Commentaires, feedbacks et évaluations Workaway - page 12

tuvimos las 3 semanas más hermosas en este mágico lugar en el corazón del Valle del Elqui, asombrados por su fuerte energía. cada vez que mirábamos a nuestro alrededor, era difícil creer lo que veían nuestros ojos. hay algunas caminatas para hacer y muchos lugares para visitar alrededor, pero lo que más disfrutamos fue simplemente contemplar el increíble paisaje, mirar el cielo de noche y caminar libres por las montañas con el gracioso grupo de perritos y gatitos. Lilia y May nos acogieron desde el primer día con una gran sonrisa y mucho amor, fue un gran placer conocerlas. son almas hermosas con corazones generosos que traen una forma inspiradora de ver y vivir la vida. su positividad y buena onda son contagiosas, uno solo puede sentir felicidad y satisfacción a su alrededor. disfrutamos mucho del tiempo que pasamos juntos, de las ricas comidas y de nuestras divertidas conversaciones. fuímos para hacer un house-sitting y nuestra principal tarea fue cuidar de los animales. básicamente les dimos de comer, salimos a pasear, les dimos mucho cariño y mantuvimos la casa limpia y ordenada. pero, además de eso, trabajamos arreglando algunos techos, limpiando e instalando un tanque de agua, organizando materiales de reciclaje, cavando y construyendo un compost. fue una experiencia increíble que nunca olvidaremos. estamos tan agradecidos por haber conocido a Lilia y May y por vivir en este valle increíble, todo nos pareció un regalo! nos fuimos recargados con la mejor energía y con ganas de volver. muchas gracias, chicas, por todo! experiencias como esta y personas como vosotras dan sentido a nuestros viajes.

I stayed with Ghassab from about May 26th-June 14th 2025. It was my first time using Workaway, and it was a great experience. On a typical workday we would leave the house in little Petra heritage village at 7:30am, and drive a few minutes to Umm Sayhoun to have breakfast with the family at Noura's (Ghassab's mother's) house. Then we would drive a few minutes from there to the goat farm. There were a few morning chores at the farm including some watering and feeding, and saddling the donkey. Then, with either Noura or Ali (a very cool family friend and employee who helps with the goats and other things) I would go out into the mountains with the goats. We would walk around the mountains to let the goats graze all day. At lunchtime we consistently stopped wherever we were to build a fire, eat lunch, and make and drink tea. then we would herd the goats back to the farm. Noura would issue most of the commands to the goats while I managed the pack donkey, (he carries the food, tea and firewood) we also usually collected firewood over the course of the day by hitting dead stumps with rocks and then pulling the pieces out of the earth. Ali speaks English, and Noura does not. Just pay close attention to hand signals when working with Noura, and try to learn a few essential Arabic words from Ali to help understand her instructions. You will get the hang of it. Sometimes you may be called upon to do some actual herding, like getting ahead of the goats and turning them back from a valley or ridge where they aren't supposed to go. I had some trouble with the donkey early in my stay, which was partly my fault for not being a better listener. If he isn't doing what you tell him to do, stop and look around. He does this job every day, and he might see a safer path up or down the mountain that you missed. If you do have a disagreement with him and he gets aggressive, respond with firmness, NOT submissive behavior. By the end of my stay things improved considerably between me and the donkey. his name is Roc (I think) and the Arabic word for donkey is Himaar but always sounded like "Hamal" to me when people say it. I recommend asking Ali for a riding lesson and other pro tips. When we got back to the farm I put the donkey away and we would milk goats. Or rather, I would hold goats still while Noura and Ali milked them. Around dark we would drive back to Noura's house with the milk for dinner. Dinner would usually be with Ghassab's brother's and mother, and sometimes other guests. His wonderful sister Wahiba does most of the cooking and it was always delicious. Meals are taken on the floor in Bedouin fashion, surrounded by many cute cats who keep the house free of other animals. then we would drive back to the house in little Petra heritage village, usually arriving close to 9:30 at night. So be aware that on your workdays, your time commitment will be 7:30am to 9:00 or 9:30 at night. You are just living with them the way they live all day, and it's totally worth it. Ghassab is very generous with days off, so just communicate with him when you need that. He is also a tour operator, and he helped me explore Jordan much more effectively and affordably than if I hadn't had his advice. You will be living a short walk from Little Petra, a ten minute drive from Petra itself, a couple hours from Wadi Rum, and just 30 minutes from Montreal (shobak) one of the coolest crusader castles in the east. So ask questions when you don't know what to do, and Ghassab will help you make the most of your time here. I liked the whole family, and Ali, a lot. Noura's stamina is an inspiration, I don't know if I have ever met someone who is still so healthy and hardworking at her age (I think 88, although there are conflicting reports :)). Ali is full of interesting knowledge and very kind, and Ghassab is a great leader and generous host. I had a number of adventures and cultural experiences while staying with them, but you should go stay there and have your own instead of listening to me talk about mine. Thank you Ghassab, Noura, Ali, Wahiba, and everyone else for your hospitality and all the wonderful learning opportunities. I hope we can meet again someday in the future.

