The past two weeks spent in Vilches were full of experiences and we learned a lot! Vilches is a small town in a mountainous area. It is very beautiful with lots of trees, farms and of course a good view of the mountains at all times.
Just like the other cities we visited two schools which we could potentially volunteer at. One of the schools is very small and only has about 10 students while the other has about 75 (I believe). They were both excited and open to the idea of us working with the students in the months to come. We also visited a National Park which is in Vilches Alto and could use help, especially during the summer when there are more tourists. Nobody there speaks English (or any language other than Spanish) so we could certainly help in that sense but there are other opportunities there as well. It seemed like a neat place to work. We also saw an environmental learning center where we could help with any number of things but mostly for when groups came to the center.
In addition to seeing all those places we did lots of work outside. Ted is part of a bee keeping group so we helped him check on his bee boxes one day and learned all about bees. We are pretty much experts now, haha. We also helped plow a small field with Ted and the neighbor. This consisted of guiding the plow which was pulled by Ted’s two horses while the neighbor guided the horses. It was actually pretty fun. We also helped at a retreat center with planting their vegetable garden (carrots, corn, beans, potatoes, peas, tomatoes, etc) and digging terraces for a bunch of rose plants. It was fun to get our hands dirty and help with this kind of project. It’s always nice when you can see the immediate results of your work!
One afternoon we went to Talca which is the closest city to Vilches (45 min to an hour away) and went to a feria of types… it reminded me of the MN state fair but on a much smaller scale. We just went around to all the different craft/artesian tents and looked at all the neat stuff. I did make a few purchases but they are gifts so I will refrain from mentioning what I purchased. Ted and Maruja had an appointment in the evening so Kym and I just wandered around the town a little bit which was fun. I really love being able to simply walk around and explore, it’s really one of the best ways to get to know a new area!
A very exciting thing that happened while we were at Vilches- after nearly 70 days of being trapped underground the miners were rescued and everyone got out safely in less than 24 hours! Ted and Maruja unfortunately don’t have TV and I wasn’t feeling good while all of this was going on so I haven’t seen more than a few video clips online but nevertheless it was a very exciting event (as I am sure many of you know because apparently the whole world was watching as it all unfolded).
Even though I enjoyed my time in Vilches I think it’s safe to say that I don’t want to stay there for the next year. I know there is great need and there are many good places to work but I would like a place with a little more action and not to mention, people my own age might be nice as well! So for now it’s back to Santiago to see what it has to offer :D
*It is late now so I will post pictures tomorrow…
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