Botswana : Kind and Friendly Country

I was in the city of Gabarone in Botswana from March 29-31, 2015.  This was one of the spontaneous trips I have planned. I decided to go to Botswana just 4 days before I left. The main reason I wanted to go to Botswana is because of my goal to travel to 40 countries by the time I am forty. Since my trip to Malawi did not happen because of issues i had with regards to getting Zimbawe and Mozambique visas since I did plan to take the bus to Malawi. I really just wanted to add one more country in my trip here in Africa.  

Botswana was just the perfect country for a last minute visit because Botswana is just 7 hours from Johannesburg and USA passport holders do not need any visa to enter this country. So I knew Botswana is the perfect choice. First things first, when I decided to go to Botswana, I had to look for couchsurfers to host me. Thankfully Tsepang was willing to host me even if it was last minute. So the next thing to do is to book my busride to this country. I did get my Intercape bus ticket from Johannesburg to Gabarone because it is the only bus from South Africa that goes to other African countries. 

On March 29 at 12 noon I was at Johannesburg Park Station and boarded the Intercape bus. We left around 12:15 pm and headed to Gabarone.  It took us 7 hours to get to Gabarone. But it was not just the busride that was long but it took almost an hour for all the passengers to get through the South African and Botswana immigration at the border. When we passed through the border, it only took us another 30 minutes before we arrived at the bus station in Gabarone. 

As the passengers got off the bus, there are many taxi drivers waiting and asking if we needed taxi. Since it was after 7 pm when I got there, I told one of the taxi drivers that I need to go to my friend's house. Normally, I am very reluctant to take the taxi alone. In my years of traveling, i can count with 1 hand the number of times that I took a taxi alone because I feel uncomfortable of being in one car with a stranger in a country I am not familiar with and i have heard a few horror stories of people having very bad experiences of taking taxis alone. The taxi driver from Gabarone was different, he immediately asked for the address pf my couchsurfing host and her phone number. He called her to ask the exact location of her place and directions to go there. I was very impress with this type of hospitality that this cab driver has shown me. 

As we were driving towards the place I will be staying at, I can immediately felt the calm and friendly energy of Botswana. A different feeling from the hassle and buzzle of Johannesburg. Just arrived in Botswana and I already felt that I am going to like this country very much.

I got to Tsepang's (my couchsurfer host's place ) and we had good conversations. She also prepared vegetarian dinner. It was good.

Tsepang gave me directions on how to explore Gabarone and which minivan taxi (combi) to take to go to the different places. She was very detailed so it was very helpful. 

On March 30, I was ready to explore Gabarone. I left at the same time that Tsepang had to leave the house to go to work. She dropped me off at the busstop and there I waited for the combi. I asked the other locals if this was the busstop for Route 2 and they said yes. So after a few minutes, the combi for route 2 arrived and I hop on the combi. The fare in Botswana is 3.50 Pula (40 cents) anywhere around the Gabarone area. 

We arrived at the taxi station near market area and we all went down. I saw that there were food stalls, actually they more like tables to put the fruits or anything they are selling and a chair for the vendor. I like buying foods from the street vendors. The foods are local and cheap. So I bought a pear, banana, steamed corn, fried potatoes and a fried dough (like donut but no hole in the middle and shaped like a small ball). 

After eating my Botswana breakfast, I am ready to go to Mokolodi Nature Reserve. I again asked for directions from the locals where the combis for Mokolodi. One young boy maybe around 12 years old accompanied me to the combi station to show me where the combis for Mokolodi were located. I waited for almost 30 minutes before the combi got filled with passengers and we were off to Mokolodi.

Mokolodi is about 25 km away from the city center of Gabarone. It was a nice drive - fresh air, trees were green as well as the grass. It was so refreshing to have the wind on my face and I was so happy I decided to come to Gabarone. 

