Pictures from KEEP Aishalton 2009. We worked with children 8-16 years old for 4 weeks.

These are photos of the children working with tie dye.

Since it is summer, the children have an 8 week break from school. We just finished a four week educational summer camp, KEEP (Kids Educational Enhancement Program). The students took classes in computers, Wapishana (local language), Portugese, Art, and Embroidery/Crochet. I helped teach the computer classes. They also learned to tie dye! These students are very talented! This is a picture of the Learning Resource Center where I work and where we held KEEP. More pictures to come!

We ordered bricks to make an oven, little did we know they would be delivered by oxen and cart! This is Chris helping to tie the oxen back to go home. This is Uncle Thomas, the best brickmaker in Aishalton.

Dadanawa Ranch

Thank goodness, halfway between Aishalton and Lethem sits Dadanawa Ranch. Right on the river that floods during the rainy season, the ranch offers local travelers a place to be when they get stuck.

The ranch was once the largest cattle ranch in the world. It still functions as a cattle ranch, in addition to eco-tourism and houses scientists and nature observers/protectors from all over. Good people at Dadanawa.

Here are our friends we met at Dadanawa.

Rainy season transportation

When we came back out to Aishalton from Lethem, it was the REAL rainy season. Wet, flooded, and a mess.

There is a particular stretch of the road that sits very low, so it has been built up nicely with tunnels put in the the rain water to flow through. However, about 2 hours before we came through, the road washed away. We were in a giant Bedford truck and unable to pass, stuck for the night.

A what ate my what?!?

No way, a what ate my what? I came home yesterday after work. I set my things down and start rummaging around. I hear Chris outside working in the backyard. After several minutes, I go outside to talk to Chris. Soon as I open the backdoor, my eyes find a cow. 2 cows.

Now, many people in Aishalton have advised us that cows will eat your clothing. (Of course, we dont' have electricity, so there are no clothes dryers. Only... solar power. So, we hang our clothes out on the line after handwashing them. I have a full load of laundry hanging to dry on the line.) I didn't believe people who said the cows eat clothing. I live in a Savannah, and it is the rainy season, there is plenty of grass growing everywhere, out of control. Surely a cow wouldn't eat... cotton clothing?

After my eyes found the cows, they looked down to see a black mass on the ground, being chewed on by the cow. NO WAY. "GET!" I started yelling and clapping my hands. The cows took off and I picked up Chris' t-shirt. Ripped to shreds by a hungry cow.

BONUS: Not only did the cows eat our clothes, they left us a number of big, wet, cow pies right off our porch. Thanks.

I am now reevaluating which Amerindian sayings I believe.

We were able to witness the Brazilian-turned-Guyanese tradition of fire walking. Each spring, every Amerindian village has a large bonfire. The night is filled with traditional storytelling, dancing, and singing. Nearing midnight, when the wood of the bonfire has burnt down, one man scrapes the coals out over the ground. The villagers

have about ten minutes to walk the coals. Apparently, the only rules are to walk, not run, and have very dry feet. No wet feet and no sweaty feet, or else the coals will stick to the feet and the firewalker will get burned.

When the time came, we all gathered around the coals and waited for the brave villagers to step forward. It took several minutes; we all watched the glow of the coals. Soon, the villagers, in groups of two or three, stepped forward and walked decisively across the coals. The crowd stood still, little sound escaping as we watched the firewalkers. Here are some pictures of their walks.

I should clarify; Chris and I did not walk. We are quite happy with this decision after seeing the blistered (and infected) feet the next aftern

oon.