It was a busy day today! I am not sure what everyone else did this morning, because I spent the morning rebuilding my airplane (thanks to the friendly customs officers who unpacked my case and then just threw everything back in without securing anything!) When I finally sifted through all the pieces, I did find a note telling me that they checked the contents of my bag for security reasons and that they are not responsible for any damage to my lock. My lock??? I didn’t even have a lock! Three kinds of glue, two kinds of tape, some donor wood and an able-bodied assistant to hold and tape, and by noon she was ready to fly, sort of. She wasn’t as straight as when she left Canada, but I thought she might hold together.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group was slashing through jungle to map, working with the gardener, fixing tractors and generators, sweeping rooms and much, much more. Lyle started to work on the ignition system only to discover that the problem was that they lost the key! The local mechanic had a work-around that seemed to meet Lyle’s exacting standards. Neil wired in a bunch of light fixtures without getting electrocuted or falling off the ladder! The mapping team of Brent, Wilma, Alicia and Florencio walked and slashed their way through 11 km of jungle including 150m of vertical rise.
We all split up at lunch and ate with the boys in their houses. It is great to see them in a family setting. They all introduced themselves and told us their names. I always get a chuckle out of introducing myself because they can’t say Gordon; it comes out more like “gordo” which means fat. Even the house mother had to chuckle. I can’t believe how much those little boys can eat! A great soup, a sort of salad (tomatoes, pickled beets, and onions. Very good!) and then a big plate of rice, beans and peas. Even I could not finish my plate, gordo as I am!
After lunch, I took the plane up for pictures. It was the hairiest flight I have ever had. Not only was the plane out of trim and the takeoff and landing site very small, but the wind had come up and killer thermals filled the steep valley. I had my hands full just keeping it in the air let alone taking pictures. The thermals and slope winds flipped the entire 8 foot airplane over more than once. I was very thankful for the very large ailerons! In the end, I managed to get the plane back on the ground in one piece thanks in part to Brent, my co-pilot. He did you proud Murray.
In the afternoon we worked again on various projects. Lyle wired batteries with Wally.
Corrine made 150 cookies with the newest house of boys. She had to improvise because she couldn’t find baking powder. She used something--we don’t know what--and they where great!
Just before dinner we presented the bikes and balls to the families. This was followed by some great soccer and volley ball. Some of the group joined in: Neil in goal and Brent playing forward. Jenna, Corinne and Wilma were playing volleyball. Neil commented on how well the kids would sleep tonight with all that exercise. He promptly fell asleep to the sound of kids still playing.
The highlight of the day for me was the finding and capturing of a wild cuy. We gave Pequeno Gordo (little Gordo) a bath and a temporary home in the bottom of a new garbage can. He hung out with us for the day eating veggies and drinking vitamin C-spiked water. Later in the evening, Pequeno Gordo jumped out of his new home and went back into the jungle full and happy. I hope we meet again.
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. 
