Prepping Expedition 13A: The Marquee

El equipo avanzado esta preparandose para la expedicion, y pensamos talvez esten interesados en ver unos de los obstaculos que tenemos que derrotar. Asi que vamos: un guia simple en para armar la acomodacion de los participantes.

The advanced team are readying themselves for expedition and we thought you would be interested to see one of the hurdles we are overcoming as a team. So here goes: the easy guide to putting up Venturer accommodation.

Paso 1: Juntar los ingredientes en la Bodega
Step 1: Find ingredients in Bodega

Paso 2: Consiga muchachas dispuestas a cargar postes
Step 2: Find willing fieldbase ladies to help carry poles

Paso 3: Ordenar primeramente  todas las partes en el suelo, antes de tratar de montar las
Step 3: Lay out on the floor before attempting to assemble

Paso 4: Encuentre una persona, exactamente 164cm para apoyar la cima de la estructura
Step 4: Find someone the perfect height (5"7ish) to hold at apex of frame

Paso 5: Apoye el poste con una sola mano y hazte un pose con la otra
Step 5: Hold marquee frame with one hand and strike a pose with the other

Paso 6: Sonria siempre
Step 6: Smile at all times

Paso 7: Cuando los lideres se ven preocupados, utilize paso 6
Step 7: When the expedition leaders look concerned employ Step 6

Paso 8: Revuelquese en el barro - no hay razon por eso, pero es mas divertido
Step 8: Roll around in the mud - no reason for it but adds to the fun

Paso 9: Desdoblar el toldo y ponlo paralelo a la estructura
Step 9: Unfold roof tarp and place parallel to frame

Paso 10: Aguante los rincones del toldo mientras lo de mas empiezan a amarrarlo (aqui se ve Katarina utilizando el paso 6 muy bien)
Step 10: Hold down corners whilst everyone begins to loosely tie on tarp (Katharine employing Step 6 beautifully)

Paso 11: Senale con resolucion y pon en oreden los postes
Step 11: Point purposefully and line up upright poles

Paso 12: Agachese en cada rincon una vez el toldo esta unido a la estructura, y levnatela al nivel de los postes (aqui esta Greg utilizando paso 11)

Step 12: Crouch at each corner once the tarp is attached to frame and lift to height of upright poles (Greg employing Step 11)

Paso 13: Meter los postes verticales, y trate de no esforzarse demasiado

Step 13: insert upright poles and try not to strain yourself

Paso 14: Casi listo - pegue las paredes y haz su puerta

Step 14: Almost done - attach the sides and make your door

Paso 15: Dales la palmadita lodasa en la espalda

Step 15: Pat each other on the back with your muddy hands

To complete our set

You learnt all about half of our indefatigable team yesterday but today it’s the turn of Communications, the advanced Medics and Logistics.

Dav and Katharine, our Advanced Medics

Our advance Doctors bring a wealth of medical knowledge and come in the form of Katharine and Dav – a lot of counting, sorting, labeling and translating is going on in the medical room. They are an incredibly important part of the safety on expedition and we are hugely indebted to their hard work this week (even if the music blasting from the med room is questionable).

The Logistics Team are one of the busiest groups of people on expedition – their job is to make sure EVERYTHING is working, prepped, pumped up, in the right place and most importantly that there is enough food (including our favourite porridge) for everyone. A lot of trips to supermarkets, mechanics and an amazing ability to fix the considered unfixable, the silent heroes who spend a lot of time in the Bodega, our Logistics store room, surrounded by tarps, tools and barrels. Their leader is Alice and her co-pilots are Simon, Greg and Pauline.

Pauline and Alice

Greg, tirelessly counting and checking

Simon B educating the team about our Bravos

The Communications Team comes in the form of a creative team of 3. Holly our resident Artist and Art Historian will be creating fabulous installations, murals and has many other exciting projects up her sleeve for 13A, we are excited to see how she will be drawing links between local Central American influences and the West. 

Holly mapping out our new office mural by numbers (resident artist blog explaining will follow soon)

Liz is our photographer, almost always accompanied by a large lens and camera strapped to her side and will be capturing everything we do; helping illustrate the amazing achievements of the members of Expedition 13A with her beautiful photography.

Liz and Gabby 

I am Gabby and will be your Communications Officer – I'll be the voice of the volunteers whilst they are here, individuals who have dedicated themselves to making a positive impact by coming on expedition with Raleigh International. Whilst they are out on their projects we will try our utmost to express fully the experiences of the volunteers and their achievements. 

We are looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the blog and the subjects we cover – feel free to ask questions and of course we will pass all your comments on to your loved ones.

So that is the advanced team – we are incredibly excited for the arrival of all Project Managers and Venturers to beautiful Fieldbase in Turrialba, surrounded by mountains with eagles soaring overhead - Pura Vida!

Expedition 13A is in flight

Expedition 13A has begun – the expedition advanced team of dedicated Volunteer Managers have descended on Raleigh Costa Rica and Nicaragua’s Fieldbase in Turrialba. We are enthusiastically preparing for the arrival of 24 Project Managers on the 14^th January and 143 Venturers on the 29^th January.

It is an incredibly exciting time as we prepare for the Raleigh International Volunteers, individuals who are dedicating themselves to working with people from around the world inspiring, developing and challenging themselves; working in partnership, learning to build sustainable communities and conserve the environment.

So who are the advanced team and what do we do?

The Advanced Team top row (l-r): Pedro, Katherine, Vanessa, Greg, Gabby, Alice, Julian and on the bottom row (l-r): Simon V, Jess, Simon B, Dav, Holly, Richard and Pauline 

The team consists of our head honchos Country Director Julian Olivier, Country Programme Manager Pedro Rodriguez and Country Expedition Manager Simon Vorley. A merry band of three who support, train, organise and rally (sorry!) us to be the best we can. They work tirelessly to support all the Venturers, Project Partners, the communities, Rangers and Volunteer Managers, wherever they are across Costa Rica and Nicaragua – no mean feat.

Julian teaching the expedition drivers how to change a tire

Pedro and Simon: blue steel

Our fantastic support crew includes Richard in Finance, who does a huge amount of counting and usually has a calculator in his hand, who will be working alongside Vanessa and Jess who make up our fabulous (and glamorous) Administration Team, keeping us all in line and providing the backbone of Raleigh Fieldbase.

Richard counting

Our wonderful admin ladies

Today we are all getting down to business with a lot of cleaning, counting and sorting but check back tomorrow to learn about the how the other half of Fieldbase live with an introduction to 13A’s Communications, Medical and Logistics Teams.