There's no denying it, these bloggers are bound to make you jealous. Whether it's their guts, their energy or their tan you admire, overseas volunteers have got plenty to share with you about their remarkable work in fascinating countries. Read on to find out what you could be missing.

All | Ashley | Jonathan | James | Fiona | Emily | Dana | Selina | Lucy | Sally | Lucille

Tuesday Jul 28, 2009

New York and it's time to go home!

With the 21st of July came the time for me to leave Mexico, after a month of being there I was quite sad to be leaving the place, after having gotten so used to the seemingly nationwide friendly and laidback approach to life, I was really going to miss it! I was and still am sure that I will return there some day though, so I set my mind on the next couple of days, and seeing New York instead.

I had never been to the US before (other than on my journey out that is, and airports don't really count) so I was pretty excited at getting a look around the Big Apple for the first time. We only had one actual full day to spend in the city, but we crammed plenty in, buying tickets for those "hop-on hop-off" open top bus tours (around £40) like they have in London and other cities in the UK, which lasted for 48 hours so we were sorted for transport for the whole of our stay!

So firstly, we got on the bus and listened to the tourguide until we reached the stop for the Statten Island ferry, which is free and gives great views of the Statue of Liberty, although there's really not much to do actually on Statten Island, you can just get the free return back again! Then we walked over to the Liberty/Ellis Island ferry, as our bus tickets included free entry onto this ferry as well, and went over to get a closer look at Lady Liberty. Got to admit, she wasn't as big as I thought she would be, but still really impressive! Was a great sunny day when we were there so we stayed and wandered around the tiny island for a little bit just to enjoy the weather really. Unfortunately, you have to book about 3 months in advance to go up the statue now, as it's been so busy since they re-opened it for entry, but it's still great just to go over and see it up close anyway!

Then we got back on the bus tour (which are great by the way, although it largely depends on the guide) and then wandered around Central Park, as we were in a hotel that was only about 2 blocks away from the South end of the park. The park was maybe my favourite part of New York, completely man-made it's a real escape from the bustling city, and yet it's always busy as well, filled with people jogging and cycling and just generally relaxing as well. It just felt strange to see all this wildlife, in the middle of such a giant city, but it's obviously really appreciated by everyone who lives there, unlike loads of the parks in the UK.

Anyway, one bit of advice for anyone going to New York, go up the Empire State Building at night! We went at midnight (it's open until 2am) and firstly, the bright city lights are beautiful to see, but also and maybe more importantly, there was barely any queue! During the day we had seen the queue outside the Empire State Building stretching right around the block (bearing in mind there's miles of queues inside the building as well), yet at night we were able to walk almost straight up, with only a short queue near the lifts. Definitely a great experience (and Empire State entry was included in the bus tickets too).

The next day we decided to check out the uptown loop of the bus tour, which unfortunately wasn't altogether exciting so we got off and wandered around the Northern side of Central Park instead, before spending our last hour or so in the Central Park Zoo. It costs $10 for entry, and although it's pretty tiny, it is a nice place to visit with lots of animals to see including two Polar Bears and some proper show-off Sea Lions! Of course after working in a monkey sanctuary last summer, I always love seeing the monkeys, so I thought it was a great way to spend the last little while we had in the city. But with that, it was time to get to the airport and head home!

So after a 7 hour overnight flight, I eventually arrived home again. I loved every minute of Mexico and really enjoyed New York too (finding it much less busy, and much more friendly than movies portray it to be), but I have to admit I'm glad to be home again. 5 weeks away from my boyfriend has been really tough, and I'm not sure if I've ever grinned more than when I saw him waiting at the airport! He's been really supportive the whole time, and I guess knowing he was on the other end of a phone line really helped me anytime I felt things were tough at the Refugio in Puerto Vallarta. I guess voluntary work (especially abroad) is always a bit tough, and you need to be confident and a bit brave to go it alone, but it really does help when you have people at home who support you with it, whether they realise they're helping or not.

