This week I arrived in Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, ready to start my working holiday. I met the other 12 people on the same programme and we had a few admin days to set up a bank account, NZ phone, and listen to presentations about working and travelling in New Zealand. This was broken up with a walking tour of Auckland during which we visited the harbour, Sky Tower, the museum, and hiked up Mount Eden to look out over the city (sadly it was foggy so we couldn’t see all that much!). We also did a pub crawl and visited one bar that had a big raffle in which members of our team won a volcano tour and 2-for-1 skydive!
Paihia
The following morning we set off for Paihia on the Bay of Islands, which is a beautiful spot with lots of little islands (who would’ve guessed!) and beaches. We took a ferry across the bay to Russel (formerly the capital) and went to a lovely beach there before heading back to the hostel for a burger dinner and quiz night (in which we totally sucked).
The beach at Russel
Waitangi treaty grounds
On Thursday we had a tour of the Waitangi treaty grounds where the treaty between the Crown and the Maori was signed to create New Zealand. We had a fascinating tour during which we learnt about the translation issues which have led to so much contention as well as seeing a huge waka (Maori warship) and cultural performance. It was really amazing: one man lay down a leaf to challenge our “tribe” whether we came in peace or otherwise before we could enter the wharenui (meeting house) for a performance including songs, various items used to improve posture and hand-eye coordination, and a demonstration of battle techniques.
Maori performers with our group
In the afternoon we went on a walk through lush forest to Hauru Falls and in the evening two of the guys treated us to a “family style” BBQ.
Hauru falls
The tour
On Friday we did a crazy busy tour from Paihia further up into Northland and packed a lot into one day: we drove round in a bus and got off at a forest to see the giant kauri trees; went sand boarding down massive dunes; visited Cape Reinga where the Pacific and Tasman oceans collide and Maori believe spirits depart this world; went to the 90 mile beach (which is actually only 55 miles); and had delicious fish and chips. It was a jam packed day, but a very fun one.
I’m a tree hugger! After hitting the dunesCape Reinga
Auckland again
The next morning we got the bus back to Auckland and I spent the rest of the weekend with my friend Moe. We visited Auckland Museum, which has a great selection of Maori artefacts as well as exhibits on earthquakes, natural history and WWII. We then explored the wintergardens, which were very beautiful, and watched Zootopia in the evening.
Lost in the ferns
On Monday we headed to the office to research jobs and travel and attempt to plan what to do now. It’s a bit up in the air, but I’m excited to start the next stage of my journey!
I spent a few days in Los Angeles (split by flying to DC in the middle) and did all the touristy things: I found many stars on the Walk of Fame; hiked up to the Hollywood sign; went to Santa Monica pier and Venice beach; and visited the Getty Center and Griffith Observatory. I discovered that I’m not all that fussed about celebrities and their stars or houses, but it was still cool to be at the heart of the film industry.
The Hollywood sign! Handprints outside the TCL Chinese Theatre Venice beach palm trees
I really enjoyed the Getty Center. It’s a huge art museum designed by Richard Meier which houses a vast collection of art. There is also a beautiful garden designed by Robert Irwin and there are many different views over the city.
The day I visited the Getty I went to a performance of Cats at the Hollywood Pantages theatre in the evening and it was amazing! The theatre is massive and has beautifully ornate decoration.
I also visited the Hollywood Forever Cemetery with some people I met at my hostel. There are many famous people buried there and it is a beautiful and peaceful place.
The seat of power
I split my time in LA with a week in Washington DC. I stayed with the oh-so-lovely Ralph and Orla (family friends) and received a surprise visit from my father (of all people!). We wandered round the National Mall to see the White House and all the monuments, visited the National Gallery, and ate a lot of food!
The White House A new hatThe Jefferson Memorial
We were lucky enough to do a tour of the Capitol and also go up to the dome!! It was an amazing experience to be right up by the painted ceiling and then have a view over the city. I’m so grateful to Ralph and Orla for being such wonderful hosts and I enjoyed seeing the city, meeting my relatives (again), and eating loads of wonderful food!
Planking on the Supreme Court steps for RBGDown the bottom……and up the top!
In San Jose there was a bit of confusion and my plans had to change. I was expecting to volunteer at a school, but was told the organisation don’t send volunteers until March because classes only start in February. There was the option to work at an orphanage or daycare in San Jose, but I felt I couldn’t make much impact in only one week and I wanted to see more of the country.
In the end I decided on a community project working on a farm in the mountains so I could see what Costa Rican life in a small community is like.
La Paz Waterfall
On Saturday I went on the recommended combo tour with my friend Sara and it was really interesting. First we visited Doka Coffee Estate to see how coffee is produced and have breakfast. It was cool to see all the different stages and I learnt that density is an indicator of quality so they use water to separate good beans from bad.
