Dr. Wright and the students are headed home. Earlier today with boat captains Fermin and Lloyd (aka "chop ham"), we boated over from Tobacco caye to Dangriga town to shop for final gifts and hot sauces. Everyone then boarded a Maya Island puddle jumper - a 20-minute flight to Belize International airport. They'll connect in Houston tonight and then on to El Paso.
WATCH THIS 3-minute video of the trip!
(If the video is cut off, you can also see it from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfCNQU8tFNU)
TO THE CLASS FROM BELIZE FIELD SCHOOL STAFF: Kimo, Emil, Lenney, Kristi, Charles, Daniel, Sylvino, Lucy and the kids (Kimito and Kaiza) miss you guys already!! It was such a pleasure having you all here! Remember you are always welcome back to Belize - we hope you visit again soon!!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Tobacco Caye
KRISTI: Hey folks! Tobacco caye is beautiful! We had a wonderful time snorkeling yesterday at Whale Shoal and the forereef after visiting Carrie Bow caye and the Smithsonian research center. Despite a little sea sickness from a few students and a little sunburn, we're all doing great and having a nice relaxing time on the caye. Half of us went on a local night snorkel - everything is so amazing here! (I'm using an island internet connection so I won't even attempt to upload photos until Friday when we return to the mainland - but we have a lot of good ones to share with you.)
Today we have a mangrove snorkel, a visit to a frigate bird colony and another reef snorkel planned. Beautiful weather, breezy and calm crystal clear waters - we couldn't have asked for better conditions. Later tonight, we'll try our hand at Garifuna drumming and dancing! Tomorrow, the class heads home.
Here are some student posts:
ESTRELLA - Tabacco caye is PARADISE. The water is clear and warm. The people here are friendly and have taught us a lot about the marine ecology here. We got to visit the Smithsonian for marine biology. We went snorkeling and saw a lot of biodiversity, ranging from Corals to Fish. We snorkeled above a grass sea patched reef, the outer reef and actually got to see the ocean drop off. My favorite part was swimming from the front reef, through a channel to the back reef. The fish are amazing, colorful and peaceful. We got a chance to snorkel at a red mangrove location. I was hoping to see a manatee or and crocodile, but I didn’t. I saw a seahorse and got to take a close look. At the drop off I also saw a Loggerhead Sea Turtle. It was amazing! It was really big. I conquered my fear of water these last two days here at Tobacco Caye. We got to pass by Bird Island which was full of Frigid birds, boobies, and sea gulls. I have enjoyed these two weeks in Belize. I got to experience four habitat types. I am still speechless about the sunset here at the Caye. The water is calm and the sky turns a pinkish, orange color.
VICKI - Hey everybody! We are nearing the end of our journey, and we couldn’t have come to a better place to relax and recuperate from the hard research. Tabacco Caye is absolutely beautiful. The entire island is only 5 acres, and it takes a total of ten minutes to walk around the whole island. Despite it’s size, however, the island is rich with culture and beauty, just like every other place we have visited in Belize. So far we have snorkeled along patch reefs, the front reef, back reef, and in the mangroves. Each new snorkeling trip shows us a new perspective to the overwhelming list of marine species. Unfortunately a few of us have sustained some pretty nasty sunburns, and we had a slight case of sea sickness, put for the most part everyone is doing well.
My favorite part of this island is the thunderstorms every night. It is absolutely breathtaking to sit out on the dock at night and watch the lightning light up the ocean. I am still amazed that this much beauty can be found on a five acre island. So overall, despite the heat, bugs, and non-stop sweating, this entire trip has been incredible.
JONI - Our journey is nearly complete, soon we will board those awful planes headed north back home. It feels surreal; I still think I’m tucked into some part of Arizona or New Mexico. However, I’m really enjoying this trip. It’s been amazing to see so many different types of locations in such a small area and small time frame. Let’s see, the bug bite count is down to 33 and the sizes have shrunk drastically, each bite was about the size of a quarter, some larger and now they are smaller than any American coin. Hurray! I’ve done quite a bit of snorkeling. Not my favorite activity but its cool being able to breathe under water. Unfortunately, I can no longer report that I don’t have a sun burn. :[ BUT! I do have one of the less severe burns among the group! Mom, you will be pleased to know that by the time we leave I will have used an entire giant bottle of sunscreen. I can honestly say I have lathered up more than the entire group combined these past few days and it is pretty darn obvious. I am a faint brownish-pink hue, which means I may have the onset of a tan. Yes, yes you read correctly, Joni may be getting a tan, arms AND legs. It has been odd wearing shorts, but I’m getting by. Also my knee has shown some improvement after feeling pretty darn awful for awhile. So all in all the trip has been good.
