Poland/Germany Coalition Trip

Over the past two weeks I embarked on an incredible and, to say the very least- life altering journey to Poland and Germany. The purpose? To meet with young people that live with life threatening disabilities, and bring a little joy into their home.

We did this by granting them "wishes". These could be anything that they wanted as long as it would put a smile of their face. Over the course of the trip, we were split into two groups and collectively granted 23 wishes to 23 different children that had been essentially ostracized from society and in one case; abandoned at birth. These wishes ranged from makeup to laptops, or game consoles and even a medical vest for a three year old girl with Cystic Fibrosis that would make her day to day living conditions slightly easier. 

Now, I've had the whole eurotrip experience with my school and explored the very tip of touristy European culture before. The parts we (or at least I) naively believe  portrayed a large majority of the continent. Needless to say, this was not even remotely the case and the past 12 days have been if nothing else: eye opening for me. It is something I cannot wait to have the privilege to take part in again, and hopefully quite soon. Just talking to these families that have absolutely nothing but still remain positive and strong, even throughout the poor hand of which they've been dealt was enough to make me tear up upon reflecting. These amazing people let complete strangers into their lives and did everything and more to make us feel at home. For many of the wishes we granted, we were told that it wasn't even the gifts that put a smile on these children's faces, it was simply the company, care, and friendship we had provided to them for just a short few hours. 

To conclude, because I really am dragging on, I loved every waking second of this experience. Although many tears were shed, many more lifelong friends were made and I continue to speak regularity with many of these kids and their families through Facebook. I am counting down the days until I get to see some of them again.

Cheers,

D. 

Peru (5) - The Final Chapter

         

View from the Inca Trail hike up.

July 28th, 2014 -

Since I left you before, we were just starting the hike. Unfortunately some of us were removed from the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, including myself. After the first day of the hike, many of us were unable to continue due to severe symptoms of altitude sickness. I was completely unable to keep anything down, was incredibly disoriented - something I hear isn't great when your hiking mostly next to 4000ft drops, had constant and killer migraines and experienced loss of breath (they actually had to give some of us oxygen). It really wasn't a good day, but it was made a little better with the support of those who went on. Those who didn't continue, hiked back to the bottom and caught a train to the town of Macchu Picchu, and took it easy until we reacclimatized. 

       

The group having lunch on the first day up.

July 29th, 2014 -

Today we took it fairly easy with the biggest event of the day being relaxing in the hot springs of Macchu Picchu. It was an amazing way to forget about the events of the past 24 hours. We talked with some backpackers from Australia and the UK, who had some brilliant stories to share (some of them were actually at the same hostel as us before we left). Although we were still sick and weak, we still managed to have a pretty decent day in the town of Macchu Picchu.

        

Took this after dark, but messed up the long exposure a bit. The town of Macchu Picchu.

July 30th, 2014 -

Today we awoke early and met the others at the top of Macchu Picchu. It was a beautiful sight, and the llamas were only added awesome. So many photos to share. After sight seeing, we went back down the mountain and headed back to the hostel in Cuzco via train. 

        

Machu Picchu 

July 31st, 2014 -

Today was supposed to be simple. We were to get into a car, and drive to a hostel. Instead, about an hour in, we encountered a two-hour road block scheduled for 10:00am, which as it happened we, were right on time for. So one pit stop and traffic jam later, we were off again, this time to travel through the mountains and into a small town for lunch, where we encountered another problem; The brakes on one of the cars had worn out, causing an accident (not too severe) but also causing us to drop back on our schedule again. 

A few hours later, we picked up where we left off and continued to drive. This time for much longer than first intended. We didn't actually end up stopping. At all. We drove for almost 34 hours until we hit Lima once again. 

       

No photo from today. Here's a pissed-off chicken or something. 

August 1st, 2014 -

After arriving at our residence in Lima around 5:00pm, we packed up our bags for the flight and went our for one last "family dinner" a few minutes away. Chinese food and singing ensued late into the night. So after being reminded what feeling full was like, we headed back to camp and almost immediately went to bed. 

                                        

I thought this was cool.

August 2nd - 3rd, 2014 -

Today we went back to the school for a ceremony with the other volunteers. After this, we had about six hours to do absolutely nothing before we had to head to the airport for our delayed 3:00am flight back home. Currently, we are on our way from the Toronto Airport via bus to London, and should be arriving with many new stories in the next hour and a half. 

                                       

A really quick snap from an iPad camera to finish off the post. On our way home from the airport. 

Dylan.

