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Palugo base camp after a day of laundry…

Buenos Dias!

This week, much energy was spent on our personal projects, a process we have all found quite interesting. Monday and Tuesday were laden with (in addition to the odd hour spent working on artichoke harvesting, wool cleaning/felting, and clay bowl molding) time to develop our original ideas and create written reports on the processes each concept is undergoing. From my point of view, there is something fascinating to be found in each of our little missions. Perhaps I should illuminate this for you, and give you some information on what everyone has been doing. Here goes:

-Deborah, having received some leather, has quickly settled into her obsession with hide work, spending hours stretching cow skin and sewing a beautiful pair of moccasins. Her project of working with animal hide is not an easy one, and requires a lot of physical endurance. It’s been inspiring to see her so enthralled with everything she’s doing.

-Dylan, who is studying nomadic cultures, has been making a tent for us to use on our expedition, which will commence on Tuesday. He is commonly found surrounded by piles of material, making measurements and scratching his head every once in a while as something geometric passes through it. We’ve come to refer to Dylan as “the train,” due to his constant, steady work ethic.

-Novi’s project is on theater, for which she spent most of this week preparing a monologue she is writing about her life. We are all anxiously awaiting the results, which, true to Novi’s nature, are bound to be authentic and touching.

- Katie, our group medic, is studying the homeopathic uses of local plants and herbs, and has been harvest-crazy. The knowledge she’s gaining is proving very valuable to members of the group who need any sort of medical aid. On top of this, she has been planning a mandala, an amazing kind of permaculture garden the entire community will benefit from.

- Brett (i.e. Wikipedia, since we’ve come to realize that he knows all there is to know about technical things) is studying yurts, and is now designing his own! Most often he is to be found huddled over a draft board with a protractor, planning something new for the exquisite blue prints he’s already begun to draw. As he is installing solar water heaters in this house-to-be, I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to pick his brains for ideas as I build one of my own.

- I, as had been mentioned several times in the previous updates, am studying solar panels and water heaters, and spent most of this past week building panels for the heater as well as mixing concrete, hauling rocks, and building an insulated tank with adobe and mud. It’s been exciting to do the process from scratch, which has presented me with the opportunity to use lots of local materials. Like the other members of the group who’ve undertaken very physical things, the key to the success of my project has been the help of my fellow students. We are all awaiting the warm showers that will now welcome us upon our return from the month-long expedition.

- Samuel and Raina are both studying jewelry. Though much of their project won’t be possible until our expedition, during which they will utilize the many varying natural resources used in Ecuador for self-decoration, it’s been amazing to watch them collect materials from our local area and cross so many cultural lines via sharing their respective ideas. We have already gotten a glimpse of some of Samuel’s jungle beads, which are just beautiful.

- Marcianna, whose project is baking, has spent several days this week rising at the unbelievable hour of three a.m. to make us delectable treats. Having arrived at Kroka a bit of a baker already, her abilities in that field have reached a point that we all appreciate on both an idealistic and a physical level, especially the physical one,,,

- Will is studying hunting, and, on top of writing a long story about the subject, has been planning to set and make traps, as well as go on a hunt of his own. I am sure our tummies will be appreciating his success as well.

-Scott, our Drum Man, has harvested two expired pencos this week, and has been hollowing and cleaning actively in order to forge both into beautiful drums, known in Ecuador as tambores. He continues to announce nearly every meal with his drumming skills, which have gone from less than mediocre to quite good in less than a month and a half!

-Finally, Nadino has taken on the position of staff intern, and has been doing a great job preparing. On top of having a very positive, charismatic presence, the knowledge he has gained from being a student of the last semester program and living all his life in the Ecuadorian selva (jungle) has presented us with many opportunities for learning already. Perhaps the most important education we have received so far has come from his and Samuel’s limited English, which has constantly caused us to step out of our comfort zones and into a different language and existence.

Whew! As if all this intense work and growth weren’t enough to fit into seven days, we decided to top it all off with an intense mountain climb.

On Wednesday, we all set out to Pichincha, a relatively small but very technical mountain, which proved difficult and rewarding for everyone. After several hours of uphill hiking, we spent an hour in harnesses, doing the most challenging rock climb any of us had ever done. A mix of altitude, sore muscles, and facing our fear of heights in the midst of a storm presented us with a huge challenge. We hiked back down well after dark, both proud and exhausted. Ravenous, we piled once more into the back of a pick-up truck, only to be treated to a great meal by Marcela, Michael, and Mathias. As we sat down to eat, I enthusiastically informed Nadino and Samuel that I was capable of eating a horse plus the larger half of another horse in that very moment. Luckily, it didn’t come to that, because we got pizza! After a huge meal, we took a sleepy drive back through the Avenue of the Conquistadores (Conquerers), one of the most beautiful neighborhoods I’ve seen in my lifetime.

Aside from futher project work, the rest of our week included several highlights: One, we began spending time with Bruno and Blanquita, the farm llamas. Two, the bees rebelled against Mathias, and left him with very swollen hands that resembled those of the Pillsbury doughboy for a day (don’t panic—we won’t be following in his footsteps!). And, third and finally, we took a Saturday evening trip to Quito, where we had a traditional local dinner of pork, corn, and fried banana, and went to a play entirely in Spanish! It was an amazing night, and allowed us enough excitement to buckle down the next day as we began to prepare for the jam-packed journey that lies ahead. This expedition is going to be a busy one. We will be rafting rough waters, working with leather and embroidery, learning how to climb glaciers, living in the jungle, and much more---coming soon to an update near you!

Until then, Adios!

P.S. The “extras”, such as the quote of the week, are now being written by different members of the group for each update. Look out for those written by your loved ones!

Environmental tip…by Scott When out and getting a drink, say “sin sorbete por favor” : “without a straw please” Native plants from Palugo with Jacinto, the local herbalist! Snack, snack…