Idealistic adventurers (whether in Latin America or elsewhere) inevitably find themselves in a world of contrasts. Some contrasts are devastating, others empowering, and then there are the contrasts that are neither here-nor-there. The last of these, whether they make us chuckle or swear, add uniq[...]
Posts Tagged ‘Kiva Fellows’
Hungry?
I can’t leave South America without writing a post on one of my favorite things in the world: FOOD! Many of the clients I met working as a Kiva Fellow sold food in various forms – whether they were wholesale potato dealers, raised and prepared cuy for functions, cooked lechón at the local[...]
April 14th, 2010 - 5:15 pm § in Costa Rica, Volunteer
That is Not the Costa Rica I Know
A lot of people I know have visited Costa Rica and they loved it. The beaches were fantastic. They zip-lined through the rain forest. They saw monkeys from their hotel room. Hearing these stories, I quickly learned that despite my dabbling in being a tourist, the Costa Rica they visit and the Cos[...]
April 6th, 2010 - 11:50 am § in Around Town, Colombia
Asking the Right Questions
How can volunteering help you in the real world? There are countless reasons that I won’t go into here, but they include adding something to your resume, allowing you to give something back to the world, or giving you some important life skills. Over the long Holy Week weekend (Easter), I realized[...]
Falso! A Musing on Fake Money in South America
In both Bolivia and Peru, counterfeit money is a very serious topic. There is so much false money floating around that it is extremely possible that at some point or another, you will try to buy fruit from the doña selling fruit on the corner and she will return your bill or coin exclaiming, [...][...]
My Country, ‘Tis of Thee
What is it about world travelers bad-mouthing their countries of origin? Is it out of shame, or do they really dislike their home country that much? Did I miss something in the secret World Traveler Handbook? I cannot tell you how many countless times I have come across various travelers / vol[...]