My highlight is… seeing a tailless spotted eagle ray, followed by another spotted eagle ray!!! The tail difference, pretty obvious when side by side! This really has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thank you everyone for your prayers and support.
Today we have a mangrove snorkel, a visit to a frigate bird colony and another reef snorkel planned. Beautiful weather, breezy and calm crystal clear waters - we couldn't have asked for better conditions. Later tonight, we'll try our hand at Garifuna drumming and dancing! Tomorrow, the class heads home.
Here are some student posts:
ESTRELLA - Tabacco caye is PARADISE. The water is clear and warm. The people here are friendly and have taught us a lot about the marine ecology here. We got to visit the Smithsonian for marine biology. We went snorkeling and saw a lot of biodiversity, ranging from Corals to Fish. We snorkeled above a grass sea patched reef, the outer reef and actually got to see the ocean drop off. My favorite part was swimming from the front reef, through a channel to the back reef. The fish are amazing, colorful and peaceful. We got a chance to snorkel at a red mangrove location. I was hoping to see a manatee or and crocodile, but I didn’t. I saw a seahorse and got to take a close look. At the drop off I also saw a Loggerhead Sea Turtle. It was amazing! It was really big. I conquered my fear of water these last two days here at Tobacco Caye. We got to pass by Bird Island which was full of Frigid birds, boobies, and sea gulls. I have enjoyed these two weeks in Belize. I got to experience four habitat types. I am still speechless about the sunset here at the Caye. The water is calm and the sky turns a pinkish, orange color.
VICKI - Hey everybody! We are nearing the end of our journey, and we couldn’t have come to a better place to relax and recuperate from the hard research. Tabacco Caye is absolutely beautiful. The entire island is only 5 acres, and it takes a total of ten minutes to walk around the whole island. Despite it’s size, however, the island is rich with culture and beauty, just like every other place we have visited in Belize. So far we have snorkeled along patch reefs, the front reef, back reef, and in the mangroves. Each new snorkeling trip shows us a new perspective to the overwhelming list of marine species. Unfortunately a few of us have sustained some pretty nasty sunburns, and we had a slight case of sea sickness, put for the most part everyone is doing well.
My favorite part of this island is the thunderstorms every night. It is absolutely breathtaking to sit out on the dock at night and watch the lightning light up the ocean. I am still amazed that this much beauty can be found on a five acre island. So overall, despite the heat, bugs, and non-stop sweating, this entire trip has been incredible.
JONI - Our journey is nearly complete, soon we will board those awful planes headed north back home. It feels surreal; I still think I’m tucked into some part of Arizona or New Mexico. However, I’m really enjoying this trip. It’s been amazing to see so many different types of locations in such a small area and small time frame. Let’s see, the bug bite count is down to 33 and the sizes have shrunk drastically, each bite was about the size of a quarter, some larger and now they are smaller than any American coin. Hurray! I’ve done quite a bit of snorkeling. Not my favorite activity but its cool being able to breathe under water. Unfortunately, I can no longer report that I don’t have a sun burn. :[ BUT! I do have one of the less severe burns among the group! Mom, you will be pleased to know that by the time we leave I will have used an entire giant bottle of sunscreen. I can honestly say I have lathered up more than the entire group combined these past few days and it is pretty darn obvious. I am a faint brownish-pink hue, which means I may have the onset of a tan. Yes, yes you read correctly, Joni may be getting a tan, arms AND legs. It has been odd wearing shorts, but I’m getting by. Also my knee has shown some improvement after feeling pretty darn awful for awhile. So all in all the trip has been good.
My highlight is… seeing a tailless spotted eagle ray, followed by another spotted eagle ray!!! The tail difference, pretty obvious when side by side! This really has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thank you everyone for your prayers and support.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Welcome to the RAINforest!
