Living on a “self-sufficient, organic” ranch is incredibly interesting. All electricity is generated by two huge hydroelectric turbines that use water from streams and springs around the property to keep the refrigerators on and the lights semi-luminous (yellow compact fluorescent bulbs don’t produce much light, especially at night). Our hot water comes from large compost piles full of weeds pulled from the gardens, cow and pig manure, and other organic waste. These piles are created around a series of blue coiled pipes through which water flows. When the water passes through the coils within the compost pile, the compost heats the pipes, which in turn heats the water and provides the temperatures necessary to comfortably shower and wash one’s hands. The liquid waste from the pigs is collected into large vats that pass through a bio-digestor that converts the pig waste into methane gas. This gas is used in the kitchen much in the same way that propane gas is used and voilá!: stove top heating. There’s also a wildlife rescue and reintroduction center where a variety of animals including a white-tailed deer, green parrot, ocelot, spider monkey, white-capped capuchin and others reside. The spider monkey, Sebastian, was once a house pet and was fed table food and developed an addiction to Fanta. Since being at the ranch he has gone through detox and now after a few months of rehab, has kicked that nasty habit.
My work consists of creating Facebook pages and ads, blogs, brochures, etc. as well as the verbage and marketing plans for the numerous innovative projects that my boss and owner and founder of the ranch has created and needs promoted. The first of many projects that we are focusing on is an edible forest reforestation program. This program hopes to plant 40-50 thousand fruit trees on ranch property and 40-50 thousand more fruit trees throughout the nearby town. Not only will this help in reforesting an area that 35-40 years ago was completely clear cut but it will also provide sustenance for the villagers once the fruit matures, along with teaching them about the benefits of conservation and sustainability—something that forms the very existence of the ranch. The schoolchildren will perform the task of planting, protecting, and caring for the trees as they grow. Part of the money raised from each tree purchased will be given to the schools that assist with this initiative and provide necessary funds for improved education. Another project is to begin offering a 2-week intensive Spanish class on the ranch, accompanied by a 4-6 week or 10-12 week course load for college credit teaching students about organic agriculture and rural tourism, among other topics.
The promotion for these projects is not as easy as it may seem, especially coupled with the fact that the term “high speed” certainly does not apply to the internet connection out here in the middle of nowhere (therefore, unfortunately my pictures will be few and far between—or when the internet happens to be cooperating. I’ll do my best! Never fear though, they will all be up upon my return to modern life). I suppose we are lucky enough to have internet at all, but when it takes about 20 minutes to try to upload a picture to a blog and have a 50/50 chance of it working the first time…an 8-hour work day takes a looooong time. However, I could be in the garden shoveling the livestock manure (a job that every other volunteer is quickly introduced to upon arrival), working from 6am until 4pm as many of the other volunteers do. While I wouldn’t mind this for a couple days or so, I know it’s not easy work and especially when it downpours, I am happy to be in a covered area, albeit still outside.
There are an incredible amount of butterflies and hummingbirds that flit and fly all over the ranch and are so beautiful to watch amongst the many flowers that grow around the ranch as well. I saw a toucan last week while working on the computer. I just so happened to be staring at the rainforest at the right moment for a toucan with its unmistakably large beak to fly by. Very cool.
This past weekend I went off exploring down the road alone and took tons of pictures and watched a number of birds and other animals frolic in the forest and along the river and lake. I didn’t get a very good view of the volcano, but it was a gorgeous walk all the same. I met a few people along the way, many of whom were confused as to why I would want to be walking for no reason down a road, by myself. Ticos are so friendly, and all waved and said hello as I passed. It was such a peaceful walk, interrupted only by the occasional truck or car passing along the bumpiest road ever. We rode into La Fortuna earlier Saturday morning to get some fruit and just make a trip into a town. The fruit in the grocery wasn’t too ripe yet so I only got bananas and a guanabana shake at this tiny little restaurant, along with a scoop of pineapple-orange ice cream. My day was complete!
Sunday we woke up for breakfast at 6:30am as usual, ate, and then promptly returned to the room to take a 3-hour nap. It was glorious. Luckily, a new volunteer from New York, Irina, arrived Sunday afternoon and we decided to introduce her to Pizza John. What was only going to be a quick ice cream run turned into an entire evening of discussion, eating, and entertainment. Two others from the ranch happened to make it down to Pizza John’s too, so we decided to stay for dinner and pass on the rice and beans down at the ranch. Pizza, beer, and ice cream, along with a Coke this time too made the evening a huge success. We were even treated to a spectacular lava flow show from the volcano on our walk back in the dark. It was awesome to hear the rumbling of the volcano and watch the red-hot lava flow down the side of the volcano and then disappear into the darkness. I could have stayed there for hours! Pizza John’s is such a welcome respite from the isolation of the ranch, just being able to sit there enjoying the night, listening to a variety of great musical arrangements, and story swapping could have easily lasted far into the wee hours of the morning. However, we ended the night at the late hour of 10pm and headed back to prepare for yet another week here at the ranch.
Monday was actually a great day as it opened sunny and comfortable. Andrea and I decided to shake it up a bit and pick a new office location, this time finding a small lounge near the dining area with a large veranda that looks out into the forest. The sun pours in more readily up here, and it’s much more tranquil and less dungeon-like. The constant chatter of the birds reminds me that I truly am living in a paradisiacal place. After work, which actually went by pretty fast, a game of mud soccer in the field was organized by the other workers and even though I’m no good, I played anyway and had a blast. I didn’t score any goals, but I did make a few decent passes! We were all covered in mud by the end of it, which was awesome. The last goal took forever to score, and we nearly missed dinner. After washing up the lot of us trooped in and devoured the tourists’ leftovers from lunch, aka the workers’ dinner. Good times. To top off the evening and get a little cleaner we hopped into the warm pool on the edge of the property and relaxed there for a while. Good ending to a good day.
That’s all for now!
Katie
BONUS feature: Check out some pics on facebook, since it takes hours to load them on here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2080527&id=21103632&l=98c5855e36
No comments:
Post a Comment