When I first meet the poet Inua Ellams, he is standing beside Nelson Mandela’s statue. Our little group of strangers is huddled in the doorway of London’s Southbank Centre, right beside…
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advice Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Peru South America VolunteeringSo You Want to Volunteer in South America?
Last updated March 2019 “I’m going to volunteer in South America!” This gleeful announcement was made to my dad in the summer of 2013, just three days after I’d flown back home…
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Camino de Santiago Europe Language Solo Travel Spain Spanish Challenge The CaminoThe Spanish Challenge: Walking the Camino with Spaniards
NB: Long-term readers may remember that during my travels through South America, I wrote a series of articles about my Spanish learning progress called ‘The Spanish Challenge’. It’s been a while…
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Coming to Medellin was always supposed to be the final push on my Spanish skill levels. I would live and work in the Colombian city for four months, emerging with not…
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Bolivia Personal Solo Travel South AmericaLa Paz, Bolivia: a City of Cold, Colour and Contradiction
“I don’t believe in the gods, but last night I prayed to them that you would come – and you did! And now I believe in them!” The man’s eyes were…
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Bolivia Challenges Personal South America Spanish ChallengeThe Spanish Challenge: Don’t Speak English in Bolivia
Hola mis amores! Hola mis amores! El artículo de hoy es un poco diferente, porque ahora estoy en Bolivia – y mientras yo estoy aquí, he decidido que no voy a…
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Challenges Colombia Language South America Spanish ChallengeTwo Weeks of Spanish Classes with Nueva Lengua School in Colombia
My first Spanish classes – in Colombia The beginning of September has brought with it the sudden realisation that I’ve been in South America for seven months. Which means I’ve also…
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If you’ve wondered whether it’s safe in Medellin, Colombia, you’re not alone. Worrying about safety in Colombia has been a common thought process for decades – and not just for tourists,…
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Bolivia Brazil Challenges Colombia Ecuador Personal South America Spanish ChallengeThe Spanish Challenge: Achieve Fluency Before Leaving South America
Can I become fluent in Spanish in South America? Six months ago I relocated to Ecuador, a Spanish speaking country, with little to no Spanish speaking skills of my own. I…
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Asia Challenges Ecuador Nepal South America Thailand VolunteeringLessons Learned from 200 Hours of Teaching English Abroad
“¿Tres ensaladas de frutas, por favor?” I leave the tiny serving hatch, where three women wearing hair nets and harried expressions rush back and forth. Plates of food scattered around the…