We're on it!

Hola! By now you have an idea of what the 11C advance team have been up to this week in preparation for the arrival of our project managers very soon and also our young people, known here at Raleigh as venturers, at the beginning of February.

So, just before the chaos begins i.e. 35 volunteer managers fighting for less than half the number of fieldbase beds, here's a quick round up of what the 11C advance team has been doing (it's not all fancy dress and volcano viewing you know!).

First up is Ivan, our deputy programme manager, who has devised an induction plan so detailed in its military precision that we practically know what times we're going to the loo each day when project training begins on Tuesday. Here he is outlining his master plan (at world domination?) to Catherine and Abi in our staff room:

A few minutes in, they realised the complex diagram represented only the first day. Looks like we're in for an intense, but highly organised, two weeks! And no, Ivan didn't insist that I include 'highly organised' but he'll be pleased I did. We also discovered that Ivan's childhood nickname is 'dog bowl'. If you're coming out, ask him about it.

Meanwhile, Catherine, our finance manager... :

... has been busy making sure the numbers add up by visiting the local bank in Turrialba to get money changed, setting up a Bureau de Change here at fieldbase so everyone has enough colónes when they arrive (the colón is the Costa Rican currency), updating our accounts for head office in London, and ensuring we have enough money for project planning visits. Along with Tom, Catherine's also kindly labelled furniture in the staff room with their Spanish names so we can start learning toute suite. Or should that be 'inmediatamente'.

As well as being the font of all knowledge in the office because she's volunteered as the finance manager before, Abi, our administrator,... :

... has been preparing all the project packs, checking everyone's details are up to date, making sure we all have the right visas, ordering stationery, re-learning how to cope with crazy Costa Rican drivers, and a zillion other admin tasks for which we're very grateful. 

Jess, our team coach... :

... has been organising the project manager's skills training sessions which will help them manage groups, as well as being an all round star by helping out other teams, and revealing hidden dancing talents on the salsa floor.

And Dr Sheila is delighted now that she has been joined by Dr Ben:

 ... making lighter work of compiling the static, vehicle, and trek kits; preparing and taking medical one-to-ones; organising medical training for the project manager's induction; and stocktaking, and ordering medical equipment. They've also learnt how to salsa - we have (blurry) photographic evidence!

The logistics team (left to right) of Pete, Tom, Laura, Bob and Mark have had a frazzled few days:

... learning how to negotiate the chaotic Costa Rican roads in the landys; repairing and ordering new equipment; stocktaking maps, vehicles and radio kits, and planning menus to work out food rations (286 toilet rolls, 384 tins of tuna, 90 kilos of oats, 1,700 packets of tomato sauce, and 85 kilos of pasta arrived yesterday with all sorts of other goodies - no sign of the famous expedition food staple of pork and beans yet!).

And on to the media team. Julie, our photographer... :

... has been taking lots of pictures (no surprises there) not to mention making slideshows and our blog introduction video, learning to drive, helping other teams out, and sending everyone nuts by singing 'Do you know the way to San Jose' every five minutes. Hopefully she'll have got bored of it by the time everyone else arrives.

And here's me, your blogger, Gerry... :

... I've been setting up the blog, flat-planning the magazine which will be ready for everyone by the end of expedition, and devising a 3 month plan involving lots of other communications stuff which I won't mention in case I spoil the surprise for the volunteer managers and venturers. Oh, and I've been fretting about my shoe to T-shirt ratio (roughly 3:1) which means I'm short on tops but I'm probably the Imelda Marcos (lady who owned lots of shoes) of Raleigh in Costa Rica and Nicaragua (I haven't brought my hair straighteners so I had to make up for it somehow).

Ross, our country programme manager who lives here... :

 ... has been teaching drivers how to drive safely in country, taking one to ones, answering our ridiculous questions, playing darts while following Andy Murray at the Australian Open, and crying over Hibs football club (yup, he's Scottish).

And, last but absolutely by no means least, Julian, our country director who also lives here... :

 ... has been finalising trek routes; making sure all the project plans are in order, and laughing at Ross crying over Hibs (he's not Scottish).

So all in all, we're ready for the project managers' arrival... (almost). ¡Pura vida!