Raleigh Costa Rica and Nicaragua: Blog update from Alpha 2 and Alpha 3 Photos

Friday, 30 October 2009

Blog update from Alpha 2 and Alpha 3 Photos

Alpha 2

Blog insert by Gemma

Day 12: Alpha 2 reached the highest point of the trek today at 2800m – all downhill from now almost! Unfortunately, we finally got caught in the rain today whilst trekking – we have been so lucky so far. Everyone is going to enjoy a well deserved rest this afternoon and play some cards – mafia of course. Ashley says “Mundo” as always.

Day 13: Today was a very successful day, Alpha 2 trekked around 16km, all before 10:30am – we are so hardcore! Unfortunately this morning we had to say Adios to Joe´s beloved trekking pole which had many breakages and fixes but due to tragic circumstances can no longer continue with us. We enjoyed a cooked lunch in San Francisco which was a change from our beans and tuna – as much as we love them. The camp fire we had this evening made the whole 23km worth it.

Day 14: Today we made our way to the base of The Dragon and we caught our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean today which was very exciting. We also met with Bravo 1 and had an awesome dinner together – mac and cheese, noodles and black bean sauce and energy bombs have never tasted so good. Everyone settled in early for the night ready for the Dragon tomorrow. Even the coyotes howling didn´t curb our enthusiasm. Joe didn´t say “Oh my God” once.

Day 15: The day of the Dragon has arrived. Alpha 2 and Bravo 1 join forces and slayed the Dragon all in a mornings work. Celebrations included cocoa and energy bombs – of course- in true Raleigh style. The view was beautiful and Alpha 2´s spirits are higher than ever now the Pacific coast is in arms reach.

Alpha 2 in awe of 'The Dragon'

Reflecting on their journey

Ale, Guy and Rich

Noah and that beautiful view

The one and the only ' ALPHA 2'

Alpha 3

The Almighty Alpha 3

Christine and a wise ranger, teaching her tricks of the trade

Jake and Andreas having a good ol' dig

'Heave hoe'

Benita and Becca getting stuck in

14 comments:

Jess Bezance31 October 2009 at 04:44
Hello Dr Sarah!!!
I am sitting here on my sofa armed with a tea watching saturday kitchen and felt really guilty so thought I would send you a message.
I miss you soooooo much, I have loads of things to tell you about which require only the Birkenhead attention!!!
Everything is good here though, am keeping in touch with corrinne and Nick. The rowathon is in a couple of weeks time so that will be good.
The photos on this website look amazing, you all are doing a fabulous job, I am really so proud of you!
Ok, ill finish with a joke to make you smile!
A horse walks into a bar and the barman says "why the long face?" ha ha ha ha!!!!

Love you lots

Jess
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Dianne31 October 2009 at 16:18
for Jake( Almighty Alpha 3!) Hiya love. See the shovelling is going well. Actually looked as if you were putting your back into it! Everyone sends their love. Big kiss from Lucy who has just been trick and treating. Keep it up babe...luv you lots.x (ps. the hat looks like its seen better days - or does it just need washing!)
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Anonymous1 November 2009 at 04:46
For Alexander Alpha 4
Hi Pan,
Ik denk dat je het eerste project bijna hebt afgerond en dat je snel weer op Field Base bent. Ik hoop dat we deze dagen even kunnen mailen of skypen om over je eerste ervaringen te horen! De berichtgeving op de blog over Alpha 4 was redelijk summier en we zagen verder geen foto's. Ben benieuwd wat de volgen fase voor je in petto heeft... Hier niet veel bijzonders, Willemijn zit in Parijs met Steef, het regent en waait hier maar het is nog niet zo koud. Druk bezig met onze reis naar CR.
Hoop van je te horen en veel liefs, Mam
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Anonymous1 November 2009 at 06:14
For Noah (alpha 2):
heey noo!!
wat is er gebeurt met je hoofd??????
stoere foto hoor met je pet en je kale hoofd!
maar is het wel leuk daar?
heb je een leuke tocht gehad?
heb je lekker weer?
en nu lekker chillen op het strand!
geniet er nog maar van!
en sms nog even!

Kusjes teddy, oscar, maxine, vick en liselot.
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Bigmummashouse1 November 2009 at 07:43
Hi Benita,
great to hear from Almighty Alpha 3 again and to see some photos of you and your group. Hope you are not doing your back in because it really seems hard work - but I bet worthwhile at the end of it.
I guess this project is coming to an end soon and you are returning back to base. If you get some time it would be nice to hear from you again.
We all miss you a lot it has been very quiet over here the last 3 weeks. David says "hi" and Jessy hardly moves out of her bed because she is so down without you.
Looking forward to hear what you'll be doing next.
(2 letters in the post for you)
Take care and lots of love from Mum,Dad and David xxxxxx
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Anonymous1 November 2009 at 09:18
good to see you enjoying it gemma nice to see the pics so glad you made it ok soon the ocean then on to the next task . not much going off here just went out with pez on his birthday for a drink .the hollween was more like bonfire night with all the fireworks, see you soon love mum & dad oh and dont forget nan :0)~#
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stephanie1 November 2009 at 14:42
For my Mundo saying brother ashley....

