Inti Raymi, Old Faces, and the Monkey Cleaners

    Dear readers,

Over the last 3 weeks I have been visited by an old friend from Whidbey Island, Colin Scott, and therefore haven't gotten around to typing up a new blog. The week of the 23rd of June I worked around the office and then headed to Quito (which is much colder than Tena!) that weekend where I spent an night with my host family from training in Tumbaco and we spent hours talking and catching up on the events of the last 2 months. It was really nice to see them again and have a delicious lasagna. The next morning I was up and out early to experience the Quito bus system at its finest during morning rush hour. I got to the airport early which was nice because so did Colin (about 30 min early arriving from his layover in Lima, Peru). After a much needed cup of coffee Colin and I set off for the Otavalo Indigenous Market about a 3 hour bus ride from Quito to the North. After checking into a hotel at $10 a night we ran into another volunteer on the street who ended up showing us around and getting dinner and some drinks with us that night.

   The following day found us in Cotocachi, 15 km to the north, after a brief tour of the market at its Saturday high. There we stayed with another Volunteer and her host family during the Kichwa festival of Init Raymi, or Festival of the Sun. Now, from what I've been told by the locals in Cotocachi is that the Inti Raymi festivals, celebrated in most highland towns, are largely Folkloric and catered more to tourism, while the festivals in Cotocachi are far more ancestral and therefore require far greater quantities of cheep cane alcohol. During the Inti Raymi festivals, native communities give thanks to the sun god Inti, for the upcoming harvest by dressing up in military fatigue and stomping around in a large circle and repeating at each corner of the main central park, all while drinking large amounts of cane alcohol and whistling. It is said to be the one time a year when the men can come out from working the fields to fully express themselves and let loose.....a bit.

   After the Inti Raymi festival Colin and I made the journey back to the jungle and I must say I was quite glad to get back to my warm weather, high humidity and not so deep fried food. Over the week Colin and I spent time at the house with my host family, harvesting cacao, yuca and platano, laying in the hammock, and making spaghetti. One day we went down to Ponce Loma (a Kichwa community that we are building greenhouses in) and helped to work in green house #2 by finishing the seed beds and putting up the mesh walls. After lunch we headed down river to deliver 1,200 lbs. of milled corn to Wachi Yacu to feed the 900 chickens they are raising there; the sunny weather and cool air made for a perfect drive down the river.

   Over the weekend we were invited to lunch at the restaurant of my host sister-in-law (?) where we were treated to plates of Chonta Cudo (grub worms) baked in a large banana like leaf, chicken soup and mashed green plantain (free range chicken from the jungle) with palm heart salad and fern tops, a plate of armadillo to share (also cooked in a leaf) and topped off with Guayusa tea, corn and cinnamon chicha, and a few beers. Not a bad lunch! After rolling back into the car we headed home and went on a 2 mile run later that afternoon.

   The next week was spent with me in the office and Colin reading his new kindle in his favorite spot of my house, the hammock. Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with meetings here in my community, though not just any meetings. Last week marked the first time in history that the presidents of all 6 Kichwa organizations in Napo (together representing some 400-500 communities) met together with the Provincial Government Prefect and Planning Director. It was really cool to see all the communities come together with the Prefect (like a state governor) and have the first, and hopefully not last, meeting to discuss the future planning of Napo. Wednesday afternoon I took Colin back out into the Cacao fields and the two of us filled the wheel barrow with fresh cacao and laid it out to dry, much to the amazement of my host family. We also got a chance to meet up with one of the volunteers here in Tena for a beer and to catch up.

   Thursday was quite a full day and saw Colin, Lenin and I headed down the river bright and early for our first stop of the day at Kamak Maki where Colin got to play with and be preened by the local monkey Lucas, tour the botanical garden and museum while Lenin and I met with the community president about various project they are working on. Following our visit to Kamak Maki we headed 3 hours down river to Wachi Yacu to drop off the final 6 bags of corn for the 900 chickens we have there which are nearly ready to sell. Then we turned around and came back 1.5 hours up the river to Campo Cocha to meet with a group of volunteers who were staying their for two weeks as part of a tour package through Ecaudor. I had a chance to talk with the group and see how they liked the experience, after which we were treated to a live concert from the nationally renown community music group and a traditional Kichwa dance from the women of the community.

   Over the weekend Colin and I traveled a bit more around the jungle before heading up into the Sierra and into Quito by Sunday afternoon where we stayed in Old Town, surrounded by Spanish style cathedrals and city plazas. Monday morning after a light lunch in the central plaza we walked to the top of the Panicillo, a big hill in the middle of Quito with a 40 meter statue of the Virgin Mary on top. The walk was great and we even had a bit of sun. From the top of the hill you can see nearly all of Quito stretching out to the north and south along the valley.  When we got back into town it was just in time for the Changing of the Guard at the Presidential Palace which was followed by lunch and the first pizza I've had in quite some time. Afterwards Colin and I headed north where he booked a hostel near the airport and after a few goodbyes we went our separate ways and I headed out to Tumbaco. My 4 hour bus ride from Tumbaco unfortunately turned into 7 and a half due to a series of mudslides in the high passes from all the rain and I didn't get home until 12:00 at night!

   All-in-all it was great to see Colin and to show him around a bit of Ecuador. This week we are back to the grind at work to finish our business plan for the $3.6 million eco-tourism project to be ready to present to the Provincial Planning Director in August. We are also headed out to make some liquid-organic fertilizer tomorrow and I hope to get back to Quito sometime this weekend for the much anticipated release of the final  Harry Potter movie! I have also been looking up designs for building my very own earthen-oven so we can start making pizzas and bread, as well as planning to build a green house behind my counter-parts house for some home vegetables. 




   And 37 days until my lovely girl friend Hillarie comes down to visit! We have now been dating for about 2 and a half years. I am definitely looking forward to seeing her after about 6 months of being apart.