Make sure to go see the towering volcanoes above Ibarra

Those volunteering in Ecuador for an extended period of time should find plenty of opportunities to explore the country. Whether your preference lies on or off the beaten path, Ecuador has something for everyone, no matter your physical shape, time or budget. Here are some recommendations of things to do in this beautiful, diverse country:

1. Visit the hot springs of Papallacta: Just a couple of hours away from Quito, Termas de Papallacta makes for a relaxing day trip from the city. For $7, you can soak in the thermal baths here, while watching hummingbirds buzz around in the surrounding vegetation. For those with a bit more cash, an overnight stay is recommended.
2. Whale-watching on the Pacific Coast: During the months of June to September, humpback whales can be spotted along the coast off Ecuador. Puerto López is a sleepy coastal town from which tours can be arranged to see these majestic animals breaching the water.
3. Quilotoa Loop: For an exciting three-day trip from Quito, visit the remote Quilotoa Loop. Challenging to reach by public transport, the area boasts outstanding natural beauty, a spectacular crater lake, excellent hiking and horseback riding, and a chance to peek into the lives of the colorful local indigenous communities.
4. Maquipucuna: Animal lovers will especially enjoy this eco-lodge, set amid pristine cloud forest and surrounded by spectacular wildlife. In the summer months, the rare spectacled bear can even be spotted! 
5. Iñaquito Market: Typifying traditional local life in the capital city, the bustling Iñaquito market in the north of Quito is a true cultural experience. Come here to buy your local groceries, sample some regional food, or just walk around and take in its sights and sounds.
6. Baños: If you love outdoor activities or nightlife, Baños is the spot for you. During the day, indulge in biking, rafting, rappelling or hiking. At night, hit up the town’s buzzing local night spots. If you’re lucky, you may even get a glimpse of the highly active Tungarahua volcano.
7. Catch the Symphonic Orchestra in Quito: For an evening of fine classical music and the chance to see the best musical talent Ecuador has to offer for only $5-10, head to Casa de la Música. Some events are even free. Check out upcoming events here.


Looking for gifts to bring home from Ecuador? Check out the Otavalo market north of Quito!

8. Climb the mighty Cotopaxi Volcano: Not for the fainthearted, a climb up one of the highest active volcanoes on Earth, Cotopaxi, starts at midnight and takes approximately five to seven hours to summit. It should be undertaken with a licensed guide. Biking downhill from the refuge is also an option.
9. Otavalo Market: Shop until you drop at one of the largest artisan markets in South America. On early Saturday mornings, head slightly out of town to the animal market for some great photographic opportunities. The indigenous market in the center of town (Plaza de Ponchos) is there every day, but Saturday is the busiest day of the week and has the most variety. For those that cannot get to Otavalo, the Mercado Artesanal on Jorge Washington in Quito has a similar range of products.
10. Explore the Jumandy Caves : Close to the jungle towns of Archidona and Tena, the Jumandy Caves can be visited daily. Tours include swimming by flashlight through the dark caverns and plunging into deep pools.

I just passed the three-weeks-in-Nicaragua mark (as well as the “I-can-talk-about-more-than-just-the-weather” mark in my Spanish lessons- quite the milestone, in my mind). So, bueno, La Vida Idealistas. I am a 26-year-old from Washington state, currently living in Leon, Nicaragua. I’ve traveled internationally a fair bit, including living in Taiwan, studying Mandarin Chinese– but this is my first time in Central America, as well as my first experience volunteering for an extended period– and so far I’m loving it.

My boyfriend, Turner, and I were lucky enough to be taken on as volunteers at an environmental education organization called Sonati, here in Leon. Sonati focuses on free environmental education for local communities (specifically, but not limited to, school-age children). The environmental programs are funded by Sonati’s hostel and nature tours- which is where I come in!

I am a volunteer guide for Sonati’s various volcano treks. Having loved doing anything outdoors since I was a small child, the opportunity to explore the natural environment surrounding Leon and the ability to share those places with others is the ideal volunteering experience for me.

Sonati is a relatively new non-profit organization (2009), and while they have many volunteers, Turner and I are the second and third volunteer trekking guides– so the process is not only new to us, but new to Sonati as well. Recipe for adventure? Yes. I’m look forward to sharing a first-timer’s experience volunteering, navigating the hierarchy of a fledgling non-profit, and exploring a natural landscape that is (for the most part) alien to me.

This is Alexa’s first post on La Vida Idealist. Alexa has just arrived in Nicaragua to begin work as a volunteer trekking guide with SONATI (Sociedad & Naturaleza Internacional). For more on hiking or working as a trekking guide in Central America, check out Sam Camarra’s series “Quetzaltrekkers: Into the Clouds.”

Upon creating my vision board for the new year, it became clear to me that this year should be focused on striking a balance! With a jam-packed schedule, finding time for everything in my life in Guatemala may be difficult. I will be taking on a part-time English teaching job in the mornings at a private school followed by tutoring at a local psychology clinic. Most of my days will end with teaching one or two yoga classes. With a schedule that puts me rising at 5.30 a.m. and ending with work at 9.30 p.m., I am sure to fall into my bed exhausted each night.

