Coffee, Biting Ants and Bikes

After a slow start, we headed into the mountains, and it did cool down. We stopped part way to buy some bikes with the money Crystal collected from her coworkers. We found some great little bikes and a patch kit for the tires. While we were away from the bus Jenna, Brent and others put on an impromptu circus for people on the street near the bus with the hula hoops and balls they purchased at a store nearby. When I returned, I heard a taxi driver muttering, “loco, loco, loco!” We loaded the bikes on the roof and off we went.

Next stop was “Gingers Paradise,” an organic farm/B&B/Craft-, Coffee-, and Chocolate-shop. We played in the river for a bit While the owner finished lunch, then he collected us and took us on a tour. He certainly has a holistic approach to everything. We talked microhydro, coffee, permaculture, and the need for biting ants. We saw the dry toilet (important for many in the group), a tree that makes soap, and finished up in the gift shop/bedroom/living room.

Back on the bus one more time, we arrived at the driveway to CERENID just before dark. I wondered how the bus would get down the driveway since we had to hike down the last time I was here. The road was improved somewhat, however, and with the skills of our excellent driver, Juan, we made it all the way. We received a warm welcome, unloaded most of the bus, settled into our great little house and met all the boys. It was beautifully cool so a good sleep was had by most.

Till tomorrow, keep us in your thoughts

Wilma's Day!

cotton
Today we went to CIAT, an experimental farm that had a little of everything: fruit, crops, chickens, beef and even worms. Wilma’s eyes lit up as soon as she met the fruit expert, and they were swapping phone numbers and email addresses in no time--all professional, I can assure you. We had so many questions that the guides had to limit the questions at each stop. Wilma smiled the whole day, especially when she was digging for worms. We almost mistook her for Brent!

Corinne has hijacked the Blog for a paragraph:
Brent wanted to play some special Bolivian bingo……He was hoping to win big…..Lyle nearly had our
fairer sex taking a wild plunge into the sewer do meidio de streeto. Wilma and super Bugman have annihilated nearly all the Bolivian insectos, and now the birds are in danger of starving…..Bolivian toilet paper turns blue when it is wet…If we are cheap in Canada, we are cheap here …..No one is talking about bowel movements, yet, even if they plug Bolivian toilets

Ok, back to me. Next, we went to the sugar cane research station. The group had the opportunity to drink raw sugar cane juice. The bug people got to see the biological pest control lab where very small wasps are raised to control a moth that bores into the cane. We drove back through the cane fields, and Neil kept running beside the bus getting his picture taken in front of taller and taller canes.

Lunch back in Montero was late but good. We said good-bye to Zenon, Marg and Jake and headed into Santa Cruz. Neil and Alicia were very excited at the thought of getting their luggage back after LAN airlines finally located them. We were glad they got to change their underwear! Maria Jose had strong words with the airline and had bags delivered to the hotel. Our excellent driver, Juan, got us to the Suiza Hotel, this included crossing 4 lanes of rush hour traffic inside of one block. The hotel was great, very colorful bed spreads, and even a little pool, sort of.

We finished the day with a great meal in a sidewalk café and more laughter and blogging. Off to CERENID tomorrow--into the mountains and cooler temperatures, I hope.

Hide Your Money

Today we started with a great breakfast in our hotel. We were served eggs and toast with fruit and yogurt. A hearty breakfast was in order because we were heading out to Zenon’s farm to “work” for the day. The great thing about teachers is that they love to talk. We did do some work, helped with the sheep de-worming, but mostly we learn a ton about how Zenon farms, after all this is an educational trip. The animal people seemed to love the time with Zenon, and we needed all 5 translators at one pointer or another. I think Neil, Corinne, and Alicia felt right at home, but Brent, Jenna, and Wilma Seem to find interesting things there too.

I got to see my favorite Bolivian things, Zenon’s cuy. I do love the idea of moving to Bolivia and raising Cuy, brings a whole new meaning to being a pig farmer. Zenon has a golden aguti boar that I remember from the first time I visited Zenon’s farm. I was looking for him, as I looked through the pens and, sure enough, in the second-to-last pen, there he was…looking bigger and fatter than before--so we have that in common.

