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3 Months Volunteering in the Turtle Conservation Center
To gain some experience abroad before starting to study, Yvonne from Germany decided to volunteer for 3 month in the Turtle Center. Even though she had a bit of a chaotic start, she had a fabulous time in Bali.
A chaotic start into a great adventure
My journey started on the 1st of March. When I arrived in Denpasar, the driver who should pick me up wasn't there and instead there was another man holding the sign with my name on it. We went to his car and he brought us to our destination, it was a chaotic trip because he didn't know where to go. Once we arrived at the Sanur house I was welcomed friendly.
A chaotic start into my life for the next 3 months. During my stay here I had to learn that Indonesian work is really different than German work. Everything takes much longer and is much more chaotic, mostly the work is without any real plan. Once I’ve learned this it was much easier to live here. I also had to learn, people are not as reliable as German people. The Balinese people are really friendly and helpful, so it is just another way of living.
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The Turtle Conservation Center
Volunteering in the turtle conservation center in Bali was a great experience for me to see how the local people handle the problems between the tradition and the economical changes. Sadly they have to keep the turtles for a long time in the tanks because the allowance from the government takes really long, something about three months. Sadly there are still big ecological problems because of the plastic waste. My impression was that there were just a few people who recognize the plastic problem and sadly I had to recognize that most of the people weren’t locals, they were immigrants. Even in the conservation center, where we see every day the plastic problems, we used the small water cups and straws and throw them away.
My Adventures in Bali
During my free time I tried surfing in Bali, sadly it wasn’t my favorite sport. The first attempts weren’t that great because of big waves and a broken board. But I really loved diving in Tulamben. I did my Advanced Open Water Diver which was really great. During the night dive there were many morays and phytoplankton. My recommendation for diving is Nusa Penida there is a great marine life with many turtles, fish schools and some sharks. The best experience was diving with the Manta Rays.
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With the guys of the turtle center we visited some ceremonies like Ogoh-Ogoh. It was great to see the community of the Balinese. In Bali there are many ceremonies and if there is one you can’t pass the streets so you have to change your travel route spontaneously. If you are going to Bali you have to be prepared to live with wild dogs, big spiders, cockroaches and frogs. Don’t be afraid, this is the first thing you have to learn, it’s really hard but often you can’t change it. Furthermore there are many power breakdowns so be prepared and have your smartphone charged as a light. As food you will get rice, rice and more rice and some chicken. You can get some really good food at the night market in Sanur, they know the touristic taste and don’t make it too spicy.
My journey to Bali was a great experience!
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