Argentina - Waterfalls and Eco-worlds

Though our itinerary is not scratched in stone, and is of course subject to spontaneous new ideas as we stumble across them, one thing we do know is that our first port of call in Argentina will be the breath taking Iguazu Falls. We'll take a boat trip that actually takes you under the waterfalls, and yes, we'll get very wet! Thankfully temperatures in Argentina in December are at the higher end of the scale, so I imagine drying off shouldn't be too much of a problem :) We think starting here will set us off on a truly high note for the forth coming journey, how could it not?!

From Iguazu Falls we'll head down to our first volunteer project, the Eco-Yoga-Park :)

'The Park, created in 1996, is located 60 km from Buenos Aires in a beautiful and unique rural area, surrounded by the greenlands of La Pampa, Argentina. We are a community of diverse people who work together towards a holistic lifestlye in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. We aim to live in harmony with the environment, working with projects that focus on self-sustainability.'

Volunteers work for 4 1/2 hours a day in sustainable activities during the morning; the work consists of organic farming, eco-construction, eco tourism, helping in the kitchen, teaching English to members of the community, there's also a high emphasis on art and filming. In the afternoon they are free to take part in the Park´s activities (hatha yoga, meditation with tibetan bells, music theraphy with oriental instruments, pranayama program, movies, etc.), or simply relax, read a book, or take a walk through the surrounding rural environment. 

'All the year around, volunteers from all over the world come to the Park to discover their skills, get in contact with mother earth, help us improve our local community, get to know new people, learn Spanish and enjoy nature and the experience of living in our community.'

I can see myself getting into the Yoga, something I've always wanted to try. My sister got quite into it and raved about it's positive effects on the mind and body. I'd love to learn about it properly. I can see Jack getting his hands dirty in organic farming, and later lounging in a hammock, nose in book, soaking up the afternoon sunshine. 

Check out the PHOTOS, the place looks simply amazing. 

In Brief: The Route, places and projects...

I'll be writing about each place we're planning to visit in more depth as separate posts soon, but for a brief idea of the route we'll take, the places we'll visit and the projects we'll be working with, here they are :)

Click map to enlarge

December 2011 we fly into:

Argentina

(Click on the links to see the websites of the projects)

We will be volunteering at an Eco-Yoga-Park

Sites to see (among many others!)

Iguazu Falls

Los Glaciares National Park

Peninsula Valdes (penguins, sea lions, wales etc)

El Chalten (Mountain village, best for trekking)

Chile – Jan

We'll be volunteering at a Chinchilla Habitat Restoration Project

Sites to see

Torres Del Paine (National Park)

Licancabur (volcano, hot springs)

Atacama Desert (night time astrology tours)

Bolivia - Feb/March

We'll be volunteering at Animal Rescue Centres Communidad Inti Wara Yassi and Sende Verde

Sites to see

Laguna Verde (Salt Lake)

Salar de Uyuni (Salt Plains)

Peru – March/April

We'll be volunteering at another Eco-Park 

Sites to see

Machu Picchu

Ecuador - April/May

We'll be volunteering at an Amazonian Animal Rescue Centre and a rescue centre for abused and trafficked animals

Sites to see

Banos – small town (waterfalls, thermal springs)

Otavalo (small town and great textiles market)

Peru – End of May

A brief stint back in Peru to catch our flight back to UK

Ethical Volunteering

‘Voluntourism’

I've recently been investigating the idea of ethical volunteering as the term 'Voluntourism' is often coming under scrutiny these days. The current debate claims that actual negative effects can arise from a volunteers impact upon a project, it's hosts and even the community. The bigger picture must be considered as even the smallest efforts can have a huge ripple effect if enough people jump on the bandwagon. Results can actually hinder a community, not help it.

After some careful consideration of our own impact, I truly believe we're fairly safe to rest assured that we won't be leaving a trail of negative impact behind us (for instance, taking potential paid work away from those in the local community). The following points will hopefully explain our reasoning....

Research..

