Over the past few weeks, I have helped with a few minor but beneficial projects to make Basecamp feel more like home for our community. Living in the jungle for over a week at a time makes the little luxuries we have much more appreciated. It just goes to show that sometimes it’s the little things that matter the most. Our Valley crew banded together and made our camp in the jungle feel like home. Here’s a few of the projects that I have helped to make happen:
The Rancho Ladder
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This simple, yet elegant ladder was designed and constructed by Toma and I. Before, we climbed up an unstable wooden sawhorse to get to the second floor of our Rancho. This was one of our first builds so it put our Valley ingenuity to the test. Not too shabby for a first go around. So far, it has held up great with no complaints or problems.
Water Filter Stand
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Our lifeline, the Blue Stone water filter, seemed to always be in the way. It was knocked over a few times, and was even repaired once. No one wants to be stuck out in the Valley without filtered water. We decided to make a more permanent stand that was out of the way of high traffic, but still easily accessible. It has been a success.
Rancho Floors/Trenches
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One of the best improvements thus far, and the rain is no match for us anymore. The high walls of the floors and the trench work keeps the water from pouring into the Rancho. The floors were built in three easy steps: collecting flat rocks of all sizes and placing them where the floor will go, filling in the gaps with mud and leveling it by packing it down, then finally topping it off with a bunch of sand to provide a better surface for your feet. This was an awesome community project that almost everyone had a part of.
This is just a small portion of what is going on in the Kalu Yala Valley. We have so many more projects already completed and many more in progress. My project for next stint is a shaded/sheltered bench at Lookout Point on top of the hill. It will be a great place to relax for a minute and watch the sunset. Stay tuned for more to come. Ciao!