Day 18 - Corn Cutting & Elephant Walk

(L - Some o9f the local women are employed for the cutting also - and they do about twice what we do!!)

Corn cutting was on the agenda today. In previous weeks I have been out on similar ventures - once to cut elephant grass, another to harvest the top parts of the corn - above the cob. The first one we were issued with machetes, but the second one we used our hands to simply snap the upper part of the corn off. Then the farmer could harvest the cob, and now we could come along and use the machetes to cut off the remainder of


(L - We unload from the transport)

the plant - at just above ground height. Whatever the work we still had to collect the cuttings into bundles, which the local people who were with us tied into bundles. Apparently in early days volunteers used to tie the bundles, but they had a habit of coming undone in transit. The locals can tie better.

(L - Chay unloads and hands out the machetes)

(R - We head out into the fields)



(L- Chay demonstrates the correct use - so that we retrun to the Park with the same number of fingers and legs as we came with!!)

(R - Now armed we confront the task)








(R - One of the locals ties up the bundles)








(R - We take a break!!)






(L - The bundled corn has to be carried back to the truck - again the little local ladies generally carried two bundles each, whilst we could manage one)

(R - At the truck a local lady threw the bundles up on the truck!!)


(L - The corn cutting team for the day)


(R - We came out in the truck - but now it was full of cut cane - so Chay gave us an option - walk back or ride W-A-Y up top. Of course we elected for the latter and had a lovely breeze


(L - The View from the top of the truck)


(R - The triumphant corn cutting team back at the Park)