Ed's Argentinian Adventure

COUNTRY: Argentina
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Sustainable Projects
WRITTEN BY: Ed Spiller

The day would begin as all bad mornings do, a phone alarm. Whispering lo siento (sorry) to my Argentinian room mates, I climb of my top bunk (or roll off depending on how late the night was before).

The frustrating action of being unable to find the perfect temperature of the shower continues until I realise I need to head off to spanish classes. I´ll grab some toast and put on what I think is jam but suspect is coloured pure sugar in jam form. The subway trip to class can be too packed to get on, but sometimes you´ll be delighted to find a peformer, with a guitar and occasionally a pan flute, all it needs is some Tango and you´ve found the essence of Argentina on the subway. When I get into town, Spanish classes begin. The classes are classes, poeple reading this may be thinking about taking a gap year to Argentina and are currently sick of being in school, so I won´t delve into details. All I´ll say is that I step outside and immediately use my Spanish when I still haven´t needed to apply trigonomic equations to any part of my life. After Spanish classes usually involves exploring the city grabbing some delicious empanadas, the national on the go meal of Argentina and the only thing that gives the aussie meat pie a real run for its money, while taking in the sights of Buenos Aires. I´ve been able to tick off one of my lifetime goals of visiting the biggest cathedral in Buenos Aires, El Bombanera stadium, home of Boca Juniors and next to a really good empanada shop. If you´re not into the whole "when in Rome" thing, the pituresque La Boca area is still a must visit for all gringos. Gringos is the Argentinian slang word for foreigners, I have absolutely no clue if it´s insulting or not but all I know is that as much as I try, locals can pick me out as one way too easily. I guess my rank amateur spanish has something to do with it, I guess the only way is up. . After a busy day, I´ll return to the hostel that has become my home in Buenos Aires. Even though the wifi is slow and unreliable it´s become a place to relax and get the local Argentinians to do my spanish homework for me when I´m feeling sick and tired of the wierd sounding double L´s.

5 things I got out of my Peru UniBreak

COUNTRY: Peru
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Construction
WRITTEN BY: Brielle Spicer

Top 5 things I got out of my Antipodeans Abroad UniBreak:

   1.   Memories 

As cliché as it sounds, I have made so many memories that will truly last a lifetime. From simply making a child smile; to experiencing the suffocating smells of petrol, dirt, raw meat, and a hint of dog poo while walking down any street; to exploring all the weird and wonderful places this country has to offer such as Lake Titicaca.

   2.   The confidence to travel anywhere in the world
This trip has given me the confidence to travel to any country in the world and feel safe, independent and able to navigate my way around. I have survived in a country where I can't speak the language, and where the culture is dissimilar to Australia in every way possible. I have managed to order food, walk the streets alone without getting lost, and interact with the locals (mostly) successfully. My UniBreak has given me a taste for adventure and whet my appetite to see more of the amazing world in which we live!

   3.   I have learnt how to deal with crazy dogs, aggressive people trying to sell me stuff, and locals staring at us like stunned mullets

The way to deal with all of these is the same: ignore them. Stray dogs line the streets here, as do locals trying to sell you some souvenir hat or entice you into their restaurant. Tourists really do stand out here as they are few and far between; locals often stare and will try to charge us more for goods than they would Peruvians.

   4.   A taste for new and different foods

Granadilla, kiwicha, manjar blanco, mazorra, picarones, all different kinds of potatoes... The list goes on! We all agree that we are going to miss the amazing food here that you just can't get back home.

   5.   The ability to bargain hunt and barter

Traveling on a student budget has forced me to be savvy, and to seek out the best deal on anything and everything. The people here are fierce salespeople, especially towards tourists, but I am now not afraid to say no if something is out of my price range. There is nothing worse than buying something, and then 10 minutes later seeing the exact same thing for a lower price. Looking around and inquiring at a number of stores, hotels, restaurants, even taxis - as opposed to just going to the first one that catches your eye - is a good way to find the best deal.

All in all, this UniBreak has been a once in a lifetime experience - a month that has gone way too fast - in a country worlds apart from our own.

A typical day in Cuzco

COUNTRY: Peru
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Construction
WRITTEN BY: Brielle Spicer

Life in Cusco is as hectic as the roads. We are going non-stop, but loving every minute!

A typical day goes something like this...

7.30am: Wake up to the sunlight streaming in from every angle and dogs barking like mad. The view is so stunning we have to pinch ourselves every morning; even after being in Cusco for over a week we still can't believe we are actually here.

8.00am: Eat a beautiful breakfast served by our host mother. Usually, this consists of organic bread with cheese, butter, jam, an omelette or fried banana, with homemade coffee, hot chocolate or fruit smoothie. Meal times in Gaby's house are always a treat. All the foods are so fresh, most homemade... None of that instant coffee powder or plastic McDonalds cheese!

9.00am: Enjoy a cup of Mate de Coca, tea made from coca leaves. It is drunk frequently to help reduce the extreme effects of the altitude. And also because it is kinda delicious.

