Thursday, October 25, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Pisco
Hi everyone,
I've been volunteering with Hands On for three weeks now and we're not sure yet how much longer we are going to stay. It's hard to leave when there is so much work to be done, but we'll probably get back on the road within the next couple of weeks. About two weeks ago someone from Hands On made a short and funny video and the project and they just posted it on youtube. To look at it, click here. (Leah, Rachel, and I are in it, but it goes quick so I'm not sure if you'll be able to spot us).
Last week I went on a one week trip to a small town called Con-con outside of Cañete with nine other Hands On volunteers. We went to help the town rebuild an irrigation canal that was damaged in the earthquake. The town is very small and only has a population of about 30, but the families that live there base their whole livelihoods off of their crops so it was really nice to work with them on such an important project. To see some pictures from that trip, click here. We were only able to complete about 200 meters of the canal and tomorrow I am going to go back for another week. I'll write more about it when I get back next week.
xoxo, Katie
I've been volunteering with Hands On for three weeks now and we're not sure yet how much longer we are going to stay. It's hard to leave when there is so much work to be done, but we'll probably get back on the road within the next couple of weeks. About two weeks ago someone from Hands On made a short and funny video and the project and they just posted it on youtube. To look at it, click here. (Leah, Rachel, and I are in it, but it goes quick so I'm not sure if you'll be able to spot us).
Last week I went on a one week trip to a small town called Con-con outside of Cañete with nine other Hands On volunteers. We went to help the town rebuild an irrigation canal that was damaged in the earthquake. The town is very small and only has a population of about 30, but the families that live there base their whole livelihoods off of their crops so it was really nice to work with them on such an important project. To see some pictures from that trip, click here. We were only able to complete about 200 meters of the canal and tomorrow I am going to go back for another week. I'll write more about it when I get back next week.
xoxo, Katie
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Hi everyone!
We've been in Pisco for about a week now, though it feels like it has been a lot longer. The 8.0 earthquake that happened on August 15th destroyed about 80 percent of the city and ruined about 85,000 houses. Rachel, Leah, and I have been working with an NGO called Hands On Disaster Relief. The organization is great and I'm really glad we were able to find them. The work itself is pretty intense. We work from 8-12 and then from 1:30-5:30 and so far most of the work has been clearing rubble from houses that were destroyed and throwing all the contents in the street so that the bulldozers can come along and clear it all. Our goal at the moment is to clear spaces large enough so that the families can get tents or modular houses that are being donated and put them up to live in temporarily. My body is finally getting used to the work, but I could hardly move after the first few days because I was so sore!
In addition to clearing rubble, I also spent one day sorting clothes in a huge warehouse at the port. Donations have been flooding in and unfortunately, they are not getting to the people who need them as fast as they should. A couple volunteers from Hands On are trying to work it out so that we can help distribute some of the supplies to areas that have not yet received any aid. Yesterday I also spent a half day working at a UNICEF sponsored project with kids who are living in a refuge camp. It was a lot of fun and it was nice to be able to help provide a sense of normalcy for kids who have just had their worlds just turned upside down. I'm hoping to go back every week that I am here. We originally committed to a week, but I think we'll stay here for a month.
When we arrived there were about 25 other volunteers and now there are about 40 of us with more expected to arrive soon. It has been fun getting to meet people from all over and I've been impressed in general with how easy it has been to share a small space with so many people. Our lunch and dinners are prepared by two local women and we all take turns doing the dishes and all the general clean-up.
Love, Katie
We've been in Pisco for about a week now, though it feels like it has been a lot longer. The 8.0 earthquake that happened on August 15th destroyed about 80 percent of the city and ruined about 85,000 houses. Rachel, Leah, and I have been working with an NGO called Hands On Disaster Relief. The organization is great and I'm really glad we were able to find them. The work itself is pretty intense. We work from 8-12 and then from 1:30-5:30 and so far most of the work has been clearing rubble from houses that were destroyed and throwing all the contents in the street so that the bulldozers can come along and clear it all. Our goal at the moment is to clear spaces large enough so that the families can get tents or modular houses that are being donated and put them up to live in temporarily. My body is finally getting used to the work, but I could hardly move after the first few days because I was so sore!
In addition to clearing rubble, I also spent one day sorting clothes in a huge warehouse at the port. Donations have been flooding in and unfortunately, they are not getting to the people who need them as fast as they should. A couple volunteers from Hands On are trying to work it out so that we can help distribute some of the supplies to areas that have not yet received any aid. Yesterday I also spent a half day working at a UNICEF sponsored project with kids who are living in a refuge camp. It was a lot of fun and it was nice to be able to help provide a sense of normalcy for kids who have just had their worlds just turned upside down. I'm hoping to go back every week that I am here. We originally committed to a week, but I think we'll stay here for a month.
