Alpha 4, 5 & 10

It has been an amazing couple of weeks for Alpha's 4, 5 and 10 and our bloggers Emma, Josh, Olly and Glyn have given updates on their progress.

Alpha 4, Carara National Park by Josh and Emma

It has been wild since Day 1 here at Carara when we came under tarantula 'attack' and met our resident iguana that we have named 'killer' for the first time. We quickly embraced our luxurious new home fully furnished with beds, showers and the occasional tree frog.

Alpha 4: Henry, George, Ben, Josh, Ollie, Emma, Celine, Emilie, Cecilia, Amy, Lewis, Adriana, Lou, Jos, Emma and Hidde

Once everything was set up we were ready to hit the ground running, lining over 100m of path with rcks. Since then our progress has continued and we have renovated many 100s of metres since including raking,gravelling and stone moving. One of the most rewarding parts of working in Carara is the instant gratification from the hundreds of tourists who visit each day and are always interested in and thankful for our work. We have felt perfectly at home here, having thrown Celine a birthday party including a magnificent biscuit cake, and have since held a jungle party with Tang cocktails and a quiz.

Ollie hard at work

We are all fighting fit and plan to continue working hard, until we cannot gravel anymore! We feel blessed to have seen all the wildlife in this magnificent park including Scarlet Macaws, an anteater, Capuchin monkey, hummingbirds, snakes and multiple agouti alongside witnessing an iguana eat a tarantula and a rare sighting of the illusive Carara puma. Every day we experience more and are so excited about our final few days and what they will bring. Pura Vida!

Alpha 5, San Lucas Island, Olly Wolrond

Celebrating St.Valentine's Day

It's hard to believe that I'm writing this blog entry on day 12 of our inhabitation of San Lucas Island. Although the phrase "time flies when you're having fun" does apply, I think it's more a case of time flies when you're working very hard. However, the palm lined Playa de Coco (literally Coconut Beach) on our doorstep does a little to ease the aches. The beach is also a reminder of our mission here to protect and conserve this beautiful island and it's habitat.

Alpha 5: Sally, Jade, Greg, Kate, Gina, Holly, Nick, Olly, Matt, Emily, Kat, Anna, Ben, Charlie, Paul and Job

We hope to keep the island as untouched as possible, preserving it's status as a nature reserve and allowing future generations to enjoy it as we have; while at the same time helping the Rangers to protect the island from poachers who take trees and animals from the islands beaches and forests. By far the most vocal species of animals at risk from poaching are the Howler Monkeys (surprisingly tiny for their loud calls), we thought they were massing for attack the camp however we have since become used to the maniacal calls that occur throughout the day and night.

Hard at work on the trail

Monkeys however are not the only animal to contend with on the island; ants, stick insects and most memorably a tarantula have all wandered into our kitchen. We've also seen an armadillo, hundreds of hermit crabs, have been set upon by bees whilst working and we also share our food store with bats! However we have also seen the other side of the islands natural habitat stargazing on the jetty and seeing for the first time the island's fluorescent water plankton which gives the sea a sparkling glow.

Howler monkeys up in the trees around camp

In building our trail across the island we hope to protect this habitat by providing a new path for the Rangers which will allow them to better patrol the different beaches from the threat of poachers as well as clearing and maintaining the beaches from rubbish which comes on shore from the sea. Taking down buildings is also part of our task and we hope that we will create an environment which will attract responsible tourists to the island both to view the infamous prison and admire the unspoilt natural environment. In terms of global impact we hope that our part in promoting conservation areas in Costa Rica will add to it's global reputation in providing the right way to protect the natural environment.

Alpha 10, Arenilla Miraflor

Raleigh is working alongside the local community of La Arenilla in Miraflor to build sustainable housing. This encompasses levelling the terrain, laying foundations and making adobe (mud) bricks to build new houses.  These solid, low-tech and durable homes replace makeshift accommodation that cannot withstand the storms and rains.

