Here is the letter we wrote after our stay at Donkey Paradise! All the volunteers write about their stays, and it goes on the website:
Hello, we are Renee and Alex - two adventurers from the USA. Our Europe adventure started in Asturias, where we stayed at El Paraíso del Burro for a month (February to Mid-March). We left Boston where there was at least 50cm of snow on the ground, so when we got to Spain it felt like summer! It rained often, however the dry days were absolutely gorgeous.
The area is incredibly beautiful . Lots of green grass, rolling hills, and all sorts of plants that were just starting to bud (but plenty of nettles be careful!). Being able to see snow covered mountain tops over breakfast is a wonderful thing.
The Donkeys are definitely spoiled. Many have had rough lives at the hands of humans, and it gives you a warm feeling that your work is doing something good for less fortunate animals. It sure is Donkey Paradise(and cat paradise, and dog paradise).
Donkeys are adorable creatures. Renee fell in love with Lynney - the sweetest and most peaceful donkey ever. I had a soft spot for Sammy because he's a goofy fellow: rather small in comparison to others, and socially awkward.
Renee and I did a lot of misc work around paradise. Besides feeding the donkeys, and taking care of their stables, Renee did a great job cleaning /organizing and I helped fix the various aging construction around the property.
Then there are the best animals ever. Jolly the dog is the friendliest fluff ball ever. Lady is shy but sweet, and Arvo is a loyal, and confident dog who is the size of a grizzly-bear. There is also a cat, who's name I forget, who wants nothing more then your eternal love. She enjoys being pet so much that she will repeatedly fall off your lap when she forgets about gravity. Renee spent a significant amount of time petting her, and plotting ways to sneak her into our backpacks.
Marleen: thank you very much for having us. We really enjoyed our stay, had some great experiences, a learned more about Donkeys then I ever thought I would know. Keep on taking good care of the Donkeys for us!
Looking at all the great pictures and reading your wonderful blog I can only come to the conclusion that there are only winners here. Marleen because she found and started the donkey Paradise, the donkeys who are the beneficiaries and you guys for helping and loving it. Who deserves the credit for coming up and researching Work Away? I hope your next stop will be every bit as successful. Both of you look so happy.
ReplyDeleteLove you lots.
Marleen wat zou ik graag een kopje koffie bij je komen drinken. Hoe heb je dit Paradise gevonden? Ik heb zoveel vragen maar zal je daar niet mee vervelen. Renee en Alex hebben genoten bij je. Wat een geweldige ervaring voor hen. Het zal me niet verbazen als je hen in de toekomst terug ziet. Als hun Oma wil ik je bedanken voor alles wat je voor hen hebt gedaan. Hartelijke groeten en nogmaals heel veel dank. willy van Bodengraven,
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see the pictures of El Paraiso from a distance. Nice to see how the buildings are surrounded by all those fields, hills and mountains. There's a famous hike that begins in Asturias - I believe it is called El Camino Santiago.
ReplyDeletewhat fun! I've never had a donkey friend :(
ReplyDeleteThis is such a nice letter. If I read this, I would not hesitate about staying at donkey paradise. Ben, let's get our own donkey friends
ReplyDeleteThat's such a pretty skyline!
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