EVS in LODZ
Volunteering: a memory that should never be forgotten
Sunset in Zalew
17-18 June 2013
Instead of being sad and thinking of how many days left, we decided to spent time together. The idea of camping and uniting with nature was belong to our beautiful coordinator. So Zalew Sulejowski was good destination for us. With lake, nice nature and millions mosquitos, our romantic weekend in the middle of the week started there.
Tuesday morning met us with some correction in our plan. Because all volunteers in FERSO are workaholics, some of them couldn`t find any minutes in their schedules, so we lost David, Manuel, Mathilde, which was very sad. And Cata, but changes of Cata`s mind is unpredictable, so we saw him on Lodz Kaliska 1 minute before bus left.
Then was long way with the buses and we arrived to Zalew. But the important task was to find place for our tents. Here I would like to recommend for the next volunteers to be careful with advises of locals. Even they honestly want to help you, you never know where they will show you direction to go=)
Instead of wish to go to wild place without people, one nice guy showed us road to the most touristic place near big road. So, our big “PANTOFARI” group (in Romanian it means travellers who can’t pack and . That`s how we looked like with thousand bags, big tents and caremats) moved to another side of the lake:
After 2 km of way, 3 points of rest we arrived and saw this:
Dreaming about Ania…
Next day met us with hot weather and coffee made by Dana. She wanted to prepare some lobsters for the breakfast as well, but found just this:
The place was chosen, anyway we couldn`t move anymore with all stuff and 19 kg tent=) Cristina was an expert of opening tents, so we were just kids who were following here orders.
Then searching for wood in the forest, big fire, long discussion about correct form “put stick on the dick” or “put stick in the dick”… This is another story and just quote which is appeared after frying sausages in the fire.
But bread with some cheese and tomatoes was very taste also.
Next hours we spent….
Sleeping and dreaming about Petka…
Searching for new lobsters…
thinking about new fasion-style “hot knifes”…
Fightings with swans…
When we finished with this, we discovered that we missed one bus which could bring us to Tomaszow. So new 2 km of the way were in front of us. Firstly we tried to be lucky with hitchhiking, but when there are 8 people with backpacks and bags, people can be scared of such autostopers=) So Cristina and me stayed longer and first car stopped with nice dziadek (who was a bit upset later, when instead of 2 blondies we offered Cata and Peter with big tent).
Our hitchhiking story continued and another nice man not just brought us to Tomaszow, but also picked Jana up on the way. Dana, Lucille, Natalia and Julie were even more lucky and met nice people who took them directly to Lodz.
In one moment, Crisitna and me were in the bus, stuck with that huge tent, 2 backpacks, sleeping bags and Cata`s shoes… We were a bit lost, but good people are everywhere, so our bus driver helped us to catch “marshrutka” to Lodz. Can you imagine us running with all the stuff in the middle of the road from one bus to another, laughing like crazy and stuck in the door with that tent? At least we made people happier, because all of them were smiling as well.
Happy end.
(Anyuta)