The view from our homes

Raleigh’s Expedition 13A Alpha 10 group came to La Arenilla with the aim of progressing building work on 60 to 70 percent of the locals’ new housing. That aim is near completion.

This project is to provide the people of La Arenilla with safe and stable housing. This project is not just to build sustainable housing, it is to secure a future for the children and grandchildren.  Somewhere for them to study, somewhere for them to be safe and confident that when the wet season comes their homes will not be washed away.  We are proud that Alpha 10 has helped this community realise its ambition to adapt to the climatic conditions, to withstand the rains and to carry on into the dry season without rebuilding every year. 

Tomorrow a social justice blog from Alpha 8 and an update from Alpha 7.

The first of our Venturers have arrived: meet 13As Fabulous Ticos and Nicas

The HCVs met the Volunteer Manager Team with a conga line

En cada expedicion de Raleigh Internacional, sea en Borneo, India, Tanzania, o aqui en Costa Rica & Nicaragua, estamos privilegiados a tener Ventureros de los Paises Anfitriones (Host Country Venturers/HCVs). Durante la Expedicion 13A, estamos emocionados de tener 14 Costarricences y 4 Nicaraguenses. Keiner, el coordinador de los HCVs, era el mismo un HCV hace un par de anos, y trabaja sin parar para encontrar gente joven de America Central quien quiere hacer una diferencia en su medioambiente y conocer mucha gente de muchos paises diferentes.

On every Raleigh International expedition whether Borneo, India, Tanzania or here in Costa Rica & Nicaragua, we are privileged to have Host Country Venturers (HCVs). During Expedition 13A we are excited to be welcoming 14 Costa Ricans and 4 Nicaraguans. Keiner the HCV Co-ordinator who himself was an HCV a couple of years ago, works tirelessly to find young people from Central America wanting to make a difference to their environment, challenge themselves and meet many new people from many different places in the world.

Nuestros HCVs han llegado, y son/Our HCVs have arrived and they are:

Ignacio, Alejandra, Job, Luis, Adriana D, Adelina, Daniela, Berny, Jeannina, Esteban, Roger, Henry, Victor, Adriana C, Nathalia, Gina, Maikel and Nelson

Introducing the HCVs

An incredible entrance singing and dancing

El equipo entero de los Ventureros estaran llegando a Fieldbase el miercoles 30 de enero - les avisaremos tan pronto como hayan llegado, pero con la diferencia de la hora, puede ser el miercoles por la noche para ustedes si estan en europa. Estamos con muchas ganas de comenzar la Expedicion 13A!

The entire team of Venturers will be arriving at Fieldbase on Wednesday 30th January - we'll let you know as soon as they have arrived, although with the time difference it may be Wednesday evening for you if you are in Europe - we can't wait for 13A to get underway.

Tlaltecuhiti the Earth Monster: 13A’s Mural by Numbers

It is amazing what can be achieved with one white wall, 5 coloured paints, 5 numbers and 15 Raleigh volunteers:

Es increible lo que se puede lograr con una pared blanca, 5 colores de pintura, 5 numeros y 15 voluntarios de Raleigh:

Over the next 16 weeks our fabulous Expedition Artist, Holly, will be running inspiring art projects. Influenced by the environment, the amazingly diverse culture surrounding us and the history of art across Central America, Holly decided that the inaugural project of Expedition 13A would employ the 'artistic talents' of the Advanced Team at Fieldbase. We have recreated indigenous art in the form of the: 'Tlaltecuhiti Mural by Numbers.' 

Durante las proximas 16 semanas, nuestra fabulosa Artista de la Expedicion, Holly, estara poniendo en marcha los proyectos de arte. Tomando influencia del medioambiente, la cultura tan rica y variada, y la historia del arte de America Central, Holly decidio que el proyecto de 13A empleraria los "talentos artisticos"del Equipo Avancado, hubicado en el Fieldbase. Hemos recreado el arte indigeno en la forma del "Mural Tlaltechuhiti" en numeros".

