Memories of my First GV Trip (Juicy Trip) 2008

Hi all!!!

I’m back home and as usual with lots of stories from my trip.

My trip started in La Paz, Bolivia. I arrived a few days early and stayed with a family that gave me the opportunity to adapt to the new place. I must go back a bit.

Plane Lima – La Paz. My heart was pounding fast. I was sure excitement had to with it, but mainly the anxiety to know that for the first time my body was to be exposed to really cold weather. I took all the stuff people lent me –gloves, hat, 3 socks, 2 sweaters and leg warmers- and one by one put it in place, like an armor, despite I was covered, despite it seemed irrational, I was scared to death to think I might freeze in the middle of the airport or that the altitude mixed with the cold would hit me to the ground. When we got there, I said: Ok, time to be brave and stepped out. It was COLD, yes as in COLD FREEZING midnight thing, but I didn’t die or fell into the ground…

I was breathing!

Alive and looking forward for a bed with LOTS of sheet in it. (I realized what a strong temptation it is to not shower in such weather).

I met with the group on Friday, to be honest I lost track of time and thought it was Saturday our rendez vous when it was actually Friday, by chance I called the hotel and found out that I our first group meeting had passed. I ran. And I made to the first dinner, where I met all my new friends and family for the next 2 weeks. We were 15, from the States, Canada, Germany (South Africa!) and DR.

Roomate: Alyssa. The first night at Hotel Estrella Andina, an interesting place, it had paintings all over, every wall had orange, green, red and trees, and houses and things…. Nice.

Saturday, we departured to Oruro (4 hours away from La Paz), the bus ride was an opportunity to share with my other team members and in our way, spending a nickel in the bushes was one of our experiences. There you go, started feeling like a GV Trip!!!!

That First night, I bought thermal pants (which cracked up my roommate every time she saw me with them, Alyssa) and wore them every single day. Worksite. Bed. Inside. Outside. We became very close.

But something more important happened, our welcome was full of details, a really good power point presentation including pictures of the houses at we would be working in and their stages (early ones) (2 houses), a game to break the ice/get to know the team and the highlight of the night sharing with the future homeowners.

Families. Their faces and love that night to all this strangers, were more eloquent than any words, they were grateful we were part of their dream, we were as well. We knew that participating in their shelters in such active way would be something that wouldn’t let us be the same when we return home; ‘cause we were building Hope.

Cecilia and her 11 year old daughter expressed how happy they were because without Habitat’s support they would never access the opportunity of a house. They said, thank you, they meant thank you. Once again I witness, that you don{t have to speak the same language to communicate, we all knew they meant their words and it was just the beginning of friendship and partnership.

Both families handed each volunteer flowers and hug them, as you might imagine that moment was very special.

The week / work

Location Huajara.- Has the air of a deserted land, your shoes and legs breath dust, the sky is dressed in blue and the sun perpetrates every single space.

We started working on the first house, it had the first line of bricks (not cinder blocks, cute red light bricks I must recall) so we moved tons of them and also started laying them. We had one mason and his wife working, no more masons, only us. I was really happy to see a women mason working with us.

It was good for the whole team to stay in the first house, altogether we rotated jobs, from mixing to hauling materials, sifting, moving, breaks, cold wind and a sun that could burn your cheeks, lots of water breaks, peanut butter, oranges, an informal but kinda cute tent bathroom were some of the elements of our starting job adventure.

The next day our teams were splitted in two teams, the T team (Thomas) and the E team (Elizabeth) leaders. I was on the T team, we worked in Cecilia’s house.

Some days it wasn’t hard, we had all the energy, some others, break was the only word that could make us smile, our muscles would ache but we kept on going, as a team, some massaged each other, others try to make jokes, but the most remarkable thing was that we liked to sing, from the Beatles to Tina Turner, Britney to Maná.

We did lots of loads of mortar (we found new ways to do it besides the volcano – the pool, the hurry up we messed it up so let’s start mixing type, etc-., each team was 95% of the working staff (in our house only ONE foreman, 2^nd house 2 foreman and Habitat’s supervisor in both places with often visits).

We had lots of works (lay bricks, fill between the bricks, prepare mortar, move bricks, pass bricks, kiss bricks lol, etc), we took good breaks with lots of peanut butter, we learned how important was to depend on one another, to ask for help, to listen to the leaders, to listen to your body.

In the middle weekend, we worked on Saturday and in the afternoon we visited Aldea SOS, I think most of us won’t forget that afternoon. Kids that had lost their parents and now belong in the Aldea to a new family, shared coloring, singing, soccer time and attention. We needed that. Their innocence and warmth remind us the human sense of life.