9.30am: Leave for Pumamarca school. We have to catch a taxi with our in-country partner, Nico, as there is no other way (except on foot) to get to the school so high up in the mountains. Usually, us volunteers opt to sit in the boot of the taxi. It's such a novelty for us- but the norm in less populated areas- to fit as many people as possible into one car. Once we had nine people in one average sized car: 2 people squished in the front passenger seat, 3 in the middle, 3 in the boot and of course the driver. (Don't freak out mum, we're perfectly safe!)

10.00am: Arrive at the school and prepare la ensalada de frutas (the fruit salad). We divide up the biggest fruit salad I have ever seen among almost 100 bowls. The children are served this along with some crackers and a filling beverage such as Quaker (similar to porridge) or arroz con leche (rice with milk).

11.30am: Teach our first lesson of the day. This could be alone or in pairs, to any of the grades from Year 1 to 5/6. Most classes have 10 children or less. The kids are always so excited to be taught by us, so it is often hard to keep control of the class due to their enthusiasm!

12.15pm: Move on to teaching another class, or doing some construction work. This could involve fixing and painting the fence, or painting colourful art on the school walls.

1.00pm: Leave school via overstuffed taxi. Arrive home to lunch, which is always a feast! A much welcomed feed after an exhausting day at school. Lunch always begins with some form of soup, followed by a main of meat, chicken or fish with veggies and rice or potatoes, since they have about 600 types of potatoes in Peru alone. Unsurprisingly then, the diet here is packed with so many carbohydrates! Lunch is always accompanied by a homemade beverage, a refreshment made from water and some kind of local fruit. They have so many different fruits here, granadilla (similar to passionfruit) has become a favorite among the group. We've found that the food in general has so much more flavour than what we have back home.

3.00pm: Spanish lesson. The regular Spanish lessons have helped so much with daily life in Cusco.

5.00pm: Free time to go exploring, or plan lessons for the next day.

7.00pm: Given that lunch is the main meal of the day here, we only need something small for dinner. Sometimes I just have coffee and some bread. After our lunchtime feast I'm never more than peckish at this time. Afterwards we chill out, shower, and check in with friends and family back home. Then it's time to rest up for the big day ahead!

Conquering Kilimanjaro!

COUNTRY: Tanzania
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Building, renovation & construction
WRITTEN BY: Sybilla Galvin

Jambo Rafikis,

I write this blog from a completely unique environment (and new country) to where our group has become so accustomed to living in in the past 2.5 months. Tsavo has been home to us for the past couple of weeks and we will be here until returning home or traveling onwards in only a few days time. Our conversations this week have centered around our best memories at camp and the things we are most looking forward to coming home to. Most popular include munching on tacos and slurping chocolate milkshakes, seeing if our dogs remember us and not having to sleep tangled in a fly net.

First and foremost though- Mount Kilimanjaro. Literally the biggest achievement of my life: 5895m of achievement- to be exact! On the Monday, Lauren, Rozi, Beardo, Ella, Rory and myself said a gut-wrenching goodbye to our Mwambani family. We knew it would be hard to bid farewell to the local boys, the Indian Ocean and the amazing staff at the camp but it was almost incomprehensible to the seven of us exactly how hard it would be to not return in the foreseeable future. I am 100% positive that myself and the others in the group plan to return to Mwambani village at the next given opportunity.

I don't have enough time to give a break down of the seven-day trek to the summit, but I can say in short that we all made it. (Hurrah for no awkward side note!)

Summit night was without a doubt the toughest challenge. Trying to hold our cold, underprepared bodies together, we each mustered the strength we had to keep team moral high. I have to admit I spent 75% of the 12km hike alternating between silent and bursting tears. We each had a very different experience that night. 2 hours into the trek Lauren began throwing up. Determined to reach the top, she took a much slower pace and was accompanied by our angel of a guide Robinson who stayed beside her through all 8 vomits to the peak and back. 3 hours into the trek Ella was vomiting, Beardo's fingers had reached a piercing level of cold and Rozi's mental breakdown had her more than ready to accompany anyone back to base camp.

We were told by one of our guides before leaving that night that long breaks would be our demise, and by this rest stop I could well and truly feel myself coming undone. Our third guide Nestory- the cheeriest, funny and cold-resistant guide- stayed with me as I fell behind due to my low level of energy and the intense cramps I felt all over my body. Nestory carried me part of the way up and I know if it weren't for him I would not have made it all 5895 meters. At 5.30am, Annabelle, Rory, Ella, Rozi and Beardo had reached the summit. Due to the cold the group only spent enough time for a couple photos at the summit. At 6.10am (perfectly timed without even knowing) I reached the summit in tears and watched the sun rise above the clouds by myself- the most spectacular and well-worthy view of my existence. 10 minutes later Lauren and I crossed paths and instantly all our emotions welled out into a heartfelt embrace. I could not be more proud of my fellow mountaineers (its official) for getting to the top and for being the most amazing bunch of people to do something so difficult and life changing with.