Holly created a foolproof method: every space was numbered 1 for black, 2 for maroon, 3 for red, 4 for yellow and 5 for light yellow. Paint and brushes were left out and you just filled in the space. There were mutterings that paint by numbers may be everyone's new hobby - it is incredibly therapeutic! 

Holly creo un metodo infalible: cada espacio fue numerado de 1 a 5, segun el color necesario. La pintura y los pinceles estaban listos, y lo demas fue facil: llenar el espacio, nada mas. Hubieron murmullos de que pintar por numeros iba a ser el nuevo pasatiempo de todos - es muy terapeutico!

La Historia del mural/ History behind the mural:

The mural is based on a Vallejo Polychrome vessel with Tlaltecuhiti, the Earth Monster from the Nicoya region, Guancaste. Late Period VI [AD1200-1550]. Height 180mm.Collection of Museo de Costa Rica, San José.

El mural esta basado en una vasija Vallejo Polychrome, pintado con Tlaltecuhiti, el Monstro de la Tierra de la region Nicoya, Guanacaste. Periodo [DA 1200-1550]. Altura 180mm. De la Colecion del Museo de Costa Rica, San Jose.

Tlaltecuhtli the Earth Monster

Late Period VI [AD 1200-1550]

Nicoya Region, Guanacaste

Attributed to settlements in the North-West region of Costa Rica, the vessel depicts the deity, Tlaltecuhiti, who originated from Nahauti-speaking communities in Mexico. The design and motifs also suggest Mexico as its place of origin and other examples of this pottery have been found alongside artificially deformed skulls and filed teeth, associated with the Mixtec-Puebla region of the country. 

Atribuido a los asentamientos en la region nor-oeste de Costa Rica, la vasija representa la deidad, Tlaltecuhiti, lo cual origino en las comunidades de Mexico, habladores de Nahauti. El diseno tambien sugere que Mexico es el lugar del origen, y otros ejemplos de ese tipo de alfareria han sido decubiertos, junto a calaveras deformadas y dientes pulidos, los cuales estan asociados con la region Mixtec-puebla.

A Seated Figure 

Late Period V-VI [AD 800-1100]

Nicoya Peninsula

Jaguar Effigy Jar

Late Period VI [AD 1200-1550]

Nicoya Region, Guanacaste

The term ‘polychrome’ is used to describe the decoration of architecture and sculptures through application of patterns and colour. ‘Vallejo’ encompasses the aesthetic and plasticity of the vessel, which in this case, refers to the cream white slip, painted orange, red and brown-black colours; the emphasis on vertical lines and the bulbous shape of the vessel itself which is described as having incurved lips at the top, and abbreviated outcurving on the bottom. 

El termino "polychrome" esta utilizado para describir la decoracion de la arquitectura y esculturas por la aplicacion de los adornos y colores. "Vallejo" inluye la astetica y la plasticidad, lo cual en este caso refiere al area de crema y blanco, pintado en colores naranja, rojo, negro y maron; el enfasis queda en las lineas verticales y la forma bulbosa de la vasija misma, lo cual esta descrito en tener labios en curva por la parte arriba, y curva abreviada por la parte abajo.

In the thirteenth century, permanent settlements and chieftains in the Nicoya region of Costa Rica were controlled within strict feudal, social organisations by two primary groups: the Chorotega-Mangue and the Nicarao. The aesthetic links to the north, in Mexico, is indicative of very established trade and social practices and ceramics such as the Tlaltecuhiti vessel are primary manifestations of these relationships between communities and regions.  

En el siglo trece, los asentamientos permanentes y los jefes tribales de la region Nicoya de Costa Rica fueron controlados dentro de organizaciones sociales estrictas y feudales por dor grupos principales: el Chortega-Mangue y el Nicarao. Los vinculos asteticos al norte, en Mexico, son indicativos de un comercio bien establecido y de costumbres sociales, y ceramicas, tal como las de la vasija Tlaltecuhiti son manifestaciones primarias de estas relaciones entre las comunidades y las regiones.

