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By Amanda S., a guest blogger studying Spanish and volunteering in Bolivia

There are a lot of gringos in Sucre, relative to most parts of Bolivia. I’ve talked to several people, and their story always goes something like, “Yeah, I worked for the Peace Corps in a village outside of Sucre a few years ago, and I liked it here so much that I stayed." There’s one guy from Louisiana that came here with the Peace Corps in the 60’s, and he still visits ever summer- he’s good friends with my host family.

Anyway, I’m telling ya’ll that because I’m feeling pretty homesick right now. I don’t think culture shock is very aptly named; people are people, and the differences in culture aren’t that important, I don’t think. It’s more “Oh-crap-I-don’t-speak-Spanish-so-I-can’t-talk-to-anyone-and-I’m-not-familiar-with-this-city-and-I-want-to-call-home-but-my-cellphone-doesn’t-work" shock. It’s pretty lonely, I guess. I’m fine as long as I keep busy, but it’s hard to keep busy when I’m so unfamiliar with Sucre and don’t have anyone to go out and explore with. Traveling is easier with two people, I bet.

But hey, I’ve got seven weeks left. I’m hoping, though, that by the time those seven weeks are up, I’ll be sad to leave. I mean, everybody else I’ve met loves it here.

On a happier note, it was Steve’s (the guy from Louisiana’s) 70^th (or maybe 80^th, I don’t remember) birthday yesterday, and my host family hosted his party. It started at 10 and went until 5 in the morning. I spent the five hours before that helping prepare the food- toothpicking hundreds of cheese cubes and ham cubes and salami cubes and olives and pickles.  There was a live Bolivian band, a very impressive bar, and lots and lots of dancing for seven hours straight.

I’ll admit that I definitely prefer Bolivian parties to US ones. Everybody, from my 11-year-old host sister to my 80-year-old abuela just danced and danced and danced the entire time- there was no awkward standing around. I can picture very few of the adults I know dancing so enthusiastically. It was fun dancing, too; there’s a traditional dance from Sucre where both of the dancing partners use a napkin like a scarf and everybody else claps. I don’t know the name for it, so I’ve dubbed it the Napkin Dance.  There was also something like a follow-the-leader-conga-line that everybody got in on, and a couple guys got me to dance with them: my host cousin, and one of the “I came with the Peace Corps and stayed” guys.

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By Amanda S., a guest blogger studying Spanish and volunteering in Bolivia

And here I am again! Not much new going on, but more to tell you that I didn't in the first post.

There's a surprising amount to say about the food, actually, so I'll just stick with lunch right now. It's the biggest meal of the day; for other meals we eat barely anything. So it's huge. The first course is always soup. It's made of broth, and it's always got a huge chunk of meat and big piece of potatoes or two in broth, along with spices and some kind of starch like rice or beans. It's a big bowl of soup; my first day, I thought that was all there would be.

The second course is usually a starch, like rice, pasta, potatoes, corn, or a combination of any of those, with a meat dish, like steak and poached eggs, or pork, or meat-filled omelets…  Eggs are lunch food.

And then fruit and/or ice cream for dessert. The ice cream is called "helado de soya", or "sualla", pronounced soy-ya.  I thought maybe that it was soy ice cream, but they insisted that it had milk in it… so I don't know if sualla is soy or not. They did say it was some kind of grain, and it tasted a little like pepto bismol..

In other words, lunch mostly consists of several different kinds of meats and grains, with nothing to drink. I don't think my family drinks much water. Only coffee and tea. It sounds like I'm exaggerating, but if I understood them right, that's what they told me.

School's going well. My teacher's named Yerko, and two of the other students in my class live in the same house-courtyard-thing as me, with one of the other family units of the extended family. So we do homework together (we get assigned a lot of homework). Today we learned the past imperfect tense, which I learned in high school and remember more or less, but the review definitely helps. What I really need is a review of the irregular verbs in simple preterite.

And a Fluffy update: I spent a while scratching Fluffy's head while I was on Skype with my parents. Now whenever I'm outside he comes to sit by me and when I'm in my room with door open he sits a few feet in front of it and watches me. My family gets a kick out of that.

I started this post before lunch and finished after, so I have an update on food: Today the soup was "sopa con arroz y papas fritas". That's right: rice and french fry soup. It's apparently a favorite- my eleven-year-old host sister was super excited about it.  And the second course was some kind of fish in broth with rice. The fish still had bones in it- they were constantly warning me to "Ten cuidado"- Be careful. I guess they don't want their gringa choking on those invisible, sharp, little fish bones!

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By Amanda S., a guest blogger studying Spanish and volunteering in Bolivia

I'm Amanda; I'm a pre-med student from Texas visiting Sucre, Bolivia for two months. I'll be taking Spanish classes for three weeks and then volunteering at Hospital Psicipedigohico. That's a mouthful, but it just means that it's a hospital for disabled children.

