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Welcome! Since I will not have the resources to e mail my usual circle of friends and family while in Ecuador, this is it. This Blog will be my vehicle for "dropping you a line..."

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Kapawi Wildlife


Wildlife at Kapawi

As we travel to different communities along the Capahuari River, we see many birds. Mammals are much more difficult to see. I saw a marmoset on a night walk and he naturalist guides are sometimes able to spot monkeys in the treetops, but they are far away. The best glimpses for me are when the monkeys are jumping to another branch. I can catch the movement. The birds we saw on the way to Kuskutsu were a Great Heron, Hoatzin and comerants. But there is another kind of wild life. The Achuar love a good party. The school at Kapawi community was celebrating 11 years of its school. The party lasted over 2 days. We went there for the school ceremony. The students preformed a traditional dance and sang. They had prepared booths displayed the various subject areas and had interactive exhibits. Then there was food! There was fish cooked the traditional way in leaves, called maike, chicken and manioc and rice. A snack made of beans, fried plantains andcorn was delicious. It is called chocho. From there we walked to the community center for talking, drinking chicha, volleyball and a triathlon. The triathlon was running to the river, swimming across, canoeing back and running back to the finish line. Then more sitting and chicha (I am getting the hang of it), and music and dancing. Then back to the lodge, where I called it good. The rest of the staff went back to Kapawi for the evening. The next day there was more celebrating at Kapawi, but we went to another community to visit Vanessa, the English teacher. They were celebrating the end of the school semester, and had a big party too. That was my second tmie for aguiti soup. That evening, the staff returned to Kapawi for more partying, until 3 am. Glad I sat that one out too. The next morning at 6 for breakfast we could still hear the music from Kapawi! I am getting quite agile climbing in and out of boats, hiking up river banks, and dancing, although I do need a help up the banks. All of that and we still get all of our work done…

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