The result: 13As "Mural Tlaltechuhiti" en numeros"/ 13As Tlaltechuhiti Mural by Numbers

The sun shines on Zulu 1

Zulu 1 send messages home from the Coast to Coast Trek.  The sun came out part way through the filming which, although a good thing for our trekkers, did rather mess up our video.  So apologies for the bright light and hope that you can still make everybody out.

In order you'll hear from Clare, Ben, Bo, Patrice, Lilian, Eveline, Henry, Sarah, Paul, Angel, Mela, Ziggy and Claudia.

Zulu 1 - make it out of the jungle

The Zulu 1 warriors started of on the Caribbean coast meeting some amazing locals on the way, before heading off into the jungle.

Claudia & Angel plan ...

...Mela checks

The jungle was full of amazing scenery but also full of mud, steep hills, more mud and rain.  We all slid about, a LOT.  Top tumbler awards go to Patrice and Lilian amassing 15 slips each (at least) - though no harm done except to their pride.

Ben overjoyed wit the thought of a day trekking

After the jungle we headed to St Joaquin and stayed in a church and had an amazing time walking through towns and taking in some Costa Rican culture.

Eveline and Lilian side be side

Just when we thought we were finished with the jungle we had some more hills and stunning views with a spot of camping.  Then lo and behold we were back in the jungle with more mud and steep hills.  But the hills can't bring down the Zulu warriors and as we have arrived at every destination early. 

Bo strides out

This evening we have just arrived at a community centre at Esperanza after conquering two mountains and reaching almost 3,000 metres.  We literally have our heads in the clouds.  We are pretty damn awesome, we don't really need the PMs anymore - but we let them come along for the views.

Patrice, Project Comms officer

Patrice taking a moment to reflect

X-ray 3 popping up to say hello

X-ray 2, moving mountains to send messages home

Cruising Costa Rica

After completing the handover of myself (Carina) and Bravo 3 in the glamourous location of a car park, Nick and I commenced our road trip to visit X-Rays’ 1, 3 and 4 in Costa Rica.

Day 1 – Tracking down the trekkers
After taking in the beautiful scenery during our ascent into the hills, we arrived at La Esperanza to be welcome by the slightly whiffy (sorry trekkers!) but very happy X-Ray 1s! Sporting an array of ‘interesting’ outfits to keep warm, the group were adjusting to feeling a little chilly for a change as a result of being at an altitude of 2500m.

Bundling themselves into extra clothes and sleeping bags, the group warmed themselves up with a delicious dinner of pasta with lots of fresh veg and sausage, followed by one of Vanessa’s, now famous, banana cakes. Lottie also prepared energy bomb for the group, so all in all, it was a good food day for X-Ray 1!

Day 2 – Masterchefs a.k.a X-Ray 3
After an early rise with the trekkers we travelled to Carara National Park to visit X-Ray 3. Due to an overflowing river, X-Ray 3 has relocated from their jungle camp into a ranger building. With running water and bunk beds, the group have made themselves at home and managed to use the kitchen facilities to create some impressive food out of Raleigh rations, such as Emma’s Banoffee Pie! Having enjoyed a meal with the group we then played numerous games of Mafia as well as being entertained by Jed as only he knows how.

The following morning we walked into the jungle where the group is hard at work clearing flood and storm debris from walking trails.

Raining in the rain forest

Day 3 – X-Ray 4 challenge for the Masterchef crown!
Having travelled the short distance from Carara to Playa Hermosa to visit X-Ray 4 on the turtle project, we were greeted by a very chilled and happy group. Loving the beach environment, the group have been busy building up the storm walls following the bad weather at Hermosa over recent weeks. The storm walls protect the baby turtles from being drowned in the hatchery and so the group are enthused about working as hard as possible to prevent further damage. At night, they have been undertaking two beach walks to search for turtles and nests to enable them to relocate the eggs for protection.