So, the question that has come to me in recent days is, how will it be possible to keep up?

I need to make my work fun. How can I make teaching fun? Well, I think it will require innovation, creativity and excitement, along with a positive attitude. Also, I think giving meaning to my work will drive me forward. After all, social change is what I am after in my quest to reach kids and make a difference. How can I do that successfully? I think I must start by setting a clear purpose and theme for how I will reach students. I can do it in the standard way, or I can think outside of the box. In teaching with the use of creative, yet simple activities I hope to generate excitement in my students while meeting my objectives for each class. Let’s see how it works in practice! I am sure that I will learn just as much as the students this year!

Above all what I am realizing is that in order to keep it all in balance, I will have to make time for all areas of my life, and this will require careful planning! Right now, I don’t have the road map, I just have a starting point; but I know  that anything is possible with a little patience, gratitude, and faith!

Mindi Batson is currenting living in Guatemala City, Guatemala and working for G22 as Co-founder and Green Connect Program Developer, as well as an independent English teacher, psychologist, and yoga teacher.

“Do you have a husband?”

This is our family in our backyard in September 2012.

“Yes,” I replied. I was already annoyed- and wary, because I knew she already knew the answer and knew where she was heading due to the content of her grumbling.

“Huumm,” she replied, with her back still turned. “¿Blanco?” she asked, which means she was asking if my husband is white.

“No,” I replied, even angrier still, as she already knew the answer but wanted to have a way to let me know her thoughts.

“Humm,” she again replied, forcefully. “¿Negro?”

“Sí.” I looked at her daughter, the grandmother of the family, who just sort of smiled and looked at me to see how I would react. Her granddaughter and mother of a little three-year-old boy was cleaning behind us and was getting a kick out of her grandmother. She began laughing loudly and obviously at her grandmother’s comments. I was angry,  but I learned a long time ago that many times letting people know that they are upsetting you can be quite embarrassing in the Dominican Republic. I’ve done it on many occasions and had people actually listen as a result but I already knew that this family was not going to listen, but would only use a scene I would create to further criticize me. So I kept my cool.

In Spanish she went on to say, “I don’t like black. I like white.” This statement is completely confusing to a biracial family like ours. When I hear remarks such as these, it feels as though they are basically sucking up to me for no reason other than my stupid skin color (and mistreating my husband for the same stupid reason). I have seen other white people on this island who obviously use their white skin to advance themselves in the Dominican social world.

I recently ran into a German woman I used to work with at a bilingual school. She visited with me and my son Ilayas as we sat and ate a hamburger. It was during our short conversation that she learned that my husband, Ilayas’ father, is Haitian. Almost immediately, she switched tables to sit with a Dominican friend, where she spoke negatively about me and my Haitian-fathered son (who, by this point, was happily playing with her daughter). I ended up calling her out on it, and I will admit that I got a good cry in on the car ride home from that outing. I was heartbroken that anyone would speak negatively or hatefully toward my son who I love so much. But that was the first and last time I have and will cry over such stupidity.

Back in the great-grandmother’s cafeteria, I ended up asking the elderly woman if she had a husband and when she replied I returned her same strong “Huummm.” She went on to tell me that he is light and that she, again, doesn’t like black, she likes white. I told her that that was her problem between her and God, and not mine, I got my food and my change, and went on my way.

I briefly thought to boycott the cafeteria after this exchange, but ultimately I realize that perhaps I should be above the situation and still mingle with the family to a small extent. I think it was somewhat written off as a racist old grandmother act and me being a progressive young challenger of norms who is unavoidably going to receive such critiques, but unavoidably, like I said, challenge the norms in the minds of many observers.

Sometimes when I buy something at a small grocery store in the community or a food stand, the Dominican worker calls me “La Morena.” Many Haitians and darker Dominicans in this country are referred to as “Moreno” or “Morena” which is a word for dark. I am very light-skinned and Irish-looking so this is obviously a name referring to my dark, Haitian husband and strong association with Haitians in general. The first time someone called me Morena I took offense to it slightly because I knew the person was saying it in a negative way, but then quickly decided to take it as a compliment instead. After all, to take offense would be seen as agreement that there is something wrong with being dark-skinned.

For more posts on dealing with racism as a stranger in a foreign land, check out “I Can’t Say Chino” by Nereida Heller or “A Lesson in History: Race on the Island of Hispañola” by Cailtin McHale. Caitlin is currently living in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic as the co-founder and executive director of Project Esperanza.

How NGOs should deal with this is always a matter of debate: it is a local custom (and therefore expected) but couldn’t money be spent on something that is going to last for more than a couple of hours?

Fun and games at a Chocolatada

I work for Latin American Foundation for the Future (LAFF) who partner with groups like children’s homes and projects directed at youth – we could choose to spend funds on chocolatadas at each of our partner projects, but then where would the money come from to fund school supplies, uniforms and other items to further the children’s development?

We have decided not to go down this path.  We have also found that there are organisations who are keen to fund Christmas parties (quite often, frustratingly for me, as their only activity in the whole year) so these kids don’t actually miss out, and even without LAFF participating, can easily have more than one such party.