Tuesday morning was similarly emotional and relieving as we were the first group of the day to get to the bottom. Showering was magical, heat was wonderful and sleeping in a real bed was too good to be true. In the late afternoon the rest of the group (Sarah, Hannah, Matt, Calvin, Elles, Toby and Laura) and leader Eliphas met us at our hotel where we shared our stories of what had happened on the mountain and at our old home. We went out for dinner that night, where I had two main meals and fell asleep at the table.

The next morning we all got in our much-loved bus and crossed the boarder into Kenya where we are to spend the remainder of our trip. We are the first official group to stay in this new camp- erected in March of this year. The camp in many ways is similar to the one in Tanzania, with the two main differences being the spectacular change of landscape (Indian Ocean to vast flat plains) and our two-man mattress on floor tents.

Our itinerary here is very different from the continuous work on the house in Mwambani village, Tanzania (which I failed to mention earlier was completed by half the group while we were climbing Kili). In the short time we have participated in a variety of activities based mostly around construction and animal conservation. We have finished building a long drop toilet for the local primary school, made elephant determent fences with oil and chili, dug a trench in a wildlife sanctuary, made 'elephant dung' paper and spent time with local women's group making bracelets and leaning about what they do in the community.

Leaving Africa is going to be a very bittersweet experience, and we won't forget the incredible memories we've had here anytime soon.

Xo Sybilla

Bidding farewell to Peru

COUNTRY: Peru
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Construction
WRITTEN BY: Stephanie Rainbow

Hola,

Today marks the end of our adventures in Peru. This last week has flown by as we have experienced the end of our time teaching and finally completed the concrete paths around the school, which will serve to keep it from being washed away in the coming rainy season. Yesterday we spent a final lunch out as a group and visited the chocolate museum in the city centre.

It will be very strange to leave the homes and families we have grown used to, catching the bus everyday to Enako and taking the taxi ride to the school of Pumamarca. Some of the distinct features we've encountered have been the bizarre weather, the constant soundtrack of fighting dogs, the lovely planes that pass over our house at 6am every morning and the awesome hill that we have to climb to get home each day.

This week we returned to the families whose houses we visited a couple of weeks before and gave them much needed supplies. The house I visited belonged to Francisco, one of the boys at the school and his younger sister Maria, who's mother ran off and left them in the care of their uncle and aunt. The family previously had no proper table and ate off the place where the food was cooked, so we used the money fundraised in Australia to buy them a table, chairs, some new pots and pans and new blankets for their beds. It was great to be able to really make a difference in the lives of people who have never experienced the prosperous lifestyle that we do, and I pray that Francisco and Maria will be able to finish school so they can have a better future.

Our last day at Pumamarca began with the almost ritual preparation of the fruit salad, before we joined the kids in a series of games such as sack races, tug-of-war and this weird game where the kids ran back and forth filling a small bottle with water and then tipping it into a smaller bucket in the hopes to win by filling it to the top. The kids had lots of fun and it was very enjoyable to beat the boys repeatedly at tug-of-war. The kids were constantly taking my camera off my hands, so I'm sure I have many interesting pictures and videos now!

After the games the kids proceeded to soak each other and the girls in our group where given new hairdos. The day then proceeded into the sad but heart-warming farewells where we were each given flowers and a card by the kids as well as some speeches (which I didn't fully understand but were still very cute!). We were then given more hugs than I quite honestly think I've had in my lifetime with every kid in the school, plus the teachers and the principal. It is hard to think that we may never see these awesome kids again and I hope that one day I can return here to visit.

Tomorrow we will all part ways and head off to different parts of the country, which is sad but everyone is very much looking forward to coming back to the comforts of home. It's been a truly incredible experience, and one I will cherish forever.

Adios, see you soon Australia!

Stephanie Rainbow

Arequipa, Halloween and Day of the Dead

COUNTRY: Peru
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Construction
WRITTEN BY: Stephanie Rainbow

Hola,

Today marks less than two weeks until the end of the trip, and for me the time has flown by. Last week we travelled 9 hours by bus to the city of Arequipa for Jamie's birthday. Despite the bus being first class in terms of the actual bus, it's still a long time to be on a bus. When we arrived at 'The Wild Rover' I was relieved to find that the beds were super comfy.

On the way into the city, Arequipa quite honestly looked like a dump; dodgy neighbourhoods with sand and dirt billowing everywhere. Thankfully, however, the town centre itself was picturesque, despite the hundreds of pigeons that occupied it. The food at the hostel was delicious and cheap, and we spent the day lazing by the tiny pool that sat beside the day bar.

The next day was Jamie's birthday, and after a late start we took taxies to go go-carting, where everyone's competitive streaks came to light. I myself was as slow as an old lady and I just tried not to die as everyone overtook me! With no helmets, and little to no safety measures everyone was a little more cautious than they usually would be but despite this we had heaps of fun.

