Ecuador Semester blog post #1 - Week One! September 11, 2013

Just one week ago, the fourteen students and three instructors that make up our semester came together for the first time. Many of us had never met and few knew the routines here at Kroka Expeditions, but now we have become a community. We’ve learned to speak openly, appreciate one another, and work together so that we can accomplish the many tasks we are presented with each day.

Before sunrise biking session!

Every morning, we rise before dawn and start the day with a bike ride. Willing ourselves out of our warm sleeping bags and into the cool morning air can be a struggle, but our bodies are adjusting to this new rhythm. Some days we swim in Gustin Pond, a few miles east of Kroka. Another morning, we biked to Orchard Hill, the local bakery up the road where we broke our fast with cookies as a special treat!

Robin and Isaiah
chopping wood

After our morning exercise ritual, we are greeted by the rising sun (most days) and Kroka staff who help us with chores from 6:30-8:00 AM. Assisting Kroka staff, we feed the chickens, split and stack wood, gather vegetables, make breakfast, clean the composting toilets, and work on various projects around the campus. These experiences give us a new perspective on the farm. The wood we burn is no longer merely firewood, but trees that have been felled, cut, split and carried to our fireplace. Our meals are no longer food from mysterious faraway places, but vegetables from the garden, cheese from the farm across the river, and other local delicacies.

Beautiful food and beautiful people!

Living here, there is no separation between us and our need for water, food, and shelter. We are becoming part of the natural cycles that allow us to fulfill our needs. This morning in our first Permaculture class, we began to explore how we can learn about the earth and sustainability. Every human being on this planet depends upon the earth’s bounty, but the modern lifestyle distances us from the earth so much that we can forget how closely our fate is tied to the fate of the earth. At Kroka, we are given the unique opportunity to live close to the land so that we can learn about it in a way that is not just teaching us information, but teaching us skills and developing a will to act. Practicality and tangible examples of what we learn in this way are by no means limited to our Permaculture class.

Our first class consisted of taking apart bike tires, oiling chains, adjusting gears, fixing breaks and practicing our agility and balance by biking over gravel and along thin boardwalks. Joe, a man who runs a business making custom bike frames, recently moved to Kroka and his expertise in the field has helped us become confident bike owners. We have become capable of doing basic bike maintenance ourselves. His boundless energy has also accompanied us on several bike rides, including a two-hour-long trail ride on crazy back roads on Thursday afternoon.  Crashing down the rocky trails, plowing through rivers and attempting (sometimes successfully) to jump logs fueled the adrenaline that kept our legs going up the hills and our spirits high. 

Naya - our musical leader!

         In addition to our three leaders, Marcea, Thomas and Hannah, we have had several guest teachers this week. Marina, from Brandeis University, came to test the pond water with us so we could figure out what type of fish could feasibly live in it. Gathering samples and measuring turbidity in the pond proved just as difficult as calculating the results of the titration water tests due to an unruly canoe that managed to flip several times. However, the water was refreshing and we learned a great deal from Marina. It was a great class, and we determined that catfish are probably going to be the only option for the pond due to the water’s softness and low oxygen levels.

         We also had the opportunity to learn about lyme disease from a naturopath from Vermont, knitting from Helen, knot work from Marga, sculpting from Lacey and Trina, forest ecology from Zack, and the magic of fire from Dan and Helen. Each of these classes brought us directly into contact with our studies and brought an interesting new voice into our community.  

      

Angus sewing his backpack

         However, these classes, along with the Spanish, English and health/fermentation classes taught by Marcea, Thomas, and Hannah, took no time at all compared with our big project of the week: backpack making. Lisl Hoffer, the past semester program director, came Monday through Friday this past week and helped us make backpacks for our expeditions. The design is relatively simple, but the amount of time it takes to put everything together is enormous, especially when the sewing machines tend to stop working rather frequently. We certainly all had our moments of frustration, but Lisl managed to help us fix the machines and finish the back-packs in five days!  We will reap the rewards of our intense work by using our back-packs this coming week in our biking expedition.

Asha practicing slack lining
with Tadeo supporting

         As we prepare for the coming expedition, it is exciting to see how our group has come together, for our potential is limitless and we have many adventures before us. We’ve only been on semester for seven days, and already, we’ve learned so much. A week ago, we were strangers, but today, we are a family. At mealtimes, laughter spills out of the kitchen and our babbling voices fill the air most everywhere we go.

