Consulting

Since I still don't have my visa, I have been assisting Carlos in his job (n.b. - this is not work, I am not getting paid, thus am not working illegally). He and some friends from university have restarted their company, Biota, and Carlos already has three or four contracts.

He's a biologist and does Environmental Impact Assessments. The field work makes it one of the best jobs ever. We go on hikes. That's the job. I mean, on those hikes he counts trees and flowers while I take photos when he asks (and also when he doesn't). Or we go down by the river and collect water samples. On Monday we went to Mazan, a protected area that the municipality needs data for so they can decide what to do with it.

Unfortunately, all the hiking has shown me that I am still quite out of shape. I mean, we typically hike for three or four hours, with only about a 200m change in grade, but through mud and squishy soils. Though going uphill is tough, for me the hardest part is when we go off trail and have to hold on to the trees for support. It's fun, but I'm still afraid to touch things. But when I don't touch things, I fall. Even when I am careful about what I touch I still end up with splinters and cuts on my hands.

My package arrived safely yesterday. The Economist is doing fine.