Read this personal account from one of our volunteer participants, Mikel B., who is currently volunteering in Bolivia.
My name is Mikel and I am a 21 year old girl who has been doing volunteer work for the past year through Amerispan and I am continuing on my second year with them. One of the many programs I have done through them is the one located in Peten Guatemala. It was possibly one of the funnest experiences I have had through Amerispan (its very hard to pick, they were all amazing). You get to work one on one with the animals, alongside a very very very friendly and intelligent staff who know a lot about wildlife and are eager to share as much of the experiece with the volunteers, of working with wild animals, as is safe and possible.
Continue reading "Mikel's Story: Volunteering Abroad with AmeriSpan" »
1. Buying & Bargaining. Shop
owners insist that they are giving a variety of discounts to you and only you.
i.e. the “Pretty Girl” discount, “First
Customer of the Day” discount, “Last Customer of the Day” discount, etc. You
can easily spot “touters” after getting taken once or twice. Often times, the
hotels and taxi/rickshaw drivers work together and they make commissions at the
shops. Bargaining is a must. If a street vendor tells you 50 rupees for some
bananas and an orange, he probably would have told a local 10 rupees. Never
accept a first offer. Walking away is the best way to get a good deal. If they
want your business, they will call you back over. When riding in rickshaws,
negotiate a price prior to getting in. Bigger cities like Mumbai have rickshaws
with fare meters. Also avoid buying tour packages until you get in country.
Many hotels have travel agencies on-site that can organize great tour packages
for reasonable rates.
2. Saris. Saris range in price from
15 USD to hundreds, even thousands of dollars. When Sari shopping, opt for
something more elaborately decorated if attending a nice function like a
wedding. The more intricate detail the better. Saris can also be extremely
difficult to wrap, so consider asking for help from a local instead of
attempting to do it yourself. Remember, you may only wear it once, but there is
tons of fabric so you can always get a nice sari turned into a fabulous western
style dress or wall tapestry upon return home.
Continue reading "Top 10 Inside Tips: India " »
by Alexa Boyce, AmeriSpan Director of Volunteer/Internship Programs
When I was in Guatemala a couple of years ago, I was lucky enough
to visit one of the community day care centers in Antigua where we send dozens
of volunteers each year. There were about 25 children and two teachers on a playground
with an indoor/outdoor classroom setting. The kids were small, generally aged about 5-7.
I walked in with the volunteer coordinator, and noticed that the
children were playing independently while the two teachers fixed a healthy
lunch. Several of the children immediately ran up to me and wanted to play, hug
me, touch my hair or generally get attention. I recognized that they probably
don’t get much individual attention at home or in the day care.
Continue reading "Guatemala Volunteer Opportunity" »
By Farah Ahmad - Guest Blogger from Cusco SALUD
Today was my last day in the Essalud hospital in Cusco and it ended on a high note. There have been some rotations during our two week shadowing period that have included more down time than others, but our last two days have been really interesting. I've been in the Oncology department and the first day that we were there, we met a doctor who had us observe two biopsies. The first patient he had was a woman where he took a sample of breast tissue to be sent for analysis. The next patient was a bit more invasive as the man had a lump in his neck that needed to be excised. With local anesthesia, the surgeon cut into the man's neck to the point where we could see his platysmus muscle.
The doctors in the department told us about oncology as it's practiced in Peru and in the hospital. For example, the hospital in Cusco has only three oncologist-surgeons. Doctors are more plentiful in Lima because salaries are higher there. In addition, even Essalud, which is supposed to be the best hospital in Cusco has problems with supply shortages. The doctor we were shadowing said that the biopsy needle he used is supposed to be discardable but he has to clean it with different gases etc. because they only have the one. Another problem mentioned was the lack of focus on public and preventative health in terms of oncology. According to him, there aren't good health campaigns to focus on preventative screenings and mammograms. Also interesting was that sometimes doctors end up fighting and trying to educate other doctors who will treat their cancer patients as if it's a death sentence. They tell them that there are few options even though there are many types of cancers that are treatable.
