http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Ecuador , Centre , Puyo en-us Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:39:01 UTC Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:39:01 UTC Sue and I are about to begin our travel adventure to Peru. We leave Puyo tonight Friday on an overnight bus to Guayaquil the largest city in Ecuador. From there we are going to attempt to find a place to watch the OSUMichigan game. Susans brother Tom and his wife Hannah fly in later that night. The next day we head to Lima Peru and from there to Cusco and the Inca Trail. We will spend http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-347211.html Well I am having one of those weeks. On Sunday I was shaving with new razor on my upperlip and managed to slice the hell out of my nose. It bled and bled I am still trying to figure out how I did that. On Tuesday I woke up with an incredible pain in my right eye as though I had a piece of glass in it. I must have scratched it with something and after multiple flushings and standing under http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-344396.html I had one of those moments where you realize that what you are saying or doing is absolutely absurd or incomprehensible to those around you. I was out in the community of Libertad to give a couple of presentations and then to take GPS data points for a project. As I wandered from house to house to take data points I had to introduce myself to those who did not know me and then ask if I could tak http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-342587.html Situated on the edge of the Amazon rainforest Flor de la Amazona Animal Rescue Centre is a volunteer based nonprofit organization striving to help the native animals of South America and the indigenous communities of Ecuador. The Flor de la Amazona Animal Rescue Centre locally known as Wayra Urku was created out of necessity for a rehabilitation centre for a wide diversity of Amazonian w http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-333692.html So this week in Ecualand not much exciting happened. I made a kids page for the local paper I only am going to do one more so that project is winding down I attending a planning meeting for the water fund and discovered that I have to give 50 some presentations for that project on top of the stuff I am doing in other projects not going to happen I got sick on Wednesday with some intestinal http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-323506.html well i cant say that i will be sorry to leave this place on wednesday hopefully. it has been an experience but not really the one i wanted. i have been subjected to malnutrition desperate boredom con men and cannibalismmalnutrition due to the poor diet that these indians live on at this time of year includes just plantain manioc and papachinas. all essentially taste like cardboard and have http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-323217.html well thats it i have finally gone native let me try and explain. got to the centro de semillas a hut about an hour and a half from puyo and up a vertical mud slope from the road. this was tricky with my full pack on but never mind. the first afternoon i was shown the propagating areas and some medicinal plants explained the importance of ayuhuasca and told that wajurat the man has many childre http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-318023.html Well this is not going to be the blog entry you were all waiting for but that is ok. A friend of mine Mary just tagged me. Now I know what you are thinking....what kind of kinky things is Jeremy getting into down there in Ecualand Rest assured this is just a game bloggers play why I dont have the foggiest idea but I am game to give it a whirl.So I have to link to the person http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-314392.html Holy cow I have been crazy busy but it has been a very good busy if such a thing exists. Three volunteers two from Spain and one from Bulgaria came to FRATES a couple of weeks ago to volunteer there and help out with the summer camps I am doing with the kids in the communities. Umberto is here as well. Ah yes the summer camp. The idea for the camp came to me as I was planning out the en http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-310144.html The weeks seem to be flying right now. I by the time I start one week and figure out what the heck I am doing that week is over and it is time to start the next. This never bodes well for those who have a lot to do. I am managing however to finally stay on top of everything I have to do. Perhaps that is because I am getting a better grasp of Spanish and thus I do things a little quicker http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-301859.html So after being bumped up to business class or should I say Clase Exectivo...which quite honestly sounds so much grander on the San Jose to Quito flight ha ha...just like in the movies Im sorry the flight is full so Im going to have to upgrade you...wahooooo spending some very busy days in the coolest capital in the world so far atleast and a very messy game of ring of fire Im sure http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-298872.html Dog Karma yes you read that right Dog Karma. I seem to have it right now in full force. A couple of weeks ago right after my blog about the neighborhood dog becoming my buddy I experienced yet another round of good dog vibes.I was out at the FRATES communities giving presentations at the local schools about the state of Ecuadorrsquos environment. It was an overcast slightly rainy day http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-287370.html Sorry folks this is not the awaited blog update about the 2nd trip into Waorani territory that update will be posted at some point this week. What I am posting on this blog is a solicitud for funding for a project of mine. Please read my letter below and help if you can.Greetings family and friendsWell it has been 17 months since Susan and I embarked on this Peace Corps journey. We have 10 http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-285475.html Today is our last day in the jungle emotions for me span the gamut of sadness and relief. Sad that this part of the adventure is coming to a close there's still so much more to see and do. Relief that we are headed back to civilization and I won't have to worry about giant flying cockroaches the size of my hand crawling on me while I sleep yeah the size of my hand.Sticky and slightly funky http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-282627.html Up at the crack of dawn Megan woken up by crazy jungle roosters and Jarrod having not slept much due to crazy jungle insects and suited up to head out into the wilderness. Shacay promised us a relatively easy hike to 2 waterfalls encounters with unique flora fauna and good times making like locals.Clad in the elusive rubber boots that are a musthave for slopping