I was dropped off on the bus stop about 1.5 km from Mokolodi Nature Reserve. I started to walk towards this deserted road. No one was walking expect me but there were a few cars that drove by every 5 minutes or so. When I travel, I enjoy walking. It is so different in my daily life in California where I am constantly in a car if I needed to go somewhere.  

I finally reached Mokolodi Nature Reserve. It was a nice quiet nature reserve. They had a playground, water fountain and tables outdoor in their garden. I went to the main desk to ask about the safari tour. She said that it will cost 150 Pula ($15) per person but there's a minimum of 2 person per tour. So she said since I am by myself, I need fo pay for 2 people. When I heard her say that I wished I was with a family member or a boyfriend to go with. I told her I will wait for 30 minutes just in case another person arrives and I do not need to pay for 2. Thirty minutes have gone by and it was still just me. So I decided to pay for 300 Pula ($30) for the safari tour since I came all the way to Botswana and wanted to do this safari. 

It was really nice, getting a private safari tour. I was the only on the safari truck. I saw turtle, Giraffe, Impalas, Kudos, birds, babbons. It was so awesome to be so close to the animals. I savored the VIP treatment of the safari trip. The trip lasted for 2 hours around the nature reserve. 

The safari tour was done and I walked around Mokolodi for a little bit then walked the 1.5 km to the bus stop on the main highway.  I was waiting for a combi or bus for almost 20 minutes when a white truck stopped and the white male driver said "Where are you going?",  I said "At the Game Mall" , he said "Let me give you a lift."  I did not hesitate, I immediately climbed into the passenger seat and we headed to the city. I told him that I was so grateful he gave me a lift. He said that he saw that I did not look like someone from Gabarone and may be waiting for a long time for a combi so he asked if I needed a lift. His name is William, an engineer born in Botswana who was around 50 years old. I asked him if he moved to Botswana from another country but he said that he was born in Botswana. I was surprise because I still cannot believe that a white man in a Botswana local ( ok, I must admit that it a racist thought - I am only human).   He dropped me off at the Game mall and told me to take care of myself. I told him Thank you very much. I am very grateful because that was my very first experience of "hitch hiking" and I did not feel theatened or in danger at all. Thank you God for angels. 

As I continued to explore Gabarone, how I wish that I was in Gabarone longer and volunteered in Botswana instead of Johannesburg. If I were to do it again, I think that was what I will do. But it is what it is and  I am grateful for my experiences in Johannesburg as well. 

Botswana has definitely made a huge positive impression on me. A place where I felt safe because of how friendly and kind the people are. 

Botswana until we meet again !!! :) 

First Impressions of Gauteng Province in South Africa

I arrived in ORTambo Airport near Johannesburg on March 5, 2015. As I am writing this blog I have been in the Pretoria & Johannesburg areas in South Africa in the Gauteng Province for 7 days now.  Prior to arriving in South Africa the only 2 cities I have heard of are Johannesburg and Cape Town. Since then I have learned from the South African couchsurfers that I have stayed at that South  Africa is really a huge country divided into 9 provinces.

Here are my first impressions of South Africa of Gauteng, South Africa

South Africans are nice and helpful

The White and Black South Africans are nice and helpful like most of the people I have met all over the world. They are not as friendly as the Thais who will do the namaste  gesture each time they meet you even people on the streets. But I must say that South Africans are willing to help in giving directions and all the people I met spoke English, it made asking for directions much easier than in China and South Korea. 

Asians are Definitely a Minority in South Africa

South Africa is a country known for it's contrast - black & white, old and new so it was not a surprise that Southeast Asians are not seen walking around the city. In my seven days in South Africa I have seen 6 Asians - Vietnamese and Chinese but no Filipinos so far. No wonder there were some people who called me "China" because all asians are Chinese. I have also seen some Indians in the Pretoria & Johanesburg areas. My couchsurfing South African hosts said that in a city called Durban in South Africa is the province with the most Indians. 

