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Published: October 7th 2011
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Hola Amigos,
First off I would like to apologize for my lack of communication on this blog for the past couple years, but I am now back at it. I am now a college graduate doing the cliché backpacking experience through Central and South America. Currently I am living in Leon, Nicaragua where I am volunteering/ working for at least the next 3 months with a non-profit organization called Quetzaltrekkers and will be a Volcano tour guide for them. The net profits go towards local street kids programs and the hikes run for anywhere from US$30-90. We do 9 different hikes as well as an overnight hike during a full moon to the Telica Volcano. That hike particularly also offers views of lava when we stand at the top of the crater and look down. As volunteer I am paying my own way, but when rent is $80/ month, meals cost $2, and a bottle of beer at a bar is $1, it’s really not difficult to independently support myself financially without an income (yet…).
As for the Leon lifestyle, I really truly do enjoy every moment I have spent here thus far. It was Nicaragua´s capital for 150
years so it has a lot of historical buildings and culture, but now it serves as a university/ backpacker town. Nicaragua is now the safest country in Central America and Leon in particular is even less dangerous than other cities. One of the most exciting things is that every day is a mystery for who I might meet, where they may be from, and what life experiences we share in conversations. I find is very interesting, even those with opposite/ negative opinions because they offer me another outlook. Because of this I really feel grateful for every new person I meet.
Despite how awesome this town is (which by the way lies 20km from the coast) I am even more pleased with exactly what I do for Quetzaltrekkers (QT). Obviously hiking/ camping on volcanoes with world class views 1-3 times a week is plenty to keep me around, but I find the other duties I perform for the organization beneficial as well. At one point or another this could include promoting the hikes through local tourist attractions, evaluating effectiveness of current operations, designing promotional flyers, marketing via the internet/ Facebook, fostering relationships/ connections with past and future clients, preparing
food and equipment for the hikes, etc. I wrote this blog entry as I sat in the main office, which is also the front of the QT house and where I will live for at least the remainder of 2011. We all trade off doing 4 hour shifts either in the am or the pm and wait for tourists to drop in. When they do we explain the hikes and try to sell them. My co-workers are also my roommates and the people I spend the most time with. I love the communal live arrangements and I enjoy the company of each and every fellow trekker I have met so far (9 others at this point). They come from South Dakota, Northern California, Miami, Britain, Spain and New Zealand. Ironically one of the directors is from my hometown too. I think we get along well because the fact that we are all in a similar mindset for what we want out of our lives. Despite having different past and future aspirations, we seem to mesh very well. The house itself is very comfortable for me and offers indoor plumbing, safe tap water (yet we still use purified water jugs), a
full kitchen, Wi-Fi, and partial open aired ceilings at some spots.
I have been here for just over a week and in that time I have really been trying to soak in as much as possible about the organization and how I can better myself as a guide. I am still uncertain as to how long I may be here for, but after the mandatory 3 month commitment that volunteers must make I may start heading south. My initial thought are to go through Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Nothing is set in stone but I have had thoughts of the Galapagos Islands and Manchu Picchu. Only time will tell how far my savings take me though.
I strongly encourage anybody reading this who may be interested in either traveling here, going on a hike, or even volunteering to contact me or visit the website at Quetzaltrekkers.com
I hope I explained enough about what´s going on so far, but if not just ask me about it or hope I mention it in my future blog entries.
Until then live it up because that´s exactly what I´ll be doing,
Brennan Perry
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mimi
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where was pic taken
was this in nicaragua? i am thinking of going there Xmas thru new year.