Today we were in the operating room and saw three surgeries. The first was a woman who had a benign tumor in her submandibular gland and the surgeons removed the whole gland. I have to admit that it was really cool to be able to watch all of that today. The doctor HAD the gland in his HAND after it was done. He also reviewed some of the structures that are right there (facial nerve, lingual nerve, hypoglossal nerve...ugh!) While we were waiting for his next patient, we wandered around the hallway in the operating area and were pulled in by another surgeon who was watching a microsurgery being performed on a woman's cataract! It's really amazing and incredibly humbling to realize all the crazy things we can do in medicine today.
Finally the third patient we saw was interesting but also the saddest. This man had pyloric syndrome where he had a tumor blocking the pyloric sphincter leading from his stomach to his intestine so he would feel full even after eating very little. They had to do an exploratory surgery to see how far it had spread before they would know what they could do next. As soon as they opened up his abdomen they had some idea that the problem was advanced. He had ascites (fluid in his peritoneal cavity) and that indicated a problem. They could tell that the cancer had spread to his pancreas, which makes it inoperable. The doctor explained that all they could do was a palliative surgery to help him be able to eat again. This involved connecting his stomach to his small intestine to circumvent the block.
To be honest, I'm hyper-aware right now that I'm writing about all of this in kind of a distant tone. I think I'm just not really able to process right now that this is basically a death sentence for this man. It feels even more surreal when it's a man in another country who you've never spoken to. I think I need to be in a field where I'm constantly confronted with people's stories and realities because I really fear being someone who takes that road of just turning a blind eye to the truth. I imagine it's hard when you have been in the field for a long time, but it also feels like it's hard right now because as a student you have so little control and knowledge.
Sorry to end on that unfinished note. As for now, I need to head home as tomorrow is our first day at Machu Picchu and I am going to soak in the experience.
By Farah Ahmad - Guest Blogger from Cusco SALUD
1. Try to plan your trip so you can be in Cusco for Inti Raymi and the week preceding the holiday. I found all the dances the week prior to be more exciting than the actual day of the holiday!
2. In all the rush of ruins and things to see don´t forget to take some time to sit in the Plaza or San Blas and enjoy meeting random new people!
3. Wear sun block! You´ll probably burn a little easier here.
4. Tipon was one of my favorite set of ruins but I felt like it got only tiny mentions in most guide books. I recommend going and also
climbing up the Inca staircases as they were awe-inspiring and the view was amazing!
5. There are PLENTY of ATMS everywhere in the city so this is probably the best way to get money at the best rate. I brought traveler´s checks as an emergency back up but I doubt I´ll end up using them. In general, the advice I´ve heard is to pay in dollars when quoted a price in dollars and in soles when given a price in soles. That way you avoid losing money in changing. In general, you´ll probably be paying in soles aside from some of your weekend travel agency bookings.
6. Hoard small change when you can! Also, after pulling money out of the ATM- you can go into a bank and exchange your 50 and 100 soles bills for smaller bills which makes life a lot easier. Another option is going to some of the bigger grocery stores and buying a small snack.
7. Internet cafes are really found every block or so. They are generally 50 centimos per half hour. Walk farther away from Ave del Sol and the Plaza as these tend to be more expensive.
8. Ask cab drivers how much they charge before getting in. Generally during the day cab rides are 2 to 2.5 soles depending on where you live. After 10 pm, they get more expensive.
9. Learn how to take combis (public bus or van) or ask your family to take one with you the first time you go to school. I know that taxis
themselves are not that expensive but combis are much cheaper (approx 60 centimos.) I really believe it´s all part of the experience of living here. What you really need to know (and you´ll learn) is what names of combis go in your destination and what the name of the stop you want is...then you should just be able to ask the person who opens the door of the combis if that combi goes to that stop. Say ¨baja¨when you hear your stop being called and pay. There are some stories of people getting fake five soles coins so just look at your money beforehand or try to have something closer to exact change.
10. If traveling out of Cusco, save some money by cutting out every middleman you possibly can. There are a lot of tourist companies in Cusco so while it saves some headache, it´s also cheaper if you buy a bus ticket to the destination you want (ex.Arequipa or Puno) and then book with a company ahead of time in one of those places. I actually ended up on the same tours as people who booked through Cusco agencies who ended up paying much more. Use the tour agencies listed in a guidebook or someone else has used to avoid any problems with being ripped off.
11. Take a bus company that´s recommended by your family. Some include Ormano, Cruz del Sur, Cromotex. Buy tickets from the bus station and compare prices. When you book (but especially when you go on the trip), you´ll need a form of ID but preferably a copy of your passport.