X-Ray 4, sunset at Playa Hermosa

Again, impressing us with their cooking skills and challenging the efforts of X-Ray 3, Carlton and Sophie treated us to a delicious dinner of homemade veggie burgers and chips. The cooking in phase 3 is particularly impressive and Nick and I were delighted to get stuck in! Hopping back in Bravo 3 the following morning, we headed off early in order to deliver X-Ray 1’s last food drop.

Day 4 – Home delivery!
One food drop that trekkers love is the last one as they don’t have to carry it! With this in mind, we delivered X-Ray 1’s last food drop to Playa Palo Seco which is the end point of the Coast to Coast trek. Ready and waiting for their arrival today, we hope the trekkers enjoy the food and the messages of support tucked inside the food sacks!

Following the food drop, Nick and I headed back to fieldbase where we are preparing for the return of X-Ray’s 1–5 on Monday.

Two Countries. One Expedition.

As a Raleigh participant travelling to Costa Rica and Nicaragua, it would be wrong to miss an opportunity to tell everyone back home a little bit about this part of Central America that Raleigh chooses to run its expeditions in, and has done since 2001. Raleigh and these two beautiful countries have formed an amazing two-way relationship – with the communities and ecosystems benefitting from Raleigh’s involvement, and Raleigh participants benefitting from all the amazing experiences the two countries have to offer – in terms of culture, history, people, breathtaking natural beauty and wildlife.

Let me not write about Costa Rica and Nicaragua in the same sentence any longer however – as both are very different and the task, challenges and benefits as a result are unique from one another.

Costa Rica, meaning ‘rich coast’, is a democratic, peaceful and relatively well-developed country, however what often goes unwritten and unspoken is the indigenous community who live in remote areas and as a result don’t benefit from the same excellent facilities for education, clean water and sanitation and power enjoyed by the majority of the population. As a whole, it is known as the happiest country in the world, a notable achievement and one they can be proud of – Raleigh’s aim is to ensure that this starts to apply to the whole country including these indigenous peoples with he community projects it runs.

Costa Rica is also one of the most bio-diverse nations on this planet, and as a result is protected by a huge national conservation system and a policy of sustainable development – which we at Raleigh also get involved in on our environmental projects.

Nicaragua, the largest country in Central America, is in contrast the second poorest in the western hemisphere. It is starting to increasingly benefit financially from tourism because of the beaches, scenic routes, the architecture of cities such as León and Granada, and most recently ecotourism and agritourism, particularly in Northern Nicaragua. Despite this, however, many communities are facing extreme poverty and have few basic amenities such as clean water and safe sanitation, hence Raleigh’s efforts in providing school buildings, housing and sanitation in the projects we operate on our expeditions. 

It is an honour and a privilege to be here in this part of the world and able to immerse ourselves in a mutually beneficial relationship with both of these nations. Gracias por recibirnos!

And so it begins...

Fifteen people.

One Farm.

One Fieldbase.

A shed (bodega) load of excitement, spirit, enthusiasm and ideas.

And an even bigger shed load of gallo pinto (om nom nom)...

That’s what it takes to kick off Raleigh expedition 12G/H to Costa Rica and Nicaragua - and the Advance Fieldbase team are here, checked in and raring to go to make this an amazing expedition!

Ross, Pedro, Roeland, Katie, Jen, Becky, Keiner, Dave, Björn, Krisztina, Nick, Amy, Emma and Leanne (plus Andy who’s arrived a week early, he couldn’t wait any longer!) are here at Fieldbase for some intense training on how to get everything and everyone to the right place at the right time (Logistics), keep the wonga in check (Finance), make sure everyone’s in rude health (Medics), make everything run like clockwork (Admin), show our viewers and followers what’s going on (Photographers) and keep you posted on EVERYTHING that’s going down across our many amazing projects that have been planned for 12G/H (that’s my job!).