I have read up on various websites offering information on ethical volunteering and I was surprised to find that they all make the assumption that people will arrange their volunteering activities via a ‘volunteer sending’ company, in a nutshell this means, ‘a company that you pay to arrange everything for you and to offer you support while you’re volunteering’.  I don’t doubt there are some great companies out there doing some really worth-while stuff, however what about arranging your volunteering experience directly yourself? This is what we’re doing. NO Middle Man. NO Fat Cats. Person to Project :)

Below are some of the sites I had a look at, I am still a little confused as to why they clearly assume anyone wishing to volunteer would pay another company to arrange it for them?! Volunteering shouldn't be a money-making industry, it should be based upon a moral philosophy, a will for change and a passion for the environment that we're all responsible for.

http://www.ethicalvolunteering.org/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/volunteer/ethical_volunteering.cfm
http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/magazine/articles/destinations/how-to-be-an-ethical-volunteer

Direct Contact..

As previously mentioned, the way in which we have decided to go about organising our trip is to research and contact projects directly, projects that take a simplistic and more personalised, non-profit approach to arranging your visit. Some simply advise you to just turn up! Animal rescue centre Communidad Inti Warra Yassi in Bolivia for example. A high turn-over of traveller volunteers allows for space to always become available.

The places we have chosen to volunteer with are very reliant on volunteers it seems. Without people wanting to pitch in and get involved in return for a unique experience, a lot of these projects wouldn’t be able to exist, or at least not to the level they are currently operating at.

Query your impact..

So when I asked myself if my actions would be taking potential paid work away from those in the local community, I had to conclude that they wouldn’t (I sincerely hope not anyway). There are no wages for individuals even available in these organisations, except for highly-skilled professionals such as vets, and on some occasions even vets will offer their know-how free of charge.  Many of the projects are set up by families/couples/individuals with a strong passion for what they believe in, namely animal rescue/rehabilitation and eco-living.

As we are mainly focusing on volunteering with animals I also had to ask myself whether our actions out there would help or hinder the animal’s welfare. I’m no vet or Zoologist (oh how I wish I was!) so of course I won’t be carrying out duties of such a high skill-set. The projects we’re looking at make use of volunteers in the cleaning, feeding and exercising of the animals (and of course the odd cuddle).  They may seem mundane tasks, but they are essential and time-consuming. Without the enthusiasm of volunteers the owners and vets etc would have to spend so much more time dealing with these smaller tasks, thus taking away more important time needed for treating and rehabilitating the animals.

Why pay anything?

The money we will be paying to take part as volunteers is pretty minimal and the predominant reason for it is to offer us shelter, food, work clothing (if necessary) and sometimes even transport. Anything not spent on putting us up then goes towards the upkeep of the organisation;  the feeding of the animals - vet bills - the fixing of a leaking roof - new building materials, and so on.

We know our money will go to good use as to be honest it’s really not much and can only go so far. For example, one of the projects in Ecuador asks for only £140 for an entire month, with a small donation for food along the way. This organisation, Ecuador Volunteer, allows volunteers to have the weekends off and they offer many different trekking trips at a discount price; again they’re really not expensive. This is a way that local people CAN make a wage as guides on the treks and local areas.

While in Argentina (towards the end of our journey) we also hope to spend some time at the Echo-Movement, a volunteer led project aiming to create and develop sustainable communities. This project does not seem to offer job roles and exists solely on the enthusiasm and passion of volunteers from around the world. 

We plan to do our up-most to ensure our personal impact on these other countries and inhabitants will only be a positive one :)

Of course we will discover much more once we actually get out there and should I find out anything I am currently unaware of, I will be sure to post it up.

Unreported World

A couple of days ago I came across the most recent Unreported World documentary on Illegal Animal Trade, on Channel 4’s catch-up service 4OD. I instantly knew I would find it painful to watch and told myself I wouldn’t do it. Curiosity took a hold of me and within 24 hours Jack and I sat down to watch the hard-hitting documentary, wincing all the way. It’s so horrible to know that these things are going on in the world every single day while we sit comfortable and content in our lovely warm homes, surrounded by all our ‘riches’ that we so often take for granted.

It’s a killer to watch, but I think it’s necessary to know what’s really going on in the world. If we’re not aware then we can’t do anything to help put an end to the cruelty and devastation. 

This particular episode focuses upon Indonesia, however we can't forget that this illegal activity is taking place in many other parts of the world.

We must also not forget that a lot of these issues are part and parcel of a much deeper rooted problem, the West is no innocent party. It is the responsibility of everyone to change their ways to allow for a better, honest and more sustainable future. 

