Update

I haven't written in a while, but lots has been going on. I am in Cochabamba for our monthly planning meeting. This is the one I'm supposed to present my strategic plan at. We got here late Tuesday night because the roads were washed out and the rivers were high. It is the rainy season still. Our trusty Toyota truck with 4x4 won an extra star Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning I got up ready to brave the hike to Villa Amistad, but there were no public transports and the taxis wouldn't take me. Apparently, there was a transportation strike and the main roads between Cochabamba, Quillacollo and Tikipaya were blocked with burning tires, rocks and serious transportation workers. So the meeting had been canceled, and thanks to my new apt. in the center, I was given two days to regroup, rest, and catch-up with some friends and my God daughter, who hit me up for some money to enroll in Architecture school entrance exams. I am a godfather beaming with pride.
Carnaval has come and gone. I worked alone in Aramasí during the festivities which was harder than I thought it would be, but a good process to go through. I came out the other side more confident and peaceful. I have been out with José several times and Patty a couple times visiting the neighboring communities, which are just as beautiful as Aramasí. I am the only gringo ever to have visited Ahuri, which is a lush community on a wet hillside crossed with high stone terraces.

The internet here is especially slow today. I'll be lucky to get the text posted. The pics are of me in Ahuri (above), and in Chupak'asa (below). Like the hat? The sun is super strong and I got tired of having a red peeling gringo nose. So now I wear a conspicuous gringo hat. I realized this past week that my camera had a huge thumb print on the lens which gave my pics from the previous weeks a fuzzy glow. I have since found and used my special no-scratch lens cloth.

I get to start working on my own soon. José has stuff to get done in town and is putting me in charge of the irrigation system installment and the garden maintenance. I'm pretty excited about that. But I still can't call it much of an agricultural adventure. One day my blog will live up to it's title. Things don't happen quick in the campo.
These are burning sheep bones. It is a burnt offering to the Pachamama (mother earth/mother nature). I'll tel more about the Ch'alla later.
Well, I'll post this for now and hope to do better next time.