mano de obra

We´re back from our tech trip to the transition zone...which was fascinating and a bit exhausting. The bus ride from the Sierra´s toward the coast was absolutely stunning...and a stark contrast in climates. We went from warm days and chilly nights in the Sierra...to hot and humid, but beautiful cloud forests... We awoke each morning to the cacophany of birds...and the sounds of other creatures we could not quite identify. It was very lush green with beautiful tropical plants and orchids all over the place. We stayed at a place which felt like a camp...big bink houses...but with a nice pool and futbol field, ping pong, fusball, etc. We worked for a couple of days on a nearby integrated farm in this ´transitional zone´ and learned how to build a ¨level A¨ with bamboo in order to calculate the slope of hills and build terraces and infiltration zones in order to prevent erosion on the steep hillsides where people farm. We built a cute little raised seedbed with bamboo sides, we learned about pruning and grafting techniques, analog forestry, different organic composts and we identified different fruit and other crops that thrive in this area, such as cacao, coffee, jackfruit, and lots of other exotic and yummy tropical fruit. We also learned how to build fish ponds that can provide food and income sources to communities in the Oriente and the Coast (as an alternative to dynamite or cyanide fishing in the rivers). One of the more interesting sessions was making and mixing organic pesticides from local plants and soap and other interesting ingredients such as coal, sugar, and other things. It was all really interesting and practical and hands-on. It was VERY hot, though...and the bugs had a field day with us gringos. Despite the heat, I wore long pants and sleeves to protect against the bugs. This was a successful strategy were it not for the fact that I needed to sometimes use my hands for such things as...oh, to take notes, eat, etc. I have no less than 15 bug bites on my left hand alone. I woke up yesterday morning digging at the bites with my fingernails... I feel like I just took a nice chemical bath of sunscreen, bug repellant, and calamine lotion. Sweet! Actually, one of the highlights of this trip was after a long, hot day of working and learning, I went with a couple other volunteers to take a dip in the local river. It was absolutely stunning!!!! The water was crystal clear and cool and refreshing with a brisk current...that we were able to just jump in and float downstream for a while. There were brilliant multi-colored rocks and stones along the banks and in the riverbed...which were perfect for skipping. Beautiful birds were cruising around...and there were huge stands of bamboo and sandy trails nearby. It was truly awesome. It was the perfect way to end a hot day.

Even though I haven´t been able to upload any of my photos, one of the other volunteers in the Habitat Conservation Program, Jeanette, is a photojournalist and has taken some FANTASTIC photos which she has successfully uploaded to Flicker. Check out her site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeanettewarner/page4/

She´s in the same internet cafe as I type undoubtedly uploading more photos, so be sure to check back later, too.