Julian and Hector are also out here, 'next door' in Nicaragua, making plans for the arrival of the ICS team.

And of course, we've also been establishing the most important bits of running an expedition – the cooking and cleaning rota and how everyone takes their brew...

We’re all thrilled to be here and can’t wait to welcome the other Volunteer Managers in less than a week’s time and, of course, our Venturers on the 29^th June – you’re all in for a treat!

Hablar pronto!

 

You don't have to be mad to work here, but evidently, it helps...

Raleigh CR&N Videos

It's not long now until we have our groups back from their phase 1 projects and then we will finally have some photos for you. I know many of you are missing your loved ones, so to keep you going until they get back here are a few slidesows from the induction period. There are three slideshows - the Advance Volunteer Manager Induction, the Project Manager Induction and the Venturer Induction - all put together by our amazing photographer, Ale. We'll be adding more and more videos to our youtube channel over the next couple of months - 'RaleighCRN'.

Some Background Information

With 19 days until the venturers arrive at field base, it would perhaps be helpful of me to provide some interesting facts on the two magnificent countries of Costa Rica and Nicaragua....only some of which you may find useful (I love Google).

Costa Rica

Population: 4.64million

Total Area: 51,100kmsq

Where? : Sandwiched between Nicaragua and Panama on the Central American isthmus

 

Predominant Language: Spanish (97%), start brushing up!

Interesting Facts:

-         - Costa Rica aims to be carbon-neutral by 2021 (the world’s first).

-         -Limes are lemons. (struggle to get my head round this one)

-         - 25% of its land area made up by National Parks and Environmental Protection Areas.

-          -Top of the New Economics Foundation’s Happy Planet Index (index of well-being and environmental impact). Great stuff.

Nicaragua

Population: 5.82 million

Total Area: 130,370kmsq (largest in Central America)

Where? : Costa Rica’s neighbour to the north.

Predominant Language: You guessed it, Spanish (96%)

Interesting Facts:

-          -Lake Nicaragua is not only Central America’s largest freshwater lake, but it is also home to Ometepe, the world’s largest volcanic island inside a freshwater lake.

-          -86 of the 88 constellations can be observed from Nicaragua.

-          -Daylight saving time is named after the current ruler or political party, therefore 2012’s daylight saving time will be called Sandinista time after the political party of top man Daniel Ortega.  Line that fact up for any dinner parties you may be attending on the 25^th March.

Remember knowledge is power friends. I'll be back soon with more from field base and some sneak peeks into some of Expedition 12B’s projects.

Know your destination!

So not long until you head out for your Raleigh adventure. To help you feel even more prepared, here’s some key facts about these amazing countries so you can impress you friends and family with your in-depth knowledge!


Costa Rica

Statistics show that Costa Rica is the happiest country in the world!


Has a territory of 51,000 km2 and a population of 4,578,945


This peaceful country has been ruled since 1949 by democratically elected presidents


The Costa Rican democracy is considered to be the oldest still in existence in the Third World.


Education is very important in Costa Rica and 95% of the population is literate


The constitution prohibits any army, to maintain peace and order, the Civil Guard serves as a police
force


Costa Rica has one of the richest ecosystems in the world. It contains 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity


23% of the country is protected forests and reserves


Over 35,000 species of insects has been recorded in Costa Rica, with thousands more still undiscovered


It is estimated that 10% of the world’s butterfly species reside in Costa Rica making it a lepidopterists paradise


Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America


It has a population of 5,666,301


Lake Nicaragua, home of Ometepe Island, is the home of the only freshwater sharks in the world


At 130,370 square kilometers, Nicaragua is the 97th largest country (out of 251) according to the CIA Factbook


In most Latin American countries Soccer (Futbol) is the most popular national sport. In Nicaragua, however, the most popular athletic pass-time is Baseball


Nicaragua gained independence from Spain after the Mexican revolution ended in September 15, 1821. September 15th is celebrated as Independence Day and is a national holiday in Nicaragua.