When I first arrived here, I was surprised by the amount of money that can be spent on these things.  Don’t get me wrong – I love Christmas. I am no Scrooge. And I am definitely in support of children enjoying Christmas.  But surely having five afternoons of hot chocolate and panetón, over just one party along with something more fundamental which will give them opportunity in life (education, clean water, healthcare, nutritious food etc) is a bit skewed.  In fact, the number of organisations and companies clawing to provide chocolatadas does seem to have lead to a rather cynical attitude from some receiving parties: the other day I was visiting a children’s home and the director commented to me that there was ‘some group coming in to do a chocolatada, she didn’t even know where from’, that afternoon.

This isn’t to say that all chocolatadas are wrong by any means, but I do think they should be kept to scale and should be deeper than just a one-off activity.  An example of a great use of the chocolatada tradition can be seen in this video by Ollantaytambo-based Awamaki to attract people to their mobile health clinics.

Fran Talavera is currently the International Projects Manager with Latin American Foundation for the Future. For more on her experiences, check out her blog.

Ready for the Parade

Last week we found out that Peace Corps is pulling its volunteers out of Honduras due to insecurity. With 8 months left of service with my community and every intention of finishing them, this was not happy news. Most of us Peace Corps volunteers were shocked to hear this decision, not because of why we are being pulled out (we’ve been aware of the situation in this country since we arrived for training), but the fact that this was the decision that was made.

Given all of this, I personally feel as though I have been going through the whole spectrum of human emotions multiple times in a day. Now that the initial shock has worn off, it’s not so extreme, but it is still a roller coaster.

First I’ll forget about what’s happening or be in denial about what lies ahead and feel happy and content to be socializing and joking around with people in my site over the holidays.

Then, that dark cloud of thought comes that these may be my last few weeks with them at all and I get sad and depressed.

I try to cope by searching for the silver lining. I will get to go home and see my family back in the States (definitely a plus) and I cling to the hope that I will be able to come back in a month, though that dark cloud over my head says it’s not likely.

“I will always be able to come back and visit. There’s nothing stopping me from doing that,” I tell myself, even though I know it won’t be the same.

Sometimes I feel disappointed and frustrated that I’m forced to leave before I could accomplish all that I wanted to do here, before I could become the volunteer I could be, as cheesy as that sounds.

Whenever I hear in the news or when people are talking about some violent incident, I get so angry. These reports, while sad to hear, never got to me as much before. Now, all I want to do is scream at all of the delinquents in this country, the narcos and the politicians they’ve bought, and say, “This is all your fault! Look at what you are doing to your country, to your own people! Why don’t you care about them?! All of us expats can leave, but they have no choice but to stay. They have no choice but to put up with your greed and malice. Shame on you!”

Then there’s fear. Let’s get this straight; I have never really been afraid of something happening to me here. Only when I travel long distances do I ever feel insecure. I have always felt safe in my site. Maybe it’s because it is in a safe region of the country. Maybe it’s because I live with a host family. Maybe it’s cause the community looks out for me and I heed their advice and warnings about places to avoid. Maybe it’s cause I can understand a wide variety of things due to my high level of Spanish. Maybe it’s because I rarely go anywhere or do anything alone here. Or maybe it’s because I actually enjoy being in my town and do not feel the need to travel around so much. Sometimes all of these things aren’t enough to prevent something bad from happening, but that’s true of any place in the world.

No. The fear I feel is for my future, fear of the unknown. My plan for the next two years of my life may be shot to hell, so now what do I do? Will I be able to find a job in this economy? Will I be able to come back to Honduras sooner rather than later? Do I really have to say good-bye to this right now? Is this really happening? What am I going to do?

After all of this craziness, I generally feel tired and want to sleep, run, or cry it all away, leading me into a phase of acceptance. The situation is what it is. Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise or perhaps it is something that will simply blow over like nothing happened. Either way, time only moves forward and I have to make the most of it.

So here’s to an amazing year and a half in Honduras and hoping that the best is yet to come.

Amanda has spent the last year and a half as the Municipal Development Advisor for the Peace Corps in Honduras. For more on her experiences, check out her blog.

Do: A Kiva Fellowship. It'll change your life

Now, we’re no experts in living or working abroad (though we sure do like it), but we have some nuggets of wisdom to offer up for those of you transitioning into a life abroad or beginning your next Kiva Fellowship. Stick by these tips, and you can’t go wrong. (And for more hints and tips, check out the original 33 Tips from Kiva Fellows post from November 2009 or the full 60 tips on the Kiva Fellows Blog!)

Best Way to a Kiva Fellow’s Heart is through…

1. People love to share food in El Salvador. If you’re having lunch with someone or with co-workers, offer up some of what you have for them to try. (Andrea Ramirez, KF16 Costa Rica & El Salvador)

2. Make sure you try the different casados (rice and black beans paired with some sort of salad, and meat). It’s delicious, affordable, and the closest thing to home-made. (Andrea Ramirez, KF16 Costa Rica & El Salvador)

They may not look good. They may not taste that good, either. But do it: eat the fried cow intestines.