through the quicksandesqu http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-282626.html So how do you measure success in Peace Corps terms One dog at a time. Yes I have had some crazy dog experiences here in Ecuador some so bad that I have secondguessed my love of mans best friend. However this morning was a good dog morning.As I was walking to work I noticed the dog that lives around the block barking at a passerby in front of me. This dog has barked at me and nipped my http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-278683.html The long awaited next blog. I am sorry that I have been uncharacteristically late in writing this blog. I have been swamped with other important things to do and have not had the time or energy to sit down and write an account of my experiences over the last three weeks. So grab a beer glass of wine cup of tea or whatever else you desire and give yourself some time to read the latest in the http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-278066.html Last week I returned to the dam project with my Peace Corps friend Jason. The plan was for Jason to give a workshoptalk about fishfarming which is a very popular activity in these parts. Fishfarms provide food security and a source of income for a lot of poor rural families. So Jason was giving his fish talk and I was tagging along because they wanted me to give a presentation on the environ http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-269413.html A couple of things tickled me this morning. As I was walking to work I walked by the local funeral homecoffin store. Yes you read that right coffin store. You see this business is less of a traditional funeral home and more of a place that sells coffins. Anyhow as I walked by it for probably the 800th time I noticed that there was a new handwritten sign out front declaring that it now pr http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-265399.html This week seemed to pass quicker than most and I am not entirely sure why that is. Perhaps it was due to the start of the MLB season and my Indians jumped out to an early start before finishing the week at 23 perhaps it was the leadup to the NCAA final four perhaps it was because Katie was leaving the country this week and you never get enough time to say goodbye or to tie up loose ends or p http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-264077.html Many of you probably received these links already from Susan however here are links to photos she posted on shutterfly a couple of weeks ago.httpshare.shutterfly.comactionwelcomesid8AbOHLhy0cNGnBhttpshare.shutterfly.comactionwelcomesid8AbOHLhy0cNGnQIll check my records and see if we have left any photos out. Wouldnt want to keep you all from seeing good photos.PeaceJeremy http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-262371.html When last I updated the blog I was talking about giving presentations in the local high schools about global warming. This past week was more of the same. On Tuesday I gave a presentation at Colegio Doce de Mayo. Whitney Shipman another PCV was in town with her husband so she came along to see my presentation. It went fairly well I was rushed through it though since the principal told me http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-260288.html Well well I had a much better week last week. After settling in and getting a grip on the mountain of new projects I now have I realized that we often make things out to be a little worse than they really are. I suppose this is some type of natural response that kicks in when the going gets tough. I know that I will make it through all of these work related challenges and that I will continu http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-255846.html Last week saw the end of the Andrea era at CODEAMA. Her departure was somehow anticlimactic. We had a despedida farewell party for her at Colibri. Half the number of people who were supposed to show up did. Bolivar to his credit gave a toast that was kind and generous considering the fact that the two of them do not get along well at all.On Wednesday my last day with her at the office sh http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-252662.html The last week has been a whirlwind of activity and changes for me. I have reached a spot of moderate stress in regards to work. Here I thought this Peace Corps thing was going to be about doing nothing except reading books and hooking up with country nationals thatrsquos the stereotype right To the contrary at least in Ecuador most of us PCVs work our tails off I think I may be on my 4 http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-248730.html Last Saturday I left off with writing my blog this Saturday I continue with a new chapter. Most of Saturday was relaxing and dull. Not too much was going on in the way of Carnaval celebrations. Shelly was in Banos and Susan was working at the Waorani artesenia booth. I went for a run typed up a blog and ventured into town to do some email.You could definitely tell the fiestas were in the a http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-244556.html I apologize ahead of time for the long time between blogs. Susan and I have been very busy with work and with traveling around with my cousin Shelly. Last week we made our first trip to the beach. As yoursquoll remember the three of us were in Otavalo a couple weeks ago. Shelly and Sue returned to Quito Sue had a workshop and Shelly was going to plan a trip into the jungle with a tour com http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-242182.html I failed to mention in my last blog about an issue we had with a DVD and a DVD player. For our environmental video series in Puyo I purchased Fern Gully The Last Rainforest when I was back in the States last September. It is a kids movie which we needed one for the video series. Of course I tested the video on our laptop and Andrea took it to her house to preview it as well. We all agree http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-237741.html There I was patiently waiting to talk with the Director of Escuela Valladares Valladares Elementary School. My goal was to discuss the environmental education guide that I am developing for all the teachers and to ask her permission to give the teachers some surveys about what material I should include in the guides. There was no reason for me to be nervous none at all. Irsquove dealt with http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-234312.html So Happy New Year to all. Susan and I had a nice holiday doing a little entertaining and a little travelling as well. After Christmas Susan was blessed with a week off from work while I still had to continue with the daily grind. Not really there wasnrsquot a whole lot going on at the office. Katie Susan and I went out to FRATES with Ari on Friday the 28th. Ari came to Ecuador to trave http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Puyo/blog-232911.html