http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Costa Rica , Cartago , Volcan Turrialba , Turrialba , CATIE en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:03:16 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:03:16 BST its monday and it is 2217 ive been working since 0830 but it will be worth it we have packed or fully loaded two vehicles full of kit including a boat and engine and we are heading off tomorrow to San Lucas Island the place with the prison. WE are arriving tomorrow the participants arrive Wednesday for their 4 day survival camp. Plus a lot of sillyness and fun games. I will down load the photos w http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194632.html Hugh Amanda and i started toget the kit organised for the change over. Hugh and Amanada had the far greater task of sorting the food.I was now in charge of radios and electrical equipment.My afternoon was spent packing for a road trip to visit Alpha 2 at the base of Vocan Tonorio up in the North of Costa Rica. I really can't wait to get out of FB getting cabin fever. Had cabin fever more like... http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194127.html A new challenge greeted myself and hugh today at the morning meeting. We are to plan vehicle movements and kit allocations for the change overs trekking and island phase. Simple i thought umm no kit here people there vehicles every where and some how we had to assign vehicles people and kit to alpha groups and campsites. Confusing Yes. Easy No. Head ache Yes. Achieved it of course.All pl http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194123.html WHAT TIME IS IT GUESS WHAT ITS BODEGA TIME......Highlight of the day Taking the satisfaction from knowing i now know ever inch of the bodega whats in it and that all that is in there is usable... The past 5 days have been worth it.I managed to get the nintendo games system we found in the staff room working everyone had failed before all it took was some silver foil and a paper clip. Again i k http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194121.html Myself and hugh were locked away in the Bodega all day.The highlight today was getting out alive...oh just thought bodega means shed more like a warehouse. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194118.html Bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega bodega http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194117.html Hugh and myself have taken on the responsibility of clearing out itemising and chucking things from the bodega. Have we taken on more than we can chew...Where did the day goUneventful day really still missing Alpha 3. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194113.html Being back in FB is bit of a culture shock i wasn't ready for. The pace of life is so much different to that on project. Much slower not as structured. It hit me quite hard. Missed being on project today.Highlight achievement I built a 5m swimming pool with 6 desks a tarp and some polythene. It was great we bought some inflatables and found an inflatable strecher. Fun and games were had by al http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194110.html Woke up 0530Up and out 0600On site we didnt have to today as very unfortunately we left Alpha 3 i didn't think i would be so disappointed but it was a real shame to leave the group and the project behind.Work today. Drive back to FB. Achievements Made it back safely. Highlights. Cathcing up with everyone at field base. Having a semiwarm shower. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194104.html Woke up 0445Up and out 0520on site 0530 on time againWork today. Same route but when you stop and take it in its beautiful. To think we are in an indigenous reserve away from the so called normal way of life.We had to move 25kg bags of cement and sheets of 8x4 and 5x3.Fortunatley we managed to move the cemment up and over the hill in the Raleigh Landdy thankfully. The Sheets we carried on pol http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194102.html Woke up 0445Up and out 0520on site 0530 on timeWork today. Same route Moving 4m timber today lengths of 4x3 heavy work again but getting up early means we dont work in the heat of the day. Achievements All timber shifted. Finished our out door shower which consisted of a wooden frame which supported a bucket with holes in. It worked wonderfully.Highlights. Swimming in the river and cooling http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194095.html We awoke full of energy and raring to go for our first day on project. WE arrived on site at 0600 the locals had started at 0530. That was to be our start time from now on. Our day consisted of moving concrete building blocks 500m's from the bottom of a hill even at 0700 it was extremely hot up over the hill across a stream and a little further to the project site.Basically we had 300 blocks o http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-194087.html I hope you like is everything ok your end dave and I are having a great old time out here more news to follow. As for all the concern of us being caught in a Tsunami we are all ok. Cheers. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-193498.html Although it was a sunday we were up far earlier than we would normally be but having no electricty means you don't stay up very late after dark. Which at the moment is 1800ish. After a breakfast of porridge we started our new kindom out we discussed group roles Had tool time with Roy AKA me and generally organised ourselves for the forth coming work. It involved quite a bit of theory which the http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-192631.html Yup were off today brekkie had lunch to take with us.We loaded the buses with all our gear once they arrived at about 0530 and away we headed. We were first off myself Ellie Kieran the PM's and the rest of Alpha 3 the participants.6 hours later and some highs views people in the group and the excitement and lows for those who didnt get any sleep getting up so early and getting a crocked http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-192623.html You wouldn't believe what i did on the way back to field base from jungle camp. I broke my ankle well all in the name of CASEVAC practise i actually thought my