Premium coffee beans
Then we visited Poás volcano and walked to the crater. Apparently it is really impressive, but sadly it was cloudy for the entirety of our 20 minute slot, so all we could see was whiteness.
Can you see the crater?
We ended the tour with a visit to La Paz waterfall and gardens, which was amazing! We had a delicious lunch (at which I ate way too much!), saw loads of animals in the rescue centre zoo, and marveled at the beautiful waterfalls.
Getting up close and personal with the wildlife
Jacó
On Sunday we went to the seaside town of Jacó. It has a reputation for being very touristy, but (given that we are tourists) that didn’t matter too much.
I had found out online about a series of waterfalls you can jump into called Las Pilas. After a bus journey and a bit of difficulty finding a taxi we were dropped off at a random woman’s house and told just to follow the path into the woods. We were both slightly on edge as there was no-one else around, but when we arrived we found a magical spot of peace and tranquility in the woods. Jumping in was really fun and the water was so cool and refreshing.
The only slight hiccup is that at one point I was sitting and slipped down into a pool, hitting my coccyx on a rock. It was very painful and still hasn’t fully recovered, which is very frustrating.
Jump!
In the evening we spent a while on the beach jumping the massive waves (Jacó is famous for surfing) and then spent the night at a hostel.
Agrozapotal
On Monday I got the bus to Miramar, a small town in the Arenal region, and met the daughter of the lady with whom I was going to volunteer. She instructed me to take another bus through the mountains to a smaller town where I would be picked up and driven to an even smaller town (sound remote enough yet?). I arrived in the evening and met the family: Betty runs the farm and works with the volunteers, her husband Chichi has a job in Miramar. There were also three volunteers there and I had been told that two were staying another week, but they all left the morning after I got there.
It was a very interesting experience to spend the week on a farm. I helped feed the animals and clean out their pens, I got to milk the cows and learnt how to make cheese. Life there was a lot more slow-paced than I’m used to and everyone seems more relaxed. Neighbours would pop round for breakfast and one helped us kill and pluck the chickens. I found it relaxing but also slightly lonely.
On Tuesday evening some French tourists arrived. They did a tour of the farm and I discovered that Betty is somewhat of a trail-blazer: she helped start an eco- and agro-tourism project in their town of Zapotal and later received funding to continue the project on her own farm (she was the first woman to manage to get funding for such a project); and she has received many awards and become a role model for female entrepreneurs. She is a lovely woman who cooks amazing food and treated me like one of the family, and I’m glad she has been recognised for her work.
I ended up tagging along with the French group for the rest of their activities. We visited another farm where they grow sugar cane and learnt how they make trapiche (from boiled sugar cane juice) and walked through the fields to an amazing view of the valley and ocean. Then Betty taught us how to cook a traditional Costa Rican dish.
Making trapiche
At the weekend Betty and Chichi took me to a river where their family was gathering to create a dam and pool for a party there the following week. It was an unusual experience to see the inner workings of a Costa Rican family and I’m grateful to the family for being so generous and letting me stay with them.
The way to San Jose
I had one final day in San Jose during which I visited the Jade Museum which contains fascinating displays of many pre-Columbian objects. In my hostel I spent the evening with an interesting selection of people from all over the world before flying to LA.
In the past two weeks I’ve had the chance to explore two cities: Quito (capital of Ecuador) and San José (capital of Costa Rica).
Quito
In Quito I spent a night in the old city before heading to the Galapagos Islands. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting as it was the first city to be granted the status of a UNESCO world heritage site but, whilst there are lots of nice, historic buildings, it was not the most easily accessible and everything closed very early in the evening. However, I did have a lovely, traditional dinner in the old Archbishop’s house in the main square with some friends I met in the Amazon.
The following day didn’t get off to a great start as I tried to go to the Panecillo (there is an angel statue on top of the hill) but it turns out it’s a pretty sketchy area and I was chased away by stray dogs! But I did visit El Campanario, which is a lovely chapel completely covered with gold inside. I also tried to go to the Cathedral, but there was a protest in the main square so I couldn’t go in.
The dancing virgin on El Panecillo
Quilotoa
It’s not actually in Quito, but it’s nearby so I’ll count it! On Tuesday I went on a very long bus journey with some friends I met in the Galapagos to visit Quilotoa crater lake. It was very impressive and the water was a myriad of greens and blues. Walking down to the lake was easy, but walking back up out of the crater was a lot harder due to the altitude and heat. But we managed it and have the pictures to prove it!
