Most of the following is copied and pasted from emails and is thus largely incomprehensible, if you have questions, contact me, and feel free to edit this so that it makes sense
This calendar incorrectly lists may as the start date, but these are the kind of activities that we will be doing
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=agroinnovation%40gmail.com&ctz=America/La_Paz
We are hoping you to fly directly into Cochabamba, from either La Paz or Santa Cruz. That way, we will be able to spend more time doing field work, as you expressed a desire to do.
We do not want people separating from the group half way through the trip. It introduces logistical problems, and really doesn't make a lot of sense from your perspective. If someone is coming down, they should really do the full three weeks, the flight costs are the biggest single expense.
Although we will be visiting some touristic sites, the objective of the visits will be development and culturally oriented in many of the cases. In the case of Incallajta, you will see a small community, with quite a jem of an archaelogical site.
one question to consider is how does a small community turn an archaeological or natural resource into a sustainable economic one? During your visit to Pocona, you will have a chance to get a feel for the challenges a community confronts.
Your visit to Potosi, the largest silver deposit in the world, is absolutely critical to understanding the history and cultural mentality of Bolivia. Anyone that comes to Bolivia should visit Potosi, it was the largest city in the world in the 1600s.
Since most of us are engineers the problem is fairly straightforward: How to lift and store water, especially for agricultural purposes. But, we have to do it in a way that is appropriate, e.g. affordable, uses local materials, and can be replicated. We will focus on this theme during your visit. Again, check out the Mollison podcasts, do a google search on contour swales, hydraulic ram pumps, and ferrocement.
