Bridget 5/12/09

Bienvenida a nuestro blog! Nosotros somos voluntarios de la paroquia de Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro. We are the long-term volunteers and want to share stories about our daily lives here in Chimbote, Peru. At this time, we have 5 long-term volunteers plus our volunteer coordinator. If you haven´t guessed it by now, speaking Spanish is not a requirement of our program (but it is highly recommended and makes your day-to-day life easier). And yes, I do want to learn more spanish, but given the various languages spoken by our visitors and volunteers, English is sometimes the easiest option for a common idioma.

Quick recap of my Chimbote story. Last year I was invited to join my relatives on a mission trip to Peru. I accepted their offer, and our group spent a week volunteering in Chimbote and another week traveling to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was an amazing site, but after returning home, I kept thinking about Chimbote. This city is located 240 kilometers north of Lima on the Pan-American Highway. Chimbote is also one of the poorest and most contaminated cities in Peru, but the people here are more generous, friendly and welcoming than anywhere else that I have traveled in the world. It didn´t take long for me to make the decision to put my condo on the market and see what would happen. For about 8 months, not much happened. In June, I got my first (and only) offer. The buyer and I finally agreed on the terms of sale, and on July 17th, I was no longer a homeowner. Soon after that, my employer accepted my leave of absence application, so I moved in with my sister, sold my car and arrived in Chimbote as a long-term volunteer on October 8th. Right now I plan to stay here until Easter, and possibly longer. Only time will tell what my future holds!

Long-term volunteers typically live with host families, so we have a chance to learn more about the culture, food and even how to wash your own laundry! Every day is an adventure. From figuring out what you are eating to learning which collectivo to take to el centro de Chimbote. A colectivo is like a shared cab. Most people do not own cars, so public transportation and cabs are a necessity. It might cost 3 soles to take your own cab from the parroquia to el centro, but it would only cost 1 sol in a colectivo. There are also combis, which are sort of like mini-buses and less expensive than colectivos. Because you are in much closer quarters with other passengers while riding in a combi, a coletivo is generally a safer option. So far, I have not driven a car in Peru, but I did bring along an international driver´s license. Lots to learn about transportation in Peru!

Any questions or comments? We look forward to hearing from you.

Bridget B. (current long-term volunteer)