The view from the top… … and from the bottom
Cotopaxi
On Wednesday I did a tour to Cotopaxi volcano. I, along with a group of travellers from various countries, was driven to a lovely lodge where we had a good breakfast before making it to Cotopaxi national park. We were driven to about 4000 metres and then hiked to 4864 metres. It was very tough going and sadly there was a lot of cloud so we only got brief glimpses of the volcano, but we made it to the refuge and I found the Irish flag and Union Jack!
Red Army represent!
On the way down we had the chance to take mountain bikes and had a bumpy ride to a small lagoon in the foothills with a nice view of the volcano. We then went to the same lodge for lunch before coming back to Quito.
Can you see the volcano beneath the cloud?
Quito again
During my final day in Quito I did a museum trawl, which I hadn’t had the chance to do yet (I’m a massive museum nerd!). In the morning I explored the National Museum of Ecuador to learn about the country’s history from pre-Columbian to conquest to present day, as well as view some interesting artwork. And in the afternoon I hiked a big hill to reach the Capilla Del Hombre. This humanist Chapel was created by the artist Guayasamín as a testament to pain and suffering to remind us all to strive for peace. The impressive, architectural space is filled with his largest pieces of work (although sadly he didn’t get to finish all the pieces he had intended for the space) and a flame which must be always alight. I also had a tour of Guayasamín’s house in which are exhibited his impressive collection of artefacts and paintings as well as his studio. It was a very enjoyable day.
The dome of the chapel
San José
Now I know the way to San José! I arrived on Friday evening to be greeted by my Mama Tica (the mother of the host family I’m staying with). On Saturday morning I did a walking tour of the city and learnt about the interesting history of the city and country. Costa Rica is one of the most peaceful places in South America: they didn’t actually fight for independence and only found out about it a month after Mexico defeated the Spanish army in 1821 (the news reached them from Guatemala that the Central American Republic was free from Spain). And surprisingly there is no national army, a fact of which Costa Ricans are proud. It is common to hear them say ‘Pura Vida’, which can be used to say hello, goodbye, what’s up, etc. It encapsulates the idea of living simply and happily, not stressing or focusing on the negative. It is a way of life for Costa Ricans and is the reason they have been declared one of the happiest nations on Earth!
¡Pura vida!
After the tour I visited the Museum of Pre-Columbian Gold, which was really interesting, houses loads of golden artefacts and has some cool interactive features. However, I bought a ticket that has combined entrance to 3 museums in the belief that it would be cheaper. But, upon entering the National Museum, learned that students can get much cheaper rates and the ticket was more expensive for me. Despite an annoying series of return journeys to try and get my money back, I was unable to, which is frustrating. So, if you’re a student this is a reminder to ALWAYS ask if there is a student discount!
On Sunday the other girl staying with my host family arrived. She is from Norway and is called Sara. We went into the centre again to meet a Belgian girl who is also attending CRLA (Costa Rican Language Academy). Whilst we waited for her we used a hot tip from my tour guide: to tour the National Theatre you have to pay around $7, but if you go to the cafe you can get a nice coffee for $2 and ask to use the toilets, which are inside the theatre. That way you can have a sneaky peak at the beautiful marble staircases, plush, velvet seats, and the uniquely designed stage (but shhh! don’t tell anyone I told you!).
We then were trying to find things to do and ended up at an indie concert in a place called El Sótano (the basement) despite being above ground. The music was a fusion of reggae, rock and cumbia (a dance style from Colombia), which I really enjoyed. I also loved the bathroom which was covered with rebel stickers, slogans and graffiti, plus it housed a giant bathtub and strange tree!
When the mirror reflects you and your views!
Time to learn
This week I attended lessons at the Costa Rican Language Academy, which I really enjoyed. After a brief oral “exam” on Monday morning I was placed in an advanced class with 2 other students. Our lessons mainly consist of chatting about random things and learning about life in Costa Rica with grammatical points thrown in here and there. We had a very exciting moment on Thursday afternoon when our teacher received a phone call and had to rush off as his wife was having a baby!!
After classes we were able to attend dance classes (in which we learnt Bachata and Salsa!) and I had some meetings to arrange my volunteering project for next week.
More museums
I had another museum day on Friday when Sara and I visited the National Museum. We explored an exhibition on the history of nursing and one about indigenous folklore surrounding animals before embarking on a journey through Costa Rica’s history that was so vast we didn’t have time to get through half the rooms before closing.
Now, I don’t want to speak badly of the city as I’m sure it has lots to offer if you take the time to look, but San José has the reputation of being a stopping place on the way to other parts of the country and I’m inclined to agree. The museums were very good and there are some others, but the city centre is fairly small and my friends and I found it hard to find things to do of an evening. Costa Rica has an amazing array of national parks, beaches, volcanos and cities and whilst the capital is nice to visit for a day or two, I wish I had had more time to see more of the country.