3. Try everything. Ok, yes, you could get sick, but worse, you could live the rest of your life without knowing what guinea pig, cow tongue, fermented maize, cow heart, llama, friend random thing with more random things in it, magical juice in a bag, etc., etc., tastes like. If these things don’t seem appealing, remember: even worse, you could miss out on a big chance to share in a local cultural experience that will stay stayed with you forever. (Mariela Cedeno, KF16 Bolivia)

4. Befriending office mates is easy as pie, especially if you bake one. Any baked treat will do the trick: cookies, cupcakes, 7-layer bars – anything tasty and homemade will suffice. Walk around and offer your treats during the afternoon coffee break. (Sandra Pina, KF16, Honduras)

5. Don’t eat cheap food! Factor in the exchange rate when choosing food…in reality food might be $.20 cheaper, but not worth it! (Eric Rindal, KF15 Sierra Leaone, KF16 Bolivia)

Mind your manners:

6. Ladies, doesn’t matter if you’re wearing sweatpants, a miniskirt, or a potato sack. Steel yourself for catcalls- and remember, there’s no sense in lashing out at the singular gentlemen on the street. Number 1, it’s dangerous, and number 2, even the most articulate string of retaliatory words at this one guy from you cannot spark a shift in the consciousness surrounding gender roles. It’s not worth raising your blood pressure. (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador & KF16 Peru)

7. Unless you enjoy highly passionate debates on Christianity during every remaining day of your fellowship, don’t ever – EVER – admit to your Kiva Coordinator to being anything else but an absolutely devout Christian. If you are Jewish, Muslim, Hindu: just forget your God for four months. If you are an atheist: just remember yours! (Emmanuel von Arx, KF16 Ecuador)

8. If the previous recommendation comes too late for you and you have already committed the capital error of confessing any less than full-blown belief in the word of the Bible, you need to consider immediate and urgent conversion to Christianity. This should ideally take place in a public forum, such as during the Monday morning bible session at your MFI, in the presence of all the employees.(Emmanuel von Arx, KF16 Ecuador)

9. Prepare yourself for all kinds of questions: if you went to university, how much your flight cost, if you have a boyfriend (and if you want one), and so on. Ecuadorians are curious and they’re not afraid to show it. (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador & KF16 Peru)

10. Follow through on promises (or obligations)– go to dinner with coworker’s families, take a day trip with coworkers or friends, etc. And participate! Don’t be shy (or obnoxious) and get involved with after work sports or after work drinks. This is your new community. (Eric Rindal, KF15 Sierra Leone, KF16 Bolivia)

How do you say…

11. Make sure to learn the local language- and I mean local. Simpatico and ridiculo might mean nice, and ridiculous, in Ecuador, but in Ica, Perú you just called somebody sexy and asinine. (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador & KF16)

12. No amount of “city” Spanish will prepare you for the linguistic richness and diversity of Spanish spoken in rural Costa Rica. That said, bring a notebook for ALL field visits, and let the loan officers be your best professors and guides. Even Costa Rican urbanites find themselves lost among the colloquialisms of Tico country Spanish. (Julie Kerr, KF16 Costa Rica)

13. Learning common words and phrases in an indigenous language is the quickest way to break the ice. Guaraní is Paraguay’s other official language and is spoken by the majority of the population. Purete means cool, haso means not cool, kaigue is lazy, nde ha’e kuña guapa means “You are a hard working woman!,” chevare’a means “I am hungry,” and amokose means “I want a drink!” (Alba Castillo, KF15 Paraguay)

14. When a farmer says he brings his harvest to market using his “salchichón” (commonly known as “sausage”), blush not my friends, he means “horse”. (Julie Kerr, KF16 Costa Rica)

15. If you lose the thread of a conversation don’t just say ‘sí‘ or intermittently laugh. Get them to repeat things and when that get boring pick out a word or phrase that you Do know and make a comment or nonsequitor. They might be saying “fijate, las olas son bravas en la playa” and your response might be an unrelated, “¿Te gusta la playa?” This gets the conversation back on your own terms. Think about how often you respond like this in English! (Jim Burke, KF16 Nicaragua)

16. Because they will ask: Kiva means “unity” or “agreement” in Swahili. (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador & KF16)

What to Bring

Do: bring a tuperwear container. Sporks can also come in handy, for that mid-morning mountain climb.

17. My three smartest investments for my fellowships? A SteriPen, a tuperwear container, and a pocket knife with a corkscrew. (Also, if you like to bake, bring down baking soda- you can’t get it anywhere in Ecuador or Perú). (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador & KF16 Peru)

18. Always carry a small, sturdy umbrella. It will get you through unexpected showers; as well as hot, sunny days. (Alba Castillo, KF16 Paraguay)

19. Rain is as plentiful is the air we breathe. Bring an umbrella if you prefer to shower before getting dressed. (Julie Kerr, KF16 Costa Rica)

20. Bug spray, bug spray and MORE bug spray!! For those of you who like more natural alternatives, anything with menthol or eucalyptus helps repel the mightiest of mammoth mosquitoes, sand flies, ticks and chiggers. Slather it on THICK! (Julie Kerr, KF16 Costa Rica)

21. Bring clothes or shoes that need to be fixed, mended, or altered. It is cheap and the work is top quality. The sasterías and zapateros are EVERYWHERE. (Jim Burke, KF16 Nicaragua)

There’s no place like home (in a new country!)

