Went with my counterparts the other day to a finca (farm) whee the owner has 18 different kinds of bamboo and wants to open it up to tourists and locals who want to learn how to make furniture and other products with the bamboo. It's a small start, but it's a start and hopefully I'll get to work with him a bit during my service. Here's one of my main counterparts showing her appreciation for the natural abundance here in Zaruma...

I never really looked at how beautiful bamboo can be. This species was yellow and green striped, with all sorts of random patterns kind of like barcodes.

Had a great few days when visitors came a calling. Here are "Bee Boo" and "K-Go," two other volunteers here. K-Go came from north of Quito so i have to really thank her for making that loooong trip. Bee Boo (hahahHAHAHHAHA) is living outside of Cuenca and so the trip of only 6 hours is not so bad comparatively. They're a really fun couple and we had a great time doing a recorrido of Cerro de Arcos with two Belgian girls that the tourism office put in touch with me...

Here are the four of them on one of the famous arches. This picture sure doesn't get the wind and the cold across. And there are NO pictures on my CF card of the 3 hour rooftop ride through the muddy mountains in a driving, freezing rain. GOOD TIMES, seriously!