It was a real pleasure hosting Steffen, He is very kind, positive & a polite person who was very easy to get along with. He is thoughtful & hard working & keen to help, our time together flew by! His eagerness to want to help made sure we got lots done! No task was too great or small! I do hope he can return here soon, I would certainly recommend him to any other potential hosts!!! Brilliant guy ! I hope to see him again soon !

Claudia was a reliable and capable volunteer who learned quickly and took initiative. She kept the kitchen and common areas clean and well-organized, always with attention to detail. She picked things up fast, both in the galley and during daily life at the sailing school. While coordinating with other volunteers, she gave clear, confident directions. During our picnic at sea, she quickly got the hang of the sailing side of things and was a great help on board. Before leaving, she handed things over thoughtfully, making the transition easy for the next volunteer. A solid presence—she’s welcome back anytime! Warmly, Alice & Alessandro

Staying here was a big highlight in my life, everyone here was amazing tbh Simge, Efe, Hakan, Teoman, and my absolutely lovely boss Abla, the job is very easy, the people are amazing, the vibes are great, i feel so bad to leave but I'm happy i came, this place will always be a part of me, and If you're a volunteer reading this, you'd be lucky to be accepted here honestly. I've done 6 workaways so far and this one is definitely one of the absolute best I've had. I love you all, thanks for having me! Until we meet again!!

Chiara was a fantastic volunteer and helped us immensely with the daily routine of caring for the animals at the shelter. With her energy, good humour and love for animals, she quickly and easily learned and carried out with ease the daily routine of cleaning, feeding and watering the animals. She also took the initiative to take the dogs for walks in the fields around the shelter, not only one but as many as she could! . This was something the dogs loved, and so they loved her too. Chiara is very responsible and extremely communicative. She reacts calmly to urgent situations and is a well-balanced person. She has an open personality and adapts to all situations. She never complained about anything and shared her adventures with us when she explored the beaches of Halkidiki! I must admit that some of them were quite funny! We would gladly host her again and again. She is a person who loves animals and really wants to help. We recommend her unreservedly to every host.

Kyle did a super job for us, lots of grounds-keeping and painting. He really removed the stress that we were under getting ready for a large celebration. Kyle is a very sociable, interesting and entertaining guy and it was a real pleasure to have him around.

we enjoyed hosting Hannah and Karla they were such fun and interesting people. They were always ready to take on new tasks and put great effort into completing them. They did great work planting, grounds-keeping and painting. When it rained they did excellent work inside digitizing a lot of our media. They were always a pleasure to have around and we recommend them highly

I had a wonderful time with Nelly and Stefano. The village of Apricale looks magical from their property. I learned so much during my stay with them—various gardening skills and culinary techniques that I still use to this day. There are also many places to visit in the area, including charming nearby villages and the Ligurian Alps.

Asier es una persona muy positiva, amigable y proactiva. Desde que llegó a nuestro lugar, se demostró como una excelente persona para vivir en comunidad. Además de resaltar su gran capacidad audiovisual, viaja con su equipo bien preparado y tiene experiencia en el campo. Nos dejó mucho material que pudimos utilizar para promover la cultura en el lugar. Estamos más que agradecidos por su estadía en nuestro espacio y deseamos que quien lo reciba sepa valorar el tipo de ser humano que es y en el que se está convirtiendo.