Until next time, take care and be well. 

Sonya Gluck

2013 Ecuador Semester blog post #2 September 19, 2013

         Upon our return from the bike expedition last Friday, we went around the circle at dinner and expressed our appreciation for some part of the expedition. In the firelight glow, hearts open and bellies full, we spoke of growth and gratitude as we reflected on the past week.

Julia and Tadeo
planning the bike expedition

In this close circle, we were home. The adventures of the past week gave us a strong appreciation for the home we have at Kroka and within our group, for they challenged us in many ways. We learned more about each other and the trials and tribulations of life on expedition, giving us a sense of the skills we will need for our longer expeditions in Ecuador.

On the trail

Between the first leg of the trip and the last, our biking skills improved enormously. On Monday, just about everything went wrong. The 16-mile bike ride from Kroka to Basin Farm in Bellows Falls, VT took us nearly 7.5 hours - we didn’t get to Basin Farm until 8:30pm! Early on in the trip, we decided to split into groups to practice navigation skills. One group got lost, so half the group had to wait for a while. Then Quinn crashed and bent the rim of his front tire, so we had to wait again. A few rocky trails later, I took a fall when the trailer I was pulling got out of control, resulting in another half hour or so of waiting. Asha kindly took the trailer for me but we didn’t go far before she too was taken down by the trailer’s weight! As Asha and I were both pretty shaken up, Thomas called Toby who picked us up and drove us to Basin Farm while the rest of the group biked.

Chris greeting the goat

Despite all this trouble, our first ride was a good experience. We learned all our lessons early on, so the rest of our journey went more smoothly. Overall, we covered about 60 miles, which doesn’t sound like much, but considering the terrain, it was a lot, for our route definitely followed the road not taken! Some of the trails were completely overgrown, washed out, or rife with logs to cross. Laden with our gear, it was a challenge to navigate this technical terrain. Even the road biking was difficult, for the hills were monstrous. But the challenges brought us together and taught us so much. Our legs grew stronger and our determination shone through it all. Even when we had a huge hill to climb at the end of a long day, nobody gave up!

Biking was by no means the sole purpose of our trip. We biked to visit three farms where we worked in exchange for produce, meat, and a place to camp. The three farms were very different in their agriculture and labor practices.

Basin Farm, the first farm we visited, is part of the Twelve Tribes community in Vermont. The people there welcomed us into their home, cooking meals for us and helping us in every way they could. Living with this community gave us an insiders’ perspective on religious intentional 

Jackie among
the butternut squash

communities. In many ways, the idealism of brotherhood and sharing we saw in their community mirrors Kroka’s idealism, but the strong religious aspect of Basin Farm make the two communities fundamentally different. At Basin Farm, farming was an important part of the community, for it allowed the community to eat good food and have a close connection with the land, but it was not the main purpose of the community, nor the primary source of income.

Topping onions

In stark contrast, Harlow’s, the second farm we went to, is one of the biggest organic farms on the east coast, located in Bellows Falls, VT. The purpose of the farm is to produce and sell a lot of food. At Harlow’s, work was the main thing that held the community together. Many of the long-standing workers are from Jamaica and live on the farm all summer, but they don’t share a vision in the way that people at Basin Farm do. Conveyer belts, tractors and enormous vegetable beds marked our work experience there, in which we helped harvest vegetables, herd sheep, and participate in other jobs around the farm. It was an interesting experience to see the enormous amount of manual labor that goes into food production. Spending four hours harvesting kale makes you appreciate all the work that goes into the food at the grocery store.

Heading out from Harlow's

Our hosts at Harlow's were very generous as well. We received a freshly killed chicken, produce, venison, breakfast sausage, bacon and steak in return for our work; an excellent addition to the food we brought with us.

Quality control!

Frank the fantastic farmer

The third farm we visited, Hillside Springs, in Westmoreland, NH, showed us another entirely different perspective on farming. Hillside Springs is a family-run biodynamic farm. Frank Hunter, his wife Kim and their daughter Gwen run the farm as a family. Plowing and haying is done with draft horses rather than tractors. Despite the limited “staff,” Hillside has a CSA that helps feed 88 members. Our work at Hillside included fixing fences, weeding potatoes, picking apples for cider making, and harvesting tomatoes. Working in the relatively small garden beds at Hillside right after the huge gardens at Harlow’s made an interesting study in the balance between efficiency and sustainability that every farmer has to wrestle with. Frank and his family hosted us for two nights, where we weathered several thunderstorms in our camp.