Seem to be enjoying yourself bro, keep itup.
love you
little sis.
xxx
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Jenny Worth2 November 2009 at 07:55
FOR CAT SPENCE (ALPHA 2)

HEY BADGE!!!!! Just been reading through the blogs and through amazing detective work have discovered that you are in "Alpha 2". Sounds like the best group to me. Looks like you're having a blast..keep up the good work! I miss you LOTS. Can't wait to see you at Christmas when you're all tanned and skinny and addicted to rice and beans.

Lots of love

Jennyfarquar xxx
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Bigmummashouse2 November 2009 at 17:43
Hi Benita,
great to hear from Almighty Alpha 3 again and to see some photos of you and your group.
Hope you are not doing your back in because it really seems hard work - but I bet worthwhile at the end of it.
I guess this project is coming to an end soon and you are returning back to base. If you get some time it would be nice to hear from you again.
We all miss you a lot it has been very quiet over here the last 3 weeks.
David says "hi" and Jessy hardly moves out of her bed because she is so down without you. Looking forward to hear what you'll be doing next.
(2 letters in the post for you)
Take care and lots of love from
Mum, Dad and David xxxxxxxxxxxx
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The Watson Family3 November 2009 at 05:15
Hi Claire, Alpha 1. Really good to know that your spirits are high and your dealing with the knee injury so well, amongst your acheivments you can now add surviving 'Costa Rica hospital treatments' to the long list of firsts!!!!!!! how lucky you have a degree in design and have put it to use your web and blogging talents.(you might even get some referrals he.he) Missing you like mad, everyone well at home and looking forward to christmas and seeing you. Keep up the good work,love to see posted some photos of the beach tribal fancydress MC Hammer Take good care of yourselves at Alpha 1 and all the other groups. Love to all The Watson Supporters
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Dianne3 November 2009 at 16:15
for Jake palmart (Almighty Alpha 3) Hiya hun. Lovely to hear from you last night. The photos you put on facebook are FANTASTIC! Wot a place! Keep taking the photos,I will run them off to show nan and gang. Hope you enjoy Nicaragua- am sure you will.Hope the rest of your group survived the jungle, they look a great bunch! Have a fab Halloween/Bommy party.Love from everyone in cold wet and windy Wallasey.xxxx
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Anonymous4 November 2009 at 05:44
For Ashley (alpha 2)
Hiya darling, just been looking at your photos, looks amazing. Bet you have got blisters . Hope you are feeling well and looking after yourself. Love and miss you lots, all our love nanna and john and familly. can i ask you a question about my computer? (joke) xxxxxxx
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Anonymous4 November 2009 at 12:54
Hey blog.....where are you. missing the updates!
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Tina McDonnell10 November 2009 at 15:54
Richard,

I didn't recognise you with the beard. You are obviously having a great time with all those lovely girls, and will have lots to tell us when you come home at Christmas. Look after yourself.

Love,
Aunty Tina.
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Raleigh Lingo

Copy that?

Sometimes our Raleigh technical terms can be a tad confusing so we've put together a glossary for you blog followers. This will appear as a quick-reference section on the right-hand column so you can translate our Tico-terms into something a bit more palatable. And for those keen to brush up their Central American Spanish, we've included some handy translations. Here's a few to get you started...

Alpha, X-Ray and Zulu groups
(Grupos Alfa, X-Ray y Zulu)
The official name for project groups during the phases of CR&N 13A. Alpha will be out on project from 3rd to 23rd February, X-Ray from 24th February to 15th March and Zulu from 17th March to 5th April. Project groups are allocated during induction

Basha
Jungle ‘bed’: consists of a tarpaulin for shelter, a hammock and mosquito net. A basha is hung up between two trees and supported by rope, bamboo and canvas straps

Bodega
A Spanish word meaning store or warehouse

Bravo
A term of endearment for our hard-working Land Rovers. The four vehicles are officially, and imaginatively named Bravo One, Two, Three and Four

C.A.T.I.E.
The agricultural and development research institute on whose campus Fieldbase is situated. Find out more at http://www.catie.ac.cr/

Changeover (Cambio de Fase)
Two day period where all staff and Venturers return from their project sites for some respite before they are all reallocated and sent off to do it all over again...

Chicas, Chicos
Spanish term meaning girls (chicas) or guys (chicos) or both (chicos aswell). As in “Vamonos chicos!” or “Let’s go guys!”