22. If you can, try to find accommodation near the central market building: there’s nothing like eating shrimp ceviche with avocado at 7 o’clock in the morning. Besides, this may be your only chance for the entire day to get your hands on food that’s neither triple-fried nor made out of pure pork fat. (Emmanuel von Arx, KF16 Ecuador)

23. If it’s possible, go with a homestay! Local food, local language, and a solid support group in-country are just a few of the obvious perks of living with a family. (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador and KF16 Peru)

Getting from point A to B

If you're feeling the need for speed, do: hop on your loan officer's motorcycle.

24. When moving around by taxi in Cuzco, do everything possible to seem local to get cheaper prices (there are lots of local gringos, so you can pull it off). How to go about it?

• Say hi to your taxista like this “Buenas, maestro.” Saying hola is touristy, saying chofer is touristy, and asking anything about anything is touristy. You don’t care. You are local.
• Tell him where you are going by saying “I will get off at such and such location”. If you are going to a restaurant, know its name, what street it is on, the nearest cross street, and a reference point nearby BEFORE you get in. Otherwise you won’t be able to pull off the “trabajo aquí.”(Miss any of those four, you are officially a tourist.) (Rob Gradoville, KF16 Peru)

25. If you’re taking the bus and you don’t know where you need to get off, just ask the bus diver. Costa Rica has the nicest bus drivers around! (Andrea Ramirez, KF16 Costa Rica & El Salvador)

26. For safety’s sake, always make a show of noting your taxi’s license plate number in Quito, Ecuador or Ica, Peru- I’ve actually started pantomiming phone calls in Spanish to friends, relaying the plate number and how soon I’ll be arriving to meet them. (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador and KF16 Peru)

Get to work!

27. If you have any freedom to do borrower visits, have no shame in visiting anyone who owns a panatería, heladería, or pisco vineyard. Peruvian hospitality and pride in their business translate to homemade treats for you. Microtenterprise never tasted so good. (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador & KF16)

28. Email coworkers when you leave! – Even if they weren’t helpful with that one thing you were working on…they still care and want to hear from you when you’re gone. (Eric Rindal, KF15 Sierra Leone, KF16 Bolivia)

29. Make people laugh, even when it’s awkward. Visiting clients who are on a spectrum from extreme introvert, to slightly less extreme introvert, can be daunting, but like everything else in life, there is nothing better than a laugh. You’d be amazed how many times my laughing at people and saying “por favor, sonria porque se me va a romper la camera si sigue asi,” actually made them smile. Don’t rush, don’t pull out your pen and BV template, and don’t start dangerously pointing your camera right way. Chill out, smile, shake hands, take in the scenery, interact! (Mariela Cedeno, KF16 Bolivia)

30. Make sure to hang out with MFI staff outside of work. Don’t worry so much about about keeping it strictly ‘professional.’ I built trust, learned office hierarchy, gossip, and got a lot of technical questions answered after a few beers with loan officers. (Jim Burke, KF16 Nicaragua)

31. Fake it ’til you make it. You will be considered an expert in all things Kiva, even if you’re not. Embrace the challenge. You will have multiple resources at your disposal: use them. Learn along the way and don’t be afraid to tell your field partner, “Can I get back to you on that? I want to confirm with Kiva.” (Sandra Pina, KF16, Honduras)

32. If it should take a day or two, it’ll take three or four. If it’s your Borrower Verification, it’ll take a month. (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador & KF16)

33. Figure out how your MFI communicates. They are probably using chat or skype. Get your coworkers chat/skype info early on. sometimes you can formulate better questions, get better responses and be less annoying chatting rather than visiting their office for every little thing. (Jim Burke, KF16 Nicaragua)

Safety

34. Always ask before you snap a photo of someone (especially if they’re not a borrower, especially if you’re in Guatemala). Not only can it be extremely rude, but tourists’ cameras, and persons, have been roughed up for this transgression in the past. (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador & KF16)

35. Never carry your credit card unless you are making a withdrawal. I prefer to carry large sums of money in my shoe rather than bringing my card out of hiding. (Jim Burke, KF16 Nicaragua)

36. Make and carry a photocopy of your passport. Carrying it around for real is a real bad idea, and having no record makes it hard to check into hostels/hotels. (Jim Burke, KF16 Nicaragua)

37. I’ve also got a list of my credit card numbers (scrambled) and call-in information should my wallet get stolen. I also keep an emergency cash supply. Call me paranoid, call me what you will, but this list and back-up cash have come in handy three times in the past year. (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador & KF16)

Do: try to dance like the locals. Don't: fool yourself into thinking you're really, really good at it.

