tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14404410814855564582024-03-12T20:22:22.004-07:00Life Along the PastazaNotes about day to day experiences as I spend 7 weeks with the Achuar People at Kapawi.JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-19522756843714825512012-03-30T17:58:00.000-07:002012-03-30T17:58:39.996-07:00Kapawi Volunteers and Staff
"Collaborators": author JoAnne,Yuma AZ; English teacher Vanessa, London; lodge housekeeper Maritza; English teacher Jessica, San Francisco; Kusutkau resident Toribio; lodge chef Juan Carlos and lodge maintenance RubinJoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-22614791778475015612012-03-30T17:37:00.001-07:002012-03-30T17:37:27.675-07:00
This teacher at Tuna School in the Kapawi community is making a bean, corn, salsa snack for a school celebration. This is the kitchen in her quarters in the community.JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-78595154602790490402012-03-30T17:23:00.000-07:002012-03-30T17:23:55.219-07:00Project StatusI have completed the draft, so now have to time to update my blog! It has been over a year since I returned from my 7 week stay with the Achuar. I have been writing every since. The project that I have been working on since 2008 is a book about the Achuar culture. During my visit, I interviewed and observed and wrote and experienced all that I could relating the the Achuar. My Achuar friends JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-78696939470786910262011-07-11T08:43:00.000-07:002011-07-11T08:43:48.566-07:00Coming to an end...Here it is July. I have been writing nearly every day since I returned from Kapawi. I did have a week of travel recovery and a bit of jungle fungi to combat... And a few breaks with family along the way. But other than that, I have worked on the book like it was an 8 to five job. And it was! I completed the draft of the book yesterday!!! Every time I re-read it, I tweak it a bit. I think it is JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-53388540412560442122011-03-31T06:19:00.000-07:002011-03-31T06:19:35.000-07:00more research...I have been home for over a month now, and working even harder. Only now, instead of hiking through the rainforest and visiting communities via canoe, I spend most days at the computer writing. Sometimes I research something on the internet, such as details about a fruit or animal from the rainforest. Sometimes I have a question that Vanessa or Jessica are able to answer for me, some detail aboutJoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-82669622997991201132011-02-25T12:59:00.000-08:002011-02-25T12:59:29.893-08:00Home!It had to end sometime! I traveled by canoe to the airstrip in Wachirpas for the flight over the jungle. Fortunately we were not weighed on this end of the travel. The return flight cargo to was empty fuel containers Flying in we were loaded with fuel for the generators and outboard motors, as well as food and other supplies for the lodge. I carried my fragile purchases in my backpack situated JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-85392984861084737132011-02-18T05:34:00.000-08:002011-02-18T05:34:41.668-08:00Feb 18 Travel DayWell, I am all packed except for the computer. I am already tired, and have about an 8-hour travel day today. We leave around 11 by canoe to go to the airstrip, then to Shell over the jungle then to Quito by bus.
Yesterday was a day for me to enjoy the rainforest, my last opportunity to hike and visit a community. We started by seeing neutra in the lagoon; it was chasing the large ducks. Then JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-40376345299982221622011-02-17T05:43:00.000-08:002011-02-17T05:43:10.972-08:00Last day of my research and adventures at kapawiFeb 17
Today is my last day at Kapawi Lodge. Last night I went out on a caiman watch. The river is very high, so the sightings were not likely. I discovered that a caiman visited my new cabin, no. 7, last night. That thought makes for good sleeping. The caiman was not in the cabin, but under it in the lagoon. Actually the caiman are in the lagoon since it is very full. We had two long rains, JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-57754004816214714852011-02-16T07:25:00.000-08:002011-02-16T07:25:18.540-08:00Last week at the LodgeFeb 14
Last night’s cultural event was very nice. Several Achuar sang anents and then a traditional warrior greeting was preformed. Chicha was passed around. It was held in the bar, as there was a huge thunderstorm. It lasted until 10p.m. in the I almost made it without a close encounter! So far the only snakes I have seen are in photographs taken by someone else. I have photographed some very JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-69585586163448002362011-02-13T17:20:00.000-08:002011-02-13T17:20:43.941-08:00Last few daysFeb 13
Yesterday I was able to tag along to a meeting at Wayusentsa.
It took an hour and a half going fast up the Pastaza
River. The driver is very skilled. He has to know where there are obstacles in the ever -changing water. There is also a person at the front of the boat, giving signals. With the flux in the river depth and new branches swept in, it is a challenge. We saw a lot of birds; I JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-46561092850778567152011-02-11T08:51:00.000-08:002011-02-11T08:51:54.479-08:00Feb. 10 Moving DayLast night I began sorting my clothes and figuring out how to pack the handicrafts I had purchased. It is a good thing I did. This morning at breakfasts I was told I needed to move my stuff to Jessica's room. There is a large group coming and all of the beds are needed, but the room is needed for the 13th. So I was caught by surprise. It took about an hour to pack everything. Housekeeping and JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-3949429052035324572011-02-09T08:08:00.000-08:002011-02-11T07:20:37.968-08:00Lodge Living
The staff dining room consists of two tables with picnic style benches. There is a TV and the staff like to watch action videos. The TV is in a cabinet with doors, so that during staff meetings it is closed. This is where everyone assembles for meetings, after the evening meal. Generally the meeting is about the next day’s tour schedule, staffing and food for the guests. They are very JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-5148673256756890992011-02-09T07:19:00.000-08:002011-02-09T07:20:43.907-08:00Shopping
Feb 8
Today I have an interview with Antonio at 1:30 and Simon at 2. I spent the morning talking with Remegio, the bartender. Between his English and my Spanish We were ale to communicate. He gave me an Achuar name! Nunkui nuwa, mother earth. Since my vision was of the rainforest and he sees me taking photograph of birds often, he felt this was a suiting name. I have been trying to buy a Tunta JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-1838678694126940712011-02-09T07:17:00.000-08:002011-02-09T07:17:36.443-08:00Ceramics 101<!--StartFragment-->
Feb3, 2011 ceramics
Today is the we did something I have been waiting for all week. We made a pinink, a drinking cup. We have been waiting for Marta to show us how. She was to go to a community yesterday to get the clay. She was not able to go until this morning.
