My UBELONG mentor, Cedric, reminded me prior to my service
project that although I will be coming to Mérida to volunteer, I am on an
immersion project which puts me in a location with lots of culture to
experience and many places to explore. With hard work, we should all get
rewarded with some free time and play, right?!
My first week of volunteering at the food bank was fun and
very different from my experience teaching English in Ecuador. As usual, I had
to touch up on my Spanish since I hadn’t actively practiced the language since
my project in 2012. The people at Banco
de Alimentos en Mérida, A.C., are super welcoming and supportive and,
beyond the jokes about how I can’t understand some of their conversations, they
are so eager to teach me everything there is to know about their culture, their
language, and most importantly, about the work they do at the food bank. I’ve
touched upon a little of everything so far, from working hands on with the
people in the warehouse sorting fruit and packing bread, to translating
documents into English! On a later post, I will talk more in detail about the
departments at the food bank after I’ve learned more on the project J
In the past weekend, I spent over $80 USD on excursions in
the Mérida area T_T Unfortunately, I did not budget going to these awesome
sites when I packed for this trip! (Once this service project is complete, I
will create another post of all the things I should’ve done in hindsight and
tips for people who wish to travel or go abroad for some period of time J). From Friday to
Sunday, I went to Dzibilchaltún, Uxmal and El Museo de Chocolate, and the
cenotes in Cuzamá. I’m glad I went to each of these attractions in this order
because each one was better than the next!
 |
| Climbing one of the Dzibilchaltún ruins |
 |
| Overlooking the Uxmal ruins from the top of another ruin |
 |
| At the Chelentún cenote! |
For anyone who is eager to travel but is afraid they will be
lost and not know what to do, trust me, I’ve felt all of your sentiments and
more while on my volunteer trips. This is an amazing opportunity to meet new
people (at the hostel, in the community, at local shops and workplaces, etc.)
and experience cultures different from your own. Every time I visit another
country, I am humbled because of the disparities I see and how people make the
most of what they have. It amazes me how happy these people are in comparison
to the people I see in NY (including myself, haha). The people at the food bank
love what they do, although they probably don’t make a fraction of what we make
at an hourly rate. Their mentality is so positive and laidback, and we can all
learn a thing or two from visiting other countries and living the way they do.
Although I have less than 1,000 pesos (the equivalent of
about $66 USD) for the next two weeks, I have no regrets for spending 1/3 of
the cash I brought with me on the excursions. There is so much to see and do
here, and I had the chance to see not one, but TWO Mayan ruins and swim in the
beautiful cenotes that Mérida is known for. If I had the funds, I’d probably
visit Chichen Itza, one of the 7 Wonders of the World, but the two that I
visited shall do (for now!). It’s opportunities like visiting ancient
archaeological sites and swimming in natural sinkholes that make exploring
other countries all the more exciting ^_^.
Here’s some helpful advice: Don’t be like me and remember to
pack at least $100 extra in case of emergencies and bring a debit card and credit card that won’t incur
overseas charges when used!
No comments:
Post a Comment