Volunteering with Katelios Group: First weeks

A couple of months ago I decided that I wanted to stay in a place for a longer time, at least a month, and do something useful. Researching on the internet I found the Katelios Group that works with Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta) in the island of Kefalonia, Greece.
So here I am, in this beautiful, hot, aromatic island, walking the beaches looking for, snorkeling for and talking about, turtles.

I arrived to a house with around 15 other volunteers. Mostly english, very mostly much younger (between 19 and 23). It took a couple of days to find my feet, or fins in this new environment, but with the help of the passionate Chanel and Ellie (the group leaders), I was talking away about turtles and soon to be measuring a carapace.

They are amazing animals. Have been around for millions of years now, and hopefully will stay here for even more.
A few facts that I typically share:
- Loggerhead females can come up to nest up to 5 times per season and they do so every couple of years.
- Each nest will have approx 100 to 120 ping-pong shaped eggs
- One out of 1000 will make it to adulthood
- Being reptiles, the turtle's gender will depend on the temeperature of the sand (chicks are hot, guys are cool)
- Once they hatch, only some of them will make it to the ocean, mostly guided by the light. Once they are in it they will be guided by waves and electromagnetism and live a mysterious life for 12 to 20 years until they reach 600 times theyr newborn size and return to mate/nest to the beacj they were hatched in.
      
                                      

The tasks mainly relate to walking up and down Mounda Beach, near the town of Ratzakli. During the night, between 10 pm and 5 am, enlightened by only moon and stars (oh so many shooting stars), searching for turtles that come up and nest. During the morning measuring nests that might have been found at night or searching for tracks that could have been missed. During the afternoon talking to the people on the beach, mostly tourists from England and Italy, about the turtles and what they can do to help.
There are also a few other tasks like hosting the "Environmental Center" or going to a beautiful far away beach, Karoni and kayaking to another one to look for tracks.

I had the luck to see one turtle coming up to nest around 4.30 am, when we were already in zombie stage. It was amazing to see her digging in the moonlight and then to touch and get to know here scaled dinosaur body, her carapace full of hidden hieroglyphs. I really liked the camouflage stage, when she goes through this frantic dance throwing sand everywhere to disguise the position of the eggs.

And so  the days go by, with the weirdest sleeping patterns I have ever experienced. Either being awake most of the night, or waking up at 6 am, or at 5 am when the partying folks arrive.
Lots of free time during the day. Mostly used sleeping (escaping the heat), snorkeling, lying on the beach, reading, hitchiking to a close town to get some ice cream.

We also rented a car a couple of days to see other parts of this beautiful island. Greece is an amazingly aromatic land. Everywhere you go you can smell rosemary, thyme, oregano, fennel, jasmine, roses. A nose paradise. And then it is also full of fruits and veggies. The most juicy tomatoes, figs, olives (that are still not ripe), cucumbers.
The island itself is full of amazing corners, beaches out of postcards, mountains with colourful monasteries and vineyards. Ancient caves of crystal clear water.
Here are a few pics.

It's been an interesting challenge to live in a community after such a long time of being alone. Getting to know so many new people at the same time, establishing relationships, finding out and creating roles. Society...

Now a new stage starts. Still with the Katelios group but in a different location. In a camping near the main town of Argostoli. Soon more about that.

For the moment spending a couple of hellish hot days in Athens, which feels somehow so familiar and similar to Santiago.
Just for a couple of days, again with beautiful Linda in a squat. We can't seem to get out of here, it is way too hot.
Luckily we can see the Acropolis from the roof.

Tortugas y el grupo Katelios en Kefalonia

Hace algunos meses postulé para trabajar como voluntaria con tortugas marinas (Caretta caretta) en Grecia.
Ahora heme aquí en la hermosa isla de Kefalonia rondando playas en busca de tortugas anidantes. Snorkeleando en el mediterráneo transparente mirando como el viento submarino peina los pastos.

Estos primeros diez días me quedé en una casa en el pequeño pueblo de Ratzakli con unos 15 voluntarios más. Casi todas hembras inglesas, algo de gringolandia, de Canadá, de Irlanda, España. Toda una nueva etapa de amplia socialización, redescubrir lo que es estar rodeada de nuevos entes luego de tantísimos meses.

Nuestras labores son principalmente caminar y caminar por Mounda Beach, las playas de Kaminia y Potomakia (no estoy segura si así se escribe, piano piano con el griego).
Nunca he conocido una playa tan bien como esta.
Turnos nocturnos de 10 de la noche a 6 de la mañana caminando bajo las estrellas y la muna menguante a la espera de que alguna de estas mujeres prehistóricas intuitivamente decida salirse de su medio acuático para cavar un agujero y depositar sus 100 huevos con forma de bola de pingpong.
Turnos mañaneros buscando huellas.
Turnos de media tarde conversando con los turistas, contándoles sobre las tartarugas.

Y son seres increíbles que llevan millones de años sobreviviendo. Recién ahora en peligro.
Nacen tan pequeñitas. Su sexo depende de la temperatura de la arena, las nenas son calientes, los chicos más fríos. Se abalanzan al mar guiadas por la luz que en él se refleja. Algunas llegan, otras no logran salir del huevo, o se desvían con las luces de hoteles, o se deshidratan en el camino.
Las que llegan al agua se guían por las olas y ondas electromagnéticas para internarse en la mar donde les esperan entre 12 y 20 años para llegar a ser 600 veces más voluminosas. Sólo una de cada 1000 lo logra.
Ya adultas vuelven a la playa donde nacieron, a aparearse y poner sus nidos.