She had to go into the forest to dig the clay from a moist deposit under ground, in a swamp or a riverbankJoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-91477546133373157472011-01-29T10:36:00.000-08:002011-01-30T07:34:29.477-08:00Kapawi 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 onJoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-30626810649278030172011-01-29T10:33:00.003-08:002011-01-29T10:33:20.082-08:00Kapawi Wildlife<!--StartFragment-->
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 them 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. JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-69455537791880285762011-01-26T16:08:00.000-08:002011-01-26T16:08:30.759-08:00Waterfalls at Wayusentsa
<!--StartFragment--> The trip to Wayusentsa took about two hours by boat up the Capahuari River. On the trip we enjoyed the coolness of the air over the river. We were able to identify some birds flying overhead, such as Toucan, and had a nice sighting of a heron and a cattle crane perched on branches that were partially submerged in the river. Also we saw many Hoazin families that nest in the JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-77952460164284673822011-01-26T15:47:00.000-08:002011-01-26T15:49:36.153-08:00Typical Week at Kapawi
At the lodge
Around 5 a.m. the sun starts to lighten the sky. With the full moon we have had the past several days, it is never really dark. This is also when some birds start their calls. I get up at 6, dress, (which includes sunscreen and insect repellant), and go to breakfast. I eat with the staff. Breakfast usually includes white rice. Sometimes it is egg, or fish soup. Any meetings are set JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-70142261223926530512011-01-19T12:55:00.000-08:002011-01-19T12:55:17.676-08:00Rainforest<!--StartFragment-->
Today seems like a good day to talk about the sights and sounds here. Time is different here... The morning starts with birds calling at twilight. This morning I woke to light from the shining moon. It was 5 am. The kitchen staff was already at work, adding their sounds to the early morning. As the day unfolds, different animals add their chorus. If you listen carefully, JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-40312791500496324472011-01-16T17:49:00.000-08:002011-01-16T17:49:53.189-08:00Exciting day!Today started out at 6:30 with bird watching by traveling via boat along the river. The best part was getting a really good look at two pink river dolphins. Works cannot describe how they appeared in the early light as the barely broke the surface of the water. We saw many birds, Too. Even a monkey, which are very difficult to spot in the foliage high in the trees. The jungle is... well, a jungleJoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-85919776323701744912011-01-16T06:19:00.000-08:002011-01-16T06:19:52.650-08:00Catching up<!--StartFragment--> Here it is, day 7 already! I have been meeting so many people and asking a lot of questions. So far I have a lot of data that I am transferring to the computer and backing up! The flight to Kapawi was delayed due to rain, so we had a wonderful lunch in Puyo. Beautiful orchids and birds. Food was good too. As we were arriving, just ready to disembark, the clouds opened up JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-30368183602679683792011-01-11T18:03:00.000-08:002011-01-11T18:03:29.857-08:00Travel to Kapawi...After a 6:45 pick up at the hotel, I boarded a bus at the Kapawi Headquarters. We picked up guests heading to Kapawi Lodge and the English teacher, then Picked up Pedro outside of Quito along the roadway. He could have been a hitchhicker! Cell phones are a great way to coordinate logistics. Since we were traveling overland, we had the extra treat of spotting many mountains along the Corriadoro. IJoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-45008377210747834682011-01-10T08:16:00.000-08:002011-01-10T08:16:06.687-08:00Arrival in QuitoThe layover time in Miami was fortuitous. I met a woman traveling home to Quito. She works as a cook for an oil company located near Coco. We shared experiences and the time passed quickly. My seat mate was raised in Guayaquil. I had a lot of opportunity to practice my Spanish skills. Both were very helpful regarding customs and land transit. When leave the boarding area, I was extremely JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-66867585033901977072011-01-04T21:26:00.000-08:002011-01-04T21:26:13.242-08:00planning aheadTravel always requires pre planning. One item not to forget is that immunizations take at least 4 weeks to take affect. For Ecuador, you need Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B; and if you will be traveling outside of urban areas, Typhoid and Yellow Fever. Today I take my third malaria tablet. I will take one table every week there and for 4 weeks after returning home. Next on my list today is JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1440441081485556458.post-16903447917067190152011-01-03T21:06:00.000-08:002011-01-03T21:06:59.714-08:00HomeTonight is my last night home for the next 7 weeks. Bittersweet... a wonderful project ahead of me, friends and family left behind. Not to mention our two dogs, and my tomato plants that are loaded with blossoms. I can almost taste the fruit... A friend baked cookies for the plane, another dropped by with a personalized travel folder. Another "loaned" me two of her guardian angels. My son's JoAnne Mowczkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17249451828380569069noreply@blogger.com0