Nicole's Volunteering and Adventures Abroad

Having 10 days without posting a blog (partly due to my blog burnout and partly due to Uganda's horrible WiFi service) gave me time to put all of my efforts into getting as much knowledge about the clinics in Uganda as well as the culture.  In the past 10 days, I had various experiences with the KIHEFO clinics and staff while also attending a non-American Thanksgiving party and Christmas party for past clinic patients.  I spent time trying to absorb as much as I could in the short amount of time I spent in Kabale, Uganda. Luscious Landscape in Kabale With it being only 2 weeks long, this trip felt dramatically different from my past two volunteer stints in South America not because of the difference in culture, but because of the group dynamic that us students created.  From the get go, Irene, a visiting dietician from Italy, was worried that this new group of four students arriving toward the end of her 8 week visit would take lots of time and effort to become clo...

As I have adjusted to living in Uganda, I have learned a few key things to survive here:   1. The mornings are foggy and cold so be sure to have a jacket but when the sun comes out you feel the need to shed every layer of clothing.   the climate in Uganda is one of the mildest in all of Africa.   Eastern Africa includes Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and Tanzania.   These countries being situated close to the equator has provided an abundance of opportunities for evolutionary change in the plants, animals, and climate systems.   I feel very lucky to have chosen to spend two weeks in one of the greatest countries in Africa to visit.   The higher altitudes in Uganda, as well as the cold climate, makes it inherently different than in other African countries.   Some even call it the “Switzerland of Africa” because of the colder weather.   Contrary to stereotypical assumptions about Africa countries, Eastern Africa contains very green landscapes and...

Those of you who followed my Instagram stories over the past weekend, you know how many flights I suffered and the culture shock I suffered being back in America for a day.  In order to get from Cusco, Peru to Kabale, Uganda (for the cheapest possible fares), I took 6 different flights with 3 different airlines.  I began my journey through three different continents last Thursday and arrived in Africa on Saturday night.   Because of the limited amount of tourism in Peru, I had an entire seat of space between myself and another tourist on my first flight from Cusco to Lima.  Even though the flight was short, I fell immediately asleep because of my leftover soreness and tiredness from hiking Machu Picchu.  When I woke in Lima, I found out that Spirit Airlines flights from Peru aren’t until night so I sat in the departures area for 3 hours waiting for the baggage counters to open.    Once I finally boarded the Spirit flight, I was shocked to he...

An hour and a half train ride took me to the city of Aguas Calientes, where I then took a 20 minute bus ride to the current entrance of Machu Picchu ruins.  I was so filled with excitement and adrenaline that I decided to hike up Machu Picchu Mountain before getting a tour of the ruins.  Now this is where I learned why people really call Machu Picchu breathtaking.  This mountain is a 2,139 foot hike that takes you 10,000 feet above sea level, and let me tell you it is not for those with a fear of heights.  The air is so thin on Machu Picchu and it gets more difficult when you try to hike up a mountain a couple more thousand feet.  The path up the mountain is a 30 degree ascent along the original stone Inca trail that is mostly a staircase leading straight to the summit of the mountain.  From here, you can see the start of the hike, the Machu Picchu ruins, and Huayna Picchu mountain to the north. At least 10 times during my hike up the mountain, I thought...

Following my trip through Lima, I spent a few days in the Sacred Valley City of Ollantaytambo.  This quaint little city acs as a buffer for travel going from the more populated city of Cusco to Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo as it is the entrance city to Machu Picchu.  Though I only spent 3 days in Ollantaytambo, I had an amazingly relaxing time.  The hostel I stayed at, Hostel Andenes, had one of the best breakfasts in all of Peru and their hostel service was 5 star hotel level.  The hostel was located right next to the main Plaza de Armas in Ollantaytambo and was only a 15 minute walk from the train station where I hitched a ride on my second day to Aguas Calientes. Lomo Saltado, Peruvian Dish Entrance to the city of Ollantaytambo Ollantaytambo has somehow retained its ancient cobblestone streets and aqueducts with water running down the channels in the middle of the street.  I walked down Avienda Ferrocar...

I keep telling myself that I have had such good luck throughout my travels.  The places I have lived and the people I met have all been warm and welcoming, and this makes me excited for all the plans I have coming up.  Barranco is such a cute city with all of its street vendors, art, dancing, cafes and bars.  There really is nowhere like it and I feel very fortunate that this is where I ended up staying during my "vacation" weekend in Lima.  Out of all the Airbnb's that I looked at, I picked this one on a whim and it ended up being the best decision out there.  I feel like this city really fits where I wanted to be and somewhere I could spend lots of time doing nothing, but also experiencing as much as I can.  I feel truly in touch with the culinary and design perspectives that Barranco has to offer.  I would 100% suggest staying in Barranco if you ever find yourself in Lima. - Nicole  Food: Not only is the bread 5 cents, but the avoca...

These two lists serve a couple different purposes: One, to tell you all about the good and bad things in Lima.  Two, to keep the raw, small details of Lima in my mind (or at least on this blog) forever.  Finally, three, to give anyone reading this tidbits of information about Peru. I will miss: 1. 50 cent bus rides for two hours 2. Apple empanadas sold on the street 3. Pisco Sour 4. Fresh Ceviche 5. Maracuya Juice 6. Hamburgers and fries from Montagu Hamburgesas, Chaclacayo 7. Waking up to the sound of the kids getting ready in the morning 8. South American coffee 9. EVERY. SINGLE. CHILD. 10. Peruvian street art 11. Street food 12. Chicharron de pescado 13. The smell of bakeries while driving through the streets of Lima 14. People yelling "Taxi Lady?!" at me, like thats going to make me get in their vehicle What I will not miss: 1. Somehow as I look back on my trip to Peru and as I near the end of this adventure, all of the things I thought that I would ...

The past week I have spent at the Hogar has been one of the busiest but also one of the most amazing time's I have had.  Despite the dread of going into town for children's appointments about 3-4 times a week, I was given the opportunity to see the true Lima that Peruvians live through. I had a discussion with another volunteer about how different life in Lima can be after just traveling out of Lima center for just 2 hours.  While going into Lima with one of the Hogar staff members, we were warned about the more unsafe parts of Lima that are popular for robberies and shootings.  We drove through the impoverished neighborhoods and saw quintas , small skinny hallways throughout the streets that encircle the city and contain hundreds of stacked apartments.  Just from face value, you can tell that it is a difficult place to live with the constant risk of theft and robberies. When I left the Hogar yesterday, only a 40 kilometer drive separated myself and another volun...