In the end of January I decided to hug a new EVS project under Erasmus+ Program called “Co.Med.Y” (from 1st of february until 31st of July). With my backpack full of dreams, personal projects and a huge desire to help the neediest I came to Peru.
Saying goodbye to the people that I like (family, friends and coworkers) is not easy, even for people that always travel like me. However, I’ve never been out of my country and away from the people I love for such a long time (6 months). I avoided long farewells, always choosing to tell them all “see you,” “see you soon,” or simply “see you tomorrow”.
The trip from Porto to Lima was quite long, about 35 hours, with a 16 hours’ scale in Madrid. As I had never visited Madrid, I contacted some friends from Madrid and decided to visit the city.
After a great day in Madrid i boarded to Lima. It was 12h by plane to reach the Peruvian Capital. I decided to stay there for 4 days for sightseeing and get used with the Peruvian culture.
After discovering the Peruvian capital a bit, I took a bus to Huamachuco, another 17 hours’ journey to reach my final destination.
Huamachuco is a city in the north of Peru, located in the Andes Mountains and at an altitude of 3269m. It is one of the poorest áreas in Peru and where agriculture and mining are the main activities. Many children are forced to work
The first days in Huamachuco were a bit complicated because of the altitude. In the first week I had headaches and some breathing difficulties, but through the natural teas it became better.
Another difficulty is the lack of a refrigerator at home, something unthinkable for us Europeans. The only machine at home is a stove. I have to go to the market every day and consume the products in the day or in two days maximum. When I’ve seen the fish and meat on the street market I thought to myself I would became a vegetarian.
Although all those adaption’s difficulties, the first month here was really rewarding. A simple hug or smile of a child at the end of the day makes me believe I made the right decision (coming here). Hearing them to asking me “Tio Bruno, cómo estás? Que vamos hacer hoy?” makes me wake up every day with a smile on my face.
Helder
Helder is the Portuguese volunteer hosted by Proyecto Amigo in Huamachuco, Peru