When we arrived there were about 25 other volunteers and now there are about 40 of us with more expected to arrive soon. It has been fun getting to meet people from all over and I've been impressed in general with how easy it has been to share a small space with so many people. Our lunch and dinners are prepared by two local women and we all take turns doing the dishes and all the general clean-up.
Love, Katie
Friday, September 21, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Peru!
Greetings from Peru! We've been here for four days now and have been having a good time, except for the cold! We spent the past few days exploring Lima and trying to navigate our way around the city using public transportation. Lima is huge, sprawling city of about 8 million people (about a third of the total population of Peru) and since it is winter here it's overcast and cold everyday.
Jose Luis (the friend of a friend that we stayed with) was a great host and gave up his bedroom for us for a couple of nights. On Saturday night we went with him and some of his friends to a Salsa concert in Callao. The music was good, but it was outside and even though we each had on about 5 layers, we were still freezing. We were ready to leave by around 11pm, but had to wait for everyone else until 2:30am because we were told it was too dangerous for us to get a taxi by ourselves. We were pretty miserable by that point, but we made it home safely and happily crawled into our sleeping bags.
On Sunday we went to the National Museum and spent a couple hours looking at a photography exhibit about the history of Peru from 1980 to 2000. Most of you probably know about the Shining Path and the war that raged between them and the military for decades. It was a powerful exhibit with many images that were hard to look at, but it was also interesting and helped me to further understand some of Peru's complex history.
This morning we went off in search of sleeping mattresses and found a couple large inflatable mattresses that should work. Then we packed up all our stuff (we have a lot since we have our three large backpacks, three daypacks, and three suitcases of donations) and got a bus to Pisco. The bus ride took about three and a half hours and as we got close to Pisco we started seeing evidence of the recent earthquake. Piles of bricks and building materials litter the streets and some whole city blocks are completely destroyed.
After getting off the bus we took a taxi to our 'new house' and so far have only met a few other volunteers (most people are still working for the day). We'll be working six days a week, about 8 hours a day and I'm looking forward to plunging in tomorrow and getting into a routine.
I gotta go to dinner, but I'll try to write again soon,
xoxo, Katie
Jose Luis (the friend of a friend that we stayed with) was a great host and gave up his bedroom for us for a couple of nights. On Saturday night we went with him and some of his friends to a Salsa concert in Callao. The music was good, but it was outside and even though we each had on about 5 layers, we were still freezing. We were ready to leave by around 11pm, but had to wait for everyone else until 2:30am because we were told it was too dangerous for us to get a taxi by ourselves. We were pretty miserable by that point, but we made it home safely and happily crawled into our sleeping bags.
On Sunday we went to the National Museum and spent a couple hours looking at a photography exhibit about the history of Peru from 1980 to 2000. Most of you probably know about the Shining Path and the war that raged between them and the military for decades. It was a powerful exhibit with many images that were hard to look at, but it was also interesting and helped me to further understand some of Peru's complex history.
This morning we went off in search of sleeping mattresses and found a couple large inflatable mattresses that should work. Then we packed up all our stuff (we have a lot since we have our three large backpacks, three daypacks, and three suitcases of donations) and got a bus to Pisco. The bus ride took about three and a half hours and as we got close to Pisco we started seeing evidence of the recent earthquake. Piles of bricks and building materials litter the streets and some whole city blocks are completely destroyed.
After getting off the bus we took a taxi to our 'new house' and so far have only met a few other volunteers (most people are still working for the day). We'll be working six days a week, about 8 hours a day and I'm looking forward to plunging in tomorrow and getting into a routine.
I gotta go to dinner, but I'll try to write again soon,
xoxo, Katie
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Last night in NC
It's been just over two months since my last entry so this entry is way overdue! However, since I'm leaving the country for 8 months tomorrow and I haven't started packing yet, I'm going to have to keep this brief.
I last wrote in Costa Rica and from there Leah, Rachel, and I traveled to Panama and met up with Ruben (Rachel's boyfriend). We did a whirlwind tour of Panama and spent time in an indigenous community that Rachel had spent time with a few years ago when she studied abroad there. It was amazing few days and we were able to visit 4 out of the 11 Naso villages that are located close to the Costa Rican border. From there we went to Bocas del Toro and spent almost a week at the beach relaxing and doing some snorkeling. After that we went to David to visit Ruben's family and spent a few days with them and did some hiking. From there we went to Panama City for just a couple nights before flying back to the states.
