Our February 24 meeting was by zoom and was well attended for zoom-only.
Thursday’s lunch is our Speech contest - also only zoom. March 10 will likely be zoom as well, though after that we will probably be able to return to in-person lunches at Seascape.
Trish announced that we have 2 RYLA applicants and that the interviews are starting- but given that we have 2 slots and 2 candidates…
Dr. Art is attending a Rotary district task force next week regarding getting back to in person meetings- he will report on the discussions/recommendations. Meanwhile-the County has eased mask mandates and the infection rates are dropping significantly, though covid-deaths have not dropped as much.
Laura announced that Win and Eileen hosted another pickle ball gathering: 18 people at Win and Eileen’s house- much fun was had and we are looking towards doing a pickle ball fund raiser.
Dr. Art gave the thought for the day : Familiarity breeds contempt and children
Ken - told a PG joke about paternal confusion.
Trish did the Detecting for Candy. The timely topic was Presidents’ Day and presidents. Among other things we learned:
Washington has 2 birthdays because of the switch from Julian to Gregorian calendars
The oldest living President is Jimmy Carter, who is also the longest-lived President- Becky knew both of those- gold star and $10 fine;
The state of Alabama celebrates Washington and Jefferson Day, not Lincoln (Jefferson Davis?)
Delaware doesn’t recognize either day; though it was the first state.
We have received the Press release from County Park Friends
Photo identifications from left to right: Dr. Arthur Dover, Michele Bassi, President Ken Gorman of Capitola-Aptos Rotary; Board Chair Terry Corwin and Executive Director Mariah Roberts of County Park Friends.
Our speaker was Win - who gave a great show on the trip he and Eileen took to Peru and Ecuador last month as part of a group.
His photos of Lima showed varied neighborhoods and conditions of infrastructure;
The Spanish converted buildings for Christianity
The food was incredible and creatively presented
Lima gets 2” a year, water from Andes
Cusco gets 6”- water from Andes
They went from Cusco to the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu and had great photos of all of the sites
Win tried coca leaf- not impressed though he did run from the sampling site to Machu Picchu and back
They also tried Corn beer, strawberry/corn beer, the latter being much tastier; they had a special meal where the featured dish was a whole guinea pig. The host family’s 4 year old ate the head and brains ( zombie boy?)
Though most of the residences were drab outside they were colorful inside, and the host family’s 13 year old had modern clothes and a flat screen tv.
They took the 90 minute, bathroom-less train to Machu Picchu because the only other option was 4 days on Inca trail
They showed photos taken when the site was “discovered” in 1911, all overgrown with 300 years of vegetation, a comparison photo in 1977 when the wood was cleared, and a recent photo showing the vegetation cleared.
Machu Picchu gets 77” of rain a year
It now gets 5,000 visitors a day and the Machu Picchu Pueblo village has grown up there
They stayed at a 5 star hotel- Inkaterra- in the rain forest-very clean
3 rivers through the town
Peru grows a lot of crops- much corn
After Inca country they went to the Galapagos on a 4 day boat tour- large boat that looked very well appointed. Santa Cruz Island had giant tortoises- one side is dry, only 2” rain a year with volcanic rock, sand and, cactus- the other side is dry.
They showed the turtle egg laying area, 1 out of 1,000 turtles actually make it from the nest to the water.
Prostitution is legal in Ecuador- and the group tour got a presentation. No indication if any of the prostitutes were Rotarians. (Are they in Nevada)
There was a Sundial on the equator.
On Saturday 2/26 President Ken hosted about 15 Rotarians and guests on a 2 mile tour of Nisene Marks park starting on the Aptos Creek trail. The weather was great. There were 2 minor falls but no injuries. The re-hydration gathering on Ken’s front lawn afterwards garnered $450 in donations.
There will be another tour this Sunday, starting at 10 am, again from Ken’s house at 365 Danube Drive. This hike will be about 4 miles and is more challenging- some steeper areas and more tripping hazards. It will go through the forest floor and highlights will be the Old Growth grove and the Twisted Grove. 6 people have signed up- anyone else interested please tell Ken asap.
See everyone Thursday for the Speech Contest!