VolunTourism 2011 Part 1

Exactly 2 months ago from today, I have been back from my 3 months of VolunTourism abroad. An experience I will forever treasure and will always take with me wherever I go.

The Idea

During the Summer of 2010, after listening to the audiobook of Eat, Pray, Love for the 10^th time and watching Julia Robert in the movie playing Elizabeth Gilbert. I told myself I want to do that too. Of course, I know that it is not financially responsible for me to take one year off like the character in the book. However, I said, three months! Yes, I can do 3 months. I can save up enough money to travel for 3 months and still pay my mortgage.

The next step was to take the semester off from teaching at the university. So that’s what I did, talked to my department head of pediatrics and asked her if I can be given the Spring 2011 off. She told me that “yes’, I can have the semester off because of the budget cuts in California, our university CSULB was also affected. Wow! After hearing that from her, I just knew that it was meant for me to take this trip. It felt like the Universe was conspiring to support me to make my dream come true.

Now that I had been given the time off, I had an idea – VolunTourism, combining my 3 month trip with visiting the beautiful places in Europe and Asia , at the same time do some volunteering. This idea was something that resonates with me. I did not want to just travel and see these places, I wanted to make a difference.

Here we go !! Operation: VolunTourism with me, myself and I !!! J

The Planning

I decided that February will be a good time to start my trip. My first trip was Los Angeles to Madrid to Paris to Venice to Rome then back to Los Angeles. Total airfare price for my trip to Europe was $965.50. I know that it was going be cold during that time in Europe but I did not care, I was just grateful that I can visit 4 cities for less than $1000.

I decided to come back to California for 2 weeks after a month in Europe to repack from winter clothes to spring/summer. It was also my sister Kim’s birthday around that time so it worked out perfect.

For my second and third months, it was going to be Los Angeles to Tokyo to Seoul to Jeju Island to Manila to Bali then back to Los Angeles. Total airfare for this part of my trip was $ 1481.50. Wow! So happy to get this great deal. Thanks to my “sale genie”!!!

The next part of the planning was accommodation. I knew that for me to have enough money to last me for 3 months, that I may need to stay in hostels in Europe. I had mixed emotions about staying at a hostel. I was not that comfortable sharing a room with total strangers but not wiling to pay $100 per night to stay in a hotel. Then a very strange idea was suggested by my sister’s friend, Krystle – Couchsurf. When I heard her say it, I thought she was out of her mind. What?! You want me to stay in a stranger’s home and sleep in their couch for free. That is one crazy idea. And told her, thanks for the suggestion but I am not going to that.

I was just about 3 months away from my trip to Europe and still without any place to stay. So that night, I decided to check out Krystle’s out of my box idea and signed up for couchsurfing.org. I was very cautious with my first requests, and were mostly to women and to married couples. Also, thanks to Facebook because after my requests were accepted, we used Facebook as our way to check that neither one of us was crazy psychopath killers. So during my 3 month trip, I couchsurfed 75% of the time. I couchsurfed in Madrid, Paris, Tokyo, Seoul and Bali. As a side note, I highly recommend couchsurfing to everyone especially to those traveling alone.

To make this VolunTourism happen, I had to contact many non-profit organizations that will be willing to let me volunteer for 2 weeks in the countries I planned to visit. After several rejection emails, I was so happy to get accepted to volunteer at Fundacion Tomillo in Madrid. Muchas Gracias Ana Artacho. And still continued to write emails for places to volunteer in Seoul and Bali but still with no luck, then it was time for me to leave for Madrid.

The Journey

Month 1 : Madrid, Paris, Venice and Rome February 1 to March 1, 2011

The day that I was waiting for was finally here. Today is the beginning of a whole new adventure of traveling alone. My bag was packed with about 25 pieces of clothing, and basic essentials like flashlight, swiss knife, vitamins, charger, adapter and snacks.

I arrived in MADRID, Spain on a Wednesday morning, called the wonderful couple I was going to couchsurf with – Karla and Chema. Took the metro train to their place from the airport for 1 Euro. When I got to their apartment, it was so nice to feel so welcome. Contrary to the word couchsurfing, I did not stay in a couch but instead stayed in my own room with a bed. They even gave me my own set of keys so I can leave and come as I please. I stayed with them for 16 days.