This week I have been on a tour to the Galapagos Islands (also known as the Enchanted Islands) 100km off the coast of Ecuador. I have been with a new group of travellers who are all very lovely and we have done some amazing things! We’ve visited San Cristóbal, Floreana, Isabela and Santa Cruz. We have done lots of snorkeling and swum with sea lions, turtles, sting rays, marine iguanas, sharks, fish and even penguins (which are extremely rare!). We visited the frigate birds and blue-footed boobies on Isla Lobos, went to tortoise breeding centres on Isabela and Santa Cruz, and chilled on many a beach. We climbed up the active Sierra Negra volcano on Isabela, went clubbing on Santa Cruz and walked amongst giant turtles.
Just chilling I’m ready for my close-up!
It has been a crazy, jam-packed week of sun, sand and wildlife and I am so grateful I was able to come here. These islands are so beautiful and fragile, the animals need to be protected. There used to be thousands more animals here, but humans introduced invasive plants and animals which upset the vulnerable ecosystem. There are now laws and projects to protect the islands where Darwin developed his theory of evolution. I would highly recommend visiting if you have the chance, but make sure to come with a respectful and sustainable tour company that will help you to enjoy this magical archipelago without causing damage!
Panoramas
This has been the perfect location to use the panorama feature on my phone and I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.
Darwin Bay (San Cristóbal) Beautiful beach near Isla Lobos (San Cristóbal) La Loberia beach (San Cristóbal) Black sand beach (Floreana) White sand beach (Isabela) Cacti and lava tunnels (Isabela) The giant crater of Sierra Negra (Isabela) Salt plains near Las Grietas (Santa Cruz) Tortuga Bay (Santa Cruz)
I spent another great week at Yana Cocha animal rescue and we had several new volunteers join. There were two Danes and a Swede so we were overrun with Scandinavians! The new volunteer coordinator also started this week. His name is Marc, he’s from Spain and he will be living and working at Yana Cocha for a year.
La entrevista
On Tuesday Inga and I trained one of the eagles. It was amazing to see his progress from last week, he was flying so much better. There was a film crew from an organisation called WEP which wants to advertise the centre to volunteers so they were finding out what it’s like and filming various things. We got chatting and they asked me to do an interview in Spanish, which was quite challenging, but an interesting experience. Look out for me on their website!
Liberation take one (aka chocolate)
On Wednesday we all piled into a van to go to Tamandua and release some animals. However, after driving for 20 minutes on what felt like a school trip the bus ran out of water (not what you want when there’s a giant, angry boa in the back!) so we sat on the side of the road and played poker with stones for chips.
Impromptu poker (which I won!)
The bus was a no-go so we headed back to Yana Cocha. In the afternoon, because we had done double feeding in the morning, Raul took us all to a nearby cocoa plantation to see how cocoa is processed. It was really interesting to see the beans (which apparently absorb flavour from nearby plants) and then the process of drying, separating, churning and freezing, before tasting the end product. The company produces pure cocoa paste in blocks, which were made into a delicious hot chocolate. They also have cocoa powder and we got to try a delicious syrup that comes off the beans as they dry. It was a delicious afternoon!
The beans, powder and paste
Liberation take two (aka success!!)
On Thursday we tried again to go to Tamandua and this time the bus didn’t break down (yay!). After trekking through the jungle we released a honey bear (named Kaya), 5 turtles (which we named after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and the giant boa constrictor (which Christine named Marian, after her grandmother). Christine helped release the boa – well deserved after carrying it all the way – and there was a scary moment when we thought she might come towards us!
Freedom for Marian!
I also spotted a small snake on the path, which our guide hadn’t seen, and asked him about it. We were all told to stand back and it turns out it was extremely venomous and could have killed us. On the way back we quickly ran under the waterfall, which was super refreshing, before making our sweaty way back to the van. One of the girls, who has asthma, was struggling, but through a mixture of team work, perseverance, cheesy motivational quotes and bad singing, we made it to the taxi, which got us back to Yana Cocha 5 minutes after the bus.
Don’t bite my face!
Friday was my last day working at Yana Cocha and it was a sad affair. I was on the monkey round, which is my favourite, and it was amazing to play with the monkeys on Chorongo Island one last time. There is one who normally goes a bit crazy and has become somewhat of a favourite of mine. In the morning he was oddly quiet, but in the afternoon he was being very affectionate and even groomed me, which was amazing.
Yummy!
