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Published: July 16th 2006
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There's been a bit of a gap since my last blog, but you will be pleased to hear I haven't fallen into a volcanic crater or been washed away to sea, merely that my emailing time and internet access have been rather limited of late. Apologies to those who I owe an email - I haven't forgotten about you and I'll try to send a reply to you today before I head back to the reserve.
This weekend I am back in Quito with it's free wireless internet and useful facilities, but previous weekends have seen me all over Ecuador. I think I mentioned that two weekends ago I was heading up north to Otavalo, a town famous for its crafts market and the beautiful volcanos and lakes that surround it. Myself and three other volunteers took the bus from the reserve on Friday evening and, after a brief stay in Quito, journeyed north. We looked around the market, bought a few bits and pieces, saw England being knocked out of the World Cup by Portugal while we ate our lunch, and then headed off into the countryside to look at the high montane lakes nestled up in the surrounding
mountains. As it was a clear day we had a very good view of Volcano Imbabura, an impressive sight towering over Otavalo. As we climbed higher out of the town (we took a taxi due to lack of time), the views were very beautiful. The lakes of Mojanda were lovely too. The clouds moved quickly over the surrounding slopes making beautiful patches of light over the hills, and the lakes themselves reflected the landscape in their silvery water. The air was cold and clear, and we walked around the lake edge looking at the beautiful grasses and flowers. Afterwards we returned to Otavalo and enjoyed a quiet evening in the town, and returned to the reserve the next day.
The following weekend a group of seven volunteers decided to go to the coast, and so I returned to Canoa, and enjoyed a weekend of collecting shells on the beach, swimming and body-boarding in the waves, and generally not doing very much. The weather was overcast and warm, which was perfect for me. No need for factor 50 suncream, as there was last time I visited in March. Sadly that also meant no spectacular sunsets, but we just played pool
at the hotel and went for evening walks instead! We were given Monday off from the reserve, so we were able to watch the World Cup Final on the beach, which was great. Some of the guys would have been devastated to have missed it, as we certainly would if we'd had to go back on Sunday.
It's been mentioned that I haven't said much about work on the reserve recently, so I thought I'd rectify that! The work I have been mainly doing has been very physical over the last three or four weeks. It's part of a water project that began last year when Juan Pablo, the reserve director, recognised the need to find a new water supply for the reserve, as the current one wasn't enough to cope with the needs of the new volunteer house. So last year a group went up into the forest and found a new water source (a river very high up), and threaded the connecting pipe through the trees. This left the new water source about 400 meters above the reserve, and this month's work has been to build the infrastructure to pipe the water to all the houses on
the main reserve site. So three weeks ago a group of volunteers and staff walked up into the forest and dug a hole ten meters square and five meters deep of some of the most compacted clay there was. It took us three full working days of hacking and scraping with hoes and shovels to clear it out, and it was an impressive site when it was finished. This was where the water tank would be. The following week we had to level and clear the 1500m path between the main reserve site and the tank. The path was so badly eroded by rainfall that the tractor couldn't drive up, so we took hoes and dug the path level so that the tractor could plough the path. This took three days to finish (we took breaks between the days), and we had a great sense of achievement when it was done. The staff then put in the water tank and laid the water pipes down to the volunteer house. When we returned from Canoa, Maestro the builder was at the house putting in hot water tanks so we could have hot showers (a very exciting thing!). This week's work has
mainly been digging the trenches to bury the water pipe from the tank that we dug three weeks ago to our house on the far edge of the main site. We hoed trenches for the pipes all the way along the paths and up through some fields to the water tank. We have about 300 meters left to do at the beginning of next week, and then it's finished, but on Wednesday the water was connected, and the hot showers were working for the first time. This is a big improvement for all the volunteers, and the collective effort that has been involved has been great to participate in.
On the farm front, the piglets that were born three weeks ago are all doing very well, and can be seen running around the farm area making mischief, which is very funny to see. One of the horses, Karina, is overdue to have a foal, so hopefully I will be able to put up some very cute pictures sometime soon. Also, the female goats are pregnant (I think), so there is the potential for a couple more little kids to be running around soon, which is exciting!
Finally, we've had some
good news on the Community Project front, with a donation that will get us started. Also, as hopefully you will have heard, I am planning to climb Volcan Illiniza Norte with three other volunteers next weekend to raise money for the Project, so if you would like to sponsor me, let me know!
I've rambled on long enough, so, to borrow Bugs Bunny's catchphrase...that's all folks! Take care, and do please keep sending your messages and comments - it's great to hear from you. x A
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Steve Candler
non-member comment
wish i was there !!!
Hi Anna great to hear your news and see the fantastic photos and learn more about this fascinating country you are in. I guess i just feel more amd more jealous of what you are doing and the expereinces you are having. the mire here seems to get worse, and feels particulalry reinforced now as we enter the last week of Julie being with us. Anyway, enough of my wallowing. Continue to have a fantastic time. Do hope we see you again when you are back in the UK. do take care Steve x