Wow. I have been charmed off of my feet. This country is THE most gorgeous have EVER seen. Around every corner beauty awaits. It is like being in a real life fairy tale. We find ourselves walking around with our jaws open, camera lenses shuttering. Our little corner of Portugal is the town of Amarante. … Continue reading
In December of 2004 a devastating tsunami hit Sri Lanka; over 35,000 people died. Mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers, children. Gone. Houses destroyed, communities decimated and lives forever altered in moments. In October 2014 a landslide buried 150 houses and over 300 people confirmed missing, were never found alive. Living in relative affluence and safety … Continue reading
By the last day or two of a build, our ability to sustain the level of physical activity we undertake each day begins to wane. Muscles we didn’t even know we had ache. None of us dig ditches or mix cement by hand in the heat for a living. We are architects, salespeople, nurses, engineers, … Continue reading
Walls are getting taller and the pit is getting deeper!
One of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning, historic Sigiriya (see-gi-ri-ya), also called Lion Rock, is well deserving of its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s located just outside of Dambulla, where we’ve been building for the last week. The site is fairly well-preserved and includes what was once a 3 acre walled … Continue reading
The sun is setting on Friday the 13th and our day in Sri Lanka is coming to an end almost 12 hours before most of our friends have had their morning coffee. Tomorrow, Saturday, will be another work day for our team but we’re celebrating the end of the week nonetheless. Our group has been … Continue reading
With 18 volunteers and 20 job sites, it’s pretty safe to say there won’t be a shortage of work for us to do this week. The community welcomed us with open arms and we really enjoyed the ceremony and the kind words everyone spoke that allowed us to get to know our hosts better. We … Continue reading
The Pearl of the Indian Ocean. Otherwise known as Sri Lanka. Shaped like a teardrop falling from the southern tip of India, Sri Lanka is a small island that’s big on hospitality. Quickly becoming a popular tourist destination it has lots to offer. Beaches that rank among the world’s most beautiful, 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, … Continue reading
The last days at a Global Village work site are always the toughest, for two reasons. Muscles you didn’t even know you had ache from doing work you didn’t know you could do. If you’re really enjoying yourself then you’re probably also tired from the pace of the schedule and a growing desire to spend … Continue reading
For those of you waiting, you noticed, there was no post yesterday. We were all too entirely wiped out to think of anything but a shower, food and sleep Monday evening. The heat was intense and the pace of our work picked up. Even with mandatory morning and afternoon breaks and lunch, it was a … Continue reading
Global Staci 