Here I am! I found out at lunch today that my family has internet in one of their rooms with an Ethernet cable I can use.  That's good- I don't have to lug my computer all the way to the Spanish School to use theirs. It wouldn't be that much of pain, but the school closes after morning classes for lunch, so I'd have to walk there again after lunch to use my computer.

I got to La Paz, Bolivia after an all-nighter from Miami at 5 in the morning. It only took a few minutes to get through customs, which surprised me (they didn't even look at my yellow fever vaccination records, which I was slightly disappointed at. I mean, the shot cost money, and it hurt, and they didn't even care? Sad.) La Paz is at an altitude of over 13,000 feet, and I get altitude sick in Colorado at 8,000. So after about 30 minutes in La Paz my hands turned blue and my stomach flipped over- I almost threw up when I stood up to board the plane. Fun stuff. From La Paz I flew to Santa Cruz, which had an entirely empty airport, so I spent that four-hour layover sleeping off the leftover altitude sickness. And from there it was a 30 minute flight to Sucre.

There were children at the airport who ran alongside the runway when the plane landed and were begging for money at baggage claim. Sucre's bigger than I expected; the airport's on the outskirts, and the buildings start out really dilapidated but get much more well-kept as you get closer to the center of the city, where my host family and school are. The center of the city's beautiful, with flower gardens and white colonial buildings with red roofs. The buildings are all squished together like in San Francisco, but it's a lot less city-like, somehow. People are all over the sidewalks and streets, and the cars don't follow any traffic rules that I can tell, but go pretty slowly. There are vendors in the streets selling fruits and juices and empanadas and saltenas; I haven't tried either yet but I'll let you know how it goes when I do (and no, I haven't drank the street vendor juice for fear of traveler's diarrhea, although the other student who's with my family has, and he seems fine).

My host family lives in one big compound that has one door to the street. There's a courtyard that works kind of like the living room, and each bedroom, kitchen (there are two) and bathroom walk out into the courtyard. The grandmother, two sisters, their families, and maybe some cousins all live in the compound together… I'm not really sure how the family dynamic works. I guess I'll figure that out in the next two months. I know more Spanish, I think, than they know English, so communicating is an interesting game. There's another student who also lives in the compound, but our host families are different members of the big family, I guess… I eat in the kitchen with the grandmother, one of the sisters, and the cousins (I think), and he eats in the other kitchen with the other sister and her son. I wasn't clear on that this morning and went two the wrong kitchen… the abuela had to come find me. I can't understaand her very well, but it was along the lines of, "I couldn't find you! Did you hear me looking for you? You eat with me in my kitchen, not here… come with me!" And now it seems to be a joke among everybody that I went to the wrong kitchen. But everyone's very friendly and patient with me needing them to repeat every single thing they ask me.

Ah. There's also a dog named Fluffy. He's a German Shepherd- Labrador mix, I think. Not very fluffy, but he lets me scratch his head.

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Poppy T., current Great Travel Abroad Contest participant, relays her experiences arriving in South Africa

Wow, so much to report after just two weeks! First off, we endured a ten hour flight, which gave me and the other volunteers a chance to meet and chat. We got to Johannesburg Airport early in the morning, then came to the Johannesburg Ritz Hostel to stay for two nights- for a hostel it is the ritz! It has a pool, bar and a pool table! We have made lots of use of these three luxuries. After getting to the hostel, we went straight out for a tour of Johannesburg and Soweto. We were all so tired after the all night drinks on the plane.

We went to the Apartheid Museum, where Hector Pieterson's sister actually works (for those that dont know, Hector Pieterson was the first boy to be killed in the End of Apartheid Riot, at only 13 years old.) We finally got back, swam in the pool and had an early night. Today, we went to the orphanage, where we will be living starting tomorrow. We met some of the tiny babies and then the older children when they got back from school. All the babies and children were so happy to meet us and were reaching towards us. Then we had an orientation, where we learned there are 90 children at Othendweni, including 30 babies. We came back to the hotel, freshened up, went for a meal, then spent the rest of the night in the bar, where we had some great conversations.

Everyone I'm traveling with seems great so far. We all get on really well and all have great stories to tell eachother. So far, so good – although I'm aware this may change at some point! The school children here seem to walk very far on dangerous roads for school, which in the UK (where I'm from) just wouldnt be allowed. People stand in the middle of these dangerous roads trying to sell things to drivers, which also would not be allowed in the UK! Taxis are big, and drive people around cheaply. They beep as they're driving if there are seats for other people to jump in and share the fares!

Things here are so different- in some ways great and some ways bad. I am enjoying what I am doing although I slightly miss things. Sorry if I have rambled on!