So with that, I guess I'm finished! My time in Mexico will stay with me forever, and I really hope I will go back some day, especially to see the children at the Refugio. It's encouraged me to take up a proper Spanish course as well, so hopefully in future if I go back I will be able to speak to them properly. So until next time, adios! Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 11:40 AM )
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3 little days in Cancun...

Ok, so that last blog was so long that I felt the need to have a whole day's rest...sorry for blabbering on for so long it's just that I love travelling around!

Right, so with Chichen Itza done with, we then took the long straight road back to Cancun, where we had booked to stay in a really nice hotel for the last 3 days of Mexico. We were staying in the Hotel Zone which is basically a tiny strip of an island joined by a road on either end to the real Cancun. It is completely tourist orientated with massive 5-star resorts along the whole 20km stretch of it which to me, was a bit daunting! A completely different experience than staying in my local Mexican apartment in Puerto Vallarta. I have to admit I'm not a fan of the Cancun hotel zone, which is designed to make you stay in your hotel really! There are restaurants and shopping plazas around, but not many in relation to the number of hotels and they are pretty spread out as well. Also, it is insanely expensive! So if you're on a budget, I'd say steer clear or head to Downtown Cancun instead, where prices will be cheaper.

I couldn't bear the thought of staying in the hotel for my few days in Cancun, so instead, I went scuba diving (the diving in the Caribbean was far better than on the Pacific Coast by the by - more varied largely thanks to a massive coral reef near to the coast) and also zip-wiring, again. The zip-wiring was a bit more timid this time as it was just between trees with the absence of the mountains they had in Puerto Vallarta, as the whole of the Yucatan Peninsula is extremely flat, but they make up for it by letting you do it upside-down (AMAZING FUN) or on your stomach like Superman! For our last day in Mexico, we had booked to go swimming with whale sharks (aka basking sharks) as a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it was incredible! 30 miles or so out into the ocean, and there was at least 50 of these massive things swimming about, totally oblivious to or just not bothered by our company. They only eat plankton so it's totally safe - although I'm sure their mouths are big enough they could quite easily have swallowed me - and you get to swim right up beside them as long as you don't touch them. I really would recommend going to something like that because it was so amazing to see these creatures and in their natural habitat unlike a lot of the swimming with dolphins tours they run now, although it definitely wasn't cheap at $190 each! Definitely a fantastic way to end Mexico though.

So anyway, although I wasn't so keen on the Hotel Zone in Cancun, I have to admit that the massive tourist trade definitely helps to make up for it, with no shortage of activities and outings to go on if, like me, you don't relish the idea of just lazing by the pool and never leaving your hotel when staying somewhere. With the caribbean sea and the second largest coral reef in the world right on your doorstep, it's a great place for scuba diving, snorkelling, or just any trips which involve a boat! There's also chances to take trips down to places like Tulum (Mayan ruins on the beach) or Cobá (another impressive ruins site) if you're into that, and nature reserves are nearby as well. So all in all, I did love Cancun as well, though if I ever return I'll definitely be staying in Downtown, for a more 'Mexican' experience, rather than the far-removed clinical world of the Hotel Zone, where you might not even realise you were in Mexico! Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 11:00 AM )
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Adios ninos

Well today has been heart wrenching! My last day working in the refugio, and I am of course really sad to be leaving the kids. It is impossible to stop yourself from getting attached to them, so saying goodbye today was really hard, especially when with an eclectic mix of Spanish words, and miming an aeroplane they understood what I was trying to say, and their faces fell!

I will never forget my times at the refugio, or any of the children there, its hard to think that I might not be able to come back again - but who knows what the future holds! Though I was very careful not to make any promises. Especially as for the last few days, one of the youngest girls - Lucy - has taken to calling me Mama, no matter how many times I told her "no!", it simultaneously hurts and is comforting to think that they will most likely forget about me within a couple of weeks when it comes to situations like that! I know that I couldn’t help becoming attached, but I am still angry at myself for letting her become too attached as well, with a turbulent past already behind her at such a young age, she doesn’t need me to add to the confusion.