The girls then proceeded to go to a local salon to get manicures and pedicures; after Machu Picchu my feet definitely needed it and I felt very sorry for the lady who was scrubbing my feet!

The hostel we were staying at was in fact a 'party hostel' and so that night we celebrated Jamie's birthday by doing just that- it was a very fun night. The next morning marked the beginning of Halloween. We trekked through copious amounts of costume stalls, where I bought tigger ears and Nick bought a superman costume. Those of the group who did end up venturing outside reported that it was crazy and they even saw a tank. Go figure.

The morning brought with it a day bar full of drunken staff who were doing shots while they served me. Good service right? It then turned into a pool party and I retreated to the dorm to prevent my clothes from getting even more wet. That day marked the end of my trip to Arequipa as Liz, Bridget and I were leaving early in the hopes that we wouldn't be exhausted on Monday. So with a visit to a crepe shop which was incredibly delicious, it was back on the bus.

We have since begun replacing the roof of a greenhouse for one of the village ladies, and spent the day painting', which the kids were more than eager to get involved with.

While we were at Arequipa it was November 1st, 'The Day of the Dead' which is celebrated in Peru by making dolls and horses out of bread. Before we left we made these special loaves for the children of the school and spent the day in the kitchen/ wood fire oven making them; I quite honestly don't know how the children ate it all, as I was full after the first bite. Tonight we are planning to have dinner at Chillies, which is a restaurant that serves their deserts in mini fry pans.

I can't imagine what it will be like when we leave here and everyone is preparing for the various trips that they are doing afterwards. It will be weird going somewhere where I actually speak the language! Although I doubt it will be as exciting as it is here.

So until next time,

Adios.

A Zanzibari trip for Tanzania Gappers

COUNTRY: Tanzania
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Building, renovation & construction
WRITTEN BY: Sybilla Galvin

Jambo Rafikis!

The past few weeks have been an absolute high for the whole group. Last Friday morning we embarked on our long journey to Zanzibar. The day began at 4:45am to get a taxi to the bus station. The bus trip to Dar took a mere 8 hours, which we followed up with yet another taxi ride and a quick 1-hour ferry trip. From the moment we arrived in Zanzibar we were in love. We finally got to have some of the things we had been really craving since leaving home including bacon, burgers and mojitos alike. We stayed one night in Stone Town then retreated north to Nungui beach where our bungalow was situated right on the water. We had plenty of time to relax in the sun, haggle for beautiful Masai paintings and have cocktails on rooftop bars as the sun set right before us.

On Monday 8 of us chose to go scuba diving. Before reaching our first dive site the captain of the boat spotted a pod of dolphins and everyone on board jumped in with fins and masks to swim around with them! It truly was a magnificent site to see them at an arms length in the wild. We dived with turtles, octopi, stingrays and huge variety of fish, not to mention the colourful coral. Rozi, Lauren, Rory and myself were the only ones who stayed on for a second dive, of which we loved every minute. For Sarah's birthday we returned to Stone Town in the evening to go to our favourite restaurant. The next day was extremely sad as we said goodbye to the Zanzibar sun and boarded our 12-person plane back to Tanga (with Rory in the co-pilot seat).

On Thursday we farewelled our beloved Paryz and on Friday Eliphas returned with 3 new additions to the group- Matt from Newcastle, Calvin from Canada and Elise from Holland. Our group is constantly changing but it's amazing how at home we all still manage to feel with everyone staying here. Friday (being Lauren's birthday) was a very different day from our norm. Instead of working on our mud house we spent the morning at the mamas' house cooking chapatti and vichetti (delicious little doughnut type things), and the afternoon weaving reads- used for bags, mats, hats and the like with the mammas and curious villagers. For Lauren, we organised to have a dance crew from a nearby village come and entertain us for the evening. Their performance varied from traditional Tanzanian dances, to hip-hop and an unusual Halloween style act at the end (too bizarre to explain…)

Work on the mud house is coming to a close for all of us planning to climb Kilimanjaro this Tuesday (eek!). The six staying behind will- fingers crossed- finish the house while we are on hiking, then meet us in Moshi before heading to Kenya for our last leg of the trip. As I am writing this it is starting to sink in that my stay here in Camp Tanzania is coming to a quick end. I am going to miss the local people and this place an unbelievable amount.

Next time you hear from us we will have conquered the tallest freestanding mountain in the world! Wish us luck!

Kwaheri!

Xo Sybilla

Peru update: Machu Picchu and Lake Titikaka

COUNTRY: Peru
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Construction
WRITTEN BY: Stephanie Rainbow

Hola,

The beginning of Week 6 of our trip in Peru finds our group returning from the magnificent sights and experiences of Machu Picchu. Duringthe three-day hike up the huge snow-capped mountain Salkantay, I might as well have been one of the pack horses due to the slow, plodding pace I was doing. The view was breathtaking, however, and I was blown away by how huge the Andes were. They were made even more beautiful by the fog that constantly curls around their peaks.