Sonya crossing a stream
on the trail back to Kroka

Setting up camp every night, cooking, getting firewood, and making sure all the bikes are in good condition for the next day takes a lot of energy and organization. In order to make our life more manageable, every student is assigned a “Big Job” that they keep throughout the semester. These jobs play a large role in our daily lives, for they include many responsibilities. Below is a list of the jobs along with a brief description:

Tadeo is our navigator. He plans our expedition routes, records our travels and ensures that we don’t get lost.

Chris is our bike manager. He is in charge of helping us with any repairs we need on our bikes and making sure we keep them in good condition.

Isaiah is our gear manager. He keeps track of all the group gear we have and keeps it in good condition.

Angus is our pots and crafts manager. He keeps track of the pots we use for cooking and all the raw materials and tools we need for our handwork projects such as spoon and backpack making.

Quinn is our medic. He takes care of us when we get bashed up or sick, brews us nice teas, and reminds us to take care of ourselves. He also ensures that we have clean water to cook with and drink while on expedition.

Jackie is our hygiene manager. She ensures that we bathe, brush our teeth and wash our hands by reminding us and making sure that we always have soap and toothpaste.

Julia is our logistics manager. She works with Marcea and Thomas to plan our itinerary each week, wakes us up in the morning and makes sure that we are always on time.

Jack is our food manager. He plans the menu for every week, brings food from the farmhouse to our kitchen, keeps an inventory of all the food we have and keeps us well fed.

Taking it easy for a bit

Asha is our treasurer and semester book manager. She keeps track of all our expenses and organizes the creation of our semester book.

Yarrow is our farm and garden manager. She takes care of all affairs concerning the farm and garden, including harvesting, eggs collecting, and caring for the farm animals.   

Robin is our wood, stove and fire manager. He ensures that we always have wood to burn and tools for wood chores and that the stoves are in good condition.

Sosanna is our home and camp manager. She makes sure that our home is in good condition and designs the layout of our camp when we are on expedition.

Spencer is our kitchen manager and food processor. He keeps track of and cares for the tools we have in our kitchen and oversees food preservation projects.

I, Sonya, am the documenter. I write the blog each week and keep a weather log every day.

These jobs help us become more efficient, for everything that needs to happen in a community can be taken care of when the responsibilities are divided amongst all. The expedition plunged us into these responsibilities and gave us a clear understanding of what needs to happen to keep our community together. Tensions were high sometimes, but we learned from it. The mistakes we made on expedition were good preparation for Ecuador, and in the end, they brought us closer together.

         We look forward to seeing you all this weekend!!

         Sonya Gluck

2013 Ecuador Semester blog post #3

Jackie and Julia in the workshop
leveling railing posts 

Asha ensuring a clean corner

To say the past week and a half have been a whirlwind of activity would be an understatement. In our last week and half in New England, we have been taking full advantage of the glorious weather and all the resources we have here at Kroka Expeditions. Of course, much of our time has been spent preparing for our trip to Ecuador tomorrow morning, but somehow we managed to fit in many other activities.

Last Monday, we went contra dancing in Nelson! Though it was the first time many of us had been contra dancing, and we degraded a row to confused swinging several times, we had a blast. The locals welcomed us warmly and were kind enough to teach those of us new to contra the rules of the game so that by the end of the evening, even the newest dancers knew how to swing, do-si-do and hay.

Isaiah building the railing with Hugh's guidance

Sonya (blog author) ensuring the perfect fit
of the railing for its base

After our dancing excursion, we spent Tuesday working on our construction project of the week, building a loft for the carriage barn. With the help of Thomas and Hugh, a local carpenter and friend of Kroka, we managed to raise the beams, nail down the floor, and complete most of the railings. The project continued throughout the week and gave us a final goal to look ahead to. Though we weren’t able to meet our goal of finishing the loft and raising the railings, we learned about power tools, measurement and construction.

