Friendship

This is a short story about plans, promises, friends and other needs.

When I started to help Merazonia in August 2005, my plan was always to help building up the refuge and leave when there would be enough animals to fill the days with animal jobs and no more construction. In 2010 two other friends from IWY wanted to start their own refuge, so if by then I would still like to be involved in projects like this, I might join them and help them building up their refuge.

As the years pass, the management of Merazonia always tried to plan in new big construction projects for when I could/would be around. This was good for both of us, since Merazonia could use my skills and I got new challenges and a good place to stay around. True, if it wasn´t for Merazonia, I would have found other places and would have been travelling around more, but I like the combination of physical volunteer work and more mentally tour guiding.

When I got back from Mexico at the end of August I had made some plans and set myself some goals. One of the ideas this year was to start my own travel agency with some friends in Peru and if this would work out, I would have less, or maybe no more time to come to Merazonia. In August there was still a plan to try to sell one of our tours at the end of October and from there on we would have to see.

I also wanted to try to find a way to make Merazonia easier to manage and for Louisa to feel more comfortable again, meaning many (animal) things to do. If it is easier to do the daily management of Merazonia, the more time Frank and now also Louisa, would have to do other important things.

Last I was hoping that Merazonia, the former Amazoonico management and I could all work together in bringing Merazonia to a next level.

As the last months past by we had many great volunteers, who worked hard on new project and gave great campfire parties, but personally I found it difficult finding my place. Several reasons made me struggle in fore filling my own promises to our agency and Merazonia. Selling our own tour with our new agency in Peru did not (yet?) work out and I/we made some mistakes in communications at Merazonia, mistakes which almost cost me two good friendships. Most mistakes were made with the right intension, but who cares if had really all gone wrong? Luckily our friendships were strong enough to survive and looking back I think the results were worth the risks. Although I do have to admit that I’ve learned some lessons and hopefully in the future I will be better in preventing miscommunication.

As for the results that I helped in realizing: Merazonia has now  two big cages extra and some smaller cages, which made it possible to receive in the last three months a group of 8 kinkajous, 17 blue headed parakeets, a chestnut macaw, a blue and yellow … macaw, two parrots, three tamarins, a pigmé monkey and one woolly monkey. 

The human and animal food lists are documented and there are now schedules for all the daily animal jobs and camp sores, which makes daily management a lot easier.

Unfortunately I couldn´t work well with the former management of Amazoonico, because one of us didn´t really want to work together. Luckily they still pass over a lot of useful information and is one of them working hard on building the hydro electric system. We might not work well together, but simultaneously things get done and with all help we got in the last months. Merazonia has really grown to a next level. It even looks so well that another refuge really wants to send more animals over and the environmental department of Ambato wants to use Merazonia as an example towards some other animal refuges.

This all sounds very good no and I thought it would be a great feeling to accomplice my own goals and be part of a really special project with special people. But I have to admit that I’m now a bit selfish again and feel a bit sad L It feels like we have more or less reached my goal of 2005. Merazonia is now a small animal refuge, which Frank can run with the help of a vet (Louisa at the moment and who knows after) and which doesn’t really need me anymore. Although I will always support Merazonia and be there when Merazonia, Frank or Louisa needs me, realistically it is now time for me to find new challenges something new or somewhere where I feel more useful. There is only one ‘small problem’, in my heart I´m not ready (yet?) to leave Merazonia, which put me, in a difficult position.

Two days ago Louisa luckily helped me out a bit and made me realize that sometimes it might be better not to make too many plans in unsecure situations. Wait it out a bit and follow your heart she said.

For the moment I got at least a break, a change of scenery and some other things to occupy my mind. On the 17^th I fly to Cuba and on the 20^th of December I start my first tour of 3 weeks over Cuba with a group of 18 tourists. I have no place to sleep in Havana yet, because all hotels are full and for the group there is no reservation yet in Trinidad. Yep, a new tour new challenges and when I come back to Merazonia in January it will be with new ideas, a fresh perspective and time to find out what I really want.

Saludos and to all my friends, while contact isn’t always frequent, in difficult times I will be there for you and it still gives a good feeling knowing that someone will be there for me as well. Thanks and enjoy live ;-)

Martijn