12. Ask your host family about boiling water or if you can do it. This can save plastic as you won´t have to keep buying new ones. Recycle them at your school.
By Kathleen Schneider- High school Group Leader in Barcelona
6/27/08
The first week of classes ended today. The kids are looking forward to the weekend.
Yesterday we had a really good day. Everyone seemed to be feeling relaxed and comfortably into their routine.
We had lunch at school and them headed out for an afternoon feildtrip to Montjuic. This is a large hill right on the water that looks down on Barcelona and the port. There is an old castle up there and it is also where the Olympic stadiums and buildings were put up before the 1992 Olympics. There were a lot of wonderful views of the city, we got to go into the soccer stadium, walk around a bit and then, because all the kids were clambering to do so, we took the Periféric back down. I guess we would call it a cable car in English.
Today, after class, the kids had a free afternoon and all wanted to spend the afternoon at the beach before heading home for dinner. Sandra and I offered the Chocolate and Picasso museum, but the Mediterranean beckoned. I feel that as long as they´re together, they´ll be fine. It doesn´t get dark until they all need to be home for dinner and no one has given me reason to worry.
Last night after our feildtrip, the Spanish soccer team was playing Russia in the EuroCopa. (European Cup) It was the first time that they made it in 40 years and Raul suggested to the kids that they go out to a cafe to watch it because the locals would be nuts. A number or them called home and told their families they would be home late, but before 11:00, and would have a bite out. Some kids were able to get home and eat quickly, I think. They picked a spot to meet and from there went to find a cafe with a TV. The game was at 8:45 local time.
Nuts is right. The city exploded when Spain won! It was like a city-wide wedding. Everyone was driving around honking their horns. Sandra and I watched the game at a restaurante down by the port and had some fresh fish and shell fish tapas.
Barcelona´s weather is beautiful. The food is great. The city is an architectural gem. The kids are all snapping pictures constantly.
6/29/08
We had a splendid adventure yesterday! After a very early departure at 8:00 a.m., we left Barcelona and headed northwest to Girona, a old Spanish town with a lot of amazing architecture dating back to the romans. The cathedral was beautiful and has the second largest nave in Europe behind St Peter´s in Rome. There is something truly magical about the huge, old cathedrals with the cloistered gardens that are so common here in Spain. On a hot day, they are a perfect, peaceful respite from the street. Some kids went in, others chose not to and simply strolled about the medieval quarter of the town.
The kids seem to enjoy walking about best. There is so much to soak up on the street, observing other cultures as they go about the simplest daily tasks. It´s fun to watch them at certain moments, like when they open their picnic lunches, prepared by their senoras, cast a puzzled look at something inside they´ve never seen before and dive in anyway because they´ve had to wait until 2:30 for lunch ! A huge hit yesterday was the urinal in a restaurante in Girona. It´s a wall of tinted glass that turns on and becomes a fountain when you 'make contact', if you catch my meaning. Before long, many of the guys were getting photos and trying it out. I guess the US has a thing or two to learn from Spain about tinkling in style!
After Girona, we were lucky to have an extra little feildtrip tacked on - the beach! Not any beach, mind you, but a gorgeous little beach on the Costa Brava where the mountains meet the sea and all sorts of little enclaves are cut into the rock: The kids were pumped when we first rounded the corner and the blue Mediterranean with rocks and a mountain shore spread itself out before them. One yelped that they had never seen anything so gorgeous in their lives. The water was the blue you see in photos of the Carribean and so clear and cool. You could see to the bottom and the rocky coast across the inlet. Stunning. I gave my sunscreen lecture as did the guide and off they went in small groups to swim, shop in the town, or meander about. They mentioned it was the best day to far.
By Farah Ahmad- Guest Blogger from Cusco SALUD
Today was a great day at the hospital especially since I was dreading that we would be sitting there with absolutely nothing to do. Today I was at the physical therapy department in the "hidroterapia" room that was perfect for practicing Spanish. There were warm baths kind of like Jacuzzis and also a paraffin machine to help people who had arthritis and other problems with their hands. I basically spent the whole morning going from room to room practicing my Spanish. It was wonderful to see that I could, for the most part, get my point across. It was also nice to have conversations without my tense being corrected with every sentence! More seriously, it did make me reflect more on how much I've improved over the last three weeks. After lunch it is time for class, and then time to wander to the bus station and figure out the best way to plan a weekend trip to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon.
