Today was spent with Mike and Hillary on the ecology trail.

ERA
I did no work today on ERA apart from contacting Trevor to suggest we have another go a the full suite of test, specifically I would like to see video working.

My original suggestion was to trial again from the hotel courtyard and Trevor said this would be OK but he would like to have another go from the volcano. I tend to agree and so I am going to try and arrange for the tests to take place on Wednesday arranging with the group and Team leaders to leave me on the crater edge under cover while they all go off an take their readings.

After I have finished my blog for today and had dinner I will endeavour to check the equipment in readiness for Wednesday.

iPhone
I have as yet not had a chance to investigate the caching of maps on the phone and realistically this will probably not happen until my return to the UK.

The iPhone however has been used again today to photograph various locations where data was being recorded about trees near to the volcano. The photos have stored with them the GPS coordinates of the location where they were taken.

Again here on another section of the volcano I received a very strong GPS signal for the entire length of the data recording process.

This bodes well for the concept of a field tool with map data cached on the device removing the need for any network connectivity.

Personal
Today’s personal blog will be one more of photos than text as I am tired, still have an upset stomach, have been bitten quite severely and generally need to rest!

So without further ado, I give you my photo gallery for day 8.

I thought long and hard as to whether I should post this image os my bites and decided that this is a “personal” blog on my experience so it should be warts and all, or should it be bites and all?

The natives believed that the volcano contained a hag deity that left the bottom of the volcano to advise them. In return they honoured her by sacrificing children and maidens.
In 1529 friar Francisco de Bobadilla ordered that a cross be place at the crater edge believing it to be the mouth of hell. A cross still stands there today.
From the edge of the San Fernando crater the scale of the active Santiago crater can been seen.
A sample of a red flowering plant on the trail around San Fernando
We passed a wasp nest in the making, in fact we passed quite a few! These wasps are reported to be very aggressive and dangerous giving a nasty sting that is very painful. The image here shows them building a new nest and shows how their appearance is one of danger. Believe me they do make you feel nervous in their presence and I got as close as I could to get this picture. The size of each insect is from the tip of a forefinger to the second knuckle, a big wasp!
At another wasp nest, this time near the bat cave showing a different kind of wasp. These are the same size as the others but virtually all black and just as frightening also!
We then ventured deep into the bat cave and after some time I managed to capture one of the small bats in flight, bottom right. Look carefully and you should see another two in the distance.

The bat cave is in fact a lava flow tube thought to have been formed maybe 500 years ago. The lava flowed inside while the outer crust cooled and when the lava flow subsided the tunnel/tube was left. Bats seem to be the main inhabitants but we did see some insects too.
The day ended with a Skype video call to New Zealand projected onto the courtyard wall followed by a presentation on butterflies, moths etc by Hillary. After which dinner was served.