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Bob Curry writes

...about his experiences while volunteering in Ecuador.

9 April 2006
Had my first long Ecuadorian bus trip to arrive at La Hesperia. The bus rides are interesting, it includes the conductor handing out a small packaged treat and tiny drink, much like an airline. Later, a gentleman entered, stood in the aisle and gave a 20 minute info-mercial selling little vials of gingko, finally a Bruce Willis movie.

The drive from Quito halfway down the western slope of the Andes has some spectacular scenery. The high Andean valleys are so dramatic, actually Ecuador is so dramatic, everything so intense, the contrasts so vivid.

The driver remembered my request, in butchered Spanish, to let me off at signpost 58km, where fortunately two other volunteers were waiting with a donkey (they had delivered some milk to the village). The donkey took my backpack, which allowed me to live another day, because that is one hellacious hill.

The mid-day tropical heat and humidity, even at 1400 meters, requires some accommodation. But, on the trail up we saw a capuchin monkey in the banana trees (Todo, you're not in Kansas anymore!)

I arrived in time for the Wednesday afternoon futbol (soccer) match with the locals. I think I provided comic relief, but what a great idea. The ten or so local families that work at the reserve come out, and generally the local boys aged 7-12 run circles around most of us. But it is great fun and very good natured.

La Hesperia is 90% forest, but includes gardens, grasslands for cows and horses, a few sows and goats, fruit trees, a nursery, medicinal garden, veggie garden, a chicken coop and I am sure other things I have not discovered yet.

I have met the four or five other volunteers, wonderful young kids from the UK, Germany and the US, a couple of them staying for five months. Bright, dedicated, enthusiastic, the future is going to be ok.

We have a group meeting with Juan Pablo and his wife Alessandra, who own the reserve. We got a nice presentation on some current topics, Ecuador and the Free Trade Agreement and implications for conservation, but mainly Juan Pablo wanted our thoughts on ways to increase volunteerism, which is an important leg of support for La Hesperia.

Back to work, "tree care", which means taking a short handle hoe and machete and clearing growth from the base of scores of newly-planted hardwood trees to allow their development. Pretty tough going for the old guy, but satisfying. By the way, the home-cooked food here is simple but delicious (enhanced perhaps by the fresh air, the hard work and your body is craving healthy food).

Did a night hike in the jungle Friday with the young'uns. Had a rare clear night, it is the rainy season after all, it was awesome and beautiful, didn't see the critters we were hoping too, perhaps next time. Will sign off for now, best wishes to all.

14 April 2006
It is time to confess my dirty little secret! On the first day of "tree care", sweat-blinded, I slaughtered one of the trees in my care with my trusty short-handled hoe! Until Wednesday's tree planting, my contribution to the green planet was a minus-one. Those that know me understand that I'm not naturally handy with tools (understatement). Some have suggested that tools and even opposable thumbs are wasted on me.

That said, the machetes are a hill of fun. We actually do weeding with machetes. Young Ricard, working here for three months while on "gap" year before starting U. of Edinburgh, is the machete king, amazing.

Each week Juan Pablo and Alessandra give a talk on some subject of interest. This week it was coffee. As "prep" a few days before they took us out to the small collection of coffee trees and the volunteers harvested some of the ripe (red) beans, shelled them and put them out to dry. The next day there was another peeling process of some pulp-like material leaving green coffee beans. The night of the talk we pan-roasted the beans - what a delicious smell. We hand-ground the beans, added hot water, a little sugar and had this (can something be heavenly and sinful at the same time?) wonderful fresh coffee. And, this, from one who is not normally a coffee drinker.

One of the sows had piglets! Alas, only three survived, suitably slathered in 30 block sunscreen by volunteer Anna to protect their tender skin. The litters can often be 8-12 so this is a bit of a disappointment. Selling the young pigs is a source of income for the reserve which is important.

They are currently experimenting with a new type of grass for the diary cows, which not only should grow faster but be more nutritious for the cows and gentle on the soil. In theory, they will be able to feed the cows on less pasture, restoring even more land to forest, something we all want with the increasing desertification (did I make that word up?) of the planet. Also, better nutrients, without chemicals, will yield better quality milk, more milk solids per pound which means a higher price.

In a couple of years they have planted about 3,000 trees at La Hesperia (okay, okay minus the one I butchered).

Theater of the Bizarre: On Tuesday, on the winding mountain road below the reserve, a truck careened off the road and into the river. A truck loaded (over-loaded?) with soap! Miles of man-high soapsuds downstream. Great for washing clothes, I suspect not really good for the river.

Speaking of the river, another project of Juan Pablo and Alessandra is to convince the people of La Esperie, the village at the base of the trail up to the reserve, to recycle. Right now everything (EVERYTHING) just goes into the river.

Wednesday we planted 20 trees bordering one of the upland pastures, fruit trees and palms. The views from up there are sublime. The beauty of this area is rich but subtle. Not as dramatic as say a Yosemite in California or the Avenue of the Volcanoes south of Quito, but textured. The rugged hills, the ribbons of waterfalls, the flash of brilliantly colored birds and butterflies, a thousand shades of green, and always the ever-changing, slowly dancing magical wisps of mist creeping up and down the hillsides in this sub-tropical cloud forest. I'm trying to be mindful to stop once in awhile and take it in, be in the moment.

I will sign off for now, I'm in Quito, here for Easter weekend to see the religious processions starting on Good Friday in the Church of San Francisco in the Old Town. One last random thought, I would encourage international travel (not tourism) to all the young at heart. I think it does a couple of things, it opens, expands your mind and enriches your world, you meet fascinating people from around the globe, and it focuses your mind on those wonderful things you have at home. Try it, love Bob.