Johanna: Jag jobbade alltsa med faglarna, over 300 st hade vi I parken, allt fran stora MCCaws till Tukaner och en kalkon. Dessutom tog vi hand om 50 vattenskoldpaddor o en hog me landskoldpaddor ( ibland va dom 12, ibland 20, vi bruka tappa bort en hel del men plocka allti upp nya, hehe) Dagarna var langa och bestod mest av att stada burar och skara frukt till alla djuren, men daremellan hann vi bekanta oss me faglarna o talade en massa med dem och de andra djuren, framst aporna och bjornen. Snart markte man att da man sa Hola ti nan sa lat man som en av papegoijorna!
Vi hade ocksa en constant kamp mot dom vilda aporna som forsokte stjala var mat. Jag gav snart upp o gick me taktiken att ge dom va dom vill ha o hoppas pa de basta! Dom va otroligt sota o gulliga o manga av dem kom upp till en och ville gosa en stund, hur kan man saga nej till det?? De man tydligt markte under de tva veckorna vi va dar va hur personliga alla djuren var, alla hade sin egen identitet. Dom blev kara, hade hemliga forhallanden, var svartsjuka och hatade vissa medan andra var basta kompisar. Helt otroligt! Man sku ha kunna laga en jattebra tv-serie me allt drama vi hade mellan djuren, haha!Den varsta fageln fo mej va en av de storre papegoijorna, Pedro, som absout hatade mej. Ja hade allti varit trevlig mot honom men av nagon orsak tyckte han inte alls om mej. Jag hamnade dagligen ga in i hans bur, mata och stada for honom, varje gang slutade me att denna 30 kilos papegoija lika stor som min overkropp jagade in mej i ett horn och forsokte attackera med klor och nabb. Supertrevligt! Andra volontarer fick klappa o paja honom, men ja fick bara stryk… Sa de slutade oftast med att jag skrek pa hjalp o forokte sla honom ivag med kvasten eller matskalen, haha! Dagarna gick sa fort att man knappt hann marka att de hade gatt tva veckor!
Matilda: radera just allt. duktigt! sa kort: Jobba med apor i tva veckor pa kliniken. rutinerna var ganska simpla, mata aporna, stada upp efter dem. hade det inte sa latt i borjan da vissa apor int gilla mig eller kvinnor i allmanhet, men det loste sig med tiden. Hitta vissa favoriter som jag sku ha kunna ta hem med mig, medan jag maste se upp med andra hela tiden. Smarta djur ar de, vissa av dem kunde reda ut sin egen lina da de trasslat i hop sig, andra at under tallriken da det regna. veterinarena mena att jag borde ha fatt ett ordentligt minne med mig hem, dvs ett duktigt bitmarke med stygn, men tankte att jag klarar mig med de sma bitmarken jag fick.
Vi hann ocksa spendera en hel del kvallar ute pa restauranger, forbollmsmatcher mellan volontarer och bolivianer, halloweenfest, och fixa middag for att samla in pengar for faglarna. Dessutom lyckades vi overleva dodbron flera ganger dagligen, dar en massa lastbilar kor helt for fort och troligtvis hoga pa cocain (chapareregionen runt villa Tunari ar varldens storsta Cocainregion) utan nagon namnvard skyddsvag att radda sig pa. Sa det har varit eventfyllda tva, tre veckor vi upplevt! Fran Villa Tunari hoppade vi alltsa pa bussen till Cochabamba och vidare till Sucre. Har e de jattefint o staden ar sa vacker.
Vi ar ett helt gang volontarer har och skall nu aka vidare tillsammans. Dagarna har har spenderats med Spa-dag, god mat, vin, picknick och ett helt harligt hostell, La Dolce Vita. Efter att har bott med minimal bekvamligheter senaste veckorna ar detta paradise!! Vi har en av de basta ducharna vi fatt I sydamerika, ett trevligt hostel med kok man faktiskt kan laga mat I, skona sangar, rena klader och lackade tanaglar! Nu fortsatter vi imorgon mot Uyuni och varldens storsta saltsjoar varifran vi hoppar over till Chile.
So in Villa Tunari we worked as volunteers at an animal refugee with loads of animals from bears, to monkeys and turtles. We got stationed on different sides of the park, Tilda in the clinic with the monkeys and Jo up with the birds in the aviary. Following a brief story of what we have been up to the past couple of weeks.
Johanna: The work with the birds consisted mostly of feeding, cleaning and entertaining the birds, we had over 300 of them while I was there and trust me birds aren’t as easygoing pets as you`d think! As you`re trying to prepare dinner there would be two or three McCaws stealing the food while the Toucan is biting your calves cause he wants to get attention from you. The birds all had such personalities and it was a lot of fun getting to know them and chatting to them throughout the day. There was also a lot of drama with all the birds with jealousy, heartaches and new loves, it was like watching a soapshow on tv! We also had about 50 waterturtles and about a dozen landtortoises ( we never really knew how many as they kept escaping and we found new ones in the cage all the time!) Tortoises can be fast little buggers when they feel like it! We also had a constant fight with the monkeys that stole our food. Our boss wanted us to throw stones at them but I just felt sorry for them, all they wanted was some food and to sit with you for a while. So that is what I did. I let them have what they wanted and hoped they wouldn`t attack me.. Most of time it worked out okey, but one time we did have to lock ourselves in with the turkey as one monkey didn`t really agree with me only giving him a little food and not the whole bowl, haha! Some of the birds also had a very vicious side to them, like a big McCaw the size of my ipperbody, Pedro, who hated me. I had to go in his cage daily and it always ended with me cornered screaming for help trying to hit him with the broom or the foodbowl… Nasty bastard that one! All in all, it was an amazing two weeks filled with new experiences, something we probably won’t be able to do again anytime soon. You got so close to all of these animals and it was amazing watching an }d playing with completely wild animals and give them a second chance at being free.
Matilda: just erased everything. well done! so shortly: worked at the clinic with the monkeyes. Feed them and cleaned up after them, and in between play time!
During our stay in Villa tunari we also managed to cross the deathbridge several times a day(scary-ass bridge with nowhere to run from all the drivers that were high on cocaine transporting it from Chapareregion to get refined and sold..) go out for dinners, watched footballgames, organized fundraisingdinners, and had a halloweenparty. So a very productive couple of weeks in total.
From Villa Tunari we headed to Cochabamba and then Sucre, where we{ve spent the last few days pampering ourselves with a spa-day, amazing food and wine and a supernice
hostel. It feels amazing being clean and having fresh clothes on you again and not smelling of animal shit all the time. Now there’s a group of us from Villa Tunari heading to Uyuni and then to the saltflats and towards Chile. Tonight we`re going to have aproper night out in Sucre and then suffer on the bus all the way to Uyuni, can’t wait!
Sounds you had fun and again a great experience to remember when you are back in Åbo in February, with 1 meter snow and temperature -20 C.
SvaraRadera