A year of saying yes!

As the longest chapter of my gap year comes to an end, it's time to reflect on the lessons I've learnt over the last 3 months, with 16 new siblings.   

At Machu Picchu 

I've learnt to say yes, whether it be to singing on the bus at the top of our lungs or dancing on an aeroplane, where noone else can hear the music we're listening to. A quote comes to mind: "Those who were seen dancing were thought to be crazy by those who couldn't hear the music." I definitely think I've got a little crazy in me now!

I'm convinced that I've faced my fear of heights after rappelling down a 150ft waterfall and ziplining across valleys in Costa Rica. Glass elevators seem like child's play after that! 

I've learnt not to take life so seriously and to go for the more adventurous options - like crossing a stream on one wobbly plank instead of finding a safer route, or trying strange foods like guinea pig and alpaca.

An adventure? Alpaca my bags!

I've learnt to go with the flow - this is a hard one for me as I like to be in control, but when you don't know where you'll be in 5 days time or how you're getting there, it's hard to be. 

                                       

I've learnt to sleep with the noise of 12 adopted sisters in bunk beds (a very useful skill to have), and learnt to do so whenever I have the opportunity, because you never know when you may need to get up at 3am to hike Machu Picchu or catch a boat to the Amazon. This lesson was challenging for me too. I remember struggling so much with sleep in the first 2 weeks, because of the jetlag. Back then, I couldn't even fall asleep with the lights on!

Sunrise on the Amazon

I feel like I've come a long way since my first few days in the Dominican Republic, and even though I'm sad to leave Peru, I'm excited to go home and start 2016 with a bang, and saying yes to more things.

Sunset over the dunes in Huacachina, Peru

¿Que lo que?

"¿Que lo que?" is a greeting used by the Dominicans, and is similar to the South African "Howzit?". It's normally followed by "tranquilo" - "it's calm", "chilled", or "no worries", kind of like "hakuna matata".  I learnt this and other Dominican peculiarities, during the last few days of community service in Manabao, when we were working side by side with the locals (see my post). 

Our worksite in Manabao 

Although my Spanish is coming along in leaps and bounds, it's sometimes quite difficult to understand what people are saying here, because Dominicans like to drop the "s" from certain words. So, they say "¿cómo tu ta?", for how are you, instead of "¿cómo estas tu?" And, depending on where you live on the island, random i's, l's or r's can also be added in.

One afternoon, near the end of our service session, it started raining. An elderly woman started scolding a boy from our group, who continued to work, instead of taking cover. She was worried that he would get sick, going from hot to cold temperatures so quickly. (So, our cold showers the last 10 days would have been a big no-no!) I've heard that in other Latin American countries, like Nicaragua, they believe you must avoid the cold, even water and ice, if you are hot. If you're cooking, you cannot fetch anything in the fridge or freezer. You have to ask someone else to get it for you. And don't even think about walking around barefoot!

Samo seeds: if you have diabetes and keep them
in your back pocket, they'll  keep your blood sugar low. 

Another thing that is very important here, is showing respect by dressing conservatively. Even when it is 1000°C outside and you're sweating out of all of your pores, us girls have to wear long pants and T-shirts to community service. But otherwise, all is "tranquilo".

Mountain views on the way down

Sorry for the big gap in posts - we haven't had Wi-Fi. More soon, I promise!

A Letter Home

Hola Mamita! 

I hope that you're having a great week. It was really lovely to speak to you and hear all about the matric dance. I feel like we could have spoken for much longer, if only we had the time! I feel more settled this week and I haven't been feeling as homesick as before. Now just to get my sleeping patterns in check!

I've taken your advice and have been putting my feet up in between our morning and afternoon community service sessions. Yesterday, after lunch, we were all so exhausted that we just collapsed on the floor of the balcony and most of us fell asleep. It looked like we were doing one of our First Aid drills - eight corpses spread out on the floor, face down, waiting for the rescuers.

Wilderness First Aid Training

WFA Training: V giving a thumbs up
 after saving her patient

I do have cashews in my snack bag. So, will start eating those for protein. One of the big problems with the food here is that the Dominicans love to fry it. So, for breakfast three of the mornings we've been here, they've served us a tray of french fries and a 2 litre bottle of Coke! (Insert emoji of monkey covering his eyes!) ¡Que malo! Fortunately, I've been able to stick to the fried eggs and tropical fruit: delicious, juicy pineapple, watermelon and mango. 

We're off to explore some caves tomorrow and then off to the beach - it's a much needed break! Today I put in my 5th concrete floor and started building a latrine...

Mixing cement for a concrete floor

Abrazos y besos

Tu Hija

Ps. Check out this sunset!

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, it's off to work we go!

After driving for one hour up the mountain, on an open-top truck, the clouds which threatened to burst at every turn, did so when we got to Manabao on our first day of community service. Soaking wet, we managed to take a quick tour of our work-site for the next few days. Our job is to dig trenches and lay down pipes to give fresh water to the village of Manabao. However, thunder and lightning drove us back down the mountain!

On the way down from the mountain

When we got back to the ranch, naturally, there was a long line for the girls' showers and people calling dibs for shower number two (apparently, the one with the best pressure). As I said in my last blog, you're lucky if you can get hot water.

Manabao

The next day, we were welcomed by the mayor and a few members of the community. At first, we were a bit confused about where to go and how to help the locals we would be working with, but we soon slotted into place, side by side, like Snow White's seven dwarfs.

After day one, followed by white water rafting, I can feel muscles popping up where I forgot I had any! Got to go...more later!

Who needs hot water when you have Wi-Fi?

I'm currently in la Republica Dominica doing community service and Spanish immersion (see my last blog post).

The streets of Santa Domingo

On arrival in the DR, we were told two things: we cannot drink the tap water and our toilet paper goes in the bin, and not in the toilet bowel, so that we don't clog the toilets. This last one has been quite an adjustment.

Rooftop view of Santo Domingo

Other changes for me have included sharing a room with 12 girls and sleeping on a bunk bed. There are only 4 showers, so, we have to fight over hot water, but at least we have Wi-Fi! In fact, I think that having internet access, while everything else around us has changed, has helped us to ease into things.

Here are a few pictures of our home, Rancho Baiguate, for the next week.

There are horses, cows, Shetland 
ponies and a butterfly house.

My view on the way to Spanish class.

Spot the horse!

Trading in my Purple Carry-on

So, today I traded in my purple pull-along for a pair of purple sneakers, and my matte red lipstick is tucked away in my backpack. I won't be having much use for them where I'm going.

I am about to embark on a three-month-long adventure to Central and South America (Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Peru), where I will be teaching English in schools, learning about sustainable farming, how to surf, and building toilets - to name a few of the many activities.

Thailand 2010

If you've read my previous blog, Saving the World Two Tanks at a Time, you'll know that I spent a month in the north of Thailand, when I was 17 years old, mixing concrete and building water storage tanks... generally roughing it. Well, after reading this programme itinerary, I think this trip is going to be like Thailand on steroids! 

I am doing this trip through, Rustic Pathways, an organisation which specialises in gap year programmes. You choose the countries you want to go to and the type of activities you want to do there, and they do the rest. My programme is aimed at young people who are interested in community service and Spanish immersion. I am excited and looking forward to getting fit, strong, tanned, useful... and, of course, dirty! I also hope to come back home speaking Spanish like a native.

The Rustic Pathways Starter-Kit

Hasta pronto!