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.

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Friday Apr 11, 2008

I will never forget

On the Monday we started the work on the trenches and laying the pipes; the humidity was almost unbearable at times, which made it a real challenge to mattock out the dry ground beneath us, but the locals helped out and really showed us how it was done! We spent every lunch time under the shade of a large fruit tree, where the families arrived with our lunches and we waited until the midday heat had died down before starting work again. Due to it being the last phase, we really wanted to get the water project completed, so we put as many hours we could into making sure it would be done in time. During this time, we also went round and met the other families, and had many gatherings and treats given to us - it was really moving how grateful they were for us being there. Our dad, Javier, also treated us to a special Sunday meal by killing the pig that they had been feeding up for a few months. I awoke to him at the end of my bed urging me to come into the kitchen, only to see it hanging upside down from the roof, completely skinned - definitely a moment I will not forget!

Thankfully, just the day before we left, we finished at about 10am and had the water running. It was such a relief to see the water come out of the tap - it was travelling down a 9km pipe all the way up from the springs of a mountain - and the locals were even more pleased to see it. That evening, people from miles away came for the final party, and it ended up being a really special night. Our family gave a speech to both me and Alex, saying how much they will miss us and that we are like family to them; our Spanish had also improved considerably by this time, and were able to write a letter (with the help of a dictionary) about how much they meant to us also. Upon leaving that morning, it was very upsetting to see them leave. Not only had I became so close to the family, but to all the other locals as well - even the children, who were always keen to try and learn English and play games with you. Most of our group were in tears, and I had a few of my own admittedly; it was just such an incredible experience, I can't even describe it. The way they loved us and looked after us will never be forgotten, and I promised them that if I can I will one day come back and visit. It was an amazing end to an amazing expedition I've had with Raleigh. The people I've met, the things I've done and the places I've seen will never be forgotten; we are all so lucky to have had this opportunity.

Posted by James ( 9:52 AM )
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The final phase

Once I had arrived back from my trek and fully recovered from my illness and bleeding feet the 3rd phase was soon underway. Mine was community - I got Los Lores, a very remote Nicaraguan village. It was probably the most nervous I have felt about all the phases, purely due to the fact that you live with a family for 3 whole weeks and one other person who hardly speak Spanish at all. The actual project was laying pipes, as they had no clean running water; the only thing they had was a river 15 mins walk away, that wasn’t clean and quite dangerous. We had a 2 day bus ride in an American school bus before we arrived at the village, only to be greeted by all the locals. We quickly got introduced to our families and were taken back to theirs, where they fed us and showed us where we were sleeping. I was paired with another lad called Alex, who thankfully knew as much Spanish as me! Within the space of that night, we had such a laugh with our family at learning the language and hearing all about their community that we both felt straight at home. Because we had arrived at the start of Easter, there were also many celebrations that were underway, which were they were keen to get us involved in - they took us to this beautiful part of the river where we swam, went to the church service and then that even had a fiesta where we danced until the early hours. It was an absolutely amazing start to our phase and it was soon to get better.

Posted by James ( 9:46 AM )
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