Blog
Welcome Back Calypso!
Fri, 16th Dec 2022This week a familiar face returned to Better Lives Partnership (BLP). After a 3-month absence our Communications Officer, Calypso, has come back to us after an amazing trip around South America.
We are delighted to have Calypso back with our team and have loved hearing stories of her adventures. To find out a little more about her time away, here are some words from our intrepid explorer herself:
This September, I was finally able to complete my dream trip around South America that had been originally planned in 2020. Unfortunately canceled due to Covid, and my plans of venturing around Peru were sadly put on hold but thanks to BLP allowing me to take time off I was finally able to set off over the Atlantic once again and have my adventure.
The last 3 months have been unbelievable, and I have spent much of the time thousands of meters above sea-level hiking in the Andes. I have been incredibly fortunate to experience the breathtaking views of Machu Pichu, and Colca Canyon in Peru, as well as the Cotopaxi and Chimborazo volcanoes in Ecuador. I have taken daring trips like mountain biking down Death Road in Bolivia, Scuba Diving in Paracas (Peru), and white water rafting through the jungle in Banos (Ecuador).



One of the best moments I had while away was kayaking to the floating Islands of Uros on Lake Titicaca. There was only a small group of us that day and the lake was super quiet as we navigated the reed waterways to the islands. It was one of those pinch-me moments as we sat quietly on the lake taking in the stunning views.


While I saw plenty of llamas and alpacas, I was also lucky to catch glimpses of lots of other amazing species. There is nothing quite like seeing monkeys in the wild, and the Bolivian Squirrel Monkey is one of my favorite sights from my trip. I was also lucky to see an Andean Fox, Blue Footed Boobies, spectacularly colorful birds in the jungle, and even penguins.




Thanks to a Photography course with Castle Douglas I.T. Centers Allan Smith, I had improved my skills before leaving and think the photos I have been able to take of the incredible landscapes and wildlife are better than they would have been if I had not been able to take this course. So, for that reason, I would like to say a huge thank you to BLP and Allan for giving me that opportunity.
Having worked my way around Peru, Ecuador, and a small part of Bolivia there is still much of South America to explore, and for that matter the world. I am so excited to start thinking about where I will head off to next but for now, I am so happy to be back working at BLP, the team, and young people. Thank you again to BLP, for letting me have this time and welcoming me back!