The name Nicaragua comes from a combination of two words, “nicarao” and “agua”. The Nicarao were the Indian tribe who occupied the shores of Lake Nicaragua when the Spaniards arrived in the 1500’s. “Agua” is the Spanish word for water.

 
Fieldbase update!
 
Meanwhile, in amongst all the hard work at fieldbase, there have been some tragedies as certain members of the team have met a grisly end.


Tom was the first to go, stabbed with a marker pen in the staff room, Jed followed him to an early grave…death by pork and beans by the fridge! His killer, Alex, was then lured to the venturers’ tents where a bottle put an end to his murdering ways. Brie was unfortunately suffocated by a bin bag when doing the cleaning, while only this morning a trangia (a simple cooking device used on trek) put out the light of Reggie’s life.


There have been some survivors though; Julian fought off a vicious attack from Daz the dog, instigated by Owen and Nadia narrowly avoided death by a glove carelessly left on the ground by Barney..


Yes ladies and gentleman, a highly competitive game of human cluedo is keeping us all entertained and on our toes!

Warning! some readers may find the following pictures disturbing!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

In the jungle, the mighty jungle...

Buenas dias!! Having spent 5 days out on the bumpy road, taking in some of the stunning sights of Costa Rica, Juliet Bravo 3 are now back at fieldbase and ready to fill you in on the goings on of Xray 4! Arriving mid morning at La Cangreja to a muddy, yet extremely chirpy Xray 4, we successfully interrupted their hard work for a cheeky cup of tea and a catch up about what they’ve all been up to for the past 10 days. Without further ado, let’s hear from Xray 4’s blogger Justin……..

‘In the jungle, the mighty jungle of La Cangreja National Park, greetings from the intrepid Xray 4! In our short time here we have been very busy: to talk you through an average day, Xray 4 would wake, spring out of bed into an energy busting game of ninja, then hit the project site, where follows a day of levelling ground, shovelling mud, and working on the greenhouses where tropical trees are grown ready to be shipped worldwide.

The greenhouse the group have been working on

The evenings are spent well, with Claire and Catriona making lovely bracelets for the group, as well as a rousing game (or two!) of Mafia (it’s always jenny!). When it rains in La Cangreja, it doesn’t just rain – it pours! Justin takes the opportunity to dive straight in and use the rain as a shower – it really works!

Xray 4 have also learnt the art of foraging – Lloyd found us an orange tree whilst Isaak and Luke cooked up some plantain. The rangers were also nice enough to give us some fresh piña (pineapple!) The constructive spirit also caught Xray 4 when Maykol fashioned a makeshift shower from basha tarps and a hose pipe. Luke added a roof, remarking that we wouldn’t want to get wet in the shower… (?!)

Even the strongest need their days off, and we found ours when visiting the beautiful Rio Negro, where naturally formed jacuzzis helped the group relax after a hard days work. 

Finally, Xray 4 would like everyone to join us for the celebration of our very own Karen’s 20^th birthday! We celebrated with cake and games such as pass the parcel and musical chairs. Raleigh is not for the faint hearted!

The intrepid Xray 4’s next steps are to the amazing Playa Hermosa, where we will be going out on turtle patrols to rescue eggs and set free baby turtles into the sea. Wish us luck as we stride boldly onto the beach!’

Xray 4 taking some time out from work with a game of cards

Cerro Cangreja - the torrential rain looming in the distance!

Blog written by Justin Shenolikar. Photos by Cathy Titterton.

So that’s the low down on what Xray 4 have been up to for the last 10 days! All in all the group are on top form and looking forward to spending the second half of their phase on turtle patrol at the beautiful Playa Hermosa. Juliet Bravo 3 are now back at fieldbase eagerly awaiting more blogs to come through on the radio from all the project groups so we can get them up for all of you to read, so keep checking! Pura Vida!!