Arriving at Aguas Calientes on the third day was quite a relief for my poor feet, which were not at all happy with me. The town was not at all what I expected, nestled amidst the rainforest and accompanied by the constant soundtrack of the swirling river that flowed in its midst. We were also lucky enough to arrive the night they were doing work on the power plant and so the town was without power for most of our stay. Nevertheless we were relieved to be sleeping in a real bed with access to hot showers. The next day we woke bright and early to catch the bus up to Machu Picchu, joining the thronging crowds who had exactly the same idea. Luckily our guide Juri had told us to bring plastic ponchos because as soon as we hopped off the bus it began to rain. Despite not exactly matching the sunny postcard pictures, Machu Picchu is absolutely stunning, and much bigger than I had thought it would be. And a lot more stairs too!

We were told by the guide about how Machu Picchu (which translates to Old Mountain) was built, eventually discovered and the theories about what it was used for, which was all very interesting. We were then left to our own devices and explored the many nooks and crannies that the sight possesses, before ascending to the point where you can capture the world famous picture that is seen on the postcards, which we now have lots of. Exhausted, we descended and explored Aguas Calientes, experienced having lunch with no power, took a dip in the famous hot springs and spent all our money in the markets. Returning to our home stays in Cuzco was a strange experience after that adventure and we are once again having to turn our minds towards lesson planning and construction.

Machu Picchu isn't the only thing we have done since the last blog, however, as the previous weekend we travelled to the town of Puno and the floating islands that inhabit Lake Titicaca. We set out on the Saturday on a coach which stopped off at several sights along the way before arriving at Puno where we celebrated my birthday at a restaurant that was eloquently named 'Pizza and Pasta'.

The next day we embarked out onto the Lake and visited the richly cultured, very colourful and yes, quite touristy floating islands, where everyone bought a lot more than they should have. We then went to one of the main islands in Lake Titicaca for lunch. There you could look out on the vast expanse that is the lake, though from the view we had it looked more like an ocean. It was breathtaking. The island did however mark the end of the tour and we took the long trip back to Puno. Despite everyone dreading the overnight bus ride back to Cuzco, the bus was pure luxury, something you'd expect on a business class flight.

Our trip in Peru is drawing to a close with only three weeks left until we part ways, which is somewhat hard to believe. Our last big trip to Arequipa is coming up for Halloween, but until then....

Adios!

Steph

Project work continues as Kilimanjaro draws closer

COUNTRY: Tanzania
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Building, renovation & construction
WRITTEN BY: Sybilla Galvin

Jambo mambo?! (Hi how are you?!)

Life in Tanga these days is moving very smoothly and very fast-we can't believe it's been more than a month since we arrived. This week saw our first actual bout of rain, which on most days began early in the morning and cleared by the time we arrived at work.

After handing over our first house we immediately began work on a new piece of land. We started on Monday, using machetes and an axe to cut down trees, shrubs and anything that covered the new land. By Wednesday morning we were ready to begin digging holes for the foundations, only to find out that we had cleared the wrong land and had to begin again from scratch. Luckily for us, a handful of generous locals offered their hands and muscle to help us get to the same stage. As of now, we have completed tying together the foundations with string and are using the mud we dug up last week to make the walls.

The current group obsession is the vibrant, patterned material sold at the town market, which we have enough of to now start our own shop. A local tailor woman has already done 3 trips to visit us, (expecting our latest orders back this weekend!) making various items for us with our purchased goods. The stack of materials we handed over this week was too heavy for her to carry out.

The pressure is now on for the team to finish the house before we head off to climb Killi and go to Kenya! We have been staying an extra half hour in the morning and almost an extra hour in the afternoons to get the job done in time. We definitely don't want to leave without finishing as this will mean the house remains unused until camps reopens in Jan. This added work has got our heads hitting our pillows before 9:30 most nights!

Xo Sybilla

GapBreak update from the consistently chaotic Cuzco

COUNTRY: Peru
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Construction
WRITTEN BY: Stephanie Rainbow

Hola,

It is now nearing the start of Week 4 in Peru, and everyone is becoming accustomed to the chaos of living in Cuzco. Yesterday we all went white water rafting for Bridget's birthday and then today we explored markets that are located near the airport and splurged on buying DVDs. The markets were very different from the markets you come to expect in the streets of Cuzco and instead of alpaca wool jumpers and beanies, we discovered miles of shoe and clothes stores. It seemed that this was the place for the locals to buy anything and everything. We then went for lunch at an Aussie-owned restaurant that was recommended by Laura's all-knowing 'South America on a shoestring' book, where we consumed burgers and massive ice cream sundaes. Most of our money lately has been going towards food and snacks, thanks to the local stores that are just 100m from our homes.