Different types of transportation for the White and Black South Africans

I have noticed that there is a significant difference on how black and white South Africans travel and explore this city. The shared taxi minivans ( like jeepney in Philippines) are only used by Black Africans & myself (hahaha), I have not seen a white South African in any of the minivan taxis I have riden. There are avout 13-15 passengers that can fit in the minivan taxis.   The White South Africans are using Gautrain (subway system) or/and driving their own cars. In South Africa, they drive on the "wrong side" of the road, I mean the driver is on the right side like in Australia and UK but the opposite from USA. 

The Type of Job Based on Color of Your Skin

 I have noticed that all blue collar jobs like bus drivers, waiters, cashiers, gardeners, construction workers, housemaids are all Black Africans. I have not seen any white South African do any of these blue collar jobs. However, I have seen black South Africans who worked as teachers, nurses, enterprenuers. Seeing this sitution of the job market in South Africa gave me a glimpse of how it might have been in the USA in the 1940's - 1960's. 

English is the Primary Language

South Africans can speak English which makes communicating with them so much easier. Of course, many other dialects are spoken in South Africa like Afrikaans. I have also learned some "South African English words" like "Braiil (barbequing), "Robot" (traffic light) & "Bokkie" (pick-up truck). 

A Few Hours in Zurich, Switzerland - March 4, 2015

Finally landed at Zurich, Switzerland. This was my 29th country to visit, I have 11 more to go to reach my goal of 40 countries by the time i am forty years young :)

The flight from Los Angeles To Zurich was almost 12 hours. Since I have more than 7 hours of layover in Zurich before my arrival to Johannesburg, I decided to venture around the city.

I bought a train / tram ticket for US $14.20 that was good for 24 hours. I took a train from airport to the Old Town part in the city center. At 4:30 pm when I got to the city center, it was cold around 3 degrees celcius / 37.4 fahrenheit.

When I travel,  I enjoy walking around the city and exploring the small streets. As I explored the city, I first stopped at the Hauptbahnhof (mainstation of trains). It's a beautiful old building with green statue of  man in front. I continued to explore walk on the bridges and streets along Limmat-Quai ( pedestrian zone) overlooking the Limmat river. Along the Limmat-Quai, I saw a tall building St. Peters , the largest clockface in Europe. As I continued to walk I saw Fraumunster, glass windows by  Marc Chagall. And also saw Grossmunster, the most famous landmark in Zurich which is a church.  When taking picture from the bridges at Limmat-Quai these are the three tall buildings that you can see.  I saw "Love Lock or Love Podlock" on the fence of the bridge in Limmat river - these podlocks symbolize the unbreakable love of the sweethearts.  i have seen Love Lock in other cities like Seoul and Paris. I also walked around the  narrow small streets along old town Zurich with shops, cafes and restaurants. 

At around 6 pm it started to snow. Wow! I think the temperature suddenly dropped to below zero degrees celsius. I was freezing, with no gloves, no hat and with just a shirt under my Northface jacket.  That's when I knew it was time to hop back into the train and head to the airport. Even just a few hours in Zurich, I enjoyed my time in the 29th country I have been to. Thank you God ! 

- Kaye

Life Lessons During Hike Up Machu Picchu

I am very grateful that I got to see one

of the Seven Wonders of the World - Machupicchu. 

When initially planned my trip to this famous site, I told family and friends that I will take the bus up to Machupicchu , but  while  volunteering in Aldea Yanapay im Cusco, I met another volunteer Alessandra from Mexico and she said "Kaye promise me you are going to hike up Machupicchu and not take the bus. It will be worth it." Since she had been to Machupicchu last July 2013, I trusted her. So my journey to hike Machupicchu begun.... on January 18 - 19, 2014, it was not just a simple journey but a metaphor for life lessons.  

Life Lesson 1 : Surrender - Life's Journey is Unexpected

One of the things I have learned the past decade is surrender. As a recovering control freak, i have gotten better with dealing with unexpected things in life when they do not go as planned. 

