Fun at INESAD Serious fun at work
INESAD received a small grant from IDRC to carry out a Knowledge Sharing course together with CEDA (Centro Ecuatoriano de Derecho Ambiental) in Quito, Ecuador in October 2013. The course was the last of 5 Climate Change Impact Evaluation courses held in Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay and Ecuador during the year 2013. Here is a group photo from the last day of the course, with the 3 trainers, Luis Carlos Jemio, Oscar Molina and Lykke Andersen, as well as participants from CEDA, Grupo Faro, the Ministry of Environment, UN-REDD and various universities:
After the course, the trainers from INESAD helped the researchers from CEDA design and plan a relevant climate change impact evaluation study for Ecuador. And then course certificates were handed out. Here is Fransisco Pardavila, from CEDA receiving his certificate from Luis Carlos Jemio:
Here is the group from INESAD together with the hosts from CEDA enjoying a lunch at La Choza:
Oscar had to go back to Bolivia early (before the traditional field trip), so we had a nice farewell dinner at “Lo Nuestro.” The lobster dish looked a bit bland, but it tasted like heaven!
Before leaving, we had time for a field trip to Mindo, a touristy town a couple of hours from Quito. On the way there we visited a very nice Orchid Reserve.
And finally we got to the main attraction: A zip-line canopy tour in Mindo! Trying this has been a dream of Lykke for years, but Oscar escaped far away, and Luis Carlos only agreed because he thought we were about to go on a Canoe Trip. When he saw the zip-line system, he tried to back out. But he overcame his problems of vertigo, and completed all 10 segments, becoming less and less tense as he gained confidence in the double-wire zip-line system.
Lykke enjoyed the experience right from the beginning. The circuit was extremely well designed with 10 segments through mountain forests, with small hikes uphill between each segment, allowing you to end up at the same place as you started.
Each participant was allowed to do one segment with special tricks together with one of the guides. Here is Lykke doing the Superman trick:
Luis Carlos gave his opportunity to Lykke, so she got to experience the the Butterfly trick too. Flying upside down through the forest canopy is only for true adrenaline junkies.
We returned to Quito just in time to see the soccer match between Ecuador and Uruguay. Ecuador won and with that their participation in the World Cup is almost secured, so Quito was partying all night.