Blog written by Wellard. Photos by Cathy Titterton. 

volcanoes and trekking

Hi to all the parents, family and friends.  The road trips have been off visiting the projects and you will be delighted to hear they have returned with some blog entries written by your loved ones.  Juliette 3 (as Laura, Amy, Wellard and Cathy have decided to be named) met with X-ray 1 who were on good form and collected these words from Joanna Bartlett:

 It was hot, sunny, dry and approaching midday when we, x-ray 1 took our first step of the 250km Turimacho trek across Costa Rica.  From Cimarrones Arriba we glanced at the Caribbean coast a few kilometres in the distance and then headed towards the pacific.  Kelly reminded us frequently that we would be at the beach soon!  While this reward was on all our minds we also took in the waterfalls, stunning views, nature and people we saw on the way.

 The first few days we trekked alongside countryside paths.  Day 2 also brought with it the mystery of the missing salami, which meant a disappointing lunch for the next day, but also amusing jokes regarding the salamis whereabouts.

 We have tackled the muddy slopes in the jungle.  The climb was tough and in some places the mud was so persistent that it sucked our boots into it; claiming Darens boots on numerous occasions.

 Still spirits remained high and we sang and danced our way through the jungle, yelling ‘pompi’ (in Cantonese) when anybody slipped in the mud, which was quite often.

 Our 14 year old jungle guide Juan Louis was very patient with our trudging pace.  We parted with him on day 5.  This was our longest day of trekking yet, taking us 10 hours to reach our destination, San Joaquin.  This was also the day with the best hilltop views and we passed a pulperia (small shop) for the first time, good news for us and the shop keeper!

 Tomorrow, day 6 we have a 21km hike ahead of us, fortunately we have some energy bombs(an oats, chocolate and syrup mix) to start the day!

Written by Joanna Bartlett.  Photos by Cathy Titterton.

Juliette 3, not lost!  Just checking the route....

a rare sighting of the Deputy programme manager Brie out on phase with X-ray 1

some venturers still manage to look glamorous, even on trek!

off they go for a day of trekking 21km!!!

Juliette 3 (Laura, Amy, Wellard and Cathy) then spent last night with x-ray 3 and can confirm the report below from Alfie of an evening of charades with a lively and fun group.

Alfie writes...........

We have been working on Volcan Turrialba (a volcano) and I can speak for the whole group when I say it has been the most enjoyable phase.  The working day is made easier by the rangers who are pretty damn funny.

I would say that the best part of the day is in the afternoon when we return to what must from the outside look like student digs.  This is the part of the day when we chill out and this period of time has been filled with conversations about what everyone is doing when they go home or are travelling on.  This makes it very obvious that it is the last phase.

Also at night we have our daily game of ‘Come dine with me’.  This is where there is stiff competition in what is made for dinner.  Some so far have seen:

Spicy noodles – Francis

Mac & cheese – Hugh

Curry – Kay

Better than normal pasta sauce – Cam

Cheesy mash – Alfie

Guacamole – Cam

Egg fried rice – Kay

But please don’t get the impression we are living luxuriously!

 On our day off we visited a town that had been evacuated due to acid rain and saw a house which had no roof as it had been totally eaten away by acid rain.  Although we are loving working at the volcano that day made us realise the destructive power it has.

In the evenings we have had a fair few games of charades and Mafia...... it has started to get a little competitive!

All in all we are enjoying every moment of this phase.  There always seems to be laughter from when we wake until we go to bed.  There are many different personalities in our group but this helps to bring us together and widen our conversations.  I feel as if x-ray 3 has become a type of family!

 PS.  Keep the blog messages coming, we really appreciate them.

Blog written by Alfie Carapiet.  Photos by Cathy Titterton.

Volcan Turrialba

The Rangers use quad bikes to get the heavy materials up the volcano.

Kiwi Cam building the paths.

The road trips are still out there collecting blog entries from the venturers in the other x-ray groups so check back over the next few days for more updates.

Blog written by Laura Salmon.  Photos by Cathy Titterton.