Day 8: Lumber, Bridges and Students... Oh My!

January 10, 2011

"Without hope the ‘us’es give up, and I know you can’t live on hope alone but without hope life is not worth living."  - Harvey Milk 

By:  Nick Stanzione

Morning view of the Napo River.

After another amazing breakfast including the classic Ecuadorian dish, Majado, and oatmeal with raisins we set out for one of most interesting days yet. With a full day of work ahead of us, our morning began with one group teaching English courses to the students of the Collegio and the rest of us working on repairing some bridges and stairs that were in dire need of it but not before we received our daily dose of dragon’s blood.  As we met up to go to lunch, the teachers collected their markers and love letters while those working in the fields passed out in the grass and counted their bruises from carrying the logs and several hundred pound tree trunks on their shoulders.

Another rainy morning...

The Yachana High School - office and housing for the guys.

A message from the high school students... Recycle!!

Nick and the dragon blood on his mosquito bites.

Michael listening to Robert on the guitar.

Measuring the palm tree for cutting.

Rithu and Stephanie getting excited to carry the logs out of the forest.

A poisonous frog we found in the forest.

Robert handing off the log to Adam.

Adam carrying the log out of the forest.

Caitlin!

The group nice and dirty from a hard morning of work.

Celine, Stacy and Kate teaching English.

Regina speaking with students in the English class.

Many of us had a well deserved fruit milkshake from the bar before tucking in an amazing lunch, which began with the group favorite, ceviche and plantain chips! Our main course was a plantain and cheese dish with sides of rice and beans and string beans. Instead of heading back to Casa Quest after lunch as we usually do, we decided that a tanning session was in the cards instead overlooking the Napo River, along with a game of Monopoly Deal.

After lunch the group split up to take on a number of tasks that ranged from making planks from the logs for new stairs, continuing repair of the bridge, and lesson planning! With most of our work being centered around the Yachana school buildings, our work soon transformed into socializing with our fellow Ecuadorian peers, playing frisbee and  guitar, and the Ecuadorian students interviewing us for their newly assigned homework assignments.

Zach and Stacy

Michael and Richard jamming on the guitar.

Nick listening to the music.

Zach and Lillian taking a much needed break.

Adam getting lessons from the students on how to clean the palm bark.

Stacy and Adam cleaning up the palm bark to be used for the steps.

The students carrying the HEAVY palm log down to he bridge.

A bridge getting a a new look.

Starved from a strenuous day full of work, we promptly arrived at 7 PM for dinner. We received yucca soup as an appetizer, followed by a protein with sauteed vegetables (peppers, onion, etc) with a baked potato and a cucumber salad on the side. Scrumdidlyumptious! Always having room for dessert, chocolate mousse was the icing on the cake to yet another excellent meal and day in Ecuador.

After dinner we headed over to Yachana’s meeting room to watch another film called “South of the Border” which got us thinking about the position and effect that the media has on our interpretation of South American countries and their leaders. A very thought provoking documentary, it provided for an interesting reflection afterwards.

Having all put in a full day of hard work we actually all went to our rooms directly after reflection for the first time ever and headed to sleep shortly afterwards. It could have been sooner if the girls’ room had been able to keep it down....