Craic
A way to gauge how people are feeling, usually measured from 0 to 90. If your ‘craic’ is high, you’re pretty happy. If you announce a low craic, people will probably fix you up with an energy bomb and a nice big hug

CR&N 13A
Costa Rica and Nicaragua expeditions 13A

Day Leader (DL) (Líder del día)
Every day on project, one of the Team is designated DL – they are in charge of the day, including organising the day’s briefing, keeping group morale up, dealing with any problems, sticking to schedule and de-briefing at the end of the day. The DL role rotates round the whole group so everyone takes a turn

Energizer (Actividad Levanta Muertos)
An activity to gather the group together and raise energy levels. Can be used at the beginning of the day, or whenever a quick pick-me-up is required

Energy bombs (Explosión de azucar)
A trekking treat – mix together oats, raisins, condensed milk and chocolate powder and roll into little balls of gooey goodness to power you through the day

Fieldbase (FB) (Campo Base)
Refers to the Raleigh ‘office residence’ which is where the Fieldbase staff eat, sleep and work, whilst organising the expedition, manning the radios round the clock, supporting the projects, planning transport and logistics, keeping tabs on the finances and much, much more

Field Base Volunteer Managers (Equipo Logístico Voluntario del Campo Base)
Volunteer support staff for the expedition. The team looks after the ‘behind the scenes’ of the expedition and ensures everything runs smoothly. This consists of three permanent staff members - the Country Director, Country Project Manager and Country Expedition Manager - plus a team of volunteer staff including the, Medic, Photographer, Administrator, Finance Officer, three Logistics (logs) team members and the Communications Officer

Gallo Pinto
A traditional Costa Rican dish of rice and beans (yum!)

Icebreaker (Rompe Hielos)
A getting-to-know-you game

Longdrop (Letrina)
The camp loo. Literally a deep hole in the ground, it is one of the first tasks to complete when setting up jungle camp for obvious reasons! Short drops are similar, normally used for overnight stops when a shallower trench will suffice

Longs (Pantalones)
From 6pm onwards, we all don long trousers and sleeves to discourage the bugs that aren’t deterred by DEET

Maxis
Short for Maxi Pali, the stock-everything shop about a kilometer from Fieldbase where you can buy all those things you forgot/ran out of/lost

Nicas
An affectionate term referring to the native population of Nicaragua

Ninja
A popular game/energizer used by venturers and Project managers alike. Everyone stands in a circle and tries to hit the team members either side of them on the hand via a single ninja movements. Sound effects welcome

POPS
Legendary milkshake and ice-cream parlour chain found all over Costa Rica – perfect for a sweet splurge

Pork and beans (Frijoles con cerdo)
Another staple foodstuff for trekkers: tinned beans with a slightly sausage twang, served cold for lunch. Usually accompanied by dry cracker dust, sprinkled liberally on to the top. If you’re in a hurry, this can be consumed without cutlery straight from the can

Project Managers (PMs) (Guías)
Project staff for the expedition. Each of the groups has at least two PMs who work with the Venturers to develop skills, lead projects and challenge themselves

PURA VIDA!
A very special Costa Rican phrase that means hello, goodbye, I’m great, it’s good, pure life, basically any positive, feel-good thing can be Pura vida!

Radio check (Chequeo de Radio)
As well as a daily SITREP, all Alpha projects are required to complete a second radio call-in each day to check in, receive messages and report any developments

Review (Revisión)
A round-up that assesses how everyone feels, what went well and what needs work. This is sometimes an ‘activity’, sometimes a chat around the campfire, or sometimes just a bit of time to reflect. It’s an important part of everyone’s personal development so we make sure it happens every day

Roadtrip (Paseo Volando Rueda)
The logistics team and some of the Field Base team drive the Bravos on a loop round to each of the accessible project sites once per phase. They deliver kit, supplies, site visitors, messages from the blog and of course the all important post

Ropa Americana
Purveyors of the finest second hand American threads. Perfect for fancy dress/obtaining that long coveted college sports jersey

SITREP (Reporte de la Situación)
Literally Situation Report. A special radio message sent from the satellite project sites back to fieldbase once a day. It follows a certain format and includes all sort of handy information like where they are, what they’ve been up to, what they need and what they’re planning to do next

Tang
A fruity powder that is used to make squash. Jolly useful for taking away the chlorine taste of purified water

Ticos
An affectionate term referring to the native population of Costa Rica

Trangia (Mini Cocina)
A portable cooking stove. Used primarily for trekking, a trangia’s compact design makes it perfect for easy transportation. Literal translation in spanish - mini kitchen. Makes sense

Turrialba
The location of Fieldbase

Venturers (Aventureros)
Participants in the Raleigh expedition. Aged 17 to 24, they come in three varieties: Host Country Venturers (from Costa Rica and Nicaragua), Partnership Venturers (positive young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK who participate in Raleigh expeditions as part of a longer term development programme) and UK and International Fundraising Participants (who work hard to raise money to contribute towards the charities work and expenses in order to take part in the expedition)

Wash up (Revisión Final)
The last few days of expedition, spent debriefing, returning equipment, performing skits, and most importantly enjoying the farewell party (tears alert)

Zero (Cero)
A radio term that identifies the radio controller at Fieldbase. Fieldbase monitors the radios 24-7, listening out on three frequencies for calls from our satellite project sites. When the radio alarm sounds, we might answer something like this: “Hello unknown call sign, hello unknown call sign, this is Zero, this is zero, do you copy, OVER?”