Watch it here http://www.channel4.com/programmes/unreported-world/4od#3197103

Volunteering - Animal Rescue Centres

The less developed and poorer countries we'll be visting have a plethora of opportunities for volunteering – Ecuador and Bolivia for example. We’re going to be focusing on volunteering at animal rescue and rehabilitation centres, we both adore animals and I've always had a deep desire to work with them and help them.

Due to poverty (and a whole host of other contributing factors) people are being driven to selling illegal and endangered animals on the black market. Don’t get me wrong, I believe there is no excuse for it, but these people are often desperate to even feed themselves and they see selling animals as an accessible trade, often selling to rich tourists or overseas buyers, even selling the animals to become parts :(

You can read more about the illegal animal trade in Peru here.

It is also really important to note that each case of animal trafficking is different and has it's own individual story. In my next post I will be putting up a video link to the latest Unreported World documentary about animal trafficking, you can witness for yourself that not all cases arise from desperation. Many also arise from greed.

One of the projects we plan to spend time volunteering with is Merazonia, 'an up-and-coming rescue centre for trafficked and abused Amazonian animals' in Ecuador. While we're there we hope to understand the situation more and to learn about the actions being taken to put a stop to it, and be a part of that.

A lot of these creatures end up in rescue centres, either brought there after being seized by officials or brought to the centres by the people that purchased them, often finding they don’t actually know how to care for them or finding the animal in poor health. Unfortunately for these creatures it’s not just a case of rescuing the ones that find themselves being sold as soulless products on the markets, but it’s about the BIGGER PICTURE. There are so many more trickier to tackle factors that make up the causes of why this is happening.
Deforestation is playing a HUGE factor in animal endangerment in the regions we’ll be visiting. I’ll talk more about this in a later post.

Volunteering our way around South America

Well, Oz and New Zealand are off the map now, for this trip anyway. Turns out we were perhaps being a tad ambitious thinking we could do it all in one fell swoop. South America has now become the sole focus!

So, we're barely one month away from booking the flights! The hefty six month trip will be in the bag very shortly :)

We're also finally decided on the where’s, what’s and why’s.

As mentioned in the 'The Trip' page of this blog we'll be snaking our way down through the countries along the West coast.

UK - Peru - Ecuador - Bolivia - Chile - Argentina - UK (or possibly in the reverse order)

I've recently put together a well-researched list of volunteer projects of interest in each country we'll be visiting. Jack laughed at me as I just love to make lists, if ever there's an opportunity to write a concise list of something or other I'm on the case! Volunteering our way around South America is the most interesting and cost-effective way to do so, we believe so anyway. We don’t want to be snap-happy tourists, we want to immerse ourselves, develop friendships and learn about alternative (perhaps even better) ways of living and viewing the world we live in :)

Things are starting to make sense...

These last few weeks have brought about some realizations, and some helpful ones at that.

As it stands now a 'Round-The-World' trip has translated into 'Lets do Central and South America and if we can afford it, Australia too'. After much deliberation, it seemed both myself and the boy didn't want to just take a lily pad hop around the world and back again, just for the satisfaction of filling our passports. We'd prefer to focus on specific places and be sure to see and do as much as we can, truly making the most out of our location and absorbing as much of it as possible.

We've both made the decision that Central and South America would make the perfect setting for the greatest adventures.

My longing to travel the East coast of Australia still lingers, so if our purse strings will stretch far enough, we will be heading to Australia after 6 months traveling Latin America. In Oz we would be able to work our way along the coast, so that makes the whole idea much more attainable. New Zealand is also at the top of both of our lists.

We plan to book our flights in August this year and set sail at the end of November.

Who knows when we'll return! :)

NEWS!

It turns out the boy is definitely joining me on my travels! This changes a few things and all for the better :) Travel ideas that once seemed daunting now seem all the more possible. Very excited!

Responses!

I've had a handful of responses back from some of the volunteer projects I contacted. I'm now finding myself stepping closer and closer to making some sense out of the travel ideas flying around in my head. It turns out excessive amounts of thinking can in actual fact result in success! I was starting to feel a little dragged down by all the options and information, not knowing where to start or how to structure anything. Now I feel South America is definitely on the itinerary as a large chunk of the trip. I heard back from an animal rehabilitation centre in Bolivia and the reviews and testimonials are (for lack of a more suitable word) incredible. There is no requirement to book in advance, very little cost and you can stay as long as you like. The range of animals is fantastic; big cats, various monkey species and exotic birds, some of which can be seen here.