I booked this 2 days/1 night Machupicchu  trip for US$100. Such a great deal that it included roundtrip minivan ticket from Cusco to Aguas Caliente (near Machupicchu) , 1 night at the hostel, 3 meals, entrance to Machupicchu with a tourguide. 

We left at 8:30 AM in Cusco and  after 30 minutes we stopped because there was a mechanical problem with the van. We waited for over 1 hour before another minivan arrived and we got to continue with our 6 hours journey to Machupicchu. 

I made the most of the delay in the trip - I got to talk to the other travelers, took a nap and simply relaxed. 

Life Lesson 2 : Life is an Adventure - Have Fun ! 

I am so grateful that we 1,440 minutes each day and we have the choice to use these moments to grow or to miss on the opportunities. 

January is one of the months that rains a lot in Cusco area. Because of all the rains, they had been a lot of landslides on the road to town of Machupicchu. We had to be dropped of further than we should have been and we had to hike down to the hydroelectrica. The hydroelectrica is used to transport passengers from one side of the river to the other on an open cable cart that is pulled manually by 1-3 men on each side of the river. Sat on a open cable with 3 other people and the very high and rapid gushing water underneath us. It was an exciting and scary experience at the same time. I chose to be excited about this new experience.

Life Lesson 3 : Age is Just a Number - Don't let it define you ! 

Often times society puts us in a box based on our age. They say, In your teens it is ok to be crazy and wild. In our tweenties, it is ok to drink and party hard. In our thirties, it is time to get serious and get married and have children. In our forties, focus on work so we can provide for our families. In our fifties, it is the time to slow down and get ready to retire. In our 60's and older, time to retire and wait to die. These are stereotypes that I totally do not agree. It limits us based on our chronological age. But I have seen people in their 60's more active and have more energy than some in their 20's. I say, age is just a number and do not let it ever define who you are. 

Another evidence of this new "norm" in our society was when I met two Brazilian ladies of our 17 persons tour group. These two women hiked with us from the railroad tracks at Santa Teresa in the dark for 2.5 hours. We had to cross several bridges with big gaps between them so we had to be careful not to fall in the river below us. They did not complaint, whine, or slowed down the group. They just kept going and going on this uphill hike using the railroad track as our guide until we reached Aguas Caliente, the town closest to Machupicchu at 10:30 PM where our hostel was located. 

Honestly, I hiked slower than these 2 women but when I wanted to complaint and  "bitch" about the long difficult hike in the dark, I look at them and I got inspired to keep going. 

Life Lesson 4 : One Step at a Time to Reach the Goal

I have been taught early in life to set goals. I have written a 101 goals , bucketlists as well as goals or "prayer intentions" on my birthdays and  I write "vision" plan on New Year's day for the past several years. I am constantly asking God to guide me , "to speak to me in words that i will understand" through my prayers and meditation to lead me what my life purpose is and how to fulfill it everyday. 

One thing I have learned from all of these goal setting, is that it takes time, commitment, effort to get to reach my goals but all it takes is one step at a time. And this is again a lesson I learned as I hiked up Machupicchu  on January 19, 2014.

We woke up early Sunday morning at 4:30 AM to start our journey up this world famous site. We waited for our tourguide to give us our passes to get us in Machupicchu park at 6AM. As soon as we got our tickets we started hiking up, I was with 4 Brazilians from my tour group that included Bruna and Leandro. The hiking started...going up those stairs.    As we got higher, the air got thinner and I was getting tired. I am not a hiker / trekker at all. The elevation to reach the top was an added challenge but that is part of life, there are challenges and we just need to keep going.

 My bag was an issue too, i brought too many stuffs for a difficult hike. Just like in life sometimes we bring the past hurts, childhood traumas, failures and carry these "baggages" with us to our present and future  when we should have let them all go a long time ago. 

I saw so many other hikers / tourists/ travelers passed me by while I took frequent breaks. This is like in life too, there are people that got to their goals fasters than I got to my goals. I have to remember, not to compare myself and focus on reaching my goal because when I achieve them, it will always be the perfect time. 