However, I had a less good experience with the chichicos. Normally the coordinator says the ones in the cage are too aggressive to go in, but one had been moved after a fight so he thought it would be fine. Unfortunately when I went inside one jumped on me and continually bit my cheek, which was not at all pleasant. And in the afternoon the chichicos on the island (which are normally very docile) bit me on the nose! I don’t know why they suddenly had it in for me, but it wasn’t great.
I then did the nocturnal round and ended up feeding a live rabbit to the ocelots, which I did not enjoy either and had not wanted to be the one actually placing it in the cage. However, despite these blips I’ve loved every minute of my time at Yana Cocha and didn’t want to go!
Me with Dory (one of the dogs)
O Sole Mio
On Friday evening the whole gang went out for dinner because two of the volunteers had their birthday this week. We went to an Italian place called O Sole Mío and had some great pizza and a lovely chat. I had to say goodbye to Raul (the coordinator), which was extremely sad. I will miss him and the rescue centre and definitely want to come back some day. Then we had a bit of a party in the kitchen area of Yana Cocha that lasted long into the night.
Baños
On Saturday morning I said my goodbyes after breakfast and went with Johanna to Baños (a popular destination on the way to the Jungle). It is named after the sacred waters said to abound in the area, but we visited the oppositely named Pailón del diablo (Devil’s bowl), got soaked beneath the waterfall, and I tried the local delicacy of a grilled white worm (which was actually quite tasty!). Then we decided to try a zip line and went to one called El Agoyán which takes you 600 metres across a gorge with a beautiful waterfall. I went head first, superman-style, and it was really fun (although not as fast as I was expecting).
The worm!
Next we headed back to town to meet up with some more guys from Yana Cocha who had been working in the morning. We all got the bus up to a viewing point of the volcano that overlooks the town and we had the most beautiful weather. It was so sunny and you could see really clearly. There is a tree house from which they used to monitor the Tungurahua volcano, but now they have installed two swings where you feel like you are flying off the mountain. It was such an amazing experience and a lovely end to a fun-filled day.
Flying!! Tungurahua volcano
In the evening we had dinner at another Italian restaurant and Emma very kindly bought us all dinner as it was her birthday. The following morning we had a dip in the Termas de la virgen, which were a good selection of pools fed by hot springs with a small waterfall right beside it. It was nice and relaxing trying the different temperatures (including the cold plunge!) before saying goodbye and heading off to Quito. I had a great time in Baños and am glad I got to spend the day there.
I set off on my travels last week and, after a long flight to Colombia and then a quick one to Ecuador, landed in Quito (the capital). Being driven to my accommodation we passed through mountains and forest and into the new area of the city.
Not liking to sit still, I decided to head out and do something, despite the jet lag, and chose the teleférico. Starting already part-way up a slope the cable car ride takes about 20 minutes and affords a great view of the city sprawled through a big valley. Then at the top you can hike even higher to the summit of Ruco Pichincha. I set off along the path and suddenly thought I had gotten very unfit, before I remembered it was the extreme altitude making my heart race and my breathing shallow! I didn’t make it all the way to the summit as I had been walking for a few hours when I reached a sign saying 3 more hours to the top and just didn’t have time. However, it was amazing to look over the city as well as seeing llamas, cowboys and using a swing that makes you feel like you are flying over Quito.
The view from the top
Yana Cocha
The following morning I was picked up and driven through more mountains to an animal sanctuary in the heart of the Amazon. It is called Yana Cocha (meaning black lagoon in the local tribal language – Kichwa) and I’m working here for 2 weeks.
My first week has been so cool and I have had so many incredible experiences with the animals. There are lots of other volunteers from countries around the world (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, America, Germany) and we all stay in cabins in the rescue centre. Most of the work is feeding and cleaning, but our coordinator Raul is really funny and you can get up close and personal with several species: the chorongos monkeys climb all over you; birds fly about and sit on your shoulder; the honey bear loves to cuddle (although it was scary when we woke up to it in our room at 2 in the morning); and in quarantine you get to feed all the animals, including a baby deer called Bambi.
We love to cuddle!
I’ve loved feeding all the animals, as well as having the chance to help train an eagle and check a baby piglet that was brought to the centre (sadly with many infections and covered in bugs). The week has also been quite eventful as several animals escaped: the ocelots, the weasel, an aggressive monkey, and the honey bear. Plus, a giant boa constrictor arrived (which I pray doesn’t escape!)
The poorly piglet Eagle training
Puyo
In our free time we can chill by the pool (or the WiFi), play cards with each other and go into Puyo (the nearby jungle town). On Thursday night we went out because it was the last night for one of the volunteers. We went to a club and a bar (where we stuck out like sore thumbs) and chatted to some of the locals. Everything closes at midnight, so it wasn’t a long night, but it was really fun.