During the week we teach at the school at Pumamarca where we are greeted every morning by the children screaming "Amiga!!!!!! Amiga!!!!!". Even the teachers great us as 'Amiga'. In the lessons we teach English, art and sport, where we struggle to control the children and communicate in a different language. My personal favourite is art, where Chloe and I have taught the kids to make masks and mosaics, the latter of which I spent half the time drawing 'Marriposas' or butterflies for the girls. We also did a house visit to the home of one of the students at the school where we found the living conditions to be very basic. The house consisted of just two mudbrick rooms and the walk from the school left us breathless. Part of the money from the fundraising we did in Australia will be going towards giving some of the families furniture.

We are currently planning trips to Arequipa, Lake Titicaca and the much anticipated Machu Picchu. Time is flying by here but I can't say I am not looking forward to home, where there is a guaranteed hot shower and water that does not turn off at random points in the day. Cuzco is amazing though, and every day is an experience. There is always some random parade or festival that you pass by on the bus or stumble across on the street.

Adios,

Steph

Rain won't stop the fun in Borneo

COUNTRY: Borneo & Cambodia
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Building & Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Clare O'Brien

If the last month was a gym work out it would be leg day.

The four remaining members of our Borneo group headed to Bongkud, the camp situated right next to Mt. Kinabalu. This was a major change in landscape from jungle to pretty much rolling green hills. When we arrived at camp we were greeted by Eve, our new camp manager, who told us, "Just think of me as you're older sister. I would say mother but that makes me feel too old." Despite this, she did in fact become our mother. She was always looking after us making sure we were well fed and having fun. Not only that but she would join us every dinner time and just sit with us. Chatting to her and listening to her stories made time fly by.

The reason I called this month leg day is because we had to prepare for our Mt K climb. The camp is situated right next to Bongkud hill, a hill that if you climb 8 times is the equivalent to climbing Mt K. We could not resist a hill like that and we were determined to climb it at least twice before our climb. Not only did we climb it, but when the new gappers for this month joined, they climbed it with us. They did this even though they weren't going to be climbing Mt K- that's impressive!

However, we did made one mistake. Our second time climbing was a project day. This made the day SO much more intense. The project work that we were involved in was cement mixing, and a lot of it. Even though it felt easier than Tinangol we defiantly mixed more cement. We were helping to set the foundations for a new kindergarten the community was building.

On the second week, in the afternoons two people would go back to camp and teach some of the community kids. Now this was amazing. The kids were different ages ranging from 6-12 so we had to somehow cater for them all. It wasn't a problem though the older kids acted like the translators and helped out in any way they could. Right at the end, however, we completely broke the language barrier. We played Frozen songs. Everyone was singing in perfect English- it was fantastic.

Soon enough we were set to climb the mountain. There was one problem Eve had given two of us a case of conjunctivitis and I had twisted my ankle. We were determined to not let it stop us though, and we powered right up that mountain.

I can't even describe the experience. I wish I could upload photos because honestly it was amazing, turning around and realising you were in the clouds, climbing at 2am to reach the summit and turning back to see a stream of head torches it was just an incredible experience.

Even though all this sounds like it was happening in fantastic weather this month brought rain so much so that it started raining inside our long house!

Anyway, the night before we left there was a bonfire, speeches, songs and even us singing and dancing. It was incredible and I never wanted to leave Eve, but Mantanani was our next stop.

This beautiful island was sadly only beautiful for us for two days, then it rained, every single day. And I don't mean light rain, this is the crazy thunder and lightning storms we get back home. The thunder was so loud it had the chief cowering in our dinning room. You couldn't dampen Aida's enthusiasm though. Every chance we got we were out doing project work and then having to sprint back to camp when it started raining.

We did get to finish the toilet blocks but due to the amount of rain on our last few days the pipes burst and sadly destroyed a lot of the hard work we had put in.

Whenever the weather was calm though we were either in the sea, playing volleyball or touring round the island with Aida. I even got a private sunrise walk (mainly because no one else wanted to get up at 5 in the morning). It was beautiful, we walked our way out to the tip of the island and even though it was cloudy the sky still turned some amazing colours.

I think the most fun I had on that island was the last two days, well three considering we got stuck on the island an extra day. There was a bit of unrest on the island so four of our nine decided to leave the island two days early, but that's when the fun began. We got cooking lessons with Aida and walked over to the other side of the island where we saved some birds and saw some awesome starfish. Not only that but we were smashed in scrabble by the chief and Aida, people who speak English as a second language! It seemed like the others just left at the wrong time. Our supposed last night was fantastic, we had this massive BBQ, but because it was raining we had it out of a wheelbarrow inside our eating area. We then chilled with Aida, played cards and just had a great night.

We woke up to weather that ensured we'd be stuck on the island for one more day. We then had a roller-coaster boat ride out the next day. And our two months in Borneo were up, just like that.

Time has absolutely flown by, the places have been fantastic, however it's the people that have made the biggest impact on me. Eve and Aida have inspired me. Eve's story of having to build her camp in a month, have the most stressful time of her life and not giving up, to work through that and come into the most amazing job of her life. And Aida who when I made the comment "there's just so many different things I want to do" replied "why can't you." and then had the most amazing stories to tell.

