The best part of being fieldbase staff is the number of projects we get to visit whilst not doing any of the hard labour!  At Romeo 5 in Yeluca we are staying in the house of the community leader, camped out in their main room on our mats and sleeping bags.

Following our mammoth drive the previous day we wake up to tortilla, pinto (rice & beans) for breakfast. Alfredo lets us milk a cow, to which milo is added. Cannot get any fresher. Day spent relaxing (and a few shovelfuls of work at the project site), washing (first time in days) and getting clothes cleaned. A couple of hours are spent teaching in the local school. Keith, a venturer from Hong Kong is a natural and soon has the kids laughing and learning English.

That night we have a fiesta down in the valley at the home of Manuel and his family. Nicaraguan rural homes are very basic, this one more than most, just a couple of rooms plus cooking area (earth oven/fire) mud floors, zinc roofs, farm animals running in and out. By nightfall the house is full of people – about 50 plus Raleigh project team. Little girls twisting in traditional dance, then games and food.