no Spanish. We spent a lot of time playing Cuarenta, an Ecuadorian card game (which is a bit tricky to learn when you only understand every third word!). It was a really cool few days, made even better by knowing that the area I was visiting is not in my Lonely Planet guide book.
BEAR TRACKING
We haven´t heard any bears in the last few days. There are only two bears with working collars. The others are wearing new, expensive GPS collars that aren´t transmitting a signal properly. Our other task is to cut new trails (through really dense cloud forest). This is so that the bears will use the trails, rub up against a tree, and we can then collect hair samples from uncollared bears for DNA analysis. We need multiple trails because the bears won´t use them if they can tell that people have been walking there.
FIESTA
There were some American university students visiting Pucara on a sort of study tour so the village held a fiesta for them. Everyone came out for games, music, and dancing. It was a great way for us to meet more of the people in the village. The people are very friendly with a great sense of humour - a really cool atmosphere.
REST DAY
I am back in Otavalo for a couple days off, which I will spend shopping in the market and enjoying a comfortable bed, hot showers, pizza, and giant slices of pie at The Pie Shop.
I´ve spent the last few days camping in the Paramo (high altitude grassland) with another volunteer, and one of the project staff, Samuel, as our guide. On Sunday we took a ride in the milk truck up to Samuel´s house where we spent the night. Early the next morning, we loaded Samuel´s quad with the three of us, plus all of our gear for three days of camping, and then tied a horse to the back of it, and set out for the trail. We walked for 4 or 5 hours (with lots of steep ups and downs - we were very grateful that we had the horse to carry all our gear) before it started to rain. So, we camped at someone´s house, completely in the middle of nowhere (I think they were friends of Samuel). The next day it was just a short walk up to the lake, our destination. An absolutely gorgeous spot, I´m afraid my pictures won´t do it justice. We did some fishing and caught a good sized trout for supper. Seven hours of hiking the next day brought us back to Samuel´s, where I ate a ton of (organically grown) grenadillas from his field (these are my new favorite fruit!). My Spanish got a lot better, since Samuel speaks no english and the other volunteer I was with speaks no Spanish. We spent a lot of time playing Cuarenta, an Ecuadorian card game (which is a bit tricky to learn when you only understand every third word!). It was a really cool few days, made even better by knowing that the area I was visiting is not in my Lonely Planet guide book.
BEAR TRACKING
We haven´t heard any bears in the last few days. There are only two bears with working collars. The others are wearing new, expensive GPS collars that aren´t transmitting a signal properly. Our other task is to cut new trails (through really dense cloud forest). This is so that the bears will use the trails, rub up against a tree, and we can then collect hair samples from uncollared bears for DNA analysis. We need multiple trails because the bears won´t use them if they can tell that people have been walking there.
FIESTA
There were some American university students visiting Pucara on a sort of study tour so the village held a fiesta for them. Everyone came out for games, music, and dancing. It was a great way for us to meet more of the people in the village. The people are very friendly with a great sense of humour - a really cool atmosphere.
REST DAY
I am back in Otavalo for a couple days off, which I will spend shopping in the market and enjoying a comfortable bed, hot showers, pizza, and giant slices of pie at The Pie Shop.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Arrival
Last Saturday, after what I hoped was my last blast of cold air for the year, I boarded the plane. We got about as far as the perimeter before we turned back to the Wpg airport (apparently certain planes aren´t fit for Wpg winters). So I arrived in Quito one day late. My luggage, however, was not so lucky. I prepared for this by strategically packing my carry on, but thanks to heightened security, no carry ons were allowed. But, a passport and a toothbrush can take you a long way, and I am back in Otavalo today (a 2.5 hour bus ride from the project site) to be reunited with my things.
Our house is quite remote, near a very small village. There are six other volunteers (2 from Aus, 2 from England, 1 from Scotland, and 1 from California - a good mix). There is a volleyball court in the centre of a nearby town, where the seven of us played yesterday. I think the local people where quite entertained by seven gringos playing horrible volleyball - they had a good laugh. The countryside is georgeous...it´s nice to be around mountains again. It´s supposed to be the rainy season but climate change is messing things up and it hasn´t rained yet. This is bad news for the crops, but I am enyoying the sun. I´m loving learning about the research here and issues affecting the local ecosystem. Our house is at about 2000m; walking up hill is a bit more difficult, but other than that no altitude sickness. I learned a decent number of Spanish words before I came, but I´m not so good at formulating sentences yet. There´s a woman in the village that teaches Spanish so I´m sure I will be able to improve. So, other than wearing the same clothes for the last few days, everything is going very well.
Until next time,
S.
Our house is quite remote, near a very small village. There are six other volunteers (2 from Aus, 2 from England, 1 from Scotland, and 1 from California - a good mix). There is a volleyball court in the centre of a nearby town, where the seven of us played yesterday. I think the local people where quite entertained by seven gringos playing horrible volleyball - they had a good laugh. The countryside is georgeous...it´s nice to be around mountains again. It´s supposed to be the rainy season but climate change is messing things up and it hasn´t rained yet. This is bad news for the crops, but I am enyoying the sun. I´m loving learning about the research here and issues affecting the local ecosystem. Our house is at about 2000m; walking up hill is a bit more difficult, but other than that no altitude sickness. I learned a decent number of Spanish words before I came, but I´m not so good at formulating sentences yet. There´s a woman in the village that teaches Spanish so I´m sure I will be able to improve. So, other than wearing the same clothes for the last few days, everything is going very well.
Until next time,
S.
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