He visto unas cuantas bajo el agua, volando con sus aletas de grácil bailarinas. Comiendo pequeños moluscos con su pico inverosímil.
Vi una sola mientras ponía su nido. La recordaré siempre frente a la luna en su baile frenético para camuflar ese secreto de redondeces brillantes.

La isla es bella. Olores y sabores salvajes por doquier. Higos, ciruelas, peras, tomates, romero, tomillo, jazmín. Es todo fresco aquí en Grecia. Vivo de pepino, tomate y feta.
Arrendé un auto par de días con algunas nuevas compañeritas. Recorrimos antiguos fuertes, coloridos monasterios, pequeños pueblos donde los viejos se sientan a tomar café helado y mirar el horizonte lleno de viñas. Playas tan celestes de piedras lisas y blancas.
Casi se olvida uno que está en el mismo territorio helénico aquejado por la crisis y la inseguridad. Las islas son terrenos del turista. El griego sólo aparece en pequeñas interacciones, con el clásico chofer enojón y gritón o el amable panadero que regala galletas a los voluntarios.

Ahora me tomé pequeña pausa para ir a Atenas y comenzar a procesar mi visa para India.
Por suerte Linda querida también estaba ahí así que me alojé con ella en la enorme casa ocupa de Atenas, 4 pisos donde solía habitar Maria Callas.
No conocí mucho de esta gran ciudad pues el calor nos tenía plasmadas en estado alfa frente al mejor amigo, más conocido como ventilador. Por suerte podíamos ver el acrópolis desde el techo.
Igual de lo poco que conocí, algunas plazas, el delicioso mercado de pescados y frutas y verduras, el restaurant subterráneo comunista donde te traen deliciosos platos y vinos sin que haya que pedir nada.
Tiene tanto de Santiago esa ciudad. Al menos del centro. El desorden, la arquitectura, la estación de bus. Me sentí como en casa, sólo que sin entender nada de lo que dice la gente.

Ahora vuelvo a nueva etapa en Kefalonia. A seguir con las tortugas, pero desde un camping que queda cerca de la ciudad principal.
A ver que nos traerá.

Yasas

Bologna and Patras

What a beautiful random city to land in Italy.
An explosion of colours that hides and appears between the multiple arches and galleries. Ochre reds, yellows, oranges. Green and blue blinds overlooking little alleyways. Old women in long dresses cleaning their carpets.

Just by chance it happened that my cousin Vale and her boyfriend Maxo were also spending some days in Bologna. So I had a couple of delicious dinners with them and heard about their long trip through multiple European destinations.

Bologna is supposed to be the best culinary destination in Italy. Amazing tagliattelle, prosciutto, mascarpone, gelatto! And, of course that bolognesa sauce which is here called Ragú.

Streets are filled with little cafés, beautiful libraries, myriads of churches, cathedrals, fountains, museums.

The amazing Bologna University. The oldest one in the world.

I visited the Anatomy faculty which houses the Wax Museum. A collection of wax sculptures dating from the 18th century depicting all kind of bodily malformations and details. Beautifully creepy.

The Arts faculty with its corridors full of classical sculptures. Who wouldn't want to be a student in that amazing environment.

Last, but not least. I landed in the middle of a great film festival. Both indoor and outdoor movies of amazing quality. It was especially a great experience to hear the passionate howling of the Italian footbal fans while they beat England, overimposed to a Jacques Demy movie.

And watching and hearing Agnes Vardá talking about her mixes of documentary and fiction. What an amazing woman. When I grow up I want to be just like her.

I got to Patras, in Greece, in this huge ferry from Ancona. 25 hours of sailing. Probably 17 hours of sleeping in different positions and places all over the boat. Thinking always about this big step over the sea to start crossing the gates towards the Eastern world.

                                     

Patras was a grand learning experience. Staying with beautiful Linda whom I hadn't seen for almost 5 years.

Linda is Swiss, but she's one of the very few real citizens of the universe that I know. Speaking to me in perfect Chilean, surfing 3 and 7 hour meetings in Greek, translating for people in English. Who knows what else.

And this collection of cultures and languages stem from a continuos search to understand and respect and make room for all souls.

This amazing woman received me in the squat were she lives with a few other anarchists. And it was an amazing chance to learn more about Anarchy and the socio-political history in Greece which is incredibly intense.

                                                  

Not enough space-time here to delve into the topic. But there is so much to anarchism. Its questioning of systems, hierarchies, violence. It's non-proposal, born from individuals that strive to strike their individuality out of the birth process, for every person to take ownership fo their own decisions, future, creations.

Also so much to the question of migrating humans. Greece is the entrance to Europe for oh so many wandering, escaping eastern and african people.  People that flee from their roots towards unknown destinies and are received with violence and cold stares.

The question of walls and frontiers, and people forgetting that we are all human beings.

And the question of economy.

But oh well. Not everything is questioning and heavy brows here.

There is the beautiful city which reminds me of chile in the eighties, but this one is full of lazy afternoons in the café sipping a delicious frappé and playing backgammon.

And the beaches, the first swim in the Ionic delicious sea.

Efharistó polí linda Linda!