Hey everyone - Joni and Kristi here from Dangriga. We stopped in town to get snacks and update the blog. Everyone is doing great out in the jungle - even after the torrential rainstorm last night. But the skies are clearing (just in time for our trip to Tobacco caye tomorrow morning!)
Here are some student and staff entries from the last day at Cockscomb:
SYLVINO (driver/guide): It was an adventurous trip, NMSU kids you rock. Great job gathering data and my being able to assist in any way possible. It was a great learning process for me and also was able to share a little of my knowledge with you. I hope you are able to return sometime and experience more of our beautiful country and if possible learn more of us and our diverse culture. Continue enjoying Belize.
LUCY JOLLY (the chef): They have really good appetites and they are easy not picky eaters which makes any cook happy. I’ve had groups that I had to plan and get everything special – but not NMSU students…they are GOOD!
DR. WRIGHT: I have had a blast on this trip. It is a real thrill to introduce students to the tropics. The students have worked very hard on their projects and are finding some very interesting results. They have dived into Belizean culture both modern and ancient. They have also taken every opportunity to get wet, whether swimming under the waterfall or hiking through a true tropical downpour. We all are in awe of the tremendous logistical support provided by Krisiti and Kimo and their team—thanks to you all for making this such a great trip!
Here are a couple photos from last night's dinner and yesterday's field work/evaluations.
Here are some student and staff entries from the last day at Cockscomb:
SYLVINO (driver/guide): It was an adventurous trip, NMSU kids you rock. Great job gathering data and my being able to assist in any way possible. It was a great learning process for me and also was able to share a little of my knowledge with you. I hope you are able to return sometime and experience more of our beautiful country and if possible learn more of us and our diverse culture. Continue enjoying Belize.
LUCY JOLLY (the chef): They have really good appetites and they are easy not picky eaters which makes any cook happy. I’ve had groups that I had to plan and get everything special – but not NMSU students…they are GOOD!
DR. WRIGHT: I have had a blast on this trip. It is a real thrill to introduce students to the tropics. The students have worked very hard on their projects and are finding some very interesting results. They have dived into Belizean culture both modern and ancient. They have also taken every opportunity to get wet, whether swimming under the waterfall or hiking through a true tropical downpour. We all are in awe of the tremendous logistical support provided by Krisiti and Kimo and their team—thanks to you all for making this such a great trip!
Here are a couple photos from last night's dinner and yesterday's field work/evaluations.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
On to Cockscomb Basin
Everyone loved the ATM cave yesterday. It is a world-class cave that is usually the highlight of many students' experience in Belize (second to the coral reef, of course!). Photos and student posts to come - but we're keeping them really busy so forgive the delay.
The class headed out to Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Santuary this morning - the world's first Jaguar sanctuary. This is the second study site for the 3 groups conducting field research. They are comparing findings between La Milpa (dry forest) and Cockscomb (wetter forest) for their student projects. For more information, check out the Belize Audubon Society's website at http://www.belizeaudubon.org/protected_areas/cockscomb-basin-wildlife-sanctuary.html.
Here are some student blog contributions:
KATIE AND KELSI: This is Katey Wahlen and Kelsi Skee checking in…….
We arrived in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary yesterday; we were momentarily shocked by the amount of humidity in the air. It’s so intense you don’t know if the droplets rolling down your back are from sweat or moisture from the air. It is breathtakingly beautiful here. Everywhere you look there are lush green palms, ferns, and massive trees; flowers in every color of the rainbow dot the landscape. The stark contrast between the dry forest of La Milpa and wet forest we currently are exploring gives us a good look at the different ecosystems within this beautiful country. There are cascading waterfalls nearby and we are all excited to go hike to them tomorrow.
The few of us that had any remaining energy went on a night hike. No Jaguars yet but we are still looking. According to our guide one jaguar requires a 5mile radius to find enough food. They say that we won’t be able to see them but they probably are following us through the bush……
We were all up at 4:30am this morning running our research projects….we’re almost all done with our data collection which is exciting. After a very sweaty morning of data collection we decided to have some “fun time” and float down the nearby river on inner tubes. As we finally got some R&R on the rio we saw about a hundred sulfur butterflies flitting around on the breeze coming to say hi to us.
