EIL Intercultural Learning

                                Bare with me here folks, somehow I have to do a final blog which draws a conclusion on my Mexican adventure...but first the final weeks of my time there have to get a mention, some highlights included me discovering Susana the 3 meter crocodile had escaped from her pen, the same morning a deer escaped, all ended well though, only 1 casualty (the fence she bit through!!)...Starring as “the tourist” in a film about the wildlife of the lagoon (this involved looking through binoculars, pointing at animals, taking pretend photos and generally making touristy movements), I’m already looking at dresses for the Oscars...Feeling like my English classes made a difference and were even better when explaining hurling (yes it is a word you need to learn, life skills, life skills!!).

                                It was hard to say goodbye to the community of La Ventanilla. The daily life of people there is only seen at the surface by the tourists who come and visit, I had the unique opportunity to live and breathe La Ventanilla this summer and it is one that I will never forget. There is a really important point here, when you are a tourist you see a place and the people who live there as another stop on your holiday. However getting the opportunity to be a part of that community and help out in whatever why you can shows you the true experience. It’s like everything l suppose, getting involved in something instead of looking at it from the distance gives you a deeper understanding and ultimately deeper respect for it.

                                Like others have said it is very hard to explain fully your time on the Travel Awards. Everyone’s experience is unique, future volunteers will have a different experience to past volunteers, building on the wisdom of those gone before while at the same time creating new opportunities. What I can only do is realise that this experience, my experience, is something that I will remember for the rest of my life and one which has cemented my interest in the issues which challenge the daily life of so many people around the world. The people of the co-operative of La Ventanilla live their life in a world so different to that which we are used to. The complexities of a co-operative combined with the challenges of the tourism industry mean that money is a bonus, not a given. This reality, combined with the tireless conservation work they do means that they face a life which is a struggle but one which they meet head on. Many of the tourists who visit are not aware that the community receives no money from the government and relies solely on tourism for income. One example is the fact that they used to tag all the turtles that came to lay eggs on the beach but at the moment they don’t have enough money to do that. What is special about the people of La Ventanilla is the fact that they have dedicated their lives to building this community, which in turn has built a community of wildlife to live in, learn from and preserve for future generations.

                                I have been very fortunate to have been chosen by EIL to go and volunteer in this community and share my random ramblings with all of you on the ups and downs of the rollercoaster that is living in another culture, country and circumstance. I cannot thank the wonderful people at EIL and PEI enough for giving me this opportunity and helping me along the way. There are so many ways for people to give their time these days, so many worthy causes, but when you find organisations like these who are doing it so well you have to applaud and support them.

                                Now back to Ireland I am cold, without coconuts and not a crocodile in sight on the plains of Kildare (maybe we need a new pet!!). However I have the memories of a once in a lifetime experience, have met great people doing great things from Cork all the way to La Ventanilla on the other side of the world and feel that I have done a bit to help too! Not to mention training future Mexican GAA stars - sport is such an easy thing to bring to the other side of the world and make friends even when asked "what are you doing with those wooden sticks?" So that’s it folks, I know that I could only provide a small insight into my experience through this blog but I hope you have enjoyed the ride!

p.s techy issues with my videos, hopefully fixed soon!

Take care,

MC