Off to live in Othendweni Orphanage tomorrow and off to bed now. Hope all is good back home!

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AmeriSpan volunteer Glenn A. has finished up his week of cultural classes and is preparing for his teaching placement as he settles in with his host family. Our school director writes:

"Glenn/"Ganesh" is working at Bishwa Shiksha Sadan in Maijubahal, Chabahil, Kathmandu. He moved to his placement site on Sunday. He is staying with the family of Principal. They have a joint family with 13 members. It will be a good experience for him. He came back to see us  and collect his laundry yesterday.

It seems he is enjoying his time over there. We will send you the update once in a while, and will be checking in with him from time to time – we'll go and observe his classes as well. He's been taking an average of 4 to 5 classes a day!"

Due to unreliable internet connection, Glenn A.'s family is forwarding us select emails and has given us permission to reprint these so we can share on our blog.

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"On Monday, February 21, Glenn ("Ganesh") had language in the morning and then went to Patan Durbar Square, Golden Temple and Kumbheshwor on a historical and cultural orientation tour. He had typical Newari food for lunch in Patan. After that, he observed a typical marriage ceremony.

On February 22, he had language in the morning and then attended a lecture on religion and culture  before his lunch break. After the lunch break, he went on a scavenger hunt! He had to buy some local items at a nearby market using local transportation. He very much enjoyed it and felt very independent – it really helped build his confidence. Yesterday, he had language in the morning and then he had another orientation tour to Bouddhnath and Pashupatinath. Today, he spent the day at a local school to visit and practice teaching."

Due to unreliable internet connection, Glenn A.'s family is forwarding us select emails and has given us permission to reprint these so we can share on our blog.

Learn more about AmeriSpan's Volunteer programs

AmeriSpan's volunteer placements range from Social Work to Education to Environmental Studies, and we are always working to find programs best suited for each student.  Bolivia has an endless array of natural sights, wildlife, and activities to explore in between classes and volunteer sessions.  Another volunteer discovered a place where some of Sucre's most exotic wildlife lived – the Parque Machia.

Machia National Park was developed on 36 hectares donated by the Bolivian government and is now a protected area where the animals are cared for and protected by staff and volunteers from all over the world. This protected forest is found near the town of Villa Tunari, 4 hours from Cochabamba on the road to Santa Cruz. Another park where volunteers work is located in  the  Department  of  Santa  Cruz  de  la  Sierra,  province of  Guarayos (about 4 hours from Santa Cruz).

Volunteers can assist this organization to work with the animals and the natural environment. Some types of animals that typically are on-site include: pumas, parrots, monkeys, crocodiles and anacondas. Volunteers feed, care for and protect the animals before returning them to their natural environment. If not possible to return them to the wild, the park provides a better home for them than in the city. Volunteers are also needed to care for lakes, streams, rivers and forest. Other duties include: trail maintenance, cage construction and cleaning, volunteer lodging construction, announcement postings on trails and other tasks as needed.

A recent volunteer in Bolivia said, "The best was feeling at home in a really beautiful city that was so different from home, and how much my Spanish improved." Take a look at this video of one volunteer's experiences in Parque Machia:

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See AmeriSpan Guest Blogger Alison B.'s posts

Cambodia

Ssh!  Travel to Cambodia has become a widely kepy secret among seasoned world travelers.  Why?  Because it's finally recovered from years of political strife and is a tropical oasis!  Volunteers will begin their assignment near Siem Reap, in a village called Samraong, before going to their specific location.  Then they may go on to assist in the areas of healthcare or education.  Cambodia is a beautiful country with a unique culture, but its people could use your efforts!

Discover more: Volunteer in Cambodia

Vietnam

At our Vietnamese Volunteer program in Giao Xuan, Nam Dinh, 3 hours from Hanoi, you can enjoy beautiful sea views and enjoy long bike rides amid rice fields and a quaint village surrounding.  Right now our placement offering includes teaching English to kindergartners or getting involved in organizing creative activites.  Vietnam offers off-the-beaten-path village excursions and larger bustling tourist destinations such as Hanoi.

Learn more: Volunteer in Vietnam

Thailand

Volunteering in Thailand may be the perfect thing for you if you love animals, kids, and the beach and want to discover one of the most sought-after countries in Asia!  We have a good variety of placements in Thailand with something for everyone.  You can teach ESL, build social work experience, or help horses or elephants!  Locations are in Phitsanulok, Singburi and neighboring provinces, but all are within reach of the country's world-renowned sandy white beaches!  This is also a great place for those who aren't quite as comfortable practicing a new language with townsfolk; English is more commonly spoken here in the more places than other Southeast Asian countries.

Find out more: Volunteer in Thailand

Volunteer in Cambodia

Volunteer in Vietnam

Volunteer in Thailand