A New Bible Translation! (part 3)

The Bible dedication conference we attended in May was a very serious (though joyous!) affair, as were the daily responsibilities that our Etnos group had to fulfill.

Of course, it wasn't all serious.

The trip itself is a great example.  Any road trip that takes you away from your normal work and responsibility is an opportunity for fun.  For me, it's even better when you get to explore a new area and get off the beaten path.  I have never ventured south from Santa Cruz, so the entirety of the 7-hour drive was new country for me.

The first 170 miles are straight south on decent pavement and we covered it pretty quickly.  However, from there we turned off the 2-lane highway onto a dirt road that leads up into the mountains to the west, towards Monteagudo.  Then there is 50 miles of driving joy, including going up and over the Incahuasi "Pass," an eyebrow of a road carved out of the mountainside (video below).  It's such a mess when it's wet that the government is forking out to blow a 3/4-mile tunnel through the mountain.

Eastern mouth of the Incahuasi tunnel

View from the top of the Incahuasi hill

Another aspect of the trip that I enjoyed was the camping.  It's been a long time since I had a reason to spend 5 nights on the ground.  I had a great spot to set up camp near one of the missionaries' houses:

Pretty view :)

Of course, with a cold camp, that morning cup of coffee needs a re-think, right?  I thought ahead and made my own version of a tuna-can stove for the purpose.  I made a video about it at 5:30am the first day:

On Sunday, after several days of steady work, we decided to look for some more adventure, once all the Simba people had started for home and we had cleaned up.  One of the church leaders (also a translation helper) took us for a short hike back into the sticks to a little waterfall and pool.

It was "cold" (for around here), so no one felt like swimming, but it was a good time.  Between the mossy trees, the brush, the crick, and the drizzle, I felt like I was back in my childhood home in the Cascades!

As I mentioned, it was drizzly.  All three days of the conference were overcast and wet, actually, which meant that the drive out was even more fun than going in!

At the top of the Incahuasi hill, ready for the big descent

Panoramic view from the eastern mouth of the Incahuasi tunnel

Yuck!

We had to stop several times while oncoming traffic slipped and slid up the hill

The tanker truck at the left is stuck, getting pulled by the excavator

Thankfully, we had no trouble and even the 2-wheel drive van got through without pulling or pushing.

Here's what the drive down the hill looked like: