We've collected stacks of photos from the Delta 1 Venturers and PMs - here are some of the best:
Welcome to the official blog for Expedition 13A. We'll be keeping you posted on all the happenings of life on expedition from 10th January to 11th April. Check back and please send us your comments, it's free and easy. ¡Pura vida!
Monday, 2 August 2010
Delta 1: Tough but amazingly rewarding work in Nimari
Delta 1 reflect on the experience of living and working in the tiny indigenous community of Nimari:
A six hour hike in the pouring rain was to set the tone for the weeks to come. Living in a tiny palmshack surrounded by barbed wire to keep the animals away (not that it stopped the cows from eating our socks and T-shirts), this was the most remote place any of Delta 1 had ever been. We spent three weeks in the tiny indigenous Cabecar community of Nimari, home to about a 100 people. While they seemed shy at first, relationships grew through the weeks - starting with a welcome speech by our maestro de obras (local foreman) describing us as friends and loved ones.
The work was often tough but always highly rewarding. Nothing could compare to the massive sense of achievement on our last working day, as we stroked our last paint brushes with one minute to go.
For three weeks we carried dozens of logs each, planed hundreds of planks and nailed thousands of nails in the pouring rain and blazing sun. From trenchfoot to sunburn, the group relished every moment. Tucking into rice and beans three times a day and discovering new ways of varying out diet... some chosing salt, others sugar! Washing in a stream was everyday's highlight and intense discussions regarding bowel movements became a vital routine as the long drop's smell reached new levels.
The opening ceremony was really touching as a string of speeches emphasised just what the project meant to a community who have waited 20 years for it to finally happen. It will not only allow them to double the students' school hours - they currently receive only one lesson a week - but, more importantly, it will help ensure the Cabecar culture and language can be maintained as they fear the loss of their traditions because of globalistion.
Delta 1's experience and relationships grew not only amongst our own group but also within the community, as we managed to give English lessons to the children and also learnt some Cabecar. After a week we'd broken through the language barriers and finally found ourselves feeling gradually more integrated with the community. It was a wonderful experience and no doubt Nimari will stay firmly in our memories.
A six hour hike in the pouring rain was to set the tone for the weeks to come. Living in a tiny palmshack surrounded by barbed wire to keep the animals away (not that it stopped the cows from eating our socks and T-shirts), this was the most remote place any of Delta 1 had ever been. We spent three weeks in the tiny indigenous Cabecar community of Nimari, home to about a 100 people. While they seemed shy at first, relationships grew through the weeks - starting with a welcome speech by our maestro de obras (local foreman) describing us as friends and loved ones.
The work was often tough but always highly rewarding. Nothing could compare to the massive sense of achievement on our last working day, as we stroked our last paint brushes with one minute to go.
For three weeks we carried dozens of logs each, planed hundreds of planks and nailed thousands of nails in the pouring rain and blazing sun. From trenchfoot to sunburn, the group relished every moment. Tucking into rice and beans three times a day and discovering new ways of varying out diet... some chosing salt, others sugar! Washing in a stream was everyday's highlight and intense discussions regarding bowel movements became a vital routine as the long drop's smell reached new levels.
The opening ceremony was really touching as a string of speeches emphasised just what the project meant to a community who have waited 20 years for it to finally happen. It will not only allow them to double the students' school hours - they currently receive only one lesson a week - but, more importantly, it will help ensure the Cabecar culture and language can be maintained as they fear the loss of their traditions because of globalistion.
Delta 1's experience and relationships grew not only amongst our own group but also within the community, as we managed to give English lessons to the children and also learnt some Cabecar. After a week we'd broken through the language barriers and finally found ourselves feeling gradually more integrated with the community. It was a wonderful experience and no doubt Nimari will stay firmly in our memories.
Saturday, 31 July 2010
10G Adventure Challenge: It's Zulu time
Our 5 weekers had an amazing 24 hours back at Fieldbase and are now out in the wild on the first night of their Adventure Challenge: a four day trek phase followed by a competitive survival challenge in a secret location!
That means our mighty Delta groups have now been consigned to history - 10G has gone tribal with all new Zulu teams:
Zulu 1: Andy Martin, Bethany Round, Graham Snyder, Emily Marley, Hannah Bishop, Ranald Stewart, Issy Kelpie, Laura Dickinson, Polly Roberts, Randall Vargas Barrantes, Seona Stalker, Valentina Toledo. PMs: Karol Ostaszewski, Oscar Saborio, Natalie Smith.
Zulu 2: Alice Whittle, Daisy Bareham, Ffinlo Moore, Henry Lonsdale, Kara Forsyth, Luke Sparrow, María Gorethy Morales Valverde, Max Kiralyfi, Nicky Gale, Shehlina Karimi, Susannah Sconce, Tim Cook, Vicky Palmer. PMs: Emi Uzar, Sue-Lyn Cashman-Pugsley.
Zulu 3: Alexandra Corrales, Daniel Alpizar Peréz, Glyn Worthington, Hannah Love, Jessica Rivas-Furlong, Johnny Rowles, Laura Buss, Lucile Smith, Samuel Harris, Sophie Hammill, Stephanie Davis, Tim Carden. PMs: Lizzie Phillips, Owen Nicholson, Sarah Neale.
Zulu 4: Alice Mathews, Ariadna Venegas Li, Dan Cowell, Emily Rigby, Esteban Aguilar Güendel, Gaby Cichonska, Grace Abel, Martine Kruseman, Rachel Allen, Rahul Ghelani, Robert Pritchard, William Handy. PMs: Amy Roberton, Eleanor Williamson, Matt Lyes-Wilsdon.
There was a fantastic atmosphere around Fieldbase as the Venturers and PMs caught up with the other groups and exchanged stories from their project sites.
The highlight came with the group skits which were truly amazing. All the Deltas put in an incredible amount of time and effort which really showed in their performance. And in a fiercely competitive contest, Delta 1 emerged victorious. Congratulations to them!
And we've got heaps of photos of our new Zulus preparing to deploy, courtesy of Photographer James:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)