Peru 2014 (4)

    

                                                                               

Note:

Picture quality from here on out will likely be worse than before as my camera was dropped off a table and the polarizing filter was shattered (apparently people don't like to move expensive items off a table before moving it). Poorer contrast and lightness in colour will be the more noticeable differences until I can figure out how to replace it. 

July 21st, 2014 -

We were awoken bright and early today as we were meant to leave before noon, however complications emerged forcing us to remain in a state of hiatus for several hours. We were however out by approximately 5:30pm and arrived at our hostel in Paracas by 10:00pm. It is a fairly nice place with a not too bad view. It's so nice to breathe fresh(er) air and see the sky and stars again. Now all we need is the sun tomorrow - fingers crossed for no smog!

       

                             The view from the roof of the hostel. Some stars included.

July 22nd, 2014 -

So today we woke up after a good 5 hours of sleep and went on a boat tour. It only lasted a couple of hours but we saw some things we didn't think we would in Peru. I never thought I would go to South America and see more penguins than parrots. Sealions were also a popular sight throughout the ride. After the tour we got lunch and headed to Huacachina. The there hostel was amazing, as are those staying in it. So many terrific stories have been told from the various backpackers we're sharing a home with. So many stories I cannot wait to have of my own. We got some free time for dinner and whatever else we could manage to do until 10:00pm, which was great. Wandering away from the main group to climb sand dunes and then getting to the top only to see the Milky Way is breathtakingly beautiful. Today was amazing.

        

                                                     One of our newfound friends.

July 23rd, 2014 -

Today was a great day. We awoke to car alarms as the dune buggy we charted roared (yes, it was that powerful) in preparation for the next few, very eventful hours. We quickly had breakfast and met up in the common area. Immediately, our fears of dying in a foreign land were becoming all the clearer. So, with sand stinging our faces and the sun blaring down on us, we were off to create some lifelong memories. As we bounced, raced, and slid through the sand dunes in the middle of absolutely nowhere, we approached the top of a dune. As we drifted to a stop on this massive, life-threatening (to put it lightly) sand dune, we knew there was no chance of escaping a few bumps and bruises, which apparently is possible to accomplish - even on sand. It was at this point we were given old, beaten up wood snowboards and told to go for it. We were sandboarding in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but sand in our sights for miles. It was the very definition of fun and bonding. Although many of us "supermaned" down on our bellies, I was determined to stand proud and sandboard down without fail. This appeared to be a near impossible goal, but one I was determined to accomplish nonetheless. And so, surely enough, by the final slope, I had. Applause echoed through the desert, I assure you. 

        

             Sandboarding is the reason this small (very, very small) town exists. I'm on the far right. 

July 24th, 2014 -

Today was a travel day. We were awakened early, departed at 11:00am and were in Cuzco by 2:30am. The drive was primarily uneventful. The views through the mountains were absolutely beautiful, even in the darkness. We were so high up, looking out the windows actually granted you access to the stars flying past, right beside you. Let me just say: the Milky Way isn't nearly as vibrant and bright as Photoshop makes it out to be. The sights were exquisite and I only wish we had stopped more often to snap a few photos.

        

                                                                    Some cattle. 

July 25th, 2014 -

Today was our first day in Cuzco and most of us were not feelings terrific. With the combination of the -Acetazolamide  and the altitude sickness of which it was meant to prevent, it quickly became a free "do what you want" day. Many of us hit the markets early on to get those touristy items you I might as well pick up if you can barter the prices down enough. I got myself some incredibly comfortable pants as well as a  llama sweater and socks, both of which were made from alpaca fur - impeccably warm material. Altitude sickness aside, today was a pretty good day.

                                         

                            A street market. It went for minutes in either direction on a train track. 

July 26th, 2014 -

Today started off a little worse than the previous morning. With a bug going around, even more of us were sick and it didn't seem our bodies were acclimatizing as well as they should be. Shortness of breath, fatigue, aches, pains and loss of appetite went along as the most common symptoms. I personally cannot give justice to the effects of each of the afflictions that had been unwillingly thrust upon us at an alarmingly quick rate. There were times when A few of us experienced seeing spots of black and extreme shortness of breath after simply climbing a latter to get to bed. 

All this aside, we still managed to make for a great day. Tours, more shopping and llamas were among the highlights of today's itinerary.

       

                                    A quick snap I took  - A mother comforting her child.

July 27th, 2014 -

After being awakened by either fireworks or gunshots at 3:00am, it became common thought that now was as good a time as any to get up, as any and all alarms were set to go off the following hour. Today is the first day of the inca trail, as well as our last adventure together before the departure to the airport. We're taking a bus to the bottom of Machu Picchu, where we are to begin our ascent. As always, I will try my best to check back in a few days. 

