Intag, bears, machetes, battles, books, rain, rivers. (By micah)

Howdy folks...
Well... it seemed that destiny knew I was going to have my passport nicked, for we planned an extended stay in Ecuador, and then it was nicked which means we have to stay here longer anyhows... while I wait for a new one.

Jesus has been sold for a mighty $380, we have left montanita, and after a fruity 5 days in Cuenca with our pisshead dutch, dane and kiwi mates we have started "tracking Andean Bears" in the montane cloud forests of Intag. It has proved a relaxed affair, seeing as they dont really need our work, they just need our money. After getting over the feeling of being slightly duped, we realise we are here for the duration and are making the most of the place! The worlds of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jack Kerouac infiltrate our loopy exsistence... in between slashing trails through dense bamboo and cloud forest looking for possible places to put bear traps for when the GPS collars arrive... which are now 2 months overdue.
David, the pleasant englishman who leads the project couldn´t stop us joining him in the protests against the copper mining progress... and a most interesting day ensued; becoming one of hundreds of ecuadorian campesinos stacked into trucks and utes for a 3 hour ride to the protest thjrough hairy country roads, we experienced first hand rocks flying over our heads, flaming tryes rolling down hills, and...you better believe it, bullets whizzing overhead! Not especially convinced we wanted to involve ourselves in fighting ecuadorians we stayed out of range and observed ecuadorians fighting each other. Well... hired goons of Ascendant copper and bought police fighting country folk... and we felt very sad about it. After 5 days of protest the minister for the environment finally announced ascendant had not complied with all the rules of the EIA and the mining has been postponed.
We also had one heartstopping ride down a grade four river in nothing but inner tubes! After being dashed and dunked and churned whilst gripping on to our tubes for dear life for 300 meters without repose, me and kahl crawled out of the water gasping for air and gave up the ghost..., however our amaerican friend dwight was washed away downstream. we searched for two hours and feared the worst when he finally shoed up from just a few meteres downstream of us, where he had been waiting patiently for us to follow him!
Other than that we laze in our ham,mocks in the morning sun till the rain arrives, then play cards and watch movies in our rustic quarters. The locals are very friendly. The bear project is very loosely run, and Josh would have a fit over the randomness of the telemetry used to pinpoint their positions using triangulation.

This morning I awoke from dreams of Anniversary dinners and hanging out with close friends and family and felt for the first time in my travels, a little homesick.
So I wish you all a flaming merry crimbo and Nuevo Ano,
Eat some lemon merangue pie for me!
Micah