Living and Looking Local:

37. Never take the first price- haggling is expected. On the other side of the coin, though, don’t haggle some old woman trying to sell you a scarf in the Sunday market into oblivion- that extra dollar probably means an awful lot more than her than it does to you. Lay aside your hubris and indignation from time to time and accept the gringo tax. (Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador & KF16)

38. Be a guest (and a friend) – allow people in your host country to take you around…you don’t always have to pretend like you’re not a tourist…let’s be real, this is not your native country (if it is, still go on some trips!). (Eric Rindal, KF15 Sierra Leone, KF16 Bolivia)

39. Get off the internet! Your friends at home really don’t need to hear from you every day (although your mother/father probably does). It’s way cooler to say, “I was out of internet range…” (Eric Rindal, KF15 Sierra Leone, KF16 Bolivia)

40. Outside of San Salvador the people are pretty conservative. Men won’t shake a woman’s hand unless she extends her hand first. (Andrea Ramirez, KF16 Costa Rica & El Salvador)

41. In Paraguay, you greet and say goodbye to friends with not one, but two kisses – one on each cheek. (Alba Castillo, KF16 Paraguay)

42. If you want to look like a local, wear jeans. Even if it’s 100 degrees outside. Tourists are associated with shorts. (Andrea Ramirez, KF16 Costa Rica & El Salvador)

43. When in Rome…always pour some out for Pachamama. If you find yourself sitting around a big bucket of Chicha with nothing but a full gourd in hand, don’t be stingy, pour some out for Mother Earth, she’s thirsty too. (Mariela Cedeno, KF16 Bolivia)

44. Walk, walk everywhere, all the time. Yes you need to be at the office at 8 a.m. and you get up at 7:40, but maybe during your two hour lunch break and on weekends you can make sure to take the time to pace yourself. Remember to absorb everything around you: the sounds, the streets, the people, the street vendors, the conversations, the protests, the smells. For some reason, those were also my most peaceful times. (Mariela Cedeno, KF16 Bolivia)

45. Getting haircuts is cheap and always a great experience. Getting a straight razor shave sounds bad ass but is just bad and hurts a lot. (Jim Burke, KF16 Nicaragua)

For more hints and tips, check out the original 33 Tips from Kiva Fellows post from November 2009! To learn more about the Kiva Fellowship experience, check out “Why I Volunteer Abroad” by Eric Rindal, “Migration, Microloans, and the Journey of a Kiva Fellow” by Kate Bennett, or the official Kiva Fellows Blog.

Huipiles in a Virginia Fair Trade Store!

Working in Latin America requires patience. Whether we are waiting in a camioneta that has been leaving “ahorita” (right now!) for the past 25 minutes, or we are listening to a 4-hour PTA meeting held in Kaqchikel so that we may issue a 4 minute announcement in Spanish which will receive vacant stares from the majority of the audience, or after weeks of classes, our English students yet again declare their favorites colors to be “blu-ay” and “wheat-ay” (blue and white), we idealists must learn to find an inner state of Zen during innumerable situations. If we do not develop patience, well, we’d go crazy.

Currently, many of us volunteers are returning home temporarily to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. However, though we may leave Latin America, we continue to encounter situations that compel our patience. Here are a few of my favorite patience-requiring moments of last year’s holiday season:

1. Closely-related family member: “Ginny just loves Honduras. Honduras people are so friendly.” (At the time of this statement, I had been living in Guatemala for 6 months and this person had visited.)
2. Me, on upwards of 40 occasions: “The organization does holistic, community development, which is…”
3. Multiple friends: “Why aren’t you tan? You’re in Central America, right?”
4. Me: “Yes, I shower. Yes, I have electricity. No, I don’t live in the bush.”
5. Multiple relatives: “Say something in Spanish…”
6. Family member: “That’s so great you’re living in Guatemala! You know, I have a friend who visited Rio once. Y’all should definitely talk.”
7. Friend: “Guatemala…that’s near China, right?”

Please believe that I do not intend to be condescending. At the end of the day, community development is complex, few American schools specifically address Guatemalan history in their classes, and Spanish words simply do sound sexier. Also, how wonderful to have so many people who genuinely care about my life’s happenings. How fortunate to have an outlet through which I can discuss community development in Latin America?

The lessons learned from working in Latin America extend beyond the borders of a single nation or region. Patience, among other values, is a life lesson. As many of us volunteers travel home during the holiday season, we encounter familiar locations with new eyes and renewed inner strength.

Ginny just finished a thirteen-month commitment as Program Director with Manna Project International-Guatemala. For more on Ginny’s experiences in Guatemala, check out her blog.

Gregoria

Dreams to…Own sewing machines to make and sell clothing

Gregoria is a mother of seven, four of which live at home, and she sells shoes in the local markets around Santa Cruz, Bolivia. I visited her in a half-constructed small home in the outskirts of town; her sons built the home using their mom’s profits. Her three sons adore their mother and are all a part of the business decisions and the loan process. With a huge smile Gregoria said her dream was to purchase sewing machines and make clothing. This will allow her to employ her sons with a steady job. Clearly the bond of the family would be a driving force in her business.