Una de las mejores voluntarias que nunca tuvimos, desarrolló sus actividades muy satisfactoriamente, era amable, le gustaba compartir con la gente, alegre y llena de energía. ¡La recomendamos para todo! Muchas gracias, Aranka, por la buena onda. :)

Sarah es una persona súper sensible, se conectó bastante rápido con el lugar, ayudó en todo lo que fue necesario, conecto rapidamente con el grupo, sin lugar a dudas el tipo de ser humano que quieres encontrar para compartir tiempo.Su modo de ser facilito la interaccion con todos en el lugar, desde aqui le agradecemos una vez más por haber decidido pasar tiempo con nosotros. Gracias por todo, que el camino continúe bello como tu esencia lo es.

Sensacionales humanas, super despiertas y conectadas con lo que les rodea, su ayuda fue vital para gestionar el lugar, lo hicieron muy bien y ademas eran super buena onda, alegres, amables con los demas voluntarios y huespedes, dejaron una marca en nuestros corazones =)

I only spent a week here but wish I could have stayed longer! The guesthouse is beautiful and in a great location near the mountains and the sea. It's lovely to have the cats and dogs around, and the guests and other volunteers offered great conversation, there were so many people from different walks of life. The work was reasonable and varied, and you have a lot of autonomy. You have enough spare time to go to the beach, walk or run around the local streets, and Petr even took us up a mountain for sunset one evening! Petr was super communicative and picked me up from the train station! I would love to come back for a longer time sometime in the future!

I was planning to stay with Andres for a week or so while I was travelling around Spain; I ended up staying two and a half weeks at the finca, it really is a place that never gets boring! This is a really good spot for people who enjoy a quiet, relaxed environment and being able to independently organise your work and activities as most of the work included daily tasks such as watering the plants and weeding. I also helped Andres with several projects inside and out of the finca which included gardening, reparations and renovation work. We usually managed to pair this with outings to the beach which was really a highlight! There are lots of incredible hikes you can do starting in the village if you don't have a car, and I would also recommend going kayaking or visiting Cangas de Onís if you have transport. During my time there Andres was relatively busy but he always made sure we had everything we needed and has very good communication, checking in on us frequently. I really appreciated the time that I did spend with him as he is a very interesting and interested person who told us many things about the region and helped me to improve my Spanish a lot through Spanish conversation. I really hope to come back to explore more of Asturias and find out how the finca is doing!

Luisa es una persona muy proactiva y perfeccionista, ademas de amiguera y divertida, congenio muy rapido con el lugar y las personas, realizaba sus actividades encargadas muy satisfactoriamente, siempre conectada con las necesidades del lugar, se complemento bien en nuestra comunidad, la super recomendamos para cualquier cosa!

Marjorie stayed with us 13 days and was wonderful. She was kind, respectful and really hard working. She helped us cleaned and organized the basement, helped with the kitchen renovations and many other tasks. She's also extremely good with kids. Our daughter loves her so much. And we love her too so Marjorie, if you ever come back to our region, feel free to stay with us anytime. Until then, enjoy your summer in Gaspésie and safe travel back home when the time comes.

My friends and I spent a week working at the farm and it was such an incredible experience. Everyone, Fabrizio, Sebas, Piña and Fernando were always lovely and taught us so much about farming with so much patience and kindness, they shared a lot of their stories and were always a pleasure to be around. The work is very interesting (and fun!) we got to plant new seeds, work in the greenhouse and with the animals. The town of Valencia is so fun and lively and only a 10 minute walk from la finca. We loved it so much we recommended it to our friends too!

I spent a week at Leif's house in March. It was a really good experience, even though the weather wasn't great at that time. Leif Henry is always eager to help you discover real life in northern Norway and is happy to show you the activities available in Grov. While I was there, I mostly did cleaning and cooking, as everything was still covered in snow. Sorry for the late feedback, I forgot to write it right away. I can only recommend Leif's place if you're looking for a great experience and amazing landscapes.

Claire is a wonderfull lady, full of energy! She was always with a smile and looking forward to help in every possible task: with the sheep, with papper work, with gardening, house keeping… She and her daugter spent a week with us, and we enjoyed every little moment with them! Her daughter is super sweet and a strong girl! She helped me doing some vet stuff with the sheep, with lots of care. They were kind with everyone and every animal on the farm. They can come back to the farm every time they want!