I have to admit that this placement has been really hard! We have received a lot of time off, but working 4-5 hour shifts in this heat has always been trying, and facing temper tantrums was always a bit daunting! Especially as some of the kids had conditions such as ADHD, and also just with the language barrier meaning that I often found it hard to figure out what was wrong in the first place, or to explain to a child why I was stopping them from doing something! Also the staff have not been altogether supportive or appreciative of any of the volunteers, which has been quite hurtful! Never mind the fact that they would often use the volunteers by making us do the tasks they didn’t want to do... one volunteer was even made to clean the bathrooms and unblock the toilets when they broke, staying 2 hours after her shift was meant to end! However, cheesy as it is I have to admit it is true, that anything I had to endure during my stay here has been totally made worth it, purely by the way the kids faces would light up and they would shout "Fiioooonaaa!" each day when they first saw me, and how they would come and cuddle me while watching tv before bedtime.

I will miss the kids so much, and I doubt they will be far from my thoughts for a long time, they have a good chance at life thanks to the refugio, which offers many of them the chance to attend private schools, and they are never short of food or toys there. Many of these children have come from terrible backgrounds so it is a great job that the refugio and those who work there do, and I am so glad to have been a part of it and contributed at least a little bit to their lives.

So now I am about to set off on the second part of my adventure, and travel east towards firstly Chichen Itza, and then Cancun before hitting New York on my way home...hopefully I will get a chance to update on that part of my trip soon, until then...Adios! Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 10:39 AM )
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Monday Jul 27, 2009

Last days in PV/Chichen Itza

Well hello there... Readily accessible internet was not so easy to find as I thought it would be during my travelling and last 2 weeks in Mexico, so I thought I'd use two blogs now to fill you all in on what I got up to!

I filled my last couple of days In Puerto Vallarta with fun activities as I hadn't really taken too much advantage of the tourist trade available there - plus I had been living pretty cheaply and somehow had managed to have more money than I expected to have by this time! Puerto Vallarta is surrounded by jungle high up in the mountains, and is actually pretty nearby to where the Predator film (you know you love Arnie really) was shot, so I decided to take a trip up there and go on one of the many zip-wire courses they have up there! If you've never been zip-wiring before, I absolutely recommend it, there's nothing quite like looking around as you zoom over the tops of trees and suddenly see the ground fall away to reveal a large canyon and see the waterfall that you're about to abseil down! Maybe not for the faint-hearted or those scared of heights, some of the zips were over 300ft drops, but I completely loved it!I also decided to try some scuba diving while I was there, as I had only been once before 4 years ago (an experience which ended with my ears in agony and me generally not being too impressed). Luckily, this time round was a lot more fun!

I decided not to go back to the refugio as I had already said goodbye to the kids and didn't want to confuse them - though it felt really harsh at the time, I'm still pretty sure that it was the better choice. So, finally my time in Puerto Vallarta came to an end, as I set off for Chichen Itza! We actually had to get a flight to Mexico City first, and then a connecting flight to Cancun where we picked up a hire car and then drove the straight (and almost empty) 2 and a half hour road to reach Chichen Itza (the 8th modern wonder of the world apparently) deep in the Yucatan peninsula.

If you ever go to Chichen Itza, I highly recommend staying at the Archeological Villas, the accommodation originally used to the archeologists who first came to excavate the ancient Mayan site, which has now been turned into a lovely hotel, quieter and more modest than it's rivals, this hotel has real charm and is generally more interesting than staying at some purpose-built-for-tourists-package-holiday kind of hotel which are so common these days. (I promise I'm not employed by them, I just really liked it there!)

The ruins at Chichen Itza are of course amazing, especially to a big history student nerd like me. They are brilliantly preserved and there are boards with information about each of the structures in Spanish, Mayan and English all over the site, although it is just as interesting to just wander around the site without reading the information. The only thing which disappointed me with Chichen Itza was their famous light show they do at night, in which they supposedly re-create the optical illusion which naturally occurs there twice a year at the spring and autumn equinoxes in which serpents appear to be slithering up the central pyramid structure. I can tell you now, they've either stopped doing this or they never did, because it certainly isn't featured now! The show is really just disappointing all round, basically just lighting the buildings up in different colours with terrible commentary alongside it, so really not much to rave about.