Irene

Dreams to…Purchase a car to help her traveling business

Irene sells cleaning towels, cleaning products, and small household items out of a small cardboard box. Her business is, well, a traveling business. She walks twelve hours per day along the streets between towns selling these small items. I met Irene in the mid-morning after she had been walking for a few hours; she was already tired. “I am getting old,” she said, and she isn’t able to walk as far or as long as she used to do. With great strength she does not complain about walking, but her dream is to purchase a car so she does not need to walk everywhere and wear herself out to make a living.

Teodocio

Dreams to…Buy a fabric cutting machine to increase efficiency

Teodocio lives with his wife and two daughters in El Alto, Bolivia. He works at home three days a week making large brimmed hats for field workers and he sells the hats in the marketplace the rest of the week. He previously had one sewing machine to complete his work, but then purchased a second sewing machine with his loan. Since taking out his loan Teodocio has been able to employ both his daughters to sew the hats. Teodocio’s dream is to buy a fabric cutter to create custom designs and produce the fabric cuts at the pace and moment he needs them.

Julia

Dreams to… 1) Purchase a larger bus, and 2) Travel to Europe

Julia is the owner of a bus for public transportation in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. I expected her to be a bus driver, but she hires a driver and simply is responsible for all the maintenance. She is a woman of great business savvy, and is also is an active distributor of Herbalife products. As a responsible borrower and businesswoman, she is always seeking to grow her business and uses microloans as a means to expand and actualize her goals. After using a loan to purchase the bus, her new dream is to purchase a bus big enough to fit 40 or 50 people. I asked if she had other goals; her eyes became distant and she laughed as if it was utterly ridiculous, but Julia’s other dream is to make enough money to travel to Europe. She would “love to see Europe.”

Valentine

Dreams to…Plant more fields and increase his herd of cows

Valentine is a farmer and raises cattle in the quiet warm agriculture area outside of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. He has 30 cows and a few fields where he plants corn, yucca, and peanuts. Valentine lives in a house on the hillside with his wife and young son who loves to sing (he is about 6 years old and sang a few songs while strumming his guitar). I asked Vincent why he took out loans, “if I didn’t have a loan I couldn’t buy more seeds. If I do buy more seeds then I can plant and harvest more fields.” It’s that simple. Valentine’s dream is to buy more cows for his farm and more seeds to plant – both of which allow him to supply the local cooperative market.

Elvira

Dreams to…Construct her own house

(Elvira is the second from the left, in the back)

Elvira is member of the nine-woman-strong “New Hope” group working in a street market of Cochabamba, Bolivia. She sells noodles, rice, and beans in her market stall and is the dedicated leader of the solidarity group. With the few profits Elvira makes each month, her dream is to construct and complete a home. “That is all I want…to construct a home,” she said.

Martina

Dreams to…Pay for her two children to graduate from university

Martina lives in the rural town of Achacachi, Bolivia near the shores of Lake Titicaca. She owns four dairy cows and sells the milk to a local cooperative in her area. She has two sons in their early twenties who are attending university in La Paz. Her dream is to pay for her two sons to graduate from university. She has been using all her profits from milk sales to pay for their education. She purchased her fourth dairy cow with her loan, but it has since become pregnant and currently produces little milk. Despite slow milk production and sales, Martina is determined to pay for their schooling. Even while things are uncertain until the cow’s birth in January, she is frugal and knows she will see them both complete their education.

Gabriel

Dreams to…Own a reliable dump truck

Gabriel drives a dump truck for hire in La Paz, Bolivia. He used his Kiva loan to buy a new motor for his truck; his other motor up and died a few months ago. As an older man it is difficult to get steady work, so he relies solely on his skill of driving large trucks. He is the only worker in his family, and his financial situation is delicate, so if his motor goes out he has no income. Gabriel’s dream is to purchase a new, reliable dump truck to ensure his employment and steady income. He then would not need to worry if his “business” could break down at any moment.

Lilian

Dreams to…Travel to Europe and attend hairdressing workshops

Lilian owns a two-chair hair salon in Cochabamba, Bolivia. She is extremely kind, welcoming, and a great hairdresser. During my whole interview she had a huge smile and described how her loan allowed her to buy more hair products to sell to her customers. When asked about her dream, Lilian exhaled, rolled her lips inward, and closed her eyes, “I want to take hairdressing classes and workshops in Europe or the United States. I have heard of these classes and want to learn new styles and see Europe.” She knows it would be expensive, but she still has hope that one day her dream will come true.

Hugo

Dreams to…Purchase another skill saw and hire an employee

Hugo is a puzzle maker in El Alto, Bolivia. With his Kiva loan he purchased a skill saw to cut the intricate shapes of children’s puzzles. Previously he was cutting all the shapes by hand using a small tricky saw. Hugo’s dream is to purchase another skill saw and hire an employee (who would become his apprentice). He says there are plenty of people who want to work in his area and there is also high demand for his puzzles. Hugo loves puzzle making, and expanding his business is his ultimate goal.