It's sad leaving them all behind but we're onto the next leg of our adventure now. Four of us are heading off into Cambodia, for what I'm sure will continue to be a fantastic journey!

Finishing the mud house, a trip to the sandbank and 4 important lessons

COUNTRY: Tanzania
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Building, renovation & construction
WRITTEN BY: Sybilla Galvin

The past two weeks have been so busy for us here at Camp Tanzania! We've had our first African clubbing experience, handed over our finished house, been sea-weeding with the local mummas and said goodbye to a couple of team members (down to 12 at the moment and will be 10 by Wednesday). We are loving every minute of our placement and sometimes have to remind ourselves that being here is real.

The Friday just past was a rewarding and humbling day for everyone involved in the construction of our mud house. Although we weren't the ones to start the project, we are filled with a great sense of achievement that we were the ones to finish it. Sticking to our goal, we managed to get our mudding, paving, flooring and painting complete within three weeks. The bulk of our time was spent paving the walls, which everyone had an equal part in doing. While Lauren, Ella, Sarah B and myself stayed to make the floors level with mud and string, the rest of the crew began working on a toilet block for a member of the village who recently became paraplegic in a soccer incident (work on the structure will still be underway this week).

By midweek most of the team were back in our mud house coating the walls with lime. On Friday we were handed buckets of bright coloured paints & brushes and were granted creative liberty for the day. Eliphas, our leader, was quite keen on the idea of flowers, so that's the theme we went with and I must say I'm pretty stoked with the result. At the end of the day we met the family who would be moving into our house- their gratitude and loss for words made it all worth the effort, and that alone has made me all the more excited to get started on our next project.

One day this week, we put work at the mud house aside to give a hand at seaweed harvesting with one of the local mummas, which turned out to be a really interesting process. The seaweed is sold and used here in the village as a source of protein for children (made into a powder and added to meals). We spent the morning in the water breaking off small branches of weed and tying them to a long row of strings, which we fastened into the mud in neat rows with stakes. The afternoon was not what anyone would describe as riveting work. We sat in the shade around the biggest tangle of smelly, rotten strings I'd ever seen and attempted to free each line. Our efforts looked pretty dismal but I suppose it was one less thing the mummas had to worry about.

This past Saturday was a great day for everyone as we planned a well-deserved excursion to the 'sandbank' for Hannah's birthday, travelling by bus and boat. In not what I would describe as the most seaworthy vessel, we departed from Tanga town (into quite calm waters- to the relief of the few motion sickness prone passengers on-board). The first stop was a kilometre or so away from the sandbank shore, where we stayed for an hour for a spot of snorkelling- there really wasn't too much to see beside a school of fish and 2 or so starfish but in all it was a lot of fun for those of us who did go in. The sandbank was exactly what comes to mind when one mentions a deserted island; the sand was white and the water a brilliant blue. We couldn't believe how beautiful and secluded it was, not to mention how refreshing a proper swim was.

We were supplied with a packed lunch of chapati, salad and food things of an unknown variety. By 3:30pm the island was beginning to disappear so we packed up and headed back to camp, all feeling a little sun kissed (some much much more than others) and exhausted from being in the sun all day. In the evening we got into embarrassingly matching NFL jerseys (purchased from the markets) and got a maxicab to a club in Tanga, which I'm really not sure how to describe in text. I'll leave the description at… different.

3 weeks has been enough to learn some valuable lessons when it comes to life here. These 4, however, seem to resonate with everyone in the group the most:

Lesson 1: never ask what you're eating
Lesson 2: don't expect anything to happen on time- if the taxi is booked for 9, don't bother getting ready until 9:15
Lesson 3: vague answers are about as good as it gets- don't expect a full explanation of what exactly it is you will be doing in advance of it actually happening; 1 minute crash courses are given for each new trade when we get to site.
Lesson 4: do NOT leave the zip of the tent open (even the slightest) at night as it makes guests including the camp dog, frogs and lizards feel welcome.

On a final note, we heard word this week from Bronwyn and Nathan (the Melbourne couple who were at camp with us for 2 weeks) about their Kilimanjaro success. The lack of training they did in the lead up has made us all feel ready and led me to believe that we will make it- no sweat.

Sybilla x

Project work begins for Tanzania Gappers

COUNTRY: Tanzania
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Building, renovation & construction
WRITTEN BY: Sybilla Galvin

Jambo!

This week has been what I would describe as completely out of the ordinary for every one of us. Half of us were farewelled by our family from home, while the rest of us said our goodbyes to the countries we had previously been travelling in. Lauren and myself boarded in London and- meeting Annabelle in Doha- were the first arrivals of the day in Tanzania. I expected to step off the plane and into extreme heat but instead donned my jacket as it was cold and drizzly. At the airport we were greeted by Ella, Paris and Hannah and together experienced some confusion as to who was picking us up, as the man (now known as our wise, hilarious, booty-shaking leader Eliphas) didn't seem too certain that we were the Caucasian teenagers he was looking for-until he finally produced a list of our names and everyone was at ease.