KELSI: We are having so much fun!! Getting lots and lots of bug bites. Everyone is getting along very well. I (Kelsi) am about to go play some soccer! I am very excited to go to the cayes. The mayan culture saturates every inch of soil and is found in every person. This is more of a mañana land than New Mexico; I am glad to be away from rushed lifestyle of the states. I will be sad to leave my new friends and the beautiful forest but…. I miss my animals and of course mi familia too. The food is wonderful, Lucy, our guide Kimo’s wife, has been cooking for us and giving us a good overview of the local cuisine.
CASSANDRA—Hi everyone, Belize is beautiful despite all the mysterious bug bites, sweat and sore feet. I’ve seen an array of amazing birds and animals thankfully no snakes (knock on wood). We are all having an awesome time swimming in rivers and tubing!! I had the unique opportunity to spend the day with a Belizean family this past week. They are very kind and I will be sad to leave them. I got to visit a Mennonite Christian School and interact with the first and second grade students. I’m having an awesome time and I can’t wait to get home and tell you all about it. John take care and don’t be a dumbo, give the fufs a squeeze for me . Mom, Hotda &Sherdine don’t worry too much I will be back soon.
Shout outs!!
JONI LOYD-- Hey guys, glad to see your reading this! The trip has been fantastic, my knee is hurting a bit, so I’m icing twice a day! We went tubing down the river today; it was so beautiful and amazing. I’ve been listening to “Joni’s chill mix vol 1” quite a bit here in the forest and feel totally relaxed. I miss and love you guys! The trip has been wonderful and I’m almost ready to go back to the states. Wish you guys could see these stars! Still no sunburn! However, I have 36 bug bites and next stop is the keys. There was debate on what they were from, mosquitoes, chiggers, bot flies, but the verdict seems to be “no see flies”, they have made a lovely swirl pattern on my right knee. Its.. strange.
ESTRELLA: Hello everyone! I am having such a great time. I am officially a jungle girl and tropical field ecologist now! The weather here at cockscomb is extremely humid, my hair and clothes stay wet 24/7. I still have not seen any snakes (bummer) but I have seen tons of amazing birds and howler monkeys. I am home sick! I miss you Rayne, I can’t wait to see you and give you a big hug and kiss. I am still waiting for my botfly, I actually want to get one hahahaha. The cave was a little scary for me cause I still can’t swim so well. Today we went tubing down the river/creek here at cockscomb, we are all sunburned. I hope I get to see some snakes while still here in BELIZE. We still have the keys left to go to, then we get to come home. Mom, dad, cristal….miss you guys…see you soon. Rayne I miss you so much ( mommie will be home soon, to show you all the pictures). I also have tons of surprises for all you guys. Well dinner time is approaching…..see you guys soon.
EMIL: NMSU kids are hardworking kids – very into their work. I think it’s cool that I get a chance to work with these guys since they work with ornithology, I also work in these fields so it gives me a chance to share my knowledge of birds and at the same time I can get knowledge from their field academic part – so it’s a 2-way learning experience. I would encourage this kind of field study for any student – it comes once in a lifetime.
