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Monday, February 13, 2017

All part of getting ready to travel.

I went to the Dentist today, 32nd St. Dental. Cleaning.  They donated 40 tooth brushes for the Achuar community of Pukuan. Thank you Dr. Carroll.

I spent a good amount of time removing them from their cardboard and plastic wrapping. I placed them in a big zip lock. I am saving every once of luggage weight I can, and the Achuar really do not need waste packaging brought into their community.

What do you think about all of the excess packaging? I would say it is partly for display convenience but mostly to keep small items from "walking" out of the store.

Don't you just hate that? You buy an item, it is on a card with a plastic bubble protecting it, you buy it and it is put in a bag and you are given a paper receipt. How much of that goes in the trash?

Just saying...

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Kapawi travel 2017
My latest and last travel to Kapawi was prompted by a request by the Achuar to help them write a book "telling their story". My Achuar friend, Napoleon, and I have tried to collaborate to write a book using e-mail, Facebook and messenger. Not only is the amount of text limited, Napoleon is seldom in an area where there is internet access. He does not have a computer, and uses small Galaxie for typing.This is a very tedious process. This is not an affective way to make progress. I decided I must go to the rainforest and have face to face time. We have set aside a period of time in Wachirpas community to work together. Unfortunately this writing project is not funded. I have self-funded my previous travel to conduct research. Of course, my time writing, editing and publisheing is donated. This time I was astounded by the inflation in travel costs. This is an import project, this will be the Achuar's first book. I decided to start JoAnne's Achuar Project

Going back again...

2014 Post
It is July 19 and I have just finished all of my vaccinations. Some were still good. I did not have to repeat the hepatitis, Yellow fever, mmr, or rabies. But I did have to have typhus and tetanus again. Not too bad.Then there were all of the scripts and OTCs to get. Since there will no medical services in the communities, I am planning for every possibility from diarrhea to fungal infections and headaches to rashes.  For malaria protection, I take one Mefloquinine every week beginning a week out and 3 weeks after my stay in the jungle. Last time down I did get a giardia infection and was quite ill for 5 days.

You can imagine that my medical kit takes up considerable landscape in my suitcase. Since the trip requires flying on a small aircraft and then a boat, luggage is limited to 25 pounds in a soft sided duffle. The duffle can be stuffed into the cargo area. Imagine what you can take with that limitation. The suggestion is 2 sets of clothes, socks for each day, walking shoes, sandals, and a tooth brush. this is just for the lodge. They provide toilet paper and shampoo and wellington boots for hiking. I have to plan for a week in a remote community, too. I must take everything that I will need.
 Fe. 2017
My calendar is filled with "vaccine dates".

I am in the midst of planning and packing for a month-long visit to Achuar land in Ecuador. This will be my 4th time there. At my age, this will also be my last. Preparations include getting all of the immunizations recommended for Ecuador. And they have to be spaced over time. In January I received Yellow Fever and Japanese Encephalitis vaccines. Since they contain live virus, I had to wait a month before I could have the next two. Feb 2 was a red letter day: Meningitis and rabies shot # 1. Feb. 9 was rabies #2. Feb. 23 will be my last rabies shot. At least my Hepatitis A and B and T-dap are up to date and  I caught a break on the Typhoid vaccine, it is a capsule that I will take on Feb. 16, 18, and 20th. I start my malaria pills 3 days out.