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| Exploding Volcan Tungaragua in the distance |
So the last week at work has been spent largely in meetings with the ministry giving talks about "Socio Bosque" and project assistance, researching on the internet and driving to more meetings. First to clear up this "Socio Bosque" thing for those of you who for some reason or another might be finding yourselves slightly out of touch with the inner workings of the Ecuadorian government and its various activities to protect chunks of primary forests (for those of you who already know- I apologize for the repeat and suggest you get out more). Socio Bosque, or Social Forest in English, is a program set up by the government that will pay land holders lump sums of money on a monthly basis to protect and simply stay out of a specified area of their property. The payments start at around US $25 per hectare for the first few hectares protected and decline for the greater number of hectares protected (i.e. if you are protecting 2,000 hectares you only get around $10 for the last few). What this means for me is that some time in the near future I will be helping to protect some 4,000 hectares of primary forest over the various communities within FENAKIN (the organization I am working with), which is great because it allows the communities to have an income source without have to go in and log the land they own. The latter of these meetings was discussing various tools that local communities here have to help start eco-tourism and small business projects.
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| A Raging River near Wachi Yacu |
One day this week we had a meeting all morning including a light lunch, which my counter part followed up with a larger lunch before we drove an hour an a half south to Puyo to meet with our web designers. This means that not only will we soon have a functioning website for the new "Walla" (pronounced why-lyah) but we are also getting cool business cards. After the meeting we of coarse stopped off for a quick bite-to-eat as to survive the hour and a half drive home before dinner.
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| Presidente Rafael Correa |
We also went to see President Correa speak here in Tena to inaugurate the new International Airport!
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| Kichwa Dancers from Campana Cocha |
Over the weekend, and really much of the week, I have had more time to relax and catch up on some reading. For those of you who are interested, I have in the last week or so read the first three installments of the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy series (for those of you who have not read these books, the answer is 42) as well as the first half of Greg Mortenson's new Stones into Schools. I have also recently started working out again in light of not having yet signed up for a local soccer club (they take soccer very seriously here and only play on teams). This has resulted in what I like to call the Amazon CrossFit. It is similar in many ways to the CrossFit workouts you see in the States though weights are replaced by metal poles laying around, suit cases and rocks, and I'm sure the 90 degree heat 90% humidity play their part as well (luckily we live by a beautiful swimming hole in the river). Also to my advantage, I have recently become the keeper of the Tena Cluster movie library, passed down from the previous Peace Corps Volunteers containing some 4-500 movies (I hope I don't run out).
This brings me to my cultural exchange for the day. I must say my life here is full of fun cultural exchanges between the U.S. and the local Ecuadorians who only experience the United States through movies and music. I was sitting in the car with my counterpart's wife discussing her current role in helping to establish an autonomous government for the native Kichwa communities here in the Amazon. From what she explained it seemed very similar to the system we have with the Native Americans back home. She asked me if we had a similar system to which, as I just said, sounded similar to that in the States. She immediately proceeded this answer by asking, "And who are the hippies"? After I was able to fight back my laughter I told her they were a group of people in the U.S. who lived on their friends couches, listened to music and liked to walk in the park ( I couldn't really think of the best way to describe the term hippie). She nodded a nod of understanding and said, " So do they have their own government then?" Other questions that arose included,"Why do they never go back to where their parents live?" and "Why don't they take showers?" It's moments like these that give working as a Peace Corps Volunteer an aspect to life no traditional tourist would ever get.
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| My Friend the Firefly |
And finally having run out of things to talk about this week (shocking but true) I wanted to take a moment to recount the number of bugs I have personally seen in my room and around my house the last two weeks here in Tena. From my room alone, I have swept up some 40-50 different species of bugs (caught in the trance of my light until they tire and fall to the floor making a nice little circle- at least they are all in one spot). These include various mouths, butterflies, flies, mosquitoes, a fire fly, a few spiders, at least 5 different kinds of ants and a grasshopper that looked like a leaf with legs. In the rest of the house we have caught a mouth whose body alone was some 7 inches long, a few cock roaches, some more mosquitoes, some pretty amazing looking caterpillars, an interesting looking fly about 2.5 inches long and a friendly black tarantula that has come back more than one (and its the same one). This goes without mentioning the frog I found one morning on the floor bellow my second story window and the big humming bird who flew into my open window one afternoon as I sat in my armchair reading a book, stopped in mid air to watch me watch him for some 30 seconds before continuing out my open door in search of an afternoon snack.
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| Our New Pet Tarantula- A Bit Bigger Than Your Palm |
Finally, I would also like to take some space to pass out my new mailing address to all of my friends and family. To those of you who would like to send letters, gifts, boxes, candy and any other things by mail:
Send All Mail To
Alex Helpenstell
CASILLA 15-01-224
TENA-NAPO, Ecuador
Please DO NOT send packages over 4 lbs and DO NOT declare a value (put zero if you must).
Any large packages or high value packages will either be stolen or cost me lost of money to pick up and I will send them back.
-Cheers!
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