However, there are lots of other things to do around Chichen Itza as well, besides lazing around in the beautiful sunshine they get there, and as we were there for a couple of days, we decided to take the car for a drive, as it was a lot less stressful, a lot quieter and a lot safer to drive around Mexico than we were expecting, with strict speed limits, long straight roads, and the Green Angels, a government funded service which provides tourists with road-side assistance in case of emergencies. First we ventured to Valladolid, a nearby city which appeared to be half empty! It had a lovely town square in the center and some nice cafes so it was a nice trip...but not altogether interesting nor exciting. On another day we went over to Isamel, also known as the Yellow Town, as a lot of the buildings are painted yellow! Apparently the best time to see the Yellow Town is at sunset to get the whole effect of this glowing yellow town, but we couldn't really stay the night there and it's dangerous to drive in Mexico after dark so we just had to make do with the afternoon. We took a horse and carriage tour of the town which cost M$200 (around £10 for 3 of us) and lasted about half an hour or more which was really nice in the sunshine. Our guide showed us the main buildings in the town and also some old Mayan ruins which still survived, one of which was abolutely massive, it would have been at least twice the size of the main building at Chichen Itza in its time! Pretty interesting to see, Isamel displays the way in which the indigenous cultures "merged" with the Spanish Conquistadors' as the town church is in face built over the ruins of an old Mayan structure, which was destroyed in order to make way for the Church as a demonstration of power, and modern Isamel definitely has the appearance of a very Spanish town.

The Chichen Itza area itself is also a great place to spend time, surrounded by the wildnerness it is great for walking around, but I preferred the lazy option and went horseriding to see the scenery instead! Mexican horseriding is a lot easier than most styles so really anyone can do it, and it's a great way to see the jungle, and you even get to see a dry Sinkhole (loads of them are dotted across the Yucatan and they're really quite impressive) and if you're a bit of an idiot like me, you can even swing about on one of those vines that Tarzan used! Maya World Hotel (right beside the Chichen Itza ruins entrance) advertise these horse treks and will happily book you onto them even if you don't stay at the hotel (like me).

So that was Chichen Itza! Lots of fun and perhaps my favourite place that I visited in Mexico, if you're ever in Cancun you should definitely take a trip over to see it. Fi.

 

Posted by Fiona ( 3:19 PM )
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Friday Jul 03, 2009

A word on the actual work!

Holaaa, I was reading through some of my other posts and realised I havent really talked very much about what I actually do at the orphanage yet! Well, its my day off today and its raining just now so I thought I would give a brief run-through:

On normal days I turn up at the refugio a little before 3.30pm, and head down to the courtyard type area where most of the kids usually are, on weekdays there is only the very young ones as the others head to school during the afternoon and return around 6. So I go in and bascially play with them, sometimes on the junglejim and in the den-house, sometimes just carrying them round (Alejandro demands this nearly everytime I walk in, as does Michelle and even Teresa...who really is a bit big for it now, but I guess I can view it as a workout), I also often just sit and try to talk to the children, mainly in Spanish as they take great joy in trying to teach me and I can understand a lot of what they say now...though I can rarely answer properly! We also do lots of art stuff, mainly just drawing and colouring in though as theyre not often allowed to play with glue or paint as the nuns (who run the place overall) tell me it is too messy, though I think they are rather strict and it is also just part of the discipline!