Our first experience of Tanzania began with some friendly men helping load our bags into the bus. Well, they seemed friendly, until they demanded 10 US from each of us, to which Lauren quickly handed over a 20 for the two of us (which they all swooped on). Only when we were on the bus did we realise and laugh at how much we had just given (this soon became a bit of a running joke at Lauren's expense- but we all learned something from it). The drive from the airport to Moshi took an hour, where we met Rozi and Rory and other volunteers who will be with us for different periods. In total we are 14 made up of 10 Aussies, 2 Poms, a Scot and a Dutchman.

We arrived at Camp Tanzania (after 7.5 hours) in Mwambani village a day later and were greeted by the smooth sound of Bob Marley, a panoramic view of the ocean and 7 British uni students here on a sports aid program. We only had 4 days together but that was enough time for them to show us the ropes and most importantly the way to the nearest pizzeria!

To our great fortune the house we are working on is only a 2.5 minute walk away from the gates of camp. What began as a bare mud house (started by the last group of volunteers) has become- in 5 days- a plaster house and in the next 2 weeks we hope to have made it into a painted, fully functioning home. I think the whole team was slightly taken aback by the sheer scale and effort required by each single task handed to us, not to mention the direct heat we have been subjected to most days.

Monday morning saw us digging clay out of a pit 10 minutes away and transporting it in sacks to the mud house. This work was so demanding and extremely tiring due to the lack of shade and 30+ degree heat. By the afternoon we were onto mudding. This consisted of us removing our shoes and squelching together the morning's collection of mud with water. The fun part came next- tossing the mud at the walls and eventually at each other. We returned to camp in the afternoon, skin hardened by mud and spirits high, keen to continue the next day.

By Thursday morning we were back to the pit but instead were digging around the surface to collect sand for plastering. I think many of us who are uncertain of our choice of uni course may turn to plastering as we have, as a group, become quite apt.

Every morning I wake up to the sound of the ocean. A run on the beach or on the soccer field across the road seems the perfect way to adjust my body to the cold shower- something I perhaps should have tried at home, but am slowly getting used to. To the dismay of some, every breakfast, lunch and dinner so far has consisted of carbs, carbs and carbs. It can get a little repetitive but at least it's good.

Earlier in the week we drove into town to hit up the western convenience type supermarket for other essentials including peanut butter, nutella, vegemite (yes, they have vegemite!) and some Tanzanian cider called 'Savannah'.

Thanks for reading!

Sybilla x

Welcome to Cuzco

COUNTRY: Peru
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Construction
WRITTEN BY: Steph Rainbow

Hola from Cuzco,

Our first week in Peru has been a blur of new sights and experiences. Arriving in the capital of Lima after a gruelling flight from Sydney, we were immediately thrown into the chaos of Peruvian traffic. Drivers seem to obey their own rules, with everyone battling for space in order to get to their destinations.

Arriving in Cuzco a day later, we were relieved to be able to see the sky once again as opposed to the thick blanket of smog that lies constantly overhead in Lima. Cuzco itself is a whole different world and with only Laura being able to speak Spanish, everyone has relied heavily upon her to be our translator. While everyone adjusted to the altitude sickness and the dangers of eating the local food, we sought out the wonders of Cuzco. We visited the San Pedro markets, where the vibrant colours of the local textiles drew us in immediately and the sickening smells from the meat section left us gagging. As soon as we left the sanctuary of our hotel we were swarmed by locals selling absolutely everything. There was jewellery, paintings, and even locals wanting to polish your shoes for the 'best price'. At night, everyone flocks to the local bars and clubs. Muma Africa has become a favourite of the boys in our group with weekly salsa lessons at the club.

We were finally introduced to Antips' In-Country Partner, who took us to our new hostel away from the main square. From there we began some much needed daily Spanish lessons and tours of the Inca ruins Saqsayhuaman and Q'ënco. We quickly realised how much the altitude leaves you out of breath. We were also taken on a tour of Cuzco, learning interesting facts (such as why there are churches on every corner) and getting to taste the local market bread and fruit.

We were pretty anxious to meet our host families, however we were welcomed in with open arms. The mothers in particular were eager to adopt us as their own and my host mama was immediately trying to feed me a three-course meal. Trying to communicate that we were full (in Spanish) proved quite the challenge. The language barrier is the most difficult aspect of settling in, but it's good to know that all the host families are trying their utmost to provide for our every need.

The weekend brought with it more exploration of ruins, and we visited Chinchero where we saw how the local textiles was made. The temples of Ollyantaytambo tested my fitness and fear of heights, and we were nearly blown over by the freezing winds in the town below. We also managed to do a bit of shopping- and may have gorged ourselves on cake too.

Next week we begin a whole new experience as we begin teaching at the school and our construction work!

Adios amigos,

Steph