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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
25 Nov 2024
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Description
Hi we are David, Melanie, our 2 kids (6,3)!
The place is located in the Bolivian mountains at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level and 6 km outside of the village Samaipata. We live on about 7ha land, where a big part is left naturally and forest. There is a little waterfall with climbing wall, fruit trees and a panoramic view to the mystic pre-inca ruins “El Fuerte”. We strive a life in harmony with Nature. Our houses are built mostly with natural materials like mud bricks with straw and wood from our forest. We produce and sell organic mandarin juice and home-brewed beer. “Fuerte Bräu” and the juice “Liquid Sunshine” is sold at our Beergarden and in a nice Pub at the main square in the village.
We are one of the few places where you don’t have to pay for labor. We reward effort and motivation with rich vegan food, knowledge sharing and nice accommodation in private rooms (a rebuilt truck, a tower and a room). According to feedback from our previous volunteers the pure vegetable based food was a delicious and inspiring experience.
We have electricity but not in all of our houses and rooms so its good to bring a torch or candles.
A big part of work is our garden. We try to use different permacultur methods (like hot compost) but it is still a lot of learning by doing and trying for us as well.
Another big part of our work is maintaining our property....cutting gras, bringing it in, mulching trees.....!
Also since we are selling beer and juice and reusing the bottles, we always have to wash bottles on a regular basis. And if you stay long enough you can also be part of the brewingprocess.
The working hours depend on the weather. Sometimes on a sunny day we work more then 5 hours, but if the weather is bad it can also be less. But basicly we are looking for people who want to share our way of life and be a full part of the project.
Please contact us when you know when you will be in Samaipata (maximum 1 month before). The minimum stay is 14 days.
We look forward to your visitTypes of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco ProjectsGardeningDIY and building projectsFarmstay helpBabysitting and creative playHelp around the houseUN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
The main work changes depending on the season and the projects we have started.
Gardening, building, maintenance of the land, washing bottles.Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: FluentAccommodation
Nice accommodation in private room (up to 3 people), camping caravan (up to 2 people), tower in a room and a deck on the second floor.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
Can possibly accept pets
This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Max 5 hours, 5 days per week
Feedback (31)
Thanks for sharing your time with us.
We finally wanted to say thaks for the beautiful time we had at your place. We hope to see you again next time we are in Bolivia. Take care and say hallo to the kids.
All the best Sandro
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
Thanks for sharing your time with us.
We finally wanted to say thaks for the beautiful time we had at your place. We hope to see you again next time we are in Bolivia. Take care and say hallo to the kids.
All the best Sandro
Además, era nuestra primera experiencia con la comida vegana y estaba tan rico que preguntamos por las… read more
Tambien quedó muy bien con los niños y en general.
Somos muy feliz con su trabajo.
they took us (i was with another volunteer) to a festival, and we were able to try a few beers at their bar in samaipata town.
accomodation basic but good.
Getting a massage from lauren was great… read more
Passed there during tangerine picking season, so the main work for me (when they were finally ripe ;)) was picking tangerines, juicing and bottling them.
I also helped laying a brick path, with brewing beer (not so much as i'd like to have) and in the garden.
The family (i… read more
Even though he had a lot in his mind and had to leave earlier then planed because of family he participated and we shared some nice days.
I absolutely loved sleeping in the truck and waking up with the birds singing. The surroundings are really pretty and it's nice to make small hikes or… read more
We arrived in the middle of the mandarine season, so our work mainly involved fruit-picking, juicing the mandarines and cleaning and filling up the bottles. However, there can be quite a variety of tasks, such as managing the compost, the garden, constructing new building, etc.
Lina taught us many things… read more
In general we are very happy that we did but I find it important to write why we would give this place an overall rating of just good out of excellent.
For me personally workaway is an exchange project. It is not a place to look for free workers or to gain profits, but as we felt… read more
There are a lot of experiences to learn, and live like a family.
Thanks for everything.
We will be back… read more
But also apart from working hard we had lots of fun together sharing some good conversations.
AWESOME! Our second workaway experience was at Davids, Mellis and Linas place for three weeks and we are so happy that we've been there. We helped in the garden: planted, picked weeds, digged and harvested, helped painting a room, installed light, perpeared color, painted a roof, helped cooking, brewed beer and many… read more
Work is very heavy. Once, i cooked for five hours straight.
Dont expect you can use internet , better go to town during the weekend.
If you want to learn vegan diet, its ideal place.
한국 분이 가면 김치를 만들어 달라고합니다. 김치 매일 먹을수 있어요. 된장찌게도… read more
Helping David was a great learning experience, we built a large part of the walls for the kitchen, including windows and a door. Seeing David work is a realy delight, he is a true artist and yet has the work down to the details, an artisan at art, not just when it… read more
He was very interested in all the tasks at hand and helped with everything especially building the new kitchen (roof and walls).
I(Melanie) also enjoyed to have a native spanish speaker who took the time to practice with me.
Victor is a very warm, friendly and open Person and we… read more
The pure vegetable based food was a delicious and inspiring experience for sure! I help in finish the roof and start to build the walls if the new kitchen. I've also has the oportunity to prepare natural paint, and try the beer that David prepare,… read more
The food was definitely amazingly good and we discovered many new recipes. As… read more
The are both easygoing people and we enjoyed having them here.
Thanks for the great help
it was a great start for my travelling in south america, althoug i couldn't really ingrease my spanish skills ;-)
i am… read more
He was working hard helping with building and diging, making firewood and a lot of other things.
We also spent some nice "freetime" with him having a lot of fun.
Thanks a lot for the good times and you're always welcome back!
He worked really hard helping us building a roof and also with other little things in the kitchen. And he designed a new logo for our beer which looks great...thanks so much for that.
He is really easy to live with and a very friendly person.
Thanks for your great help
I would have loved to stay longer, but in the time I was I learnt a lot about new ways of eating which is really inspiring.
Thanks guys!!
And she spoild us with vegan cookies and brownies mhhhh.
Thank you and don't go nuts ;-)
Thanks for the great help
The place was beautiful, the food was delicious and we left feeling truly inspired.
The transformation we felt after two weeks from the diet was amazing! Also be sure to… read more
It was a lot of fun working with David and i've learned a lot.
From beer brewing to roof building to permaculture farming and more.
The familly is really kind and we had cozy evenings by the fire during the cold winter days.
The unfamiliar vegan food was really good and a new… read more
The work was interesting : building stone walls and tend the garden, but I didn't really feel comfortable with the… read more
hey was really nice to have you here. For me its always very helpful if people like you are
taking a part of work and doing it buy them self,s.
it was a pleasure for us to meet you.
keep on with bread making and come back one day.
the garden is growing already it rained the pond is filling.
and never forget a beer after sauna… read more
I stayed for two weeks but I could easily have stayed longer! David and Melanie were so warm and welcoming. They supported us in every need. I really enjoyed learning so much about vegan food and permaculture.
My tasks were mainly cooking, gardening and helping with beer production.
I had a beautiful room for myself… read more
was such a pleasur to work with you.
And in the end next day we pulled the bobcat out with a big tracktor.
Everywhere was mud coming out, but i gave him a good shower with a watherpump.
Today we started and it was working, there was water coming out the starter but worked.
The pond is filling up and we planted some water plants… read more
I will never forget mudbath with bobcat David! :)
Many thanks David and Melanie for your hospitality. Hope to… read more
It was good to have them here and they were a big help, open for new things and eager to learn.
We worked mainly on the mandarin juice… read more