After 2 hours of hiking up this huge mountain, I got to the top - Machupicchu !  Wow! It was an amazing view. What impressed me more is that each of these rock was carried and built with the hands of the Peruvian ancestors , not machine made. Getting to see this up close and touch it was a great memorable experience. Getting to see Machupicchu reminded me, to get to our goals it is truly one step at a time.

Life Lesson 5 : This Stranger can be your next Amazing Friend

I have been traveling and doing my "VolunTourism" annually since 2011. I have learned so many things from traveling solo but I have also enhanced skills that I already had. One of those is my social skills that i think I genetically got from my mother who has amazing social skills, I call her "Mrs. Congeniality". I do not mean to brag and sound conceited but I do have great social skills. I can talk to anyone from Europe to Asia to South America. Not knowing the language they speak has never been an obstacle either. I can point, act out or try to do something to communicate with this person if she / he  do not speak any English. And with God's divine intervention I often get my point across and "communicate" with this person. I am also not shy which has been very helpful during my solo trips since I can make friends easily.

My 2 day trip to Machupicchu was an exception. I get to meet Bruna Mattos, a Brazilian girl in her 20's who was travelling with her boyfriend, Leandro for 2 weeks from Presidente Prudente, Brazil  . We all started talking when we had a stopover for lunch. We started hiking Machupicchu. I even got to meet them down the hike to Santa Teresa because we were the only 3 people in our group who did not have any train ticket from Aguas Caliente. Then we continued to get to know each other on our minivanj ride to Cusco. Then 1 month after I met them, I visited Bruna and stayed with her family for 2 days at Presidente Prudente. Her family was amazing and great hosts. I got to go to their farm - fed the cows, ate so many mangoes. Bruna even had a party on a Saturday night so I get learn to dane samba and forro. This experience had once again proved that the next person may just be a stranger but with just one "hello" this person can be your next close friend. 

Couchsurfing in Colombia

    

     In the fall of 2010, as I was planning my very first VolunTourism in 2011, my sister's friend Krystle suggested that I couchsurf in Europe to save money. I was immediately very resistant and said "No, thank you but I saved up enough money to pay for cheap hostels in Europe". But one night in October 2010, I decided and now I have been couchsurfing for 4 years. 

            I would like to share my couchsurfing in Colombia in January 2014. I was hosted by German Garzon, a Colombian peditrician and very active couchsurfer. He is a very nice host - he picked me up at the airport at 2 AM even with my flight being delayed and he also had to work in a few hours. That's when I know that this host is one of the most hospitable that have ever hosted me.

                                                             

 First Impression 

            I have heard the reputation of Colombia and most of those were negative. However, as we drove down the streets at 2 am in the morning, I saw that the streets are clean, no homeless sleeping on the streets and the streets are empty - very few cars around and no people walking. 

Transportation 

               There are taxis at the airport. I did not take any taxi during my stay but my host, German, said that taxis are relatively cheap and you can even use an app called Tappsi (the taxis on this app are safe and registered). I get to use Transmilleno bus system. This transportation system is like a subway but instead they use buses. There are 2 lanes assigned specifically for the buses. You get to transfer to different lines to get from north to south, east to west. And even get you to and from the airport to your host's or hotel. You need to have a Transmilleno metro card which you can get for free but you need to put in money in the card. It cost about 1,700 Colombian peso ($0.88) each way. This was really easy to follow. If you are not sure where to go there are uniformed metro staff in each stop and you can ask for directions.  

Food 

          My couchsurfer host, German, is a foodie so he knows Colombian food. These are the unique foods that I had in Colombia that I have not had in any other country. 

1. Tamal / Tamales. Colombian tamales are different from the Mexican tamales. Inside is rice and chicken or pork or some kind of meat. It is a whole chicken leg with the bones and rice wrapped in banana leaves. While the mexican tamales is usually with a corn "masa" / flour with shredded piece or meat, or cheese with spicy salsa. 