This is the one free weekend that we have with our SALUD group so I'm looking forward to being away from the group (not that I mind groups or anything, but it is nice to experience something with a few people and take your own time). We had a bit of a debate in preparing for this trip, as it will probably include a little more bus time than expected. It's 10 hours to get to Arequipa and then the 2 day/1 night trip involves bouncing around from place to place and finally ending up at Colca Canyon and seeing the condors at Cruz del Condor. I don't see how we can go wrong especially with a group of three where we all kind roll with things. I'm looking forward to it!
By Farah Ahmad - Guest Blogger from Cusco SALUD
The rafting trip was great. I'd only gone once before but our guide knew what he was doing. It was a full-day trip ending with a much-appreciated lunch of chicken and fries. The next day, I hopped a bus with a friend from school and we headed off towards Urubamba intending to spend the day visiting Moray and Salinas. We sort of missed our stop to Maras. I had completely forgotten that we were supposed to be looking for a “junction” of sorts rather than the actual town. Backtracking it in a cab from Urubamba wasn't the end of the world and actually, the landscape in Peru is so wonderful and beautiful that half the time I wish the trips would last a bit longer so I could stare at the mountains and the hills a little more.
We went to Salinas first which are “pre-Incan...salt pans” according to my Footprint guidebook. There are about 3200 of them (again, from the guidebook...I was definitely NOT counting them while I was there!) While we were there, people were working on a salt pan a few levels below us. I can't even describe what they looked like; perhaps a winter wonderland because all the salt looked like snow! Our taxi driver picked up a man who worked there and was heading in the same direction as us. He mainly spoke Quechua, the other main language in Peru, but we understood his appreciation for the ride when he handed us tiny bags of salt for us to “recuerde” our trip. We headed off to Moray which it seems was used as an agricultural testing grounds of sorts with each terrace being a different type of “microenvironment”. Both the Salinas and Moray were beautiful especially because we were there later in the day and had both to ourselves. The blend of city-time and time for weekend trips to ruins is perfect. I was glad to spend enough time in Cusco where I actually get to go to more of the places that probably are missed if you're only on your way to Macchu Picchu. This week has been the first week where instead of morning classes with the others, I have afternoon classes with the batch of medical students in the Salud program. I do miss my afternoon wanderings in the city but things should get even more interesting next week when we head to the clinics! I am happy that I added an additional two weeks on to my program and would recommend that to anyone for the extra Spanish practice as well as the freedom to really enjoy the city
By Farah Ahmad - Guest Blogger from Cusco SALUD
It is hard to believe that I have been in Cuzco for two weeks already. At the same time it is hard to believe it's ONLY been two weeks when I look at the amount of things I've done since I've arrived. I wandered around the Sunday market and the ruins at Pisac. I climbed up to Sacsayhuaman (there are a million and one ways to spell it) and watched people set up for the Inti Raymi festival. I wandered the streets alone and with people that I met sitting in the beautiful Plaza de Armas. I've seen how, for over a week, there have been wonderful costumes and dancing in the streets with people at almost every age level. To be honest, the festival of Inti Raymi itself wasn't as wonderful as the week leading up to it so I would definitely recommend trying to plan a trip for the week and a half before the festival (even if you can't see the actual day of the event.) It was a great festive environment sitting in the crowd at the Plaza de Armas; similar to a ball game with vendors selling popcorn, kazoo-type toys, tamales, and more. The festival started at the Qoricancha museum, continued to the Plaza, and then went up to Sacsayhuaman. It included dancers coming in and surrounding the Plaza de Armas, the ¨head Inca¨ and people carrying idols including shriveled up mummies (which I saw more of later in the Inca Museum.)
I've also had time for a weekend trip to Puno and the islands on Lake Titicaca. Uros consists of man-made floating islands made of a reed called ¨totora¨. We stayed with a host family on Amantani and then spent the next day at Tequile where the men wear different hats depending on their marriage status. It was a wonderful trip for the beautiful sunsets and the hiking on the islands. Well, tomorrow I plan on going rafting so I better head to bed to rest up! More news later!
