The Volunteers Arrive!!

The British School in San Jose is used again with the volunteers.  They arrive at various times on Monday February 13th - either at the airport or bus terminal - and are then taken for the night to the British School. Then they set off at 5am to arrive at Fieldbase by 7am

Dinner ready to go at the school

Peace before the storm!

We were up at 5am to get the last minute preparations completed and to greet the volunteers at 7am.  We formed a "welcome tunnel" but the volunteers did not seem impressed - hopefully they were just tired.  

Welcome speeches

Volunteers excited to hear more

Breakfast was catered in and afterwards the lessons began - "Intro to Raleigh", Fieldbase tour, introductions to their "hotel", basic first aid and Casevac training, "Risk Assessment", "Communications kit Training", "Wellbeing", etc.  They also collected the equipment they would need for "Jungle Trek".  

Their accommodation is a little basic despite it's name - "The Hotel"- its two marquees joined together over a concrete pad!  

Room for 48?

Not quite a Marriott!

Whilst the volunteers are at fieldbase all meals are catered in and served. When the volunteers are out in their various phases we still get lunch catered but take it in turns to cook an evening meal.

Day 2 again started very early with the volunteers up at 4am and off on a mini trek, after a quick breakfast.  This is to get them used to carry their rucksacks with reasonably heavy loads - approx 15-18kg - and to teach them navigating skills.  

Its strange having so many people about after a relatively quiet few weeks but this is the whole point of the expedition!   The volunteers are only at fieldbase for 3 days before going off on Phase One.

Julie has been assigned to Alpha 3 and they will be going to La Cangeja (https://www.sinac.go.cr/EN-US/ac/accvc/lcnp/Pages/default.aspx).  This is a 5 hour bus journey from fieldbase so another early start!!