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Right before leaving for Quito I asked Baltazar what problems Quinoa, as a product, had experienced in the past. How strange, I thought, that the main focus of my week here in the Chimborazo community of Balda Lupaxi had been on a crop that I had previously never seen or heard of. Baltazar, the local director of the community, replied that in the past the nutritional value of Quinoa was not fully appreciated, and therefore not reflected in its value on the market. The lack of demand in Ecuador , as well as high processing costs, meant that many farmers had little interest in growing the plant. Quinoa (Quinua in Spanish, Kinoa in Quechua) is a cereal that grows almost solely in the Andes of Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru . These days it is well known for its great nutritional value and especially high amounts of protein, although in the past the Incas were well aware of its strengths. Unfortunately so were the Spanish conquistors, who saw Quinoa as the source of the power of

¿Y si me hubiera casado? Por Melinda Savić Graduada en español en la Universidad de Michigan y con conocimientos de Inglés, francés y bosnio-yugoeslavo, escribió este relato en español sobre su primera semana entre indígenas de los Andes, con un guión de adaptación a radio y video en tres idiomas Martes, el 2 de octubre 2007, las 11:30 de la mañana, Terminal Terrestre, Quito, Ecuador, yo buscando un bus para Balda Lupaxi, un lugar desconocido en la Sierra ecuatoriana, un lugar desconocido para mí al menos. Chequeando los buses para Cuenca porque se supone que sigo la misma ruta. ¡Bingo! El que vende los boletos dice que sí conoce. ¡Chévere! Compro el pasaje y voy hacía donde el bus,… Parece que no soy la única que no conoce el lugar; el chofer no tiene ni idea a donde voy,…Regresa a la taquilla y se lo pregunta al hombre que vende los tickets. “¡Ah ya! Bien, bien” y me dice que suba al bus yo pues, toda contenta: “¡Por fin!” Pronto, dejamos Quito, o eso creo, pues e

Tsachilla Community- Santo Domingo de Los Colorados We are a group of three friends from London, England, travelling independently around South America. Our first weeks placement volunteering with Ecotrackers, involved staying with a Shaman and his family in the Tsachilla village near the town of Santa Domingo, four hours west of Quito. These are our thoughts on our stay… Work: Alfonso´s work as a Shaman was his main employment, supporting the family. From what we saw there was a lot of competition within the community for income from tourism and the services of Shamans. It appeared to us that this may have been the main form of income for the community, although we are not sure how much income came from farming and selling produce. One of the earliest observations we had was how relaxed the lifestyle was, this may in part be due to our experiences in the West where employment is more regimented, but daily work in the village seemed a little lacking once basic needs are met!

Two weeks in Tsachilla My stay in Chiguilpe has been a mixture of adventure, learning, working with the community, and exploring new dimensions. Oral Hygiene talk to school kids The talk was aimed at increasing Oral Hygiene awareness amongst kids studying at the local school. With the fantastic help from one of the dentists in Santo Domingo, Dr Luis Sanchez, who brought instruments from his practice, the talk was followed by a session of removing badly decayed milk teeth for those kids who needed it. The event was generously supported by who promptly donated boxes of toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoos and conditioners for the kids. Very warm thanks to all who contributed, and I hold high hopes that this little session will have some long term positive effects on the health awareness of the village kids. Medicinal plants There is a wealth of knowledge in the community regarding the curative merits of various plants. Whilst even the ubiquitous yucca and cocoa were interesting to my untra

Vamos a Rio Amazonas by Ben King and Grant Kitto The only bridge over the Morona River and the bus stop. Peruvian army base. The results of a night without a mosquito net. The storm The calm before the storm. Our camping spot for the night. Grant doing what he does best...scrubbing. A friendly tucan . One of the 5 motor changes along the way. Another perfect camping spot by the Morona River. The local bus. Grant juggling coconuts. Puerto America Pink river dolphins on the horizon. Welding the drive shaft back together, good as new! Changing the motor after the drive shaft snapped. The mighty Amazon! Fireworks in San Lorenzo The Disco tech in San Lorenzo. My new found friends. Kids chasing us down the street after the soccer. The children of San Lorenzo. Another brilliant save by the Peruvian goal keeper. Team Ecuador! The crowd singing the national anthem of Peru. Dinner Lunch Our offic