Crystal stuck with it for most of the tour, but when the conversation turned to importing semen she decided it was time to set up her computer and do some writing. Personally, I think she just wanted to be closer to the lunch table. Before lunch, she had most of an article roughed out which is certainly more than I accomplished that morning.

One of the things I like best about Bolivia--though I am having a hard time getting used to it--is the two hour lunch. Zenon and his family were very hospitable and the food was amazing. There was no shortage of conversation albeit diverse and not what you would normally hear with company around the dining room table.

After a great day at the farm, we went to a familiar looking restaurant for fried chicken and hamburgers. Some of the group was missing dessert so, on the way back to the hotel, we stop off at a gelato store. Corinne decided to buy a pastry-looking thin g for us all to try and proceeded to dig through her money belt on the sidewalk. After being chastised by Jenna and others for flashing her cash in public, she said, “fine” and literally climbed under the tables to extract her bills. This sent the entire group into gales of laughter and caused many cameras to appear from nowhere. Everybody won; we got great dessert, blackmail-worthy photos and photos. A great way to end the day.

Until next time, keep us in your thoughts.

Spider Killer - Bolivian Super Hero

Sunday

Lyle and crew got up early today to do more work on the seeder. After another great breakfast, we all went to church--the first service ever for one of our team. It was good to see Jhonny’s family again, including the newest member, Moises, who was born about a month after Jhonny died. We sang many songs and listened to a Spanish sermon. After the service, the community fed us a great meal.

When we returned to Hoogland’s, we finished the seeder and flipped it right-side-up while others packed and cleaned. We took one last trip to the river, and Lyle got to fulfill a fantasy of his: to quad in the jungle. (Funny how our fanta1sies change as we age. Or maybe we just become more realistic with our expectations!)

A vehicle never goes to town empty, and our bus was no exception. We picked up many locals with their kids and produce, including Jhonny’s mom. Crystal had brought a number of copies of the Messenger magazine that contained the article she wrote about Jhonny. Erselia, Jhonny’s mom, wanted Marg to translate the article for her. It must be very odd to read about your dead son in a magazine from a country half a world away. I am not sure how I would take that if it was my child. Do you feel honoured that someone so far away remembers your child, too, or do you just feel sad all over again?

Brent gained a reputation as a spider killer will he was still working on the seeder. He could kill just about any spider with his trusty wrench if he swung at it enough times. He earned the name Spider Killer - Bolivian Superhero! He also gained the reputation for sleeping very soundly anywhere, anytime. So, this afternoon when he fell asleep on the bus with his shirt open, someone who shall remain nameless used a Sharpie to draw a big S on his chest with a stylized spider. This took many minutes to complete with gales of laughter rolling through the vehicle the entire time. Our Bolivian guests howled along with us. Erselia laughed so hard she said her jaw hurt. Eventually Brent awoke, but it still took a few minutes for him to catch on to what everyone was laughing about. He may never have noticed his insignia if he had not had to wipe the drool off his chest. So now he is simply known as Spider Killer - Bolivian Superhero.

Bye for now

The Seedier Side of Bolivia

Today started with the sun, parrots, and Jake’s great porridge! After a great breakfast and a much-needed coffee (thanks Marg!), Lyle started the assembly of the seeder with one group and another group started in the gardens. Both groups started with the same activity: the gardeners by digging out weeds and the rest of us by digging out seeder parts. I don’t know when Jake planted the seeder parts, but they did not germinate!




Before lunch, Jake took us on a plant tour. Corrine kept eating the plants, including the leaves full of arsenic! Jake stopped her from eating the leaves containing cyanide. There is a new rule for her now: ask before you eat. On the theme of food, lunch was very Bolivian and very good. It was the highlight of Brent’s day he said, and I believe it because the only picture he took all day was of lunch. We had my favorite, yuca frita, fried bananas and fresh fish from the river.





