We arrived in Obrajes 5 days ago, and it has been a great experience so far. Our four room house is quite a contrast from the city, but we have all settled in just fine. We all take turns doing dishes, cooking, and cleaning, and it´s been great fun. In our free time we´ve been playing sports with the children, taking long walks in the valley, and enjoying the local hot springs.
We have spent much of the week surveying various river crossings and talking to the local government about bridge design. After discussions with the local authorities, it has become clear that a hardened roadway supported by culverts, rather than a full bridge, is much more constructable given our funds and time on the ground. In addition, the prefecture and the municipal governments both liked the idea. We will present final designs to them next week after Dwayne Lee, a professional engineer from the States, arrives in Bolivia this weekend. The local goverment has also indicated that they would help us out with labor and machinary.
Members of the group have also been invited to speak to students at a local engineering college. This is an excellent oppurtunity for this project´s sustainability. We are hoping local students will perhaps want to continue our work in the Iruma river valley to make new crossings for locals.
I will definetly keep everybody updated regarding the state of our project. Stay Tuned!
Russell
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