At 5 the kids get their dinner, which can be anything from bread with sugar toasted on top, to chocolate cake, to soup! They have some very strange dinners, often sugar-filled, but I guess as they run on donations it depends on whatever they have been given, and whatever they can afford to buy for each meal. The kids do also get  lots of milk and fruit though, so it isnt all bad. After that its playtime for the kids again as the volunteers help to do the dishes, wipe down and stack away the tables and chairs (mucky wee pups they are!) and also sweep and mop up the floor, before heading out to interact with the kids some more until its time to start getting them bathed. This part of the shift can be a nightmare, getting them in to the small bathroom, stripped and into the large sink we use to shower them, out of there again, dried and put into pyjamas (and almost all of them wear nappies too which surprised me). This may not sound so bad, but many of the kids start wailing as soon as they are in the bathroom, and try their very hardest not to cooperate in the slightest in the whole process...also Pearlita will often decide to grab the shampoo and pour almost half out before rubbing it in her hair, which then takes ages to rinse out, meanwhile Jose seems to love grabbing the shower hose and soaking all the volunteers! A shock I wasnt expecting the first time I bathed him! The lucky volunteers will be upstairs at this stage bathing the 5 youngest children, a much easier task!

Then its time to watch tv for around a half hour, and many of the kids will come and cuddle you and sit on your lap and fall asleep then before being taken off to bed at 7.30...

So theres a bit more insight into the work I have been doing here! Not a long shift, but pretty tiring! Especially in this Mexican heat... Anyway, thats all for now, I am in my last week at the orphanage now so will soon update on my last few days and those final goodbyes which are going to be so hard! Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 7:41 PM )
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Monday Jun 29, 2009

Short update...

Hey Hey Hey! Just me again, thought I would take a little time to write a short update today, before I head to work in a little while. There are lots more volunteers just now with 5 arriving over the weekend incuding my two friends that I met over Facebook, and still more to come, although 3 are leaving in the next couple of days! It will be really sad to see them go, and they all say it will be agony leaving the kids, I am not looking forward to saying goodbye to them myself!

Anyway, now that there are more volunteers around, we have a set rota which we organise each week, allowing everybody to choose their fair share of shifts (now only a short 4 hours compared to 5 hours before!), so today I am in at 1 until 5, whereas most other days I do 3.30 until 7.30. As you can tell, this makes for a lot of free time which is really nice for us all! Though I think during my last few days I will try to go in lots to see all the children before I leave, especially those favourites you cant help yourself from having! (By the by, mine are Jonathon, Alejandro, Lucy and Judy!) It really is very hard not to form favourites here and to become really attached to the kids, so I cant imagine what it will be like once it is time to go!

With all this time off it is good that Puerto Vallarta offers so much! There is plenty of culture around to be seen, with music played constantly everywhere, and artwork often on display and for sale down near the beachfront. Although this is often swamped in tourist attractions, which I have to admit are fun as well! I have already been parasailing here and also plan to take a trip on the pirate boat, which runs daily with all inclusive food and drinks, an acrobatic show and fireworks following the beautiful sunsets here. Well that is about all I have to say for now... Speak soon! Fi.

PS. The weather definitely got better!! Mon the sunshine!

Posted by Fiona ( 4:48 PM )
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Tuesday Jun 23, 2009

Settling in

Hi again well I have now been here for a few days and really starting to get a feel for that place, a lot of relaxing, unfortunately not in lots of sunshine as it is now the start of the rainy season here in Mexico! Still nice and hot though, and nice enough weather to have been exploring Puerto Vallarta a little bit. It is a lovely place with a mix of old and new, with traditional culture meeting the tourist attitude, as loads of Americans come here on holiday in the same way that many Brits head to Spain in the summer.

I have been playing with the kids at the orphanage lots now and really starting to get to know them better, all of them are absolutely adorable and really appreciate having volunteers there to play with. Its not all fun and games though, meal times can be insanely messy! Also, I can now say that I have put a nappy on a baby/child for the first time! In fact I must have put about 8 on yesterday on different children! Now that I have been here a few days Im really starting to get into the routine, mostly heading to the orphanage in the afternoons, around 3 until 8pm to see the kids into bed. So just a short update really to mention the work ive been up to, two volunteers i have been talking to on facebook for several weeks now are arriving on thursday which should be nice as i will finally get to meet them in person! (So, another hint if you are heading off alone and a little nervous, check facebook or other social networking sites for groups for your placement or voluntary organisation to talk to others who will be there at the same time before you go!)