After lunch, Wilma, Jenna and Corinne when into the jungle to harvest peanuts. I tagged along to see the process and try my hand at peanut picking. Now, that is one more thing I don’t want to do for the rest of my life. The ladies did very well and showed up later in the afternoon with their harvest in hand. The peanuts were spread on a tarp to dry, and it was time to go back to the river to cool down and wash up. The group followed Wilma into the river; she went with a stick in hand, and so there was no biting incidents this time. We all washed our hair and walked home through the jungle in the waning evening light.


Goodbye for now. Keep us in your thoughts.

The Seedier Side of Bolivia

Today started with the sun, parrots, and Jake’s great porridge! After a great breakfast and a much-needed coffee (thanks Marg!), Lyle started the assembly of the seeder with one group and another group started in the gardens. Both groups started with the same activity: the gardeners by digging out weeds and the rest of us by digging out seeder parts. I don’t know when Jake planted the seeder parts, but they did not germinate!




Before lunch, Jake took us on a plant tour. Corrine kept eating the plants, including the leaves full of arsenic! Jake stopped her from eating the leaves containing cyanide. There is a new rule for her now: ask before you eat. On the theme of food, lunch was very Bolivian and very good. It was the highlight of Brent’s day he said, and I believe it because the only picture he took all day was of lunch. We had my favorite, yuca frita, fried bananas and fresh fish from the river.





After lunch, Wilma, Jenna and Corinne when into the jungle to harvest peanuts. I tagged along to see the process and try my hand at peanut picking. Now, that is one more thing I don’t want to do for the rest of my life. The ladies did very well and showed up later in the afternoon with their harvest in hand. The peanuts were spread on a tarp to dry, and it was time to go back to the river to cool down and wash up. The group followed Wilma into the river; she went with a stick in hand, and so there was no biting incidents this time. We all washed our hair and walked home through the jungle in the waning evening light.


Goodbye for now. Keep us in your thoughts.

Never Put Your Feet Down

The flight from Miami was, for the most part, uneventful. Crystal caught most of the travelers enjoying a relaxing airplane sleep. Lyle seemed to have the best plane sleeping technique. All the bags showed up in Santa Cruz, but someone opened my plane box and took the transmitter out. They did put it back, but did not strap it in, so it smashed around lose in the box and broke the plane to pieces. I am not happy, but I haven’t had time to make a good assessment of the damage.

Marg met us at the airport and off we went on our micro. All the luggage fit inside the bus, so there was no need to lash any of it to the

roof! Corinne embarrassed Jenna right off the bat with a packing story which I won’t repeat here; suffice it to say, “don’t burn any garbage or pack any bags without checking them first.” Jenna returned the favor by describing all the items her mother had packed that Jenna then had to remove for her dear mother before they left. The highlight of the list for me was the 8 mile long ball of binder twine, but I will let Corinne tell you why she thought it was necessary.

We left the Viru Viru airport in Santa Cruz at about 9 a.m. and continued to drive, stop, eat, drive, stop, buy (repeat often) for the next 7 hours. Our final stop for today was the Hoogland homestead where we got settled in. We then decided to go for a swim before dinner since we were all very was hot and tired. Walking

through the jungle to get to the river provided Wilma with the opportunity to take many fungus pictures. Once at the river, Marg and Corinne were first in followed by all except Lyle. I think the talk of the hook fish scared him, but eventually we had him wading in up to his knees. At one point I looked over at Brent who still had a grin on his face you couldn’t have knocked off with a 2x4! When I asked how he was feeling, he simply replied “I don’t have words for it.” After 30 minutes of great swimming,

Wilma thought that things were getting a bit dull, so she stepped on a stingray and took a nasty stab to the leg, and that was the end of that. Lyle felt vindicated, but he didn’t gloat too much. Marg is preparing a great supper as I write this, then I suspect we will all fall asleep. That is all for now, I will try to post again soon.