COREY: Winter and Blair, love from Belize angels. The only thing missing down here is you two! –Daddy
Friday, May 14, 2010
ATM cave
The class is touring the "ATM" cave today - Actun Tunichil Muknal - south of Teakettle village. Here are some student contributions:
OSIRIS: (The French-Cameroonian-Polish Guy): After 45 minutes in the forest, it appears: a big opening through a stone which seems to be unbelievable to have been undiscovered since the last century. Leaving this huge mouth, a water source goes down the forest. After few advices about caving, we start our adventure in the belly of the ATM monster. The deep river at some points requires us to swim sometimes in warm water. Wearing a head lamp to light our walk, the guide presents us the different chambers and secret entrances of the cave that we could not have guessed ourselves. A spider scorpion bother by Kimo shows us its large antennae and in spite of the girl screams “oh it’s Huuuuge !”, Emil let us know that this is not the biggest form of the species, by far and oh good news, it BITES ! When all the girls are ok, we continue our journey facing the sliding and vicious rocks spread under the water. Pieces of nice pottery used by the Mayan as presents to their Gods are found in a lot of chambers which starts to make us feel more the mysticiticy and religioucity of this wonderful site. Some tight ways force the tallest persons (including me…) to articulate their body in order to continue to move on. Gymnastic. It is very emotional and mysterious to place its feet and paws at the same place where thousand years ago the Mayans formed incrusted tracks into the rock. The spirit of the site penetrates us a bit more when we discovered the first place of the human sacrifice with modified skulls and broken bones, followed few meters further by a crystallized skull (I’m not lying, the skull was literally covered by crystal!!!Beautiful!). The highest emotional part of our trip into the cave is the 7-year-old sacrifice dead body in the position of the fetus next to the intact body of a young princess. A precise history of the Mayan culture tells by our guide permits us to understand more the reasons of those sacrifices while we continue to walk/swim in the (according to the Ancient Mayans) Underworld. It is not surprisingly that our guide explains us that a lot of actual Mayans and even other Native American Tribes, still come to this cave doing ceremonies, the spirit of the Mayan culture penetrates us…
Oupsiies! We totally forgot the time! Well, once again we won’t respect our schedule but it is worth it. We leave the cave after enjoying a little bit more the deep water at the entrance, jumping into it from an isolated rock. The ATM and its beauties are still here after thousands years, end its magic will still live into it for others centuries…
JONI: ATM is an abbreviation of three words which I (Joni) will not attempt to say or spell, they are the name of one of the many local caves, possibly the most famous. Our journey began after a pancake breakfast at Trek Stop. We loaded up in water savvy clothing and boarded our modified tour truck. We made a quick stop to p0ick up our day packs and lunch then made our way to the “parking lot” of ATM. They parking lot is in the middle of a forest, it is absolutely stunning. From there we went for a hike crossing three or so small streams in the process. Those of you reading who know about my knee injury are possibly wondering how I managed this. Well one of our lovely guides brought a broom handle for me to use as a walking stick. It is safe to say without my stick I wouldn’t have made it very far! After our hike we come to a picnic grounds and get into groups with our headlamps and helmets and started on a short hike which lead to the mouth of a cave. To get into the cave we had to swim a few yards where we made it into dry land, but the cave had several other locations requiring swimming. There were several tight spots and we were constantly ducking and hitting our heads and squeezing between rocks hoping to not get stuck. There were areas where we climbed rock formations. I had my stick to help me get up, used mostly like a lever in these tight spots and used my arms to pull me up. There are not words to explain the beauty of this cave. Not only the natural wonders but also the remains left by Mayans during rituals. The cave is symbolic to the Mayan people because it is considered to be the gate way to the underworld. For that reason it is important to respect the cave. We make as little impact as possible traveling part way in water shoes and part way in socks. This is unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I can’t tell you enough how gorgeous it was and how I simply cannot describe it. Although I have to say it is a hard trip, but very worthwhile!
ESTRELA "STAR" YGLECIAS: The Cave was AMAZING!!!!!!! Nothing I would have imagined. You have to swim in to get in, and swim through rivers inside. Wish you guys were here to experience it with us. I didn’t want to leave the cave, I just wanted to stay longer.