Dylan.

       

                          Driving through the mountains. We didn't stop, so it is slightly blurry.

Peru 2014 (3)

We were approached by some police officers the other day while we were at camp. The had hunted us down to tell us how happy they are from the bottom of their heart to see us stepping in and doing what the government could not. They mentioned that our arrival and ongoing presence has sparked a ripple effect in the community, creating a general mindset to clean up and take matters into the hands of the people so they can make their small town a better place for everyone. It was a beautiful way to begin the day.

       

So since my last post, we've accomplished a lot. I know I mentioned some of what we're doing here, but as of now the project is almost complete. As of July 17th, 2014 we completed the deworming/glasses drive, which took most of the day, the water tower supply was buried and the base for the water tower itself is built (now we just have to get it up there - it's rather small), the new classroom (a nice, wood portable) is built and for the most part is weather-proofed (still needs another coat though), the playground is near complete with the exception of the wall - which needs to be painted, and the ground of the school is now levelled and prepped for a layer of cement. It is looking great. 

                                           

                                    The buried water supply and the base for the water tower. 

July 18th, 2014 -

After we finished at the school, we headed into town to do some more touring. Our first stop was the catacombs. It was an interesting tour, but not nearly as detailed as the one I had previously visited in Paris. There wasn't too much information given at the graves. In fact, the only information provided was that over 50,000 people had died building these tunnels and the most recent death was in the 90s. If being surrounded by thousands of human remains isn't enough to get to you, that was. I'll also mention that if you're claustraphobic and/or have a fear of dead people - don't go. I felt as if that would have been fairly obvious. One member of our group, as well as myself got stuck behind a woman who didn't think much of that through, so were separated from everyone. Let me just say that if being alone in a dark place, surrounded by dead people was ever on my bucket list, I can sure cross that shit off now. I had just made it back for the end of the tour when I finially recovered my group. We were being showed a painting strikingly similar to "The Last Supper", however the tour guide made it especially clear it wasn't. In fact, he said "People, this isn't actually The Last Supper, this is the Peruvian version with the devil and a guinea pig". 

         

July 19th, 2014 -

We went to Luna Huama (approx. 3 hours from Lima), where we had some R&R time. We started the day with some white water rafting, which took us into the early afternoon. It was great. The water was clean (in comparison to Lima), it was cold (but refreshing) and overall a complete blast. By the time we had finished it was time for lunch, which consisted of locally grown corn on the cob, a salad, a baked potato and, for those who eat meat, free range chicken from a little patch of land which they also owned. After lunch we did some zip lining, which gave us an incredible view of the mountains, river and village of which we had been exploring. I absolutely loved this place, but this area in particular was amazing. The kitchen itself was such a cool sight. It was located outside and completely exposed in the side of a small cliff, overlooking the river and mountains (pictures to come). 

        

                                                                  Beginning rafting

July 20th, 2014 - 

Today was our last day on the project before we begin our journey to Cuzco tomorrow (Monday, July 21st). The school looks so much better now. Newly paved grounds, a new classroom (weather-proofed and all), the water tower and it's backup supply is up, the playground is much cleaner (as are the classrooms), no more rubble, glass, ect in sight, a new tire park was installed by some of the locals, and the rooftops have even been fixed up. I would say mission accomplished. As we exchanged our final words to some of the kids, the other Peruvian volunteers, and the teachers, there was an all too familiar feeling in the air. We were all about to leave another family behind as we continued our journey. It was a mindset that we all had, and despite all the good we had done, just couldn't shake it. As we all took one final look around the grounds, we departed, only leaving a few people (myself included) packing up the remainder of our belongings. It was at this point that the principal ran out in tears. As we struggled to understand her, our partial translator approched us. She had said how incredibly thankful she was, that we would remain in her heart forever and that it was a deed that would never be forgotten by the community. We lost count how many times she proceeded to say "gracias". Then with a hug, and a kiss, with tears running down her and many of our faces, we parted ways. 

Dylan. 

       

                                                            99.9% finished the school

Peru 2014 (2)

        

                                                  View from our current camp/the farm

So it's been a truly eventful trip thus far. After the precamp we headed off to the Toronto airport (where we were delayed 3 hours). Although the plane ride was much faster than originally intended, we still didn't arrive and settle into our temporary quarters until around 5:30am local time (Lima). The drive to our living area for the following few days however was troubling to say the very least. I wasn't sure if I was immediately homesick or simply culture shocked as the state of the slums we drove passed were a truly depressing sight that left me with overwhelming of gratitude for what I had left back home.

