Happy Palm Sunday!
It´s so hard to believe it has already been a week since we´ve arrived in Arequipa. Week days (for me at least) were spent painting walls with Phil, Jacky, Austin and Joseph at the little girls´orphanage, followed by evenings in the absolutely stunning Plaza de Armas. Its beauty still moves me each time I march off the bus and up to the square, bordered by age old… Read More
Dariana Language School has taught our group that Spanish classes in temperatures above 94 degrees are still bearable.
We came closer to the burning sun by standing on the top of the biggest catedral in Central America, Catedral de Leon.
If you can not stand the heat, get out of Leon – and head to the beach ASAP.
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Leaving the humidity of Kolkata behind us, we found ourselves amidst the misty mountains of the beautiful Gangtok this week. Sikkim, of the Northeast corner of India, is like nothing we have experienced in this country yet– in fact, it’s often hard to believe we are still in India. Bordered by China, Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet, and comprised of many Tibetan and Nepali people, the hussle and bussle of the… Read More
We arrived in Kigali, Rwanda on Thursday to begin our stay here for only 3 nights! Our time in Rwanda has been filled with sadness, but also hope, determination, and of course some fun. Throughout our time here we visited the genocide memorial museum which gave us great insight into the horrific period of 1994. We also visited Nyamata church, this is a church where thousands and thousands of Rwandans… Read More
The group is off to a successful country transition. Here we are at the largest cathedral in Central America and enjoying learning in our Spanish classes through Dariana Language School! Turn your head sideways to get the real perspective 😉
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Kaila here, writing from Millennium Elephant Foundation on the beautiful, tropical island of Sri Lanka! It took a few days but I did adapt to the thick humid heat, and have since enjoyed every second of my time here! I have been here for just over a month now, with another Carpe Diem student, Brooklynn. As Brooklynn’s blog covered most of the basics, with us there are usually 15 other… Read More
Before arriving yesterday in Arequipa, Carpe Diem had been in Rio Muchacho for the last week. Rio Muchacho is an organic farm situated 10 kilometers outside of Canoa, a surfing town. After a day chilling on the beach, we bused into Rio Muchacho, needing to cross 2 rivers to do so. Rio Muchacho is self sustainable and dedicated to environmentalism in every possible way. A few examples: the toilets feed… Read More
Apologies for the lack of blog updates we have been having some internet issues. Almost two weeks ago now we arrived in Mufindi after multiple long yet enjoyable bus rides to start our week working at the children’s village. To begin with we were divided into three groups with each group alternating between working in daycare, kindergarten and the sowing school during the week. On Saturday, we had the surprisingly… Read More
This evening we arrived at the Verdonk Family Farm. We were welcomed with an amazing view of the rolling hills and a very cozy house to stay in. We met our contacts Anne, Tom, Sam, Roxy, Malcom, Nana, Shielah, and Bob. Everyone was so friendly and nice, they made us feel at home. Our first dinner was made for us and consited of; juicy burgers; fat sausages; zesty salad; broiled… Read More
hello all, Maddie here. So what an adventure we have had so far. Everything has been amazing. We just left the Village of Nananu a couple days ago and it is crazy to go from village life to big time Auckland City. I think everyone was happy to move on from the village to our new spot. It was sad to say goodbye to the village but they will always… Read More
As my trip is tipping toward the half way mark, Im amazed by how quickly time has passed. In the last month and a half I have met people and have had experiences that will have a lasting effect on my life. Im continually attempting to make sense of the passed events I have witnessed while volunteering with Maison de la Gare. Ive come to the realization that it… Read More
As I write this, I am sitting on my terrace enjoying the humming of birds and the thick jungle that surrounds the property. Can life get much better?! I have now been living here for a little bit more than a month, and can honestly say it’s been one of the most (if not THE) most profound, beautiful and transformative experiences of my life. It seems with every day that… Read More
As the week later became sunny, the snow ceased to fall and the weekend approached for much needed to rest from taking in the rapid immersion of the Italian culture, language, new duties at my placement, finishing a number of bicycle tour projects, the jet lag and making myself at home. I looked forward to getting some extra sleep.
Or so I thought. (Little did I know I was going… Read More
Update from Brooklynn Conner Bend, Oregon!
Hello all from hot, humid, green, and gorgeous Sri Lanka. I am one month in to my three month stay at Millennium Elephant Foundation, in Kegalle Sri Lanka. After a few days of adjusting to a 13 1/2 hour time difference my time here has really flown by. I am one of about 15 other volunteers, one being a fellow Carpe student Kaila… Read More
We arrived in Kolkata one week ago today. I was surprised to see that the city did not live up to the terrifying descriptions that Indians in Varanasi had supplied: “Don’t drink the water or eat ANY of the food outside of the most pristine restaurants. That stuff will make even us sick.” More told stories that made my fears grow wilder. In reality the city is very modern and… Read More
Hello from New Zealand! We just got back from hiking up a very large mountain which happened to be next to where they filmed Mt. Doom from The Lord of the Rings. Everyone did great and we completed the entire hike in less than six hours and ahead of schedule. It’s amazingly beautiful here, there is so much to see and do. It’s sad that we have to leave… Read More
Hola, Buenos Tardes from Guayabillas, Ibarra, Ecuador!!!
Just a quick update from Regina Huston, from Indianapolis, IN!
Guayabillas is a resue center for many wild animals. They take in animals that have been kept in horrible conditions, injured, or simply need a new and better home. Without government funding, they function soley off of donations from multiple people and organizations, which also includes volunteer donations. Volunteers stay either with a… Read More
Life has become a smorgasbord of inconsistencies of late. I get up early and talk to my homestay family, meet up with the other volunteers, and take a rickety bus through the south side of Quito to one of twelve markets where we work with the organization UBECI – United to Benefit Ecuadorian Children.
The markets are loud and hot and it’s not surprising to see dead animals, live… Read More