acting was believed for at least a few seconds. Fame at last. The same procedure we followed except it was more of a discussion picking out the main points and making sUre the participants knew what had to be done explicitly following th http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-192621.html The participants had to put their training so far into practise hiking with their kit the same as we had a week or so before albeit they only had to walk less than a mile not the 8 we did. oh well when time is short. Their river crossing went well whilst logs and i sorted the equipment lists out for the project deployment on saturday.That evening i joined the jungle campers along with all theot http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-192619.html Participants were up early today each team doing their own bit whether it was serving breakfast cleaning the shower block washing up or helping Logs us with chores.After breakfast the groups went off with their Project managers for their independant trainnig myself and the rest of the logs team watched on whilst we organised equipment for the upcoming camp. This envolved taking all the equi http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-192618.html Umm think I got caught short on my other entry.Basically this day the participants arrives at field base in a convoy of coaches well 2 It had been a long night for them as the plane carrying the majotity of participants couldn't land due to the poor weather conditions at San Jose then ran out of fuel so had to divert to an airport to the North before refueling and returning many hours late. S http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-192617.html Well its been a while since i wrote anything on here. To be honest i lost all motivation when the server crashed as you can probably tell i still havent recovered all my entries although the site seems to think i have. The plan is to carry on regardsless as in the words of the beautiful south. I will apologuise now for any spelling and grammar mistakes but its late and the computers are playing http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-192614.html We awoke with the knowledge that the particpants arrived today. A whole lot of new people to add to the air of what http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-190523.html Hey its actually Friday a bit behind again. Will get to that later.Monday saw the HCP's arrive for the rest of us thats Host Countriy Participants. It is the other string to Raleigh's bow. They sponsor up to 20 locals to join in the expedition. Which other wise the would not be able to afford or have the opportunity to do this.We have 7 joining us this time. Only issue is they don't speak English http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-190522.html What a day how surreal you will have to excuse my spelling it is 2320 local time 0621 UK time so you will just be getting up i've now been up 25 12 hours. Since finishing school on friday life has not yet calmed down at all. A great night out wih friends from school Saturday was spent buying a few essentials Sat. night in London with little sis and friends. Sunday more shopping then pac http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-190518.html Since arriving here on tuesday morning life has been very busy for Dave and I I will find some time to fill you in on all the dteails soon but to keep you going this is the Raleigh International blog site. I can not guarentee the contents of this site so be warned. Hope you are all very well 4T enjoy your final week at school missing you all lots and lots as I am the rest of the school. Righ http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-190517.html It seems that beating the alarm in the morning is becoming a game. There is a general buzz around field base today as we get prepped for the two days trekking ahead of us. First we have another raido lesson this time its on CASEVAC this is a casulty evacuation procedure and the way todeal with a serious injury or medical issue. Vital for us all to know. 0900 were off its hot the suns out and im http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-190515.html Alarm went off at 0630 shame i had already been up for 2 hours Had my first shower today seems theres only one tap and its not a hotone My it was cold the sort of cold that takes your breath away some say its refreshing i say its COLD. After breakfast we covered setting up the entire radio system including finding a location for the antenna which you have to hang from a tree. I'll include http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-190513.html July 18th 2007 Up early well id been up half the night didn't sleep to well 0700 its a lie in to what i'm used to now although its 1400 UK time. The Country Director met us we loaded a couple of 4WD's and made our way to Field Base home for the duration of the project in Catie in the area of Volcan Turrialba. An imposing volcanoe not exactly dormant. We arrived roughly 2 hours later after a l http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-190512.html Arrival into Costa Rica went without a hitch flights and connections ran smoothly. Although it still freaks me out being that high in the sky and having no control over it. Ross program managerscottish met us at the airport where we arranged cabs to Costa Rica backpackers. We being myself Emma S Nimrat Piers and Ian all Project staff. On arrival they hadn't heard of us although Ross was http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-190511.html Oops forgot again This is the Raleigh International blog for our project here in Costa Rica. Once again i have no control over what is put on here... www.raleighcostarica.blogspot.com http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-190508.html Hi all we have just got back from a small road trip around some of the camp sites we will be using during the adventure challenge phase of the expedition. This is where the participants head off on a four day hike across a mountain range and have to fend for themselves. After this all the four groups meet up and are bused to a secret location that we visited yesterday for a survivor style challen http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/Turrialba/CATIE/blog-190507.html