I thought I might have some culture shock after being gone for about 7 months so I was a little surprised about how smooth my transition was to my life here. The biggest change was orienting myself to Carrboro since my mom moved here from Durham while I was away. I spent my first month back in NC working for a nonprofit in Durham and catching with friends and family. It was great to be back except for the NC heat and humidity!
Near the end of August I flew up to MA and spent about a week visiting friends from Clark and then spent a week in Keene visiting my dad and stepmom. I was able to do some hiking, boating, swimming, and blueberry picking so I was happy. Then this past weekend I went to my friend Rebecca's wedding in Provincetown and it was a beautiful event. It took place on the beach and was casual and fun. Rebecca and I have been friends since age four so it was not something that I wanted to miss!
I flew back to NC two days ago and tomorrow my friends and I will be flying to Peru. I've had a great six weeks in the states, but at the same time I'm feeling ready to hit the road again. I'm especially excited because this time I'm going to a continent that I've never been to before and I'm curious to see how different it is from Central America. The dad of a friend of a friend is going to pick us up at the airport and our plan is to stay in Lima for four nights and then head south to Pisco where we'll be doing earthquake relief work for a few weeks. I'll write more about that once I get there.
Take care and please keep in touch!
I last wrote in Costa Rica and from there Leah, Rachel, and I traveled to Panama and met up with Ruben (Rachel's boyfriend). We did a whirlwind tour of Panama and spent time in an indigenous community that Rachel had spent time with a few years ago when she studied abroad there. It was amazing few days and we were able to visit 4 out of the 11 Naso villages that are located close to the Costa Rican border. From there we went to Bocas del Toro and spent almost a week at the beach relaxing and doing some snorkeling. After that we went to David to visit Ruben's family and spent a few days with them and did some hiking. From there we went to Panama City for just a couple nights before flying back to the states.
I thought I might have some culture shock after being gone for about 7 months so I was a little surprised about how smooth my transition was to my life here. The biggest change was orienting myself to Carrboro since my mom moved here from Durham while I was away. I spent my first month back in NC working for a nonprofit in Durham and catching with friends and family. It was great to be back except for the NC heat and humidity!
Near the end of August I flew up to MA and spent about a week visiting friends from Clark and then spent a week in Keene visiting my dad and stepmom. I was able to do some hiking, boating, swimming, and blueberry picking so I was happy. Then this past weekend I went to my friend Rebecca's wedding in Provincetown and it was a beautiful event. It took place on the beach and was casual and fun. Rebecca and I have been friends since age four so it was not something that I wanted to miss!
I flew back to NC two days ago and tomorrow my friends and I will be flying to Peru. I've had a great six weeks in the states, but at the same time I'm feeling ready to hit the road again. I'm especially excited because this time I'm going to a continent that I've never been to before and I'm curious to see how different it is from Central America. The dad of a friend of a friend is going to pick us up at the airport and our plan is to stay in Lima for four nights and then head south to Pisco where we'll be doing earthquake relief work for a few weeks. I'll write more about that once I get there.
Take care and please keep in touch!
Monday, July 09, 2007
San Jose, Costa Rica
Our month at the farm went by really fast and now we're in San Jose for a few days before heading to Panama tomorrow. We made some good friends at the farm and so it was sad to say goodbye. Luckily, our friend Rebecca who is volunteering at the farm for a year bought a plane ticket while we were there to come visit us in Argentina in December and is also planning on visiting in Guatemala in February so we'll definitely see her again soon. The hardest part of this trip is getting attached to a place and people and then always having to move on. It is sad, but I know it's worth it because many more adventures await us in South America. We're hoping to also volunteer on organic farms in Argentina and Chile and I'm curious as to how they will compare with our experience at Rancho Margot. I really loved my daily routine on the farm with the animals and I miss it. It was amazing to see how much Sukia (the baby spider monkey) changed over the course of a month. She learned how to make new sounds and started swinging on her ropes and grew a lot more confident in general.
I want to write more but tomorrow we have to get up at 4:30 to catch our bus to Panama so I should get some rest. We're going to spend the rest of the week with an idigenous group in El Teribe (Rachel did her independent study with them a few years ago) and then head to the beach next weekend.
xoxo, Katie
I want to write more but tomorrow we have to get up at 4:30 to catch our bus to Panama so I should get some rest. We're going to spend the rest of the week with an idigenous group in El Teribe (Rachel did her independent study with them a few years ago) and then head to the beach next weekend.
xoxo, Katie
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Costa Rica!