2. Toston - a pizza like with cheese on top but instead of flour as dough , the dough is plantain (banana). It was really yummy and we ate this at Andres D.C. 

3. Crema Vena - dessert with a circle shaped thin cracker and they put different fillings like dulce de leche , cheese, fruit jam with different flavors, dried coconut then cover it with another cracker on top. Very delicious sweet dessert. 

4. Lulu juice - lulu is a typical fruit in Colombia with seeds that are also sour then they add lime and water to create this Colombian drink. 

Places Visited 

        During my visit during the first week of January, it was still their holiday so it not crowded and German also had the time off to show me around. 

1. Museo del Oro - thr museum of gold is beautiful. You get to see different sculptures, jewels, stones, statues, paintings made of gold. The entrance fee is 3,000 Colombian Peso ($1.56) but on Sundays admission is free. 

 2. Catedral de Sal de Zipaquira - The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira. The admission fee is 23,000 Colombian Pesos ($11.94). The cathedral is under a huge cave. You can see Jesus Christ stations of the cross and the cathedal with a enormous luminated cross. This place is about 30 km from Bogota.  

3. Cerro de Monserrate - this is a church on top of the Monserrate mountain. This is a very famous tourist spot when visiting Colombia. The admission fee is 15,800 Colombian Pesos ($8.20) for roundtrip ticket of cable car to get you to /from top of mountain. It is a little cheaper on Sundays 14,500 Colombian Pesos ($7.54). The view of Bogota is beautiful from the top. But it is also beautiful to look Monserrate church from below especially during the christmas holiday because the entire church is decorated with gorgeous lights.

       I get to meet another couchsurfer Carolina, as well as another Colombian guy, Tony. The four of us had dinner and went dancing at Andres D.C. On that Sunday night, Carolina and I became honorary Colombians and they gave us a crown and sash. That was a really fun night. We partied until 2 AM - lots of stories, laughters, dancing and yummy foods. What I found very interesting in this restaurant is that the free appetizer they serve in each table is a plate full of fruits - mangoes, grapes, coconuts, and other Colombian fruits. A very healthy and unique appetizer compared to what they serve in other countries. 

       On our last night at German's house, Carolina and I cooked a meal for German, Tony and Senor Garzon (German's father). Carolina made Chilean empanadas and I cooked pansit (Filipino noodle dish) and jello dessert. Tony brought passion fruit cake and also made Lulu juice. It was a great "despedida" (bon voyage) as well as a "gracias" dinner to our amazing couchsurfing host, German. At dinner, we talked and shared our opinions. We may be from different countries, different genders, different age groups but our hearts felt the same love and connection with each other. 

        These are my 5 days of couchsurfing in Bogota, Colombia. A fun, happy and memorable experience.         Muchas Gracias!!!

Volunteering at Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, India

A year after my first visit to India, I found myself back in this country again with it's unique culture, vibe and energy that was very palpable and it was beyond words can describe because India will be different for everybody who visits this country depending on what he or she is focusing on. I can simply put it as "Incredible India" as it is most often described.

    I was back in India because I wanted to see and explore the south part of India since I just got to visit the north part last year. However, like most of my most recent travels, I do not only sightsee but also volunteer in the places I visit. It is what I call my "VolunTourism Trips". So, on this trip I decided to volunteer at Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa founded this organization in 1950 to work and serve the poorest of the poor. She is truly an inspiration of Love and Service.

    This was how my journey to Kolkata started.  When I boarded the AirAsia plane from Bangkok to Kolkata, I did not know how to get to Missionaries of Charity Headquarters. All I had was the address and the time of orientation. I did pray to God to please send me an angel a.k.a. meet another volunteer in the plane or at the airport that can help me find my way to Missionaries of Charity. And as always, God answered my prayer. As i sat on my assigned seat in the plane, The girl beside me, Queenie Li from China was also heading to volunteer at Missionaries of Charity. TYG !!!