Cesar

Dreams to…Re-open a restaurant with internet and a book store

Cesar owns two restaurants in La Paz, Bolivia, one is directly across from a local high school and the other is in a small neighborhood. With his wife, they have taken out a loan to expand and remodel the restaurants. “There are internet cafés, restaurants, and book stores,” he said, “but no one in his areas has combined all of them.” A true entrepreneur, Cesar’s dream is to remodel his restaurant, connect wi-fi, and offer bookstore items for the nearby high school students.

Eric

Dreams to…Start his own printing and copy shop

Eric studied at a local university in La Paz, Bolivia. He has been working at his father’s printing and copy shop making money to pay for his classes. However, he has had to take some time off from school to save up enough to continue his classes later. In the mean time he has decided to pursue owning his own print and copy shop. Learning from his father how to run a print and copy business, Eric’s dream is to use a loan and purchase his own copy machine and printers…thus moving out on his own and starting his own business.

Juana

Dreams to…Maintain steady sales and be equipped to do business

Juana owns a small storefront on a main street in La Paz, Bolivia. She has run the small store for years and taken out loans since 1995 to keep her business competitive and innovative. Always trying to differentiate herself, Juana has purchased phones for customers to use for local and international calling; no one in Juana’s neighborhood has these phones. When asked about her dream, Juana simply smiled and said, “I would like to equip my store and make it of the highest quality. I would like to continue on as I currently am…and, well, in the future make a little more in profits than I am now.”

Miguel

Dreams to…Start his own dairy

Miguel has taken out two loans so far. He lives in a rural farming community hours away from La Paz, Bolivia. His uncle owns a farm with dairy cows, and Miguel wanted to try his hand at owning a dairy. With his first loan he purchased a cow, and he did the same with his second loan. His dream is to be a dairy farmer and little by little he is reaching his dream.

Ben

Dreams to…Send his two young daughters to school through university level

Ben is a painter who specializes in the restoration of 17^th-19^th century colonial art works living in La Paz, Bolivia. With his loan he was able to purchase more works of art in antique shops and more supplies to continue his restoration business. Ben sells his renovated pieces to private collectors as well as in the markets of La Paz. He lives with his wife and two daughters in a beautiful little home with paintings (most are his own) from floor to ceiling. His dream is to make enough money to send his two young daughters to school through university level.

***

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to share with you the dreams of some Kiva borrowers I met here in Bolivia. Dreams are a wonderful thing to share and are a part of people’s lives regardless of economic standing. It may be expected that people living in developing countries might only have dreams for cleaner water or better healthcare, however most have very concrete dreams for one more cow or traveling to Europe or owning a car. There is kind of a glass ceiling above people in developing countries in the perception that poorer people might only want potable water or medicine. This idea really limits their dreams and desires to a perception of what I (we) feel they are asking for. Their dreams are greater and go further than I could have imagined.

Eric currently working with the 16th Class of Kiva Fellows in Bolivia, bouncing between La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz.

As a volunteer we do have to do our research. Just like someone donating (discussed pointedly in Amanda’s recent post “Too Much Charity“) in order to make a difference, we have to do a background check on who we donate our time to. We also must realize that volunteer organizations operating in Latin America under the “do-gooder” guise are not always that transparent or altruistic.

I guess I didn’t do my research.

When I volunteered last year with a foundation in Tena, Ecuador (doing trail maintenance), I felt mislead. After finishing my two-week stay, I was to understand that the organization was in a “transitional phase” during my visit, but even considering this, I was a bit let down.

The facilities were functional but surprisingly run down. The food was good but simple. And more than once during my 2-week stay the “manager” was found in the morning arguing with the kitchen help about buying enough food for the week, and basically telling the cook to make due because there was no money to buy food. This surprised me. Considering the amount of money that the volunteers from the states paid to do the same work I was doing, I was appalled that this site was short on cash.

But the frustrating part was it seemed that the organization had a really successful history. There was evidence of some really productive volunteer projects.  However, it seemed the “transitional phase” really was impacting their work. The new volunteer coordinator seemed more motivated to talk to me about the “monas locas de Guayaquil” than any kind of project. He was open to ideas, but during our Friday meetings, it seemed that he would come up with excuses to not do many of them.

I am not complaining. I still enjoyed myself immensely. We did some useful projects to improve the trail infrastructure in the short time I was there, and I met some great people with whom I am still in contact.

However, if you are going to volunteer in Ecuador, I would follow the same recommendations that Amanda mentions for donations. Mainly, just do your research and try to work directly with the organization where you are going to volunteer.
I realize that these places do need to spend money on marketing to attract their target audience in the US and Europe, but I would like to have seen more of the cost of the program go directly to the site. I left questioning the integrity of these booking agencies that set up the projects from the states and wondering where does the revenue go from the high program costs if not directly into the site?

For more posts on paying (or not paying) to volunteer abroad in Latin America, check out “It Pays To Do Some Research,” “Pesos and centavos: Should you pay to volunteer abroad in Latin America?” by Megan Kaseburg, “Making a Difference While Making a Living – But How?” by Caitlin McHale,  or “From Volunteering to Paid Work: Development Careers in Latin America” by Andrew Wainer. Philip Dixon is an English literature teacher in Ecuador, who has just relocated from Guayaquil to Quito, and a devoted mountain biker. For more information on his experiences, check out his blog.