Tamandua
Yana Cocha owns a nature reserve called Tamandua where they try to release as many animals as possible. It is part of the national park and covers many hectares. This weekend I am visiting Tamandua with another volunteer and it is spectacular! We arrived yesterday afternoon by taxi and a 40 minute walk through the forest to find beautiful cabins with glass walls affording an insane view over miles and miles of mountainous forest.
Just look at that view!
We had the afternoon to relax and enjoy the view, before dinner and a night walk with our guide, Jorge. We saw lots of insects, frogs and tarantulas, as well as some caimans and it was kinda creepy, kinda cool.
Then this morning we had a demonstration of Kichwa hunting methods and an explanation of different plant properties before we went for a walk through the jungle to a nearby waterfall. It was a really magical experience being able to swim in the waterfall. After a cleansing ritual (having water spat in my face) I got in the cool water and circled beneath the 68m drop, feeling the powerful spray of the water cleanse me properly. We clambered to a small cave beside the falls and received a spiritual cleansing from Jorge (who is a Shaman with the powers of a jaguar) before walking further down the river and then returning to the lodge. Jorge explained to us different rituals from his culture and the fact he gained his powers after spending a year in the jungle by himself!
The majesty of the waterfall
It has been a pretty amazing week and if the rest of my trip is as good, I’ll have an insane few months of travelling!!!
I am currently sat in Heathrow Airport waiting for my gate to be announced so I can fly to Ecuador and begin a 5 month journey through 3 continents, 4 countries, 11 flights and lots of trips! I am extremely excited, but also scared as hell, so I thought this would be a good time to reflect before I travel halfway round the globe.
If you have read my blog before you may know that I recently spent almost 3 months volunteering in Uganda with Voluntary Service Overseas. It was an amazing experience (but not without its challenges) and I think in many ways it has helped make me more independent and prepared for this trip: I learnt to work by myself using my own initiative and dealing with challenging people; I was immersed in a completely different culture with a rich tapestry of music, dance and history, but also some views in opposition to my own; and I found out I really don’t need as many clothes as I thought (I have cut my bag down from 26kg for 3 months in Uganda to 15kg for 5 months in countries with widely varying climates! ).
Since returning to the UK (and a delicious cooked breakfast) I have worked several jobs to save up for this trip and made sure to spend lots of time with friends and family. I worked in a hip new shop in the centre of Brighton (feeling quite out of my depth as a girl who finds most of her clothes in charity shops and couldn’t give a fig what brand they are). I was offered the opportunity to be Early Years Person at a kid’s holiday camp which was an exciting new responsibility and I loved playing with the children and running their activities in the run-up to Christmas. Then I spent two weeks working in a fast food restaurant, which I found surprisingly enjoyable (despite the awful closing shift until midnight with a 12-hour shift at noon the following day!). The people were nice and I learnt how to use a till and be efficient in an extremely fast-paced environment. However, I couldn’t quite align myself with the ethos of the company and vast amount of waste it produces. But, having said that, it did allow me to earn the last bit of cash I needed to reach my budget target and I gained lots of new skills. Plus, I spent a lovely Christmas with my family, went to the cinema, cafés and clubs with my friends and spent lots of time slobbing round the house and watching Netflix.
All in all I guess what I’m trying to say is that whilst I do not feel prepared for 5 months of solo travel (attested to by the fact I was running around the house in a panic 10 minutes before I was meant to leave, trying to sort out all the last minute details), all the experiences I’ve had so far in my gap year have taught me a lot in retrospect and I look forward to this next step in the journey and seeing the person I become. I know that sounds like a cheesy “gap yar” way of saying I’ll “find myself”, which is a bit OTT, but I do think that having so many different experiences is making me more aware of my capabilities and limitations and showing me that I can do things by myself and achieve what I want.
So if any of this is interesting to you, (although I’d be surprised you’re reading this unless you’re one of my awesome friends or relatives checking up on my travels! But welcome and thanks) I am aiming to write a post every week or two so you can follow my journey. Hopefully my experiences may inspire you to go travelling too or at least let you see a little bit of what there is too offer in the big, wide world out there!
This week we have started preparing our handover notes for the next cycle. These are notes explaining the events we did, people we worked with and our suggestions for the next cycle of volunteers. We’re trying to make them as detailed as possible and provide all the information we wish we had known so the next cycle can get working straight away and be as effective as possible.
It’s weird to think we’re going home in a week. In some ways I’m ready for it: I want to see my family, rediscover the things I love about Brighton and the UK, and enjoy Christmas. On the other hand I feel there is so much more we could do here in Hoima and I’d love to be given the chance to continue working. The debate of Hoima vs. Home is playing in my mind (I guess it would be ideal if I could pop home for the weekend and then come back!), but at least I know what we’ve done is worthwhile and I’ve learnt new skills and made new friends that will stay with me long after Uganda is disappearing in the plane window.
