Quest Overseas - Gap Year Travel

Our team in Lima has started working in Villa Maria recently at our children's project. One of their first jobs was to present a donation of football strips from Burgess Hill Town Football Club to a local team.

Just the first 5 days, but what a roller coaster! Written by Alicia Machin, very entertaining.

WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY; to Lima and the slums! We got bus to the airport at 5.30 I´m the luckiest person - was upgraded to First Class and given an invitation to the VIP lounge. I was so smug and smiling like a Cheshire cat! Free food and drinks and internet! However it wasn´t so great as our flight was delayed and delayed until finally at about midnight they eventually said we couldn´t fly until tomorrow. We were taken to Holiday Inn which was incredulously luxurious.... enormous double beds and SO comfortable although we had to be up at quarter to 5 so had hardly any sleep.

Written by our resident hospital inspector Joe.

I knew I´d end up getting a mammoth entry to write! Anyway, Monday 15th was a teacher swap. Lucky for some, not so for others. In the afternoon, we went on an unforgettable trip to a fake equator and then the real one. At the fake equator, most of the group had a quick glance at the equator monument and then stocked up on ´Carioca´. Otherwise known as spray foam. What ensued was a battle, nay, war, of global proportions. Quest vs Ecuador sounds unfair, but we had good supplies. The foam got everywhere. Hair, eyes, ears, you name it, it was foamed! The riot culminated with a guerilla style assault on an unsuspecting Aaron who was pursued for a long while but eventually taken down.

A few snaps from the team overseas. They are flying down to the project phase in Lima today, so time to get down to work!

This time from Auriole Potter, an absolute masterpiece of course.

After being "cured" by the shaman, we had a night at a hostel called La Luna. Made the most of the good food and hammocks. The following day we walked around a lake called Cuicocha, an old volcanic crater. Very steep and we all felt the altitude but the amazing views made the pain worth it. My thighs havent felt the same for several days though!

Week two saw more gruelling one on one Spanish lessons, which are nonetheless having an effect. I think everyone is definitely noticing an improvement. During the second half of the lessons we usually split into groups and do various activities, such as musical chairs and attempting to tell embarassing stories in Spanish.