After a solid 3 hours of sleep, we were awoken by mob of elderly salsa dancers on the floor below us. So with nothing else to do, we headed out and toured the city. This wasn't nearly as brutal as the drive in. Much to our surprise - Lima is much more lively in the early hours of the morning than in the earlier hours of the morning. 

                                         

After one more night in the city, we moved camp. We were told that we would be staying at a university  (so naturally, we were expecting to stay in dorms). Instead, to our surprise we found ourselves staying at a farm with a newfound slogan. "Peru Contingent 2014: Just Go With It". Although the farm was a surprise, it was a good one. Despite the foul day-to-day smell, the animal pieces soaking in formaldehyde (for science, of course - it's a sort-of university, remember?) and the lack of even moderately lukewarm showers, this new camp quickly warmed up to us (although not literally). I mean, how could it not? We're at a freaking farm! Just outside there was a beach, a pool (empty - but just as fun, and better for Marco/Polo, in my humble opinion) and animals, of course. Horses, bulls, goats, rabbits, sheep, and motherfuckin Llamas, yo. There are also cats and dogs absolutely everywhere. It's freaking awesome. 

                                            

The next few days were sort or a blur and wouldn't exist on here if it weren't for the trusty daily travel journal entries.

After a day of settling in and exploring the camp, we headed to a zoo. Nothing really to talk about there. It's a zoo. Pics to come. The highlight was being treated like celebrities. Every kid there freaked out at what seemed like I nothing. It wasn't until many screams and photos taken of us later that we had it explained to us that we were "Gringos" (a whitey) and that this merits much excitement in young children. 

        

The next day we woke up bright and early and started on the worksite. A school, much to our surprise. Apparently our job had changed from a clinic to an elementary school in the middle of almost nowhere. The new mission was to build a water tower, clean up the playground (a closed-off sandy mess covered in nails, rocks, glass, dead animals, bones, frayed wires, garbage, ect.), clean the front of the school, build a new classroom, and later arrange an event to give community members new glasses, as well as to give free canine check-ups and deworming sessions. After a few days of this, the general community response was extraordinarily positive. We had individuals taking pictures of us, waving, honking (in a good way), and approaching us with beautiful smiles on their face, trying desparetely to communicate their happiness with our cause. Even the kids were awestruck and trying desparetely to explain their joy. Although the days were long, hard and sometimes seemingly impossibly to get though, the people's response makes it all worth while.

       

We (some of us) stayed the night at the school after the second day at the project. So did some of the other youth volunteers. That night we all got together and had what I can only describe as some sort of schoolyard shindig. It was great. Teambuilding games, improvised campfires, and everlasting games of charades in attempt to communicate with our new friends took up the entirety of the night and much of the following morning. 

       

                       The beginning of the final FIFA 2014 game on a small tv in the school. 

The next day was our day off (and the only one we'd get until the project was over). We woke up early and, being on a farm, some of us went horseback riding. Another highlight of the trip so far as I was able to get mine to trot very quickly away from Jess, the person leading the horse. After a few hours of this we headed to an Incan dig site (which was closed) so instead a few of us ran up some very lengthy sand dunes. By the time we had tired ourselves out doing that, we caught a bus and headed to a mall. Here we enjoyed some exotic Peruvian Pizza Hut before departing back to the farm. Suffice to say, it was amazing. 

       

After another tiring few days at the school, we were able to try the Incan dig site again. This time, we were actually able to get in. It was a little over-hyped, but all was made up after a hike to the top of a mountain/hill. The view was incredible (by Lima standards). Shit ain't Machu Picchu, but it was good enought at the time.

                                           

                                                                            Goat

Obviously this is incredibly compressed for a 12 day journey, so I'll have much more to share when I back. More frequent updates to come.

Dylan.

Peru 2014

       

So just an update: as I said- I'll upload photos and publish new posts whenever I have a connection but as of now it will be much more difficult than once thought. 

So we arrived in Peru and were settled into our bunks by approx. 5:30am on Tuesday (local time) only to be awoken at 7:00am by a mob of louder-than-necessary, elderly salsa dancers just a single floor below us. I'll get more into detail as time becomes less scarce.

We start on the worksite tomorrow (Friday) but in the mean time we've just been touring Lima. Some has been great, some has been difficult, and most has been eye-opening to say the absolute least. 

Dylan. 

          

A Big One

TD Waterhouse Stadium - May 2014

This addition is a big one. I've put off uploading several collections of photos until now. Super stoked about these ones. I've been trying out some new things. 

• Photos from Levi's track meets on May 22nd and May 23rd have been added. They are under the 2014 section of the blog.
  
• I've also added photos from the last few weeks to the Spring Series under the same heading.

        Dylan.