Greetings from Costa Rica! A week ago at this time Rachel, Leah, and I were on a bus from Nicaragua to Cañas. The bus trip was fine, though the border crossing seemed to take forever, but once we got to Cañas we had a hard time finding where we were supposed to wait to catch our next bus. We waited for about an hour at a bus stop and when we gave up on the bus and stood up we realized that Rachel's daypack was gone. She lost a lot of stuff, but was most disappointed about losing her passport. Tomorrow she is going with someone from the farm to the embassy in San Jose and hopefully she'll be able to get another one quickly. We filed a report at the police station and with that document they said it would be easier to get it replaced. After leaving the police station we saw our bus go by and not wanting to wait another 3 hours until the next one we hitchhiked to Arenal, spent the night there and then went to the farm the next day. The guy that we hitched a ride with was very friendly and gave us a history lesson about the area as we drove along.
Apart from Rachel getting robbed, we've had a really positive experience in Costa Rica so far. The farm where we are volunteering is beautiful! There are about 50 employees at the farm and we live in a bunkhouse with most of them so we've found ourself in an interesting little community that we weren't expecting. Everyone has been very friendly and welcoming and our nickname here is Charlie's Angels (one of the cooks gives everyone a nickname when they arrive and considering some of the other nicknames we heard, we feel pretty lucky with ours).
I spend my mornings with the veternarian checking on all the animals and feeding them. The farm has a rescue center for animals and even though it isn't officially open yet, they already have 6 deer, 5 monkeys (3 capuchin monkeys and 2 spider monkeys), a tucan, a raccoon, and tepezcuintles (large rodents). They also have other animals that are not part of the center such as horses, cows, chickens, and dogs. My favorite is a baby spider monkey named Sukia that is 4-5 months old. She has a lot of personality and has been warming up to me more and more each day. The veternarian is leaving is leaving today for four days so it will be up to me take care of them for the next few days. In the afternoons I've been working on a reforestation project with a guy who knows everything about nature. So far I've mainly just been helping to fill small plastic bags with dirt to plant the seeds in, but I'm hoping that I'll get to plant more trees in the future. Leah has been working mainly on construction projects and Rachel has been in the gardens planting and weeding and also is in charge of the chickens (which often means chasing after them when they escape).
My work day starts at 6am and ends between 4-5pm with breaks for breakfast and lunch, Yoga class is offered every afternoon at 4:30 and I've been a few times so far. It feels great after a long day. Dinner is at 6 and by 8 we're usually in bed. We only have Sundays off so we won't be able to do much traveling while we're here, but we're planning on spending a couple days in San Jose after we finish at the farm and before we bus to Panama.
xoxo, Katie
Apart from Rachel getting robbed, we've had a really positive experience in Costa Rica so far. The farm where we are volunteering is beautiful! There are about 50 employees at the farm and we live in a bunkhouse with most of them so we've found ourself in an interesting little community that we weren't expecting. Everyone has been very friendly and welcoming and our nickname here is Charlie's Angels (one of the cooks gives everyone a nickname when they arrive and considering some of the other nicknames we heard, we feel pretty lucky with ours).
I spend my mornings with the veternarian checking on all the animals and feeding them. The farm has a rescue center for animals and even though it isn't officially open yet, they already have 6 deer, 5 monkeys (3 capuchin monkeys and 2 spider monkeys), a tucan, a raccoon, and tepezcuintles (large rodents). They also have other animals that are not part of the center such as horses, cows, chickens, and dogs. My favorite is a baby spider monkey named Sukia that is 4-5 months old. She has a lot of personality and has been warming up to me more and more each day. The veternarian is leaving is leaving today for four days so it will be up to me take care of them for the next few days. In the afternoons I've been working on a reforestation project with a guy who knows everything about nature. So far I've mainly just been helping to fill small plastic bags with dirt to plant the seeds in, but I'm hoping that I'll get to plant more trees in the future. Leah has been working mainly on construction projects and Rachel has been in the gardens planting and weeding and also is in charge of the chickens (which often means chasing after them when they escape).
My work day starts at 6am and ends between 4-5pm with breaks for breakfast and lunch, Yoga class is offered every afternoon at 4:30 and I've been a few times so far. It feels great after a long day. Dinner is at 6 and by 8 we're usually in bed. We only have Sundays off so we won't be able to do much traveling while we're here, but we're planning on spending a couple days in San Jose after we finish at the farm and before we bus to Panama.
xoxo, Katie
Saturday, June 09, 2007
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