Training Terminated...Almost

I know that I just wrote about my Sister being pregnant with twins and that she was due in June. Guess what? I’m an Uncle already! A couple weeks ago I was on a bus heading home, when I got a phone call from my Sister saying that she had delivered two boys that morning. Ryan, Owen and my Sister are all doing well, but the twins are going to be in the hospital for a while. If you would like to read more about the twins, you can check out the blog that my Brother-In-Law, Matt, is doing. The site is http://www.carepages.com/carepages/TheMcAvinTwins

It has been pretty hectic for the last couple of weeks with Training. We have had a bunch of Technical sessions to plan and implement, and from April 12th to the 20th we were on the Technical trip (my favorite part of Training). The first three days of the Tech Trip were in Puerto Quito which is about four hours west of Quito near the coast. It was hot as Hades down there and we all got bitten a ton by the bugs. We spent those days working at an organic farm near where we were staying. It was interesting and fun to get our hands dirty, but the heat was almost too much. We’d work from 8:00 to 5:00 and then jump in the pool, cool off, and then play soccer until it got too dark. After soccer, we’d have dinner and pass out in bed and spend all night sweating.

On the 15th we (by we, I mean myself and all the Trainees who are going to be living in the Oriente) left Puerto Quito. Here is our itinerary…

Wednesday, April 15th
- Breakfast in Puerto Quito
- Travel to Puyo via Quito (Lunch in Quito)
- Check-in “Gran Hotel Amazonico”
- Dinner in Puyo at O Sole Mio – meet with Volunteers from the Puyo area who can talk about their experiences.

Thursday, April 16th
Natural Resource Trainees
- Breakfast at Hotel
- Visit CERFA Orchid Park – take a tour of and speak with the owner, Omar Tello, about how he constructed and maintains his park and conducts tourism operations.
- Lunch in Puyo
- Visit Estación Biológico Pindo Mirador – discuss native tree species
- Dinner in Puyo

Sustainable Agriculture Trainees
- Breakfast at Hotel
- Visit CERFA Orchid Park – take a tour of and speak with the owner, Omar Tello, about how he constructed and maintains his park and conducts tourism operations.
- Lunch in Puyo
- Visit sugar cane processing facilities at El Vallecito
- Dinner in Puyo

Friday, April 17th
- Breakfast at hotel
- Go to Centro FRATES
- Visit La Libertad – do Abono charla with community members. Learn how to build a cobertizo and learn about sugar cane cultivation, organic agriculture production, and agro forestry in the Oriente.
- Lunch
- Go to San Pedro for a charla by PCV Jason Kamisky and community members on how to build and maintain fish ponds, as well as, how to raise fish.
- Visit the Reserva Hola Vida
- Dinner at the Centro FRATES

Saturday, April 18th
- Breakfast at the Centro FRATES
- Return to Puyo and check in to Gran Hotel Amazonico
- Visit Waorani store and Manuela Ima (President of AMWAE) about artesenia and maintaining a small business
- Lunch
- Visit Parque OMAERE – Take a tour with Chris Canady (Vice President) of the ethnobotanical park. Receive charla and work with Chris on composting toilets, trail maintenance, and soil erosion prevention.
- Dinner in Puyo

Sunday, April 19th
- Breakfast at hotel
- Travel to Tena
- Check in Hotel Los Yutzos II
- Travel to Archidona
- Work with the Association Ruku Kausay on cacao, fish ponds, small animal management, and eco-tourism
- Traditional lunch prepared by the Association Ruku Kausay ($3.50/person)

(These Pictures need a caption - We are eating Chonta Curos, or grubs...delicious!)
- Visit Jumandy Caves ($3.00/person with tip)
- Return to Tena

Monday, April 20th
- Travel to Quito/Cayambe

As you can see, the trip was packed with interesting and fun stuff. The Trainees said that they learned a lot and really enjoyed themselves. This trip was the biggest thing that I had to plan for training, so I’m glad that it went well. After we got back, the Trainees gave presentations on their trips. The kids who went with me gave a nice presentation and even wrote a poem to thank me. That meant a lot to me.

Now that the Tech Trip is done, the Co-Trainers are pretty much done too. We were supposed to help out with the final evaluations and reporting, but they decided that they just wanted to PC staff to do that. The Trainees Spear-In on Wednesday the 29th, so that will be our last day of “work”. I have to do my final medical stuff before I can COS (Close Of Service), so next week I’ll be spending most of my time at the Doctor, Dentist, or talking to the PC nurse. My COS date is on May 4th, so I’ll be in the office that day to have all my bosses sign me out, turn in my cell phone, and finish up any other paperwork that I have to do. One more week and the Peace Corps will be behind me.

I also recently found out when I’m going to fly home. I have a flight booked for May 28th at 9:15am. I should be arriving in St. Louis that night around 9:00pm. I can’t wait to see everybody and to meet my nephews. First though, I’m going to do some traveling. I plan on going south to some of the cities in Ecuador that I’ve never been to and also to go to the Isla de la Plata (otherwise know as The poor Man’s Galapagos).

It’s going to be a fun month, hence it’s new name…The Merry Merry Month of Jay