Katie is here!!!

Katie arrived today! Ive already inducted the poor girl into my mucky world, dragging her to work only hours after I picked her up, but look at how cute she looks in her mud clothes! Much more fashionable than me, but that is to be expected. And you have to admit, it really isnt a bad place to work with a view such as this! Two days ago, Eliska, Marcel, and I went on another search for my plant. We had a beautiful day, and eventually quite successfull... but it was also rather full of trials and tribulations. First, and not unexpectedly unfortunately, there was an issue with the car... Then, Eliska and Marcel were exhausted because the had to pick up Honza from some random place in the woods where he had walked down from his reseach site at the top of the mountain. Not suprisingly, they got very little sleep. So, short nap by the river, ah.... We kept driving and searching... just a few km more, just around this bend... we found this ferry which was kind of cool, but no totora. Then, the crowing achievement of the day... we lost Marcel. He went to a meadow to do his work while we went to out mucky spot (finally found one, 3 Km from the end of the river!). When we got back to pick him up, he was nowhere to be found! He speaks no spanish, and we are off in the middle on the Chilean counryside, 60 km from the nearest paved road. But, we had help, a quite handsome man (on a horse of course!) showed up and didnt laugh too hard at our bad spanish and silly predicament. He organized a search and we eventually were all reunited. What an adventure!
This was our attempt at connection, a tiny pick tape on the side of the road!

Wandering through the mountains of Pucon

Smoking mountain!
I had a free day today so I decided to go for a walk. Since this is a complete and total tourist town and everything costs money, I decided to take advantage of Eliska´s property and walked up the hill behind their house. There was a logging road to follow for a while (I mean an oxen trail with a big ditch in the middle where the logs ripped through). Going up was hard, I am way out of shape, but it was beautiful views to look at while you caught your breath. I made it up into the trees that I have been admiring from the lower levels all week. Going down was a bit tricky though, I knew where I was, and where I wanted to be, but lost a bit of the way for a while. Yippie! Try climbing down a cliff through a bamboo thicket someday, fun stuff.

These flowers were beautiful, but watch out! They sting worse than a nettle. Ow ow OUCH!












Here is the view from the top. Ha! It was worth going up, but I must admit, the best views were from the middle of the mountain. Pretty cool trees up here though.

Valdivia work

Eliska, Marcel, and I wet to Valdivia area to collect my plant. Again, a repeat of my trip 3 years, ago, but it was definitely a new experience. I dont really remember biting flies the size of bumblebees, or ravenous mosquitos capable of turing your entire body into one big swollen itch... but, for the flies at least, I had a champion. At one of the sites, we went through a families property. One of their dogs attached himself to me and literally followed me around biting the flies out of the air around me. This was adorable, but admitedly slightly intimidating because he was very large and the flies would be very close to me when he would go for them. It was also not very conducive to working or good for the equipment since he would land rather indiscriminitly. Yikes! My plant is everywhere here!!! This momma cat was very hungry, she ate our leftover breakfast. My beautiful plant

Pucon

When I first arrived to Pucon, all you could see was clouds. According to all local knowledge, there are never summer storms in this area during the summer. much to Honza´s chagrin (he just erected a tower on top of the mountain with lots of electronic equipment), I brought one with me. It was pretty darn cool. The next day, it was a tease Then the little hat of clouds that lite up at night to the accompanyment of the giant comet streaking across the sky. Yes, this volcano is definitely live. Smokes during the day and glows at night... wow
Finally, it shows its face, for a moment. Pretty, no? Here are some views from the house.
This is Honza, Eliska´s son, and the builder of the house where I stayed. And this is Eliska, enjoying a stolen plum (as did I, yum!) Pretty stuff
Doing laundry. Yep, Eliska carried wet (from the muddy work we did) laundry down to the neighbors, then carried wet (but clean!) laundry back up. What a hike!