Careers fair
The other thing we’ve been working on this week is planning a careers fair for next Monday. Our project is focused on resilient livelihoods, and unemployment (particularly among the youth) is a big issue in Hoima and Uganda in general. To combat this we’re organising a fair with talks about skills needed to apply for jobs, financial literacy, interview training, and stalls for companies to explain their work and discuss employment opportunities with the young people in attendance.
I’ve been visiting company offices to officially invite them and coordinating the logistics for Monday. I’m looking forward to running our final event and giving the community a good send-off.
VSO club launch
On Wednesday the whole team attended the launch of the VSO Club initiative arranged by a group of our volunteers. We took the executive members of the club from St Marks to a demonstration garden in Kasasa where they learnt about how to grow cabbages and watermelons. They seemed very excited and will implement these skills by creating their own vegetable patch at school. As well as learning new skills the club aims to foment inter-school relations, stimulate debate and altruism and provide a point of contact for the next group of volunteers when they wish to run activities in schools.
We mean business
This week also saw the end of the business plan we have been running with two groups. On Tuesday I went to see the business plan pitching by Kinogozi youth group and, although it was mainly in Runyoro, I could tell the speakers were passionate about their ideas. I felt like a judge on Dragon’s Den (except I have no business know-how and couldn’t understand what was being said!).
Then on Saturday I attended the awarding of the prize in Kykaboga (the community displaced by oil companies). The group who won pitched the idea to buy second-hand clothes in bulk and sell them on and they were delighted with having won. The other groups inevitably wanted support as well, but said they were pleased with the training and will participate in the competition run by the next cycle.
Kampala
As we prepared to head home we spent a few days in Kampala at Graceland Hotel. We had to get our work permits (I’m still not sure why we got them at the end of the trip) so got to experience Ugandan bureaucracy!
We were also really lucky to experience a performance of acrobatics and traditional Baganda dancing (the largest region of Uganda). There were some Dutch tourists staying in the hotel who had booked the performance and kindly let us watch. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. First there were musicians and drummers to accompany the Baganda dance in which the performers wear big feather skirts to accentuate their bum shaking. Then some acrobats did flips, tricks and contortions, which were insane. And lastly a youth group from the slums did a narrative dance involving, contortions, fire and human towers. It was so beautiful and they were such impressive performers, even though they were very young. I’m so glad we got to see it and it made a lovely last night in Uganda.
Home sweet home
The following day we all got in a bus and headed to the airport. We said our tearful goodbyes and hopped on a plane. Coming home was an odd experience and my first meal was a full English breakfast (which I had been dreaming of for 2 months!). It was nice to be back with my family for Christmas and I enjoyed being back in Brighton and going for a nice country walk and pub lunch. It was sad to say goodbye to Uganda and the Hoima team, but I have learnt so much and will always carry the memories of the placement with me. I am so grateful to VSO for giving me this amazing opportunity and I would encourage anyone who is interested in volunteering to apply for ICS.
On Monday my team was invited to a meeting organised by Sightsavers International. There were representatives of different disability groups and some government officials. The aim of the meeting was to advocate for more sign language interpreters so that deaf people are able to access public services and functions and to decide on actions that will be taken to achieve that goal. I felt that I didn’t have much expertise or insight to offer, but it was very interesting to hear the points made and the promises made by the ministers.
Kabwoya group formation
On Tuesday afternoon my team travelled to Kabwoya (in the next district over, Kikube) for a group formation training session for 13 individuals who have not yet been supported by Sightsavers. The group seemed very pleased with the training, despite the heavy rain that stopped the session half-way through (tin rooves + rain = lots of noise!) and are looking forward to working with us again. Our team was also happy with how the session went as we have been trying to form a youth group since the start of the cycle. We are the first group of ICS volunteers to work with HUDIP (Hoima Union for Disabled People) so lots of our activities have been laying the ground-work for the next cycle and they should be able to work with the Kabwoya group in January.
Active citizenship day
On Wednesday morning two lots of volunteers did their active citizenship day presentations. This is part of the ICS programme where counterpart pairs run a series of sessions based around a topic to do with international development.
Annie and Daniel led discussions about HIV/AIDS and compared the different perspectives of the disease in Western society and Africa. It was interesting that the Ugandans in no way associated HIV/AIDS with homosexuality as we’re used to that misconception in the UK (more so in the past than now). It was also good to find out during a quiz that our pessimistic guesses for numbers of people affected by the disease were higher than the real figures (36.9 million) and a higher percentage of people infected are aware they have the condition (75%).