On Wednesday and Thursday, we turned our energy to the river. Misha took us canoeing on the Ashuelot the first day and the Deerfield the next so we could create a solid skill basis before we hit big

Spencer and Jackie juggling on the water

The happy crew and Misha

waters in Ecuador. The Ashuelot is flat water, so it wasn’t inherently challenging, but Misha made sure we were challenged. The large girth of the river gave us plenty of room to practice different paddling techniques and balance, so it was a perfect place to start our paddling curriculum.

Yarrow exploring the tunnel

Tadeo and Robin jumping in!

The next day, our skills were put to the test on the Deerfield River’s rapids. As on the first day, we spent some time practicing paddling technique, but this time, the focus was on ferrying and bracing, essential skills for white water. The first leg of the journey went by smoothly as the rapids were class two. Those itching for a thrill weren’t let down by the relatively flat water; during a brief respite from paddling, Misha led an exploration into a dark tunnel which was a railroad tunnel built with dynamite in 1877. 

When we got back to the boats, a few adventurous souls squirmed their way up the bridge and made the thirty-foot leap into the water below. Even the people who didn’t jump got a thrill on the last rapids, which were class three and much more challenging than the beginning of the trip.

Friday flew by with preparations for parent weekend. Between cleaning, preparing our presentation and bathing/laundry, it hardly felt like there was a day at all and before we knew it, it was Saturday morning and our parents had arrived. Seeing our families and friends was wonderful, though the collision of our two worlds was very interesting. We had the opportunity to leave Kroka Expeditions and spend a little time away from the group, going into town for lunch with our families or something of the sort. Having time to relax and catch up with our families gave us a new perspective on this semester and our commitment to each other.

When the time came to say goodbye, any of us could have chosen to go home with our families, but we all returned to each other and this life we have been living for the past few weeks. Making this choice has given us a greater sense of commitment and focus. We are going to be together for two and a half more months and in less than 24 hours; we will be in Ecuador together. A new country and a new set of faces, not to mention a new culture and diet, is a huge transition, but knowing how close we are as a group, I have no doubt that we will enter this new phase of our journey gracefully.

We leave tomorrow morning at 5:00 AM. This week of preparation has gone by within the blink of an eye. We went for a spectacular hike up Mount Monadnock on Monday, had Spanish and Permaculture classes and our skills test yesterday, but today it has been nothing but pack, pack, pack. Despite the stress of having to finish our academics, send off the last letters, clean and close down camp, and pack, our excitement is growing by the moment. The next stage of our journey has begun!

Until next time,

            Sonya Buglion Gluck

Ecuador Semester blog post #4

A pre-flight beach walk 

Tagged and ready to fly!

On Thursday Sept 26^th, our plane descended into Quito’s twinkling lights late in the evening. We were all excited during the van ride on bumpy, fast roads to our new home. After a delicious first meal at Palugo and a long night’s sleep, we rose the next day to a glorious morning and beautiful country. The mountains that surround Palugo stood magnificent against the sky, with one in particular, Cotopaxi - our future challenge, standing clear and gleaming with snow!

Palugo Farm base camp with Cotopaxi calling to us!

Palugo Farm

In the Chozon for a welcome circle

Naya working with Thomas to write up
the packing list

            Besides the geographical and biological beauty of Palugo, the people have made this place our home. Roberto, who comes from the village of San Clemente, Ecuador will be one of our leaders for the rest of our semester.  His quiet and patient demeanor has become an important part of our community. His wife, Lourdes, and their infant daughter, Tamia, have been a joyful presence in our group this last week and will be with us when we are on the farm. What’s more, our arrival reunited the Dammer brothers, and we have thoroughly enjoyed the presence of this incredible trio. Michael, Mathias and Thomas grew up on the farm and their knowledge of the land and the farm is extensive. The homes they have built represent creative architecture and fit snugly into the landscape. Nicole, Mathias’ wife, has also become an important part of our semester - she helps with food coordination, overall program organization, and teaching.

            

Heading to Pifo

In the first few days of our time in Ecuador, we went to Pifo and Quito. On Saturday, we took the public bus to Pifo, a neighboring town where we went to explore the public square, have lunch, and buy rain boots and canvas sneakers. After a lunch of exotic fruits and cheese tortillas, we were given one dollar apiece to purchase a dessert item from any of the food stalls surrounding the town square. It is amazing how much food you can get for one dollar! This also gave us the chance to put our Spanish speaking skills to a practical application. On Monday, we headed to Quito (an hours bus trip away) and Nicole gave us a tour of the historic section of the city and taught us about the history of Ecuador’s capital. We walked the streets, went to an interesting museum, ate another great lunch, toured one of the oldest churches, and visited Indepencia Square. Though Quito is enormous, and we only saw the historic section, the trip gave us a much clearer picture of the country we are living in.

