On New Year’s Eve 2021 I flew to Bogotá Colombia and started my 2022 in South America. My friend, Esther, and I then traveled to Anapoima, a smaller town about two hours away from the capital city where we stayed on a Mango farm for the next two weeks. We found the job through workaway, and exchanged our labor on the farm for housing and food. The experience was absolutely once in a lifetime and I’ll never forget it!
Life on the farm was interesting. The host was a Colombian and Israeli couple who built their house themselves out of bamboo (pictured). Esther and I lived on the first floor with four other volunteers who came from all over the world. Every morning at 7am we would do our daily chores (feed the chickens, sweep the deck, etc) and then meet up for optional morning yoga and meditation. The farm itself was much more than just a mango plantation, it was also a retreat center and the hosts had small buildings on the property that they rented out on airbnb. After yoga, we would all gather around the table and eat breakfast at 8. Every day we got three meals made by a vegetarian chef that worked on the farm full time. After breakfast we began our work, ate lunch and took a break from 12-2, and then worked again until 4pm. Our work varied based on the needs of the farm, but some of the tasks we did were harvesting mangoes, making compost, making mango juice, building a fence, repairing a roof, and weeding. I learned so much about sustainable living! The work was not always easy, but it felt good to be of use and make a difference on the farm. At 7 we sat together to eat dinner, listen to music, and share life experiences. Normally, volunteers walk into town to help teach English to the local children, but I was there during their Christmas break and did not get to have that experience.
In our free time, we explored the town and all of the unbelievably beautiful nature around us. We often walked to a nearby restaurant to drink cervezas or eat ice cream and talk to the local people. On the weekends, we didn’t have work and the volunteers took turns going into town to buy groceries and cook a meal for everyone. One day, we did a 10 mile walk through the countryside with one of the host’s dad who knew the area well and also lived on the farm.
My experience on the farm was one of the best experiences of my life. The people that I met in Colombia were the most friendly and welcoming people that I have had the pleasure of meeting. My Spanish improved immensely, however some of the other volunteers did not speak Spanish and were able to get by just fine. The hosts spoke a combination of four languages, including English! I learned about how to better take care of the environment and also learned a lot about myself. Being a part of nature and removed from society for a few weeks was amazing. I would recommend this volunteer opportunity a million times, and I am hoping to participate in more like this one on workaway in the future.
After we left the farm, Esther and I spent another week traveling to Bogotá and Medellín where we had a different type of experience. It was nice to have both the time on the farm and then our time as regular tourists exploring some of Colombia. We met many more people in hostels and took tours of the cities.
I hope to return to Colombia very soon! Workaway is an incredible opportunity to travel abroad while not having to worry about accommodation costs. They have hosts all over the world, and not only farm settings. The website allows you to use filters so you can search for specific countries or opportunities. If you are looking to grow through traveling, I definitely recommend exploring the website, and I have to recommend that you also search for hosts in Colombia. :)