Arriving in Paraguay

I’ve made it to Paraguay at last, and in one piece! I have had many impressions so far, first impressions of course – which we all know change over time, however in the last 24 hours I can say it has definitely been a positive experience! First let me start with my flights, which were long, but I was able to sleep through most of the flight from New York to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and then again from Sao Paulo to Asuncion. I probably ate about 4 meals throughout that travel time. You never know when your next meal is going to be when traveling on such long flights and then I wasn’t sure about when I landed, so I figured I would be safe rather than sorry and eat everything put in front of me!

When I arrived and made it through customs and immigration, I was greeted by two very friendly faces: Fatima and Enrique, the former is the woman I will be staying with and both are colleagues at the WWF. They had seen my photo previously so Enrique was waving to me from outside the gate, which was a VERY nice welcome! Also, gratefully, we began our conversation in both English and Spanish – which took some of the pressure off of me. Now don’t get me wrong, I am able to speak Spanish, however, after a 3 years hiatus from full conversation I have been worried about my ability to communicate – so easing into it is definitely calming.

We first drove to exchange some money, 1USD = about 4,700 PYG (Paraguayan Guarani) and had a snack, some delicious typical Guarani food consisting of lots of warm, melty cheese (yum!) I’ll have to ask the name of the snack again to report because I also would like to eat it again! We then stopped by the house to drop off my bags and went to a vegetarian Chinese buffet, which was also delicious. I spent about 8,000 PYG on a plate of food consisting of beats, tofu, potato croquetas, rice, and salad. Eclectic, I know! (and cheap!)

Now, let me tell you a bit about the house – it is beautiful! There is a large courtyard when you enter the front door, with trees and plants, a main house and then a guest house (my home for the next 6 months!) When you enter the guest house there is an office on the main floor with two desks and a number of bookshelves lining the walls. There are a ton of books on Ecology and the Environment, so I will have my reading cut out for me 🙂 Then there is a staircase on the far wall which takes you up to the bedroom. There is a large bed and a wall and a half of closets (a dream come true,) and also a large bathroom with a beautiful marble vanity and sink on one side. I am very lucky to be staying with Fatima in her beautiful home!

After we had lunch, we drove over to the WWF Paraguay office, which is a little bit outside of the downtown area. The office is in a beautiful home, with a giant Panda in front! Everyone here has been incredibly welcoming, and speaking to me in both Spanish and English so I am not overwhelmed, though I must admit I am impressed with how well I am able to understand and communicate en Castellano! The whole office sat down at a table outside the kitchen when I arrived and we had coffee, tea, and a platter of cookies – including Alfajores, a delicious cookie that is filled with dulce de leche.

Aflajor - i.e. Dulce de Leche Magic

Overall, I am feeling positive about this experience so far, and will try to post photos for you to see as soon as I am able to connect my phone to my computer. Hasta luego!

So kiss me and smile for me…

I’m leaving on a jet plane! (whoosh) But I do know when I’ll be back again, (in December.) So I have packed two oversized suitcases and am prepared to fight long and hard with the check-in attendants to make sure they are within the allowable and free weight range. My onboard entertainment? My laptop, of course, several cameras – both digital and video – some WWF reading materials (on learnings from the Paraguay office,) and a book about my future home – At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig: Travels Through Paraguay by John Gimlette.

Recommended reading on traveling through Paraguay

I also can’t forget an extensive playlist including The Kooks, The Beatles, Phoenix, The Shins, and Lilly Allen – though likely “Hello Goodbye” will be playing over and over since my friend pointed out that this was not Goodbye but Hello, (and the song has been on repeat in my mind ever since.)

“See you later” I say to New York, all of you, and my beloved animals. I am off to save the world, and hopefully see a Jaguar or two while I’m at it!

Let the Preparations Begin (errrr Continue)

Here I am on Saturday afternoon, about 48 hours away from when I need to leave for the airport (!!) and I still have quite a bit of packing and preparing to do, mentally that is! I have read through the WWF Web Site, and even ventured to their International Headquarters in Switzerland (as mentioned previously) for some more learning. I’ve bought books about the country, by authors who have visited – since the U.S. apparently does not sell any tour books of Paraguay – I’ve read through some blogs I was able to track down, and of course, have been following the World Cup matches. I think the only thing left to do in preparation is arrive. There is only so much you can do in the lead up to prepare for a life you’ve never experienced before.

First, to help all of those readers who may not know exactly where Paraguay is, a map:

Where I will live for 6 months!

Paraguay is landlocked between Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia and is home to two major forests that are currently threatened, the Atlantic Forest and the Chaco. I will wait until I actually arrive to share knowledge on these places, but little by little you can learn along with me!

And now for the challenging part, packing! How does one pack for a very cold winter and a summer so hot you forget why you needed your coat to begin with in 2 suitcases? I will let you know as soon as I work it out!

New Beginnings

Earlier this year, I was offered the opportunity to spend 6 months volunteering with the World Wildlife Fund in Asuncion, Paraguay. After turning down a previous placement in the remote reaches of Bhutan, South America was a no brainer to me! From the culture to the food to the rain forest preservation, I accepted without hesitation.

Having just returned from a trip to Zurich, Switzerland a couple of days ago, my appetite for travel and learning has once again be whetted. While in Switzerland, I was invited to the WWF International Office in Gland, (about half hour outside of Geneva,) to meet some very intelligent people and learn about the goings on of the office in Asuncion as well as the work being done throughout the Atlantic Forest, (which touches Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil.) I learned how dire the destruction of the forest has been for hundreds of years, as well as the work that the small but mighty office in Asuncion has been doing to delay and eventually reverse the deforestation.  Between looking for adequate funding for all of the projects based out of the office, and generally trying to change Paraguayan legislation in favor of the environment, it looks like there will be no shortage of tasks for me once I arrive in the southern hemisphere.

Now begins my journey! On Monday, June 21st I will take off on a 13 hour flight down to Asuncion to meet my new family at WWF Paraguay. I am excited to see what this new environment will bring me, and hope I am able bring them equal benefit. As expected, from the first entry in a new blog, I plan to keep you all involved in my travels as I once again prove to myself that anywhere is home.