On the streets of Pifo

Overlooking the historic section of Quito

Learning about the history of Quito with Nicki

In the historic section of Quito

Practical application of  Spanish language skills!

Last Thursday, we climbed Mt. Pasochoa.  Once an active volcano, it blew itself apart in its last eruption and is now simply three jagged peaks overlooking an enormous crater. The peaks were so sharp they almost looked too steep to climb.  The hike was a fantastic introduction to the mountains of the area, but it was significantly higher than many of the mountains any of us had ever previously climbed.  At 13,600 ft. many of us showed symptoms of altitude sickness (slight headaches, shortness of breath) that lasted as long as 30 hours for some of us.  Despite the difficulties of the climb, it was a great experience in the mountains of Ecuador. It also was an important step in our acclimatization to high altitudes.

Tadeo checking the map with Roberto and Tupac

Heading up towards Pasochoa

On top of Pasochoa in the clouds

Following the edge of  Pasochoa's crater

Losing elevation

Knife making 

Throughout the week we also spent time working on our fixed-blade knives.  While the blades are imported from Sweden, we crafted the handles out of wooden burls and our sheaths from scrap wood and leather.  Every knife is different as they all fit the hand of their maker. We spent many hours carefully rasping, carving and sanding the extremely hard wood to create the perfect shape. Some handles were also made from antler, thanks to Spencer who brought several antlers with him. Spencer also got us into jewelry making, so we stayed up chiseling away to make antler earrings and necklaces. All in all, the knife project was extremely satisfying and the knives will be one of the most important tools for semester.

Design consultation

As part of our English curriculum, we have all been asked to memorize a poem. Below is a poem that beautifully captures the energy of our constantly evolving community. Julia recited the following poem for us this week.

Hard Times Talk

By Halldis Moren Vesaas

It is not called: I-any longer

It is called: us

If you own happiness, then it is no longer only yours

All that your brother can receive of your happiness you must give

All that you can lift of your brother’s burden, you must take upon yourself

There are many around you who freeze; be a bonfire, radiate warmth!

Hands find hands

Shoulders steady shoulders

Breasts strike warm against breasts

It helps a little when few are frost bitten that you are warm

            

Shoulders steadying shoulders!

           

        Next Wednesday, we begin our first expedition in Ecuador. To begin the expedition, we travel to Roberto’s village of San Clemente by public bus – several hours north of Quito. We will spend three days in San Clemente and there, we will have home stays. We will then bike 400km up and over the Andes and into the Amazon River Basin, where we will continue our route by raft and kayak. In the Amazon, we’ll get to spend time in Shiwacocha Village. Altogether, the expedition will last three weeks and there will be many challenges, and we feel ready and excited! 

       Before I sign off, I want to thank Robin for helping me write this entry, as well as Toby, Hannah, Thomas and Marcea for their constant support. Also, Sosanna wishes her dad a happy birthday and Chris turned nineteen yesterday - an event celebrated with great food and a trip to the Tattoo Adventure Gear Factory where we made (or at least helped to make) fabulous quick-dry pants!

            Until next time,

            Sonya 

What follows are photos to give you a better idea about Palugo and life on the farm.

The Chozon - where we cook and have an indoor space

The outdoor kitchen

Making breakfast

Dinner prep

Adjacent to the Chozon

Down the road from the Chozon where the boys stay upstairs
and the cows get milked down below -
a perfect combination!

Adjacent to the Chozon is the girls cabin.
A quiet moment
to read a much anticipated letter.

Life is always better with music!
Sosanna, Hannah, and Tupac strumming a song.

At the milking station

Morning chores and getting feed for the cows

Quinn after a harvest in the garden

Thomas, Chris, and Angus with three of the horses

In the fields

At the Tatoo Adventure Gear clothing manufacturing building in Quito.

Laying out the pants pattern

Cutting the material

Sewing the pants

Together in Ecuador - YEAH!!!