Each animal has their own individual story of how they ended up at the centre, many of which are extremely sad and involve terrible neglect or abuse.


Name: Gato
Species: Puma (Puma concolor)
Age: approximately 10 years old

Gato was originally caught in the mountains of Chile when he was 2 months old. After his mother was killed by hunters, he was sold on to a Bolivian circus, where he spent a year in captivity in a very small cage and as a pay per view sideshow. Gato was then trained to jump through hoops of fire. When he failed to perform he was beaten. The repeated beatings led to broken back legs.


Name: Loca
Species: Capuchin monkey

When Loca was a few weeks old, a group of Bolivians snatched her from her mother and sold her in a market in La Paz. The Bolivian family who bought her kept her in a metal cage just large enough for her to stand. They cleaned the cage rarely, so that her fur matted and her skin grew infected from constant contact with her feces and urine. Her lungs weakened from the lack of fresh air. She grew nervous, depressed and irritable. The family nicknamed her Loca, meaning crazy, because of her erratic, and sometimes violent, behaviour. Her skin infection and mood swings worsened, and the family wanted to dispose of her. They brought her to the jungle to set her free. Loca had never seen another wild animal before. She clung to the family, hid in their clothes, and wailed. They brought her back to their home. A neighbour took Loca from the family and brought her to Inti Wara Yassi.

Each one of them needs special attention and care to ensure their successful release and survival back into the wild. Those unfortunate enough to be too unfit for release need the time and TLC of volunteers to allow them to live out their lives at the centre as happy ones.


I don't deny the work and conditions will be tough, but what an amazing and unforgettable experience it could be.

BUNAC Working Adventures Worldwide

Having still not received a response from the volunteer projects I contacted I've decided to look at alternative travel ideas. I would love to get involved in a volunteer scheme, to do something totally selfless for a while, but so far it's proving fruitless :( I will contact more though, I'm not yet entirely deterred just yet. Anyway, I'm pretty into the idea of living and working abroad now. BUNAC offer some great deals and they really help you find your feet once you arrive on the other side of the pond. At the moment I'm considering going to Melbourne, I say at the moment as I do have a tendency to flit between ideas quite swiftly, this can mostly be blamed on having a boyfriend and having to compromise on what may or may not happen in six months time. I have friends in Melbourne and would love to travel Australia anyway, the Coral Reef, near by exotic lands and Koalas are something I definitely want to experience! I'm thinking traveling around while en-route to Oz would be the best way to see some more of the world, then settle down under for a while, find a job and enjoy the sunshine!



Live in Paradise? Who me?! Yes please!

Testing the Water

From adding a few handfuls of projects to my 'favourite' list I decided to send an email to a couple of my top choices, just to scope out the availability for volunteer roles. I wrote to a Malaysian Rainforest Lodge and a Costa Rican Jungle Hideaway.


'A Rainforest and Birding Paradise in Costa Rica'

As of yet there has been no response (super sad face). I contacted Ecoteer to query whether this was quite normal considering they are situated out in the jungle somewhere. They were super hot off the press to get back to me and also sent queries on my behalf to the projects. It could take a while to hear back from those I have contacted and I feel I may need to be persistent. I think I will contact them directly from my own email too as well as via Ecoteer, it might just increase my chances of hearing from them. I will also be wise to cast my net further and contact more projects I have on my list. Hopefully I'll get at least one response! Watch this space.

Ecoteer

'Ecoteer believe the way to solve human inequality and environmental destruction is to provide more people with the chance to experience first-hand the real problems in other countries and communities.'



Ecoteer is believed to be one of the very few true ethical and responsible volunteering companies, this is because they have taken out the middleman. Over 25% of their projects are free and if you do have to pay money you give it direct to the project, that way you know 100% of your money is given to the actual project! Even the projects that do result in a cost are still extremely reasonable.

Ecoteer is a community of volunteers and grass root organisations where they can contact each other directly, there are no giant conglomerates or greedy business minds behind the organisation.

I have now officially become an Ecoteer member, having paid my £15 yearly membership fee (a steal!).

I'm now in the process of investigating all of the projects available and where they're based. As a member I have my own account and can manage it to my preferences. At the moment I'm saving certain projects as my 'favourites' so that I can then go back over my list, ponder, edit and then decide on the definite winners.