Things I wish I had known before I came to Villa Tunari
Sam says:
- Don’t bring traveler’s checks. The nearest place to change them is in
Cochabamba where even the banks won’t accept them. Only the Casa de Cambios. There is no cash point in Villa Tunari although this is currently being addressed.
- The internet café is a place to relax, use the internet and get ‘safe’ food. Also meet people also volunteering locally.
- Bring chocolate from home. All they have here is a few biscuits like wafers and Oreos. Also bring tea.
- Bring and umbrella in rainy season and a raincoat.
- Bring a good insect repellant or get covered in bites.
- Also bring lots of antibacterial soap-hand washing a lot is necessary.
Kathryn says:
Jocelyn says:
- Use the internet and international phone services in
Cochabamba when you can because the prices rise in Villa Tunari.
- Villa Tunari proper is NOT the Chapare, get out to the jungle and explore!!!
- Talk to the shop owners, bus drivers, taxi drivers, waitresses, and cool kids like Mario and his wife and teachers at the school because conversational Spanish is the best way to learn the language, not just books.
- You have to hang up your clothes or dry them in the sun as much as possible because its humid. They will smell like mold if you leave them on the floor.
- Get positive, otherwise you may fall prey to pity and passion is what we need here!
Independent Catholic Lay Missionaries:Serving Bolivia's impovereshed people