My International Volunteering: Arrival in Ollantaytambo

By Pierre-Olivier (Belgium) for the blog of My International Volunteering.

Going to Peru has always been a dream of mine. My father’s family has a lot of connection with it. And actually, my godmother is from Peru. But I never had the opportunity to go. So, when I saw the volunteering opportunity on the SVI (Service Volontaire International) ad on Facebook, I jump on it! Ever since the moment I got accepted, I got more and more excited about going. The preparation weekend of the SVI, with other volunteers going everywhere in the world was a great moment, and the highlight of this waiting.

And then, the time of the departure arrived. It wasn’t the first time abroad for me, so I wasn’t too afraid about the trip. But still, there is always a moment when you’re feeling that the experience begins. For me, it happened during the connection in Madrid. I was in this airport for a couple of hours, and it only made me realize more the fact that I was leaving Europe, and it was kind of a “point of non-return”. At this moment, a bit of stress struck me, as well as the thrill of the journey!

In Lima, I was lucky enough to meet the other volunteer from the EVS working on the same project, Daniela. We got along pretty well, and it was quite reassuring to do the last part of the trip together (plane to Cusco, cab to the bus terminal, and “combi” until Ollantaytambo).

Our arrival in Peru was marked by a beautiful sunshine, and a great welcome from the employees of the NGO.

So, now it has been a bit more than a month, since I arrived in Ollantaytambo, Cusco, Peru… It is now time to give you some impressions about my first days…

First of all, Peru is a beautiful country. The place where I live is so beautiful! We live at about 2800m above sea level, in a place surrounded by mountains. Every morning, the sight of these mountains gives you a sense of humility.

The other things that strike you when you arrive are the energy and the colors. There is always a lot of movement, in the city, between the cars going, the tourists coming, and the sellers in the market. This city is always busy!

My work here is to visit the beneficiaries, while others are coming to the house to do some homework. We also help three schools (two in the Ollantaytambo area, one in Cusco) with English or lecture classes, or simply helping the teachers with their class, and we have also administrative tasks in the office. The contacts with the beneficiaries are always gratifying!

We are therefore pretty busy with all these activities (more on that on a next article…). But we still take some time on the weekend to visit! And for that too, Peru is the perfect country! There are plenty of places to visit, things to do and “fiestas” to attend to!

So my experience is only at its beginning!

See you next time…

Have a nice day,

Pierre-Olivier

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