  We took an airconditioned bus for 50 Rupees from airport to an area close to Missionaries of Charity. It took us almost 1 hour to walk from the bus stop to Missionaries of Charity at 78 AJC Road. We got there at 3:15 PM, we were 15 minutes late but did not miss much since everyone was just filling out the registration forms.

   The orientation was about logistics on the start and end times of volunteer days, reminders about safety as we walk from our hostels in Sudder street to Mother House (this is the popular name for the Missionaries of Charity Headquarters) which was to make sure we do not walk alone, reminders that we are not allowed to take pictures at the Mother House or any of the 6 centers that we maybe assigned to because these were not "tourist spots" but we were there to serve, reminders about how to dress and reminders on how to interact with the locals like not giving them  money, not to touch the children on the street even if they are cute because this may encourage inappropriate behaviors. After that, each volunteer was called one at  a time to talk to Sister Maria Mercy. She is in charge of giving each volunteer their assignment. I was assigned to ShiShu Bhavan Dispensary a.k.a. The Clinic. This is where patients come and Sister Doctor Andrea checks the patients and the volunteers give medications and do wound care.

   After the orientation was done and  we headed to our hostel, The Paragon Hotel near Sudder street area. The distance is about 2 km from Mother House. The street is narrow, dirty, filled with trash and poop everywhere. The street was filled with many people, motorbikes, bicycles, carriages carried by a person, tuk-tuks ( aka tricycles in the Philippines) cows,  and dogs. They also like honking so it was loud and noisy, constantly beep-beep-beep-beep. I was wondering if I may lose my hearing after 10 days in Kolkata. There are many stores and shops on both sides on this narrow street selling all kinds of food, meat, fruits and vegetables. The people urinate on the sides of the street and people also take showers on the street and other people washed their faces , plates, clothes using the same water used by the people taking the shower.  Seeing this type of environment was beyond what I have ever witnessed before in my life. I had to hold my tears as I walked on this street, I was in shock and disbelief that there are people living this way. It is true when Mother Teresa chose this area - this is the poorest of the poor. I even told other volunteers that the word "poor" is not an accurate word to describe this type of lifestyle. It was a humbling moment for me.

    Our day started at 6 AM, we attended mass (this was optional) with the sisters and other volunteers who woke up early. At 7 AM, we had Free breakfast with other volunteers. This was an Eat-All-You-Can Chai, Bread and Banana breakfast daily. This was also a time to talk to other volunteers and get to know them. Since I like meeting new people, I often approach a volunteer that is standing or sitting alone in a corner and I would start casual conversations. I met so many volunteers from all over the world like from Italy, Chile, South Korea,  Japan,  Germany, Portugal, Canada, China, France,  USA but during my 10 day stay there I did not meet any other Filipino volunteer.

    The volunteer activities that I got involved in: At ShiShu Bhavan, I got to fed, changed diapers, did range of motion exercises on physically and mentally disabled abandoned children diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy between the ages of 4-12 years old. Most of these children are girls, it just showed the type of culture in the Indian society that boys are valued more. I also got to do laundry of these 33 children since they use a lot of clothes and cloth diapers. At ShiShu Bhavan Dispensary Center, this is also known as the Clinic. There were different types of clinic for each day - cardiology, neurology, oncology, pediatrics, OB, Women's Health etc.  Sister Dr. Andrea from Germany is the doctor in charge and Sister Nurse Margaret from India is the nurse in charge. I dispensed medications and also did wound care. But my favorite of all my days in the clinic was our Obstetrics/ Women's health clinic day. Sister Andrea and Sister Margaret allowed me to do check-ups, prescribe medications and I worked with Miho ( a nurse from Japan) who dispensed the medications. The most unforgettable patient I saw that day  was Mrs. Bibi, she was 7 months pregnant and I noticed she lost 3 kgs from her visit last month. I asked her question with the help of the novice sister to translate for me, I asked " Mrs. Bibi you lost 3 kgs from last month. Are you vomiting? Are you not keeping your food down? Why did you lose so much weight?" She replied "We are so poor. I have 2 other children and my husband is a tuktuk driver. We do not have money to buy food so I eat only once a day." Her answer stunned me. I was not expecting this response.  I felt embarrassed for asking the wrong question. It did not even occur to me that the reason she lost weight was because she does not have any food to eat. I wanted to cry that very moment. When there are so much food in countrues like Australia, USA, Canada, UK,  how can there be places where people do not have the money to buy any food to eat.