Then Jacob, Cairinne and I gave a session on poverty, which created surprising conversations within the group. Some of the Ugandans struggled with the concept that poverty also exists in the UK. There is a definite perception here that white people have lots of money and, even if you explain that our wealth is relative because things are much more expensive in the UK and there are people who have very little money, it seems to be a difficult concept for some people to grasp.
Kabwoya game reserve
On Thursday we went for a team outing to Kabwoya Game Reserve to see the wildlife there. However, we did get stuck at the side of the motorway for a few hours waiting for our project officer to help us get into the park. To be fair at least there was a pretty view of a green valley, but the heat was very intense.
The game reserve itself was great. The scenery was stunning and we saw lots of animals: there were loads of antelope, some half-beasts (similar to antelope but with furrier necks), warthogs and baboons (which were much bigger than I expected). We then had a nice drink in a lodge overlooking the lake from a cliff. The water merged with the sky and seemed to go on forever, the smooth blue broken only by the small black dots of fishing boats way out.
Blurry photo of an antelope (I don’t think my wildlife photography is quite up to scratch!)
Mzungus in a van
A much less pleasant experience came on Thursday afternoon when we visited ‘the landing site’. This was apparently to see the lake closer up, but it was a very busy fishing village with lots of tiny silver fish frying in the sun (which had a very pungent smell and attracted lots of flies). We did manage to meet the chairman to set up a training session for a women’s group in the town. However, most of the UK volunteers stayed in the van because lots of people crowded around to see the mzungus and it was quite intimidating. They kept calling out, staring, hitting the van (some with hammers), and trying to poke them through the windows (sometimes with sticks).
It sounded very unpleasant and, although I understand it’s unusual to see white people especially in a small, rural village, I don’t get the mentality whereby they become some sort of attraction to gawk at.
Livelihoods fair
On Friday evening a group of us stood in the back of a truck with a big speaker and banner to promote our livelihoods fair the following day. It was really fun to try and hand flyers to people passing by, but slightly scary to be on a moving vehicle. Daniel from our team made announcements in English and the man in charge of the speaker announced in Runyoro (the local language) apparently saying “Come and see the mzungus”. Although people seemed interested it didn’t help actually get people to the event.
On Saturday everything went surprisingly smoothly: the tents were in place, all the groups we invited arrived on time to set up their stalls and we got the speakers ready. We were just missing people to come and look around! In the end we had to stand on the street and entice passers-by to come and look at the stalls and through this managed to get a fair amount of people. We had invited the groups we work with to display their businesses, sell products, and give people information, as well as the vocational training institutes to inform people about available courses. Although it got off to a rocky start the event was a relative success.
Getting ready to hand out flyers from the truck!
Breakfast Jam
On Sunday I went to Kampala (the capital) with my team leader, Torom, to go to Breakfast Jam – a hip hop dance competition. Torom is a reporter for Humans of Uganda and was invited to photograph and report the event so we both got snazzy media passes (which I felt like an imposter wearing!).
My media pass!
There were lots of reporters and hip (hop) people there (which I most definitely am not) so I felt a bit out of my depth at first, but once the competition got going the atmosphere was so friendly and I loved it! There were a surprising amount of white people there (including DJ Snuff from Ireland) and it was the most diverse crowd I’ve seen since being in Uganda. The structure for the competitions consisted of various dance battles and eliminations where the breakers and poppers showed off their moves.
First there was a kids’ competition, which was very sweet and impressive, and then the women’s final which was called ‘Big girls’. I was surprised to find two of the female finalists were Finnish and one of them won the competition. A judge for the main event was also from Finland so I guess they may have a link with a Ugandan club.
The aforementioned main event is the men’s break dance competition called ‘7 to Smoke’. The premise is that one dancer starts and the other seven stand in a queue to compete in a dance battle. Whoever wins stays and whoever loses joins the back of the queue. It lasts for 25 minutes and whoever won the most dance-offs wins overall. The dancing was so impressive with head stands, spins, flips and many other moves I can’t even name. The winner – Bosa – was insane and is going to represent Uganda at an international competition in Taiwan.
Then there were semi-finals for the popping competition, which was super cool and I loved the bold fashion choices of the competitors, especially the great array of hats. Sadly, we missed the final as we had to get back to Hoima, but I had picked my bet for who would win.
The dance competitions were interspersed with a variety of performances: judges’ showcases, an African drumming band, rappers from the UK and Uganda, a break-dance trio, a teen dance crew, and a very cute little Asian girl who danced with her coach. Lots of people crowded round the dance floor and whooped and cheered the performers with a resounding cry of “No way!” for the best dancers. Even a couple of power cuts didn’t stop the party! It’s one of the best events I’ve been to and I’m so glad I got to go.
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