Anyhoo, until next time... adios! Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 4:48 PM )
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Sunday Jun 21, 2009

And so it begins...

Well, I have now arrived in Mexico...still pretty bewildered and overwhelmed at the moment, but enjoying it nonetheless! The week of preparation came and went without hiccups, and on Friday morning I set off to the airport to catch my 8 hour flight to New York where I stayed the night, and praised the 5 hour jetlag which allowed me to get up at local time 4.30am with no trouble at all to head off for my next flight to PV.

First of my troubles only arrived once I was at Puerto Vallarta airport, where the man who was meant to pick me up was late, and with no contact number written down I was left feeling completely abandoned! Thanfully he turned up shortly after, although then revealed that he did not know where I was meant to be staying, and so took me straigh to the orphanage, which seemed fine until I saw there were no other English speaking volunteers there at the time... so I was left to my own devices to play with the kids wh are absolutely gorgeous by the way! After about 20 minutes some girls did show up though (even though they normally didnt do Saturday afternoons) and sorted me out, so at least it all ended well.

So today is my day off to relax and get to know the place...hopefully soon i will figure out how to do apostrophes on this keyboard, until then please excuse me! Anyway, the internet cafe is really close to the flat so hopefully I will be in touch again soon. Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 11:02 AM )
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Wednesday Jun 17, 2009

Hello, my name is...

Fiona! A 19-year old Scottish student about to head to Mexico for 5 weeks starting next weekend. I normally spend my days in dreary Aberdeen, so you may guess that I'm rather happy at the prospect of Mexican heat for 5 weeks of my summer – you wouldn't be wrong!

After loving 3 weeks of South Africa working in a monkey sanctuary last summer, I have more confidence to head further afield, for a longer period this year. I'll be working in an orphanage in the largely tourist-orientated town of Puerto Vallarta, on the Pacific Coast. I plan to work at the orphanage (and hopefully venture to the disabled children's centre nearby, as well as visit the local school) for three weeks, before heading east across Mexico towards Cancun, and spend 3 days in New York City before finally heading home to Sunny Old Scotland.

Now I'm sure you've all heard about the recent Swine Flu 'Crisis'. Maybe you think I'm slightly crazy to still be planning on heading to the reported origin of the virus. However, since the WHO dropped their advice against "non-essential travel", all systems are go! Though it has helped to make me more aware of the health precautions I should be taking, the hysteria over the virus appears to be the bigger obstacle! When I first visited the doctor 6 weeks prior to travel, I was informed to not even consider going! Following this set back, I couldn't get another appointment for 2 weeks – ah bless the NHS – at which point I was scolded for having left it so late! Finally seeing the travel nurse, I was again scolded,  and given yet another appointment to receive the vaccinations needed. The moral of this and the first of my advice... see the doctor early, sometimes the recommended 4-8 weeks before travel isn't enough!

So with that all out of the way... The clothes! Important as they are...remember that it's best not to take a rucksack filled solely with bikinis, shorts and summer dresses! Weather conditions can be pretty unexpected, so it's best to check average weather conditions before you go! I learned this the hard way last year, taking only one warm jumper to South Africa to then be met with the long cold nights of their winter, and no central heating! Mosquito repellents are essential in many hot countries, particularly within malaria danger zones (in which case anti-malarial drugs are also essential so please seek advice from your doctor, alongside other precautions against biting beasties).  Also on a health note, sun cream! I won't bang on about skin cancer, but please just remember it! If you fancy lots of activities during time off from your voluntary work, remember to take suitable clothes and shoes with you – hiking in flip-flops = bad idea. Also, adaptor plugs and microfiber travel towels are amazing.

So that's me and that's my plan! Hopefully the next week doesn't bring any hiccups... Fi.

Posted by Fiona ( 10:10 AM )
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