Quest Overseas - Gap Year Travel

Six weeks all crammed into a few lines, prepare yourselves...

The private bus journey from La Paz to Rurrenebaque consisted of 18 hours of extreme Bolivian Boy Racing around cliff edges. ´Sit on the left´ is the advice is you want to stare death in the face. Suprisingly only one Questy member hurled, whether this was due to fright, distinct lack of bus suspension or a lunch of sweaty cheese and warm yogurt , remains a mystery. A night in Rurrenebaque, followed by a nicely stable canoe across the river and an hour in the back of a pick up truck; 13 questies, 13 big rucksacks and daysacks, a fair few Bolivians, topped off with wire cables and cement bags, comfort went out the window.

JACQUSI

We got thrown ´head first´ into the deep end; no electric, no running water, interesting toliet, and the much loved "shack". "The shack" as referred to, was to be our home for the following 3 weeks, in which many a memory was shared. The shack however was not just our home, o no, it was also home to huge spiders, a family of bats (that particularly enjoyed playing "who can crap on your head") and Gordon (the resident cockroach).

They've been cursed many a time back here in the office - when will they write, do they not remember us??? But at long last, we have an update from the hard working, hard playing group in Villa Maria this summer - enjoy!

Villa Maria Invierno Group Update

So Villa Maria Invierno 2010 begins: some arrived on a measly bus whilst others arrived in style after being upgraded to business class. Some even decided to get a taxi from the airport leaving the rest of the group waiting for over 2 hours at an unearthly time in the morning; the quote "Chantel got a taxi" is still being used. Lucho hermoso bello lindo guapo.

Rain, rain, rain, rain in Africa, what's going on?! Within the last week we have worked in rain, played football with the youth group, shopped in Blantyre (shniedy Nandos, which wasnn't actually a Nandos), attended a local wedding with live chickens and flying notes.

We're keenly waiting for a written update from the guys out working on our project in Lima this summer (they claim they are working too hard...), but in the meantime here are a few photos to give you an idea of what is to come.

Here we have a demonstration of the professional blueprints they are working from!