I enjoyed my stay in Madrid where it was sunny during most of my time there but was very cold, it helped that some of the Tagalog/Filipino words were similar to Spanish, and that I had black hair and almost similar skin color as the Spaniards so I just blended in. I got to meet a few couchsurfers especially Danielle and Esteban, we went Salsa dancing and watched Real Madrid futbol. Most of the days, I went around the city alone and actually liked it. I got to visit museums, plazas, theater and even went on a date with myself on Valentine’s day to watch Flamenco dance. I also went and took the train and did a day trip to Toledo.

While I was in Madrid, three days a week, I get to volunteer at Fundacion Tomillo, whose mission is to work for the development of the person and the social integration of the individuals and the most vulnerable groups. It was a great experience to teach English to students from ages 10 to 27. These were the days that I look forward to because I get to be with these students and honestly, I think I was learning more Spanish from them than they were learning English from me.

Things I will always remember about Madrid: museums, plazas, Jamon de Serrano , Churros con Chocolate, Cocido Madrileno, metro train and Wi-Fi in their buses. Muchas Gracias Madrid.

I was a little nervous to go to my next destination: PARIS, France. Mainly for the reason that I do not speak or understand French and the only French I know is French fries. Even if I had my French pocket book with me, I seem to have a difficult time pronouncing French – there were so many silent letters that confuses me. I was very tense when I got into the metro train. I kept looking at the map and paid a lot of attention to the name of every train stop because I could not understand what was being said on the overhead speaker. I just did not want to miss my stop.

I would describe Paris as romantic, very classy, elegant, and of course expensive. Since I was just there for 5 days, I did touristy activities: visited the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Moulin Rouge, Basilica of Sacred Heart , Notre Dame, and Latin Quarter. I also couchsurfed while I was there - 2 nights with Vicki who lives close to the famous Champs Elysees and one night with Vi-Georges.

Things I will always remember about Paris – Eiffel Tower at night, seeing the real Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci, the delicious and pretty macaroons. Au Revoir Paris !!!

The next destination is VENICE, Italy. This place is full of tourist everywhere and the streets were so narrow that I felt like I was in a maze. During my stay here I stayed in a hostel where I met nice and beautiful roommates - Tariana from Brazil, Zoe from Malaysia and Australian. On one afternoon, I also got to meet Daniela, a couchsurfer and I walked around Venice. It was nice to have a local show around Venice, it was like having my own personal tour guide.

I like the beautiful gandolas along the canals, many churches especially Basillica of San Marco, the shops of beautiful clothes, masks, glass, vases. But most especially the delicious , carbo-loaded pizza, pasta and gelato. I had at least 1 new flavor of gelato per day even when the temperature was 4 C / 39 F. Because of all the carbohydrates I had, I ended up needing to get myself a new pair of jeans with garter, not with zipper because I did not want to take chances in case I would gain a few more pounds since I still have to go to Rome and I heard they also have really good pasta, pizza and gelato over there.

The last stop of my first month of VolunTourism was ROME, Italy. Time flew so fast and it was the last 5 days of my trip. I couchsurfed for 1 night with Alessandra and her son. She prepared a 3 course meal - bruschetta, pasta and meat dish. I was so impress and grateful that not only am I staying there for free , she was also feeding me. I am a total stranger to her but welcomed me as a guest. My 3 other nights I stayed in a hostel. This hostel experience was new and different for me because the room I am staying was co-ed. The 2 other times I stayed in the hostels during this month in Europe I stayed in an all-female rooms, but this time with guys. I stayed in the room with 3 other women and 2 men, the experience was good and there was no weird feeling or awkwardness.

I was raised Catholic so going to Vatican City to see the Pope Benedict was on my “Must – Do” list. On the last Sunday in February, my roommates and I left our hostel at 6 AM and headed to the Vatican City to see the Pope and visit Musei Vaticani, St . Peter Cathedral, Sistene Chapel. Then at 12 noon, I got a glimpse of Pope Benedict as he spoke from his room facing St. Peter Square. This experience of seeing the Pope was a very emotional moment because I remembered my grandmother Esting who was a devoted Catholic and I know she would have loved to see the Pope in Vatican City but never got the chance when she was still alive.

As I entered each church in Italy, I said my 3 wishes because it was a Filipino tradition that each time you enter a church for the very first time you should make a wish and your wish will come true.

The architecture in Rome was amazing. There were so much history in each building, statue that each one seemed like each one was saying a story about either love, happiness, fear, defeat, triumph. I got to see the Colleseum, Fontana De Trevi, Piazza Navona.

As my first month of VolunTourism has come to a close. With all my heart and soul – I am very grateful for the lessons and the safe journey.

Muchas Gracias!!! Merci Beaucoup !!! Grazie Mille !!!

- Kaye