OSIRIS: (The French-Cameroonian-Polish Guy): After 45 minutes in the forest, it appears: a big opening through a stone which seems to be unbelievable to have been undiscovered since the last century. Leaving this huge mouth, a water source goes down the forest. After few advices about caving, we start our adventure in the belly of the ATM monster. The deep river at some points requires us to swim sometimes in warm water. Wearing a head lamp to light our walk, the guide presents us the different chambers and secret entrances of the cave that we could not have guessed ourselves. A spider scorpion bother by Kimo shows us its large antennae and in spite of the girl screams “oh it’s Huuuuge !”, Emil let us know that this is not the biggest form of the species, by far and oh good news, it BITES ! When all the girls are ok, we continue our journey facing the sliding and vicious rocks spread under the water. Pieces of nice pottery used by the Mayan as presents to their Gods are found in a lot of chambers which starts to make us feel more the mysticiticy and religioucity of this wonderful site. Some tight ways force the tallest persons (including me…) to articulate their body in order to continue to move on. Gymnastic. It is very emotional and mysterious to place its feet and paws at the same place where thousand years ago the Mayans formed incrusted tracks into the rock. The spirit of the site penetrates us a bit more when we discovered the first place of the human sacrifice with modified skulls and broken bones, followed few meters further by a crystallized skull (I’m not lying, the skull was literally covered by crystal!!!Beautiful!). The highest emotional part of our trip into the cave is the 7-year-old sacrifice dead body in the position of the fetus next to the intact body of a young princess. A precise history of the Mayan culture tells by our guide permits us to understand more the reasons of those sacrifices while we continue to walk/swim in the (according to the Ancient Mayans) Underworld. It is not surprisingly that our guide explains us that a lot of actual Mayans and even other Native American Tribes, still come to this cave doing ceremonies, the spirit of the Mayan culture penetrates us…
Oupsiies! We totally forgot the time! Well, once again we won’t respect our schedule but it is worth it. We leave the cave after enjoying a little bit more the deep water at the entrance, jumping into it from an isolated rock. The ATM and its beauties are still here after thousands years, end its magic will still live into it for others centuries…
JONI: ATM is an abbreviation of three words which I (Joni) will not attempt to say or spell, they are the name of one of the many local caves, possibly the most famous. Our journey began after a pancake breakfast at Trek Stop. We loaded up in water savvy clothing and boarded our modified tour truck. We made a quick stop to p0ick up our day packs and lunch then made our way to the “parking lot” of ATM. They parking lot is in the middle of a forest, it is absolutely stunning. From there we went for a hike crossing three or so small streams in the process. Those of you reading who know about my knee injury are possibly wondering how I managed this. Well one of our lovely guides brought a broom handle for me to use as a walking stick. It is safe to say without my stick I wouldn’t have made it very far! After our hike we come to a picnic grounds and get into groups with our headlamps and helmets and started on a short hike which lead to the mouth of a cave. To get into the cave we had to swim a few yards where we made it into dry land, but the cave had several other locations requiring swimming. There were several tight spots and we were constantly ducking and hitting our heads and squeezing between rocks hoping to not get stuck. There were areas where we climbed rock formations. I had my stick to help me get up, used mostly like a lever in these tight spots and used my arms to pull me up. There are not words to explain the beauty of this cave. Not only the natural wonders but also the remains left by Mayans during rituals. The cave is symbolic to the Mayan people because it is considered to be the gate way to the underworld. For that reason it is important to respect the cave. We make as little impact as possible traveling part way in water shoes and part way in socks. This is unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I can’t tell you enough how gorgeous it was and how I simply cannot describe it. Although I have to say it is a hard trip, but very worthwhile!
ESTRELA "STAR" YGLECIAS: The Cave was AMAZING!!!!!!! Nothing I would have imagined. You have to swim in to get in, and swim through rivers inside. Wish you guys were here to experience it with us. I didn’t want to leave the cave, I just wanted to stay longer.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Belize Zoo and Cayo
Joni and Leilani next to display of Jabiru stork
Corey and "Boa" the boa constrictor
Cassidi and Boa with Kelsi, Joni Emil and Dr. Wright in back
Meghann and Osiris at Lizbeth's house in Succotz villageHey everyone. The class is here at Trek Stop Ecolodge in the Cayo District (western border). Lisbeth, one of the Belizean students from Succotz village is presently taking the class on a walking tour of her village. Earlier this afternoon, Sylvino with Cayo Adventure Tours delivered the class here from La Milpa via the Belize Zoo, a quick lunch stop at Cheers, and then some time to tour San Ignacio town. Here are some web links...
The Belize Zoo: www.belizezoo.org
The Trek Stop: www.thetrekstop.com
The Belize Zoo: www.belizezoo.org
The Trek Stop: www.thetrekstop.com
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Mist netting and Lamanai ruins
Dr. Wright marking a captured honeycreeper
Rachel with American red start in hand
Meghann and Emil getting instruction from Dr. Wright (with red-legged honey creeper in hand)
Boating on New River to Lamanai Maya ruin (Dr. Wright and Katie in front)
Climbing Lamanai temple
Estrella at the top of Lamanai ruin (view of New River lagoon in the background)
Class at the base of Lamanai's main templeThe class is continuing their field work this morning and then touring Lamanai Maya Archeological site.
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