At Nibo Jibon Center, every Sunday the volunteers have the opportunity to give a bath and feed the street children. So together with 25 other volunteers, I head to this center on a Sunday. It took us 2 bus rides to get to this place. There were about 70 street children waiting for us. They were a happy bunch of kids. We started giving them bath.  I was assigned to towel dry them. The most touching moment for me was, after I have towel dried them and put powder on their skin and oil on the hair of these beautiful girls. They had to put back on their dirty, smelly, with holes clothes. But, as they wear their clothes they wear them with pride and confidence.  I cried because I just remembered the times when I have said " I do not have anything to wear, while looking at my closet full of clothes". But, these kids literally do not have any other clothes to wear. I also helped serve them lunch. We served them rice, dal and curry. They all sat on the ground used rice sacks as their mats. They sat holding their aluminum plates and waited for the food to be served. When everyone got their food, they were all so happy and ate their food like it was the best food ever. These moments that I have witnessed have truly transformed me and reminded me of what matters most.

      As my volunteer ended, I have come to realize how blessed I am and because of this I am committed to make a difference and be a blessing to others. I also know that what I have contributed to Missionaries of Charity is a small drop in the ocean, but I am hoping that the ripples will create huge waves.

   Thank you Dear God for guiding, protecting and leading me always. Amen.

 
  

Exploring Hong Kong for Less Than US$80 for 3 Days & 2 Nights

Most people think that traveling cost a lot of money. For me, I have discovered from traveling for long periods of time these past 4 years that it depends on your travel style.

My travel style is so simple. I even refer to my travel style as "localista" - travel & explore a country like a local.

My most recent travel to HongKong from Jan 5 - 7, 2013 for 3 days & 2 nites cost me HK$600 (less than US$80) for accommodation, food & sightseeing. Let me tell you how I did it.

Transportation
I took the A21 CityBus from airport to Tsim Sha Tsui area where Chung King Mansion, the guest house I stayed at. The cost is HK$33 (US$4.25) each way to and from airport.
To get around the city I bought the Tourist Day Pass that allowed me to take the subway / MTR unlimited trips for 24 hours. The cost HK$55 (US$7).

Accommodation
I stayed at Yan Yan Guest house at Chung King Mansion building. The address is D2,D4,D7, 9/F, Block D, 36-44 Nathan Road, Chung King Mansion, Tsim Sha Tsui, HK. Email: newchinaguesthouse@qq.com.
It cost me HK$260 (US$34) for 2 nights for a single room with bathroom, TV, aircondition, Free Wi-Fi.

Food
I usually eat local foods, street foods that cost about HK$20 - $30 (US$2.50-$4) per meal.
However, I treated myself and went to Tim Ho Wan in Mong Kok and had dimsum at this Michelin star restaurant. I had the BBQ Pork Bun, Chicken Feet + Spareribs with rice, Vermacelli Noddle with beef , Sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves & tea for HK$79 (US$10.20). I waited for 1.5 hours to be seated because it is a very popular place. It was worth it. I liked the Baked BBQ pork bun a lot.

Sightseeing
When I explore a city, I check on the website the recommended places to visit.
I visited places that are Free like : The Clock by the harbour, Avenue of the Stars & Temple Night Market.
The only place I paid for is my visit to Tan Tian Buddha (The Big Buddha) & Po Lin Monastery at Lantau Island. The Bus 23 ticket from MRT station Tung Chung to Big Buddha area is HK$27 (US$3.50) each way.

Now, you know how I do my cost effective travel in Hong Kong !!! TYG :)