On Sunday, we visited Cala Cala and its wall painting. We also witnessed how they celebrate to the Lord of the Lake.

At the end of the trip, we did a House Dedication with flowers, and words, for Don Julio and Doña Juliana, it was also a very special moment, where they blessed us (in a bolivian way, they do this with brides and grooms as well) by putting confetti in our heads and hugging each of us.

Note:

Bolivia is country that has been struggling with political issues for a few months now. American Airlines decided to cancel all their flights till the 21^st (I think) so many people from our team were affected, the bottom line is that a group of 5 people had or decided to leave the country earlier than expected.

Our R and R

Was Copacabana, OH!!!!!!!!!!!! What a BEAUTIFUL PLACE!!!!! It felt like Greece (I haven’t been there, but pretty much like a movie thing lol). The view, the lake Titicaca, so majestic, the sunset was something that would take your breath away and being able to be with most of the team just resting and chillin’ out enjoying the so clean air, the great food, and the hamacs was also something very remarkable.

And Also due the political situation, we changed the itinerary and instead of going to La Paz again, we all ended up in PERU. That was also so much fun, I wasn’t expecting meeting another country but I did.

Plus: I ended up in a adventure with 2 other team members (Gini and Jeremy) sleeping overnight at Aguas Calientes where Machu Pichu is. And 5 of us, Susan and Jacob joined for the day to visit this amazing city.

What I loved the most

Eric (8 year old, future homeowner of the house my team worked on) and Pamela both great kid demonstrate true sense of ownership and partnership.

Cheap Twin Kiwis (they were huuuge, juicy and good!)

The colors. It’s like every person wears a chromatic rainbow, live matching colors, not only on people, but also in the streets.

Bread was really good.

How light the bricks were.

Sleeping under 4 layers of fabric. It was couzzzzyyyy.

Late chats with my roomie. She became a real friend and support during the trip.

Sunset in Lake Titicaca. How can I describe this? I can’t. Wide blue, deep sky kissed by the burning sun and laying its mixed wings over the lake. Like a majestic symphony, with perfect tunes and serenity in every melody.

Don Julio y Doña Fabiana. He worked for 32 years in the mines of Oruro, lived there with his wife. Now for the first time, he was receiving a home with the help of his family and Habitat. He worked in silence and effort every single day, including Sunday.

The visit to the Aldea SOS “Orphanage” it was quick visit (or it seemed to quick to me probably) these kids appreciate so much our visit!!!! You could see it in their eyes. I met Marcos among many others. When I met him, his eyes were tired and sad, and asked me: Where is my mom? Do you know where she is? – I usually have words in my mouth, this was one moment where I had none.

Seeing Snow for the First Time.

Road Trip in the train from Machu Pichu to the city. Incredible View

I must say that I was really happy with our leaders, both very responsible, fluent in Spanish, balanced, funny, thoughtful of the team, gave us desert every day (kudos!!!!) so I would definetly recommend anyone to go on a team with them. Congrats Liz and Tomas!!!!

Challenging Things

The Cold. Specially at the beginning by the second week it wasn’t that bad. I even used capris one day to work and no leg warmers (only one day though)

The dust devils, dust in the streets of Huajara and the garbage. This something we saw a lot, specially around the area we were working.

Interesting Facts

Parades. Since we arrived to Oruro, every day (or almost) we would find within its crowed streets parades, we started loosing count at the end.

Cold as a fridge plus SUN as bright and hot as the beach?!?!??!

How the word YA means YES for Bolivians.

Tomas (the leader). Susan (a scottish resident in Ohio and fluent Spanish speaker from the team) and team went to a Radio Station and had a short interview to promote Habitat and explain our purpose in the town. Cool Fact: People came to our worksite ‘cause they had heard the interview and other promotional activities done on tv.

I did a tour in the city, the tour guide said I was the first Dominican EVER in any of her tours (that was a surprise for sure :P)

Pique – this meal has Fried Potatoes, Beef, and Sausages in large quantities, seemed like a huge meal to me.

What I missed

Coconut Water

Rain…. I love the rain every once in a while

Things I learned

We are different. We come from different backgrounds, different cultures, all mixed together has to be a setting when everyone is flexible and open enough to accept those differences, most of the running the extra mile to love and tolerate, makes things smoother, than trying to change others people thoughts or ways.

Work, hunger, cold, being stuck in a elevator (that’s a whole another story) will always be opportunity to complain or grow, to judge or to accept, to turn your back or appreciate.

Poverty. My country is poor. We lack tons of things. But watching a family freeze on the street is way more striking that just hunger or anything I have ever seen, no matter how much further I walked, you would just find more and more people, more kids, more babies, facing nights where every cell would suck the cold and pain.