Leaving Chicaque Natural Park On Sunday morning, we loaded our gear onto one of those little electric carts that had brought us down three weeks earlier and a driver took us on the steep climb back, back up to the entrance. (It wasn’t until days later that we realized we’d left behind our water filter … Continue reading A Taste of Bogota
The third and final week at UBHA And so we come to the final week of volunteering at UBHA school, our final week in Chicaque Natural Park, and our final week (ish) in Colombia. Students reenacting an impromptu version of "Little Red Riding Hood" It was great fun for all of us -- there were … Continue reading Volunteer Teaching in Chicaque: “Getting Dramatic”
On our second weekend in Chicaque Natural Park in Colombia, we really aimed high. First 105 feet, then 328 feet (or, to the locals, 32 meters and 100 meters respectively). We partook of a pair of airborne adventures offered by the park, at a substantial discount for volunteers. And they were definitely among the highlights, … Continue reading Hanging from Trees
Volunteering at UBHA in Chicaque Natural Park - week 2 During our second week of volunteering at UBHA, we really found our groove, and bonded with the kids quite nicely despite the language barrier. As anticipated, fellow volunteer Joel took his leave earlier than planned, leaving just us to cover the full day's schedule. One … Continue reading Dramatic Play, Wild Mushrooms and Glass-winged Butterflies
photobombed by Alain who we met on the trail to Pico March 12 With our first week of volunteering concluded at UBHA school, we were free to spend a 3-day weekend hiking through the stupendous Chicaque Natural Park. On Saturday morning, we set out on a hike to visit one of its landmarks: Pico (the … Continue reading Exploring the Trails in Chicaque Natural Park
Although it's only half an hour from the buzzing metropolis of Bogota, Chicaque Natural Park is like a lost world, and parts of it seem far removed from any signs of civilization. It's 300 hectares (741 acres) of mountains, streams, thick vegetation, with a few but not too many tourist amenities like campgrounds, lodges, restaurants … Continue reading UBHA the One-Room Schoolhouse in a Colombian Cloud Forest
To the list of useful facilities and services that Villanueva, Colombia does not have, add bus terminal (nor train terminal, for that matter). Instead, it has a stretch of 3 or 4 blocks on the busiest street in town where buses and shuttles park (double-parking often would be a more accurate description) to discharge or … Continue reading Villanueva to Chicaque
During our third and final week in Villanueva, we were about to hit the panic button because Kimberly's phone suddenly stopped working. And her phone is the phone, the one we use to make calls and conduct other necessary business. Dennis' phone is mostly a door stop, though he can use it to get online, … Continue reading Final Week in Villanueva
world travel with a theatrical flair 