A musical evening

Kongo's friend Pato came over this evening to play with Kongo's new electronic cello. Pato plays the bass in the Santiago Philharmonic orchestra. He brought his daughter Antonia and she was entranced by all Kongo's musical toys. Fun fun, more babies for Heather to play with!
Kongo is fascinating!

Pato y Antonia

Piano!

Lazy Saturday

Today, Kongo needed to buy a birthday present for his father, so we met him downtown. He is a wonderful man, but man does he love to talk! I have a headache from trying so hard to understand him. Then, he would translate a few words for me, but always only the words that I already knew. Regardless, he was fun and it was an amusing morning.

Kongo y su padre


I bought a comic book today. The problem was that they shrinkwrap all the books here, so you can't look at what you are buying. I was able to look through a big book that was a collection and it was hilarious, but had to buy my book unseen (a smaller collection that I can actually put in my bag). It is funny, but not as great as the big one, alas...
I would take a picture and post it here, but that would probably break all sorts of copyright laws, and since I ALWAYS get caught with that sort of thing... try this webpage: http://lavender.fortunecity.com/fulbourne/510/quino/general/football.gif funny stuff.
Kongo is taking a nap, I think I might follow his example. We have been staying up till 12 or 2 all week, working till 9 then talking even as our eyes close like freight elevator doors (the old kind). Petra and Nicolas get back tonight, it will be fun to see the kidlet again.

Chile - Lab work!

Working...

Sunset over campus
Kongo y Cesar

Cesar y Camila waiting for dinner

Chile- Work!

I finally got some work done! Yippie! I feel validated, or at least less guilty for having fun in South America. I went to the coast just west of Santiago with one of Kongo´s students, Cesar. He was an absolute blast! We also had a driver, Celso, made me feel quite offical and pampered (until I got in the water!). It was a very efficient day, we got two sites done and got back before dark. With a 2 hour drive each way! I am sunburned, smell like a rotton egg, and Kongo keeps talking about taking a cab home because he doesnt want to be seen on the metro with me, but I am happy. Cesar and I worked very well together and were immediatly teasing each other without mercy. He kept complaining about the tiny little stain I got on his shirt by hitting him with a totora stem, while I gave him crap about wearing a white (WHITE!) shirt to do field work in a wetland! tee hee
Here are some pictures of me working to convince those of you that I am just out on a pleasure jaunt. By the way, that is my plant in the background for those of you who are curious about it.

This is Cesar


Yes, I forgot my quadrat, do you like my resourcefulness for making this one?

Chile - Santiago

So, I am back in Santiago, hanging out with Petra and Kongo. Things are a bit different now, there is the adorable new addition of Nicolas! I must admit, I have spent 4 days here already, and I have hardly seen any of the city. Part of it is because I have been here before and cities have never done much for me, but it is mostly it is because I cant resist this adorable little kid.

Panama - the Colonial City

Colonial Panama City is a very interesting place. There are some incredibly beautiful old buildings in all the glory of tropical Spanish colonialism (I say glory in terms of architecture only). There are also some amazing ruins of old churches, and the old presidential building that the US bombed to smithereens (because we didnt like the guy we put into power, shocking!) is pretty darn fascinating with all of the trees reclaiming the walls. There are many building that have been abandoned, but their walls still stand, pretending to shelter people. Then there are the buildings (and I really cant perceive the difference in stability) that have all sorts of little cubbies filled with families of all sorts. The people wandering the streets here were incredibly beautiful. They have all the amazing features of the Caribbean mix of Africa, America, and Europe. The kids could break your heart just by smiling at you, and the adults hanging out in the doorways or in groups on the streets have faces that tell you their entire history (if you are perceptive enough to read them). Alas, I am way to shy, or way to afraid of offending someone, to take these pictures.

Panama - Bocas del Toro

One day in Chiriqui, Angel and I reached the top of the mountains dividing Panama and decided we might as well go see the other side. This is the Bocas del Toro province, on the western Caribbean edge of Panama. It was a beautiful drive. We stopped and had lunch in the town of Chiriqui Grande. Most of the houses looked like they were about to fall into the ocean, but they were quite picturesque!