It has been a week since I arrived in Riberalta and I have the feeling that many things have happened. When I arrived, seeing the Amazon from the plane was a very shocking moment for me. It was the first time that I finally saw with my own eyes something of what I had heard so many times, and I could not believe that I was on the other side of the pond seeing it for myself. Life in Riberalta is very different from the life to which I am used to live. The first days was a big shock. […]Read More »

To begin, you should know that here in Riberalta, the activities aren‘t numerous and the days are quickly long. However, this is an opportunity to get closer to nature, I will give you my impressions of what I have done for the moment. In the first place, my first outing here was at Bingo, Bingo is a game similar to Loto. This is the family meeting of the weekend. You have a paper with a grid of numbers, just put the chips on the corresponding number, if you have a line or several, according to the rule, Bingo! The atmosphere […]Read More »

Arriving in Bolivia, my first impressions were: “What landscape and density”, “wow it’s exotic”. But when I put a foot in Riberalta, I lost all my bearings. Indeed, Riberalta is a city very different and exotic from what I know. It was the first time I had traveled so far, and the shock was immediate, I wondered what I was doing here. Yes, it’s true. On the one hand, that’s what I was looking for, a total immersion in the Amazon, the discovery of a new world andFinally, there isn‘t only work and immersion in the family, indeed, the discovery […]Read More »

Cold temperatures, mountains, Christmas trees, lights songs etc. That is what comes to my mind when I think about Christmas and probably for most people living in the Northern hemisphere of the World. Yes, it is my first Christmas here, in the South! The first time that I am not back home with my family, but instead in a foreign country where I don’t know anyone as most volunteers have left already. First Christmas in Bolivia, but not most importantly, first Christmas in Riberalta!! How is it? Much different. I don’t really feel the ‘Christmas spirit’ I would say. Why […]Read More »

ECOTOURISM – YANN One of Sustainable Bolivia’s projects is taking place in the Aquicuana Reserve and focuses on ecotourism. Sustainable Bolivia believes that this project is essential to upkeep the sustainability of the environment and the communities of the Aquicuana Reserve. Giving the communities the ability to manage their own environment is key to prevent future developments of possible interventionist tourism that could potentially destroy the region and its communities Over the last couple of months our work has been to prepare the ground for the next generation of volunteers to follow. Much of this work has been to increase […]Read More »

The Amazon is the lung of planet earth – you have probably heard this before. Most likely, throughout the past years you have probably also become aware of the threats that are continuously approaching the Amazon. Agricultural expansion, extraction of natural resources, more living spaces – you name it – it probably one way or another leads to deforestation. Many of us might be aware and care about the many issues surrounding the Amazon, however we forget that this world has become ever so globalised. Chances are that every person, especially those of first world countries, have negatively affected the […]Read More »

I came by bus which took about 36 hours from La Paz. There were no toilets on the bus so I decided not to drink any water or anything because I’m quite paranoid about how frequently I have to pee and I knew that if I hydrated at all I would wind up at the back of the bus peeing in my own Nalgene bottle or something, so instead i just drank nothing and never peed. Except one time– the bus driver stopped for me so I could pee on the side of the road but he kept moving the […]Read More »