Peru: Heritage
Leaving Puno and Lake Titicaca the Peru Heritage course headed to Cusco, the capital of the Incan Empire. On the ride to Cusco we again crossed the Continental Divide (15,000 feet) and visited sites at Raqchi and Andahuaylillas. Raqchi was a “vacation” palace for the 7th Inca King, Wira Cocha. The site includes over 150 colcas, or storehouses, were a variety of goods were kept for drought, faminine, or earthquake. This is also the first site where students see the Spanish destroying Incan temples and building Catholic churches. Many times those churches are built directly on top of the temples.In Andahuaylillas we visited a church dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The interioir of the church is so ornate with paintings and gold leaf that it is often called the “Sistene Chapel of the Andes”.

We began our first day in Cusco with spanish classes at Maximo Nivel, a local language center, and environmental class with Don Daniel. The environmental class focused on the 7 criteria for good ecotourism and the students discussed how many of our activities fit the definition. In the afternoon Raul guided the students through a walking tour of the city including Qoricancha/Santo Domingo and the Cusco Cathedral. Qoricancha was the Sun Temple for the Incas and the spanish destroyed it and built the church of Santo Domingo on its foundation. Through several earthquakes the church has been destroyed a number of times but the Incan foundation has not faltered showing how advanced their engineering was. The Cusco Cathedral in reality is three churches, with countless interior chapels, together. One particular painting that Raul shows the students is Jesus at the last supper eating “cuy”. Cuy is guinea pig and is considered a local delicacy. The reason to incorporate cuy into the painting was to connect the Catholic religion to the Andean people. Oh, by the way, I think many of the students have tried cuy and some really enjoy it.

The second day in Cusco was another day of spanish at Maximo followed by environmental class. In environmental class today students analyzed the three major ecosystems in Peru - the coast, the sierra and the rainforest - and discussed environmental issues important in Peru. Afternoon touring included three Incan sites - Saqsaywaman, Tambomachay and Q´enco. Saqsaywaman was the military training complex for the Incan Empire built by the great king Patachutec. The complex is so large and built with stones in excess of 100 tons that the Spanish thought it was built by the Cyclops. Raul explained that it was built by “mita” - a labor tax on the people of the Incan Empire. Tambomachay is a site where the Incan people worshiped water and cleansed themselves before entering the holy city. Q´enco is a site where mummification took place. Mummification is a process that was prevelant in many South American cultures.

Tomorrow we head into the Sacred Valley before continuing to Machu Picchu. The entire classes hopes that Laura is doing fine and we miss you.

Australia: Aboriginal Studies
The educational program that started our day was the Kodja Center. Kodja Center is an interactive museum that shows the Kodjunup Aboriginal people’s and the white farmers’ sides to Australia’s history. The museum is a joint venture between Kodjunup people’s and white Australians. It is the winner of the 2003 Western Australian Museum Award.

This building is uniquely shaped like a stone axe which symbolizes Kodjunup, “the place of the stone axe.” The axe is important because of what it represents. The axes head represents the history, the handle represents the people coming to learn the history, and the flexibility of the handle represents the people’s ability to adapt to history.

The museum doesn’t have straight lines in its architecture because it is mimicking the natural world, which only has curves. The Aboriginal person’s world view is also seen in circles.

The mural at the entrance of the museum represents the rainbow serpent and the six seasons of the Aboriginal calendar. The eggs represent life. The seasons are in different colors to represent the different climates.

Walking down the hallway, we shall the gradual evolution of tools for both the Kodjunup people and white Australians. We saw that over time the influence of white settlers and Aboriginal tools.

When we entered the main part of the museum, we were given a tour by Robert Sexton, the former president of the Shire. The museum had an interactive aspect which allowed us to experience the time period. One example is the Aboriginal reserve house. We were able to walk through it and saw that it only had a kitchen and two beds.

One of our guides was an Aboriginal elder named Jack Cox who made us billy tea and damper. Billy tea is made in a can and damper is a bread made by traditional grain. After the tea, he gave us his own version of the tour.

We explored the rose maze after lunch, where we learned about three different women’s struggles coming from English, Nyoongar, and Italian backgrounds. The museum shows the joint venture of both the Kodjunup people and white Australians.

Ireland
Tonight is our final night in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and we have had an amazing stay here. Our first day began with a visit to the Tower Museum, where the very first thing we learned was that Derry was named for “oak.” Who knew there was such a great connection between Elon and Northern Ireland? Later yesterday we had a tour of the bogside, where Bloody Sunday occurred, and were awestruck by the murals commemorating that event. Then we walked on the city walls to stories of the city’s turbulent times by our guide, Ronan McNamara. This walk helped us understand Nobel prize-winning poet, Seamus Heaney’s bog poems. Today we began our day at Dunluce Castle, beautiful castle ruins on the coast, and then explored Giant’s Causeway during winds that created the biggest waves most of us had ever seen. It has been a historical, cultural, sensory delight to be here in such a rich environment. Tomorrow we head to Dublin for the last leg of our class. It will be delightful to settle for a few days in one place and to explore James Joyce territory.

Mexico
Hoy es el decimo día en México y pasamos esta semana con nuestras familias en la ciudad de Mérida. El lunes nos dividimos en equipos para hacer una actividad donde nos pidieron que “descubriéramos Mérida.” Cada equipo tenía una calle asignada para reconocer lugares como escuelas, parques, restaurantes, y tiendas. Mas tarde, nos reunimos con nuestras familias yucatecas y nos relejamos y conocimos a las familias el día siguiente. El miércoles, fuimos a visitar Uxmal, un sito arqueológico. Seguimos aprendiendo sobre la cultura maya y muchos de nosotros subimos a las pirámides preciosas que fueron hechas a mano. El jueves y viernes tuvimos clase en la mañana y el resto del día era libre. Muchos de nosotros usaron el tiempo para explorar la ciudad, ir de compras, y relejarse en la playa. Tenemos dos días más con nuestras familias y después nos atrevemos al estado de Chiapas donde nos vamos a quedar en dos pueblos principales, Palenque y San Cristóbal de las Casas.

Today is our tenth day in Mexico and we have been spending this past week with our host families in the city of Merida. On Monday, we were split up into teams for a written activity where were asked to “discover Merida.” Each team was assigned to a street where we were asked to recognize places such as schools, parks, restaurants, and stores. Later on, we met our host families and were able to spend the next day relaxing and getting to know them. On Wednesday, we went to visit the archeological site of Uxmal. We continued to learn about the Maya culture and many of us climbed the beautiful pyramids that they constructed. On Thursday and Friday we had class in the morning and the rest of the day free. Many of us used our time to explore the city, shop, and relax at the beach. We have two more days left with our families and then we will venture off to the state of Chiapas where we will stay in two major towns, Palenque and San Cristobal de las Casas.

   

Honduras
We have now been in Honduras for twelve days and have had several interesting experiences. We spent the first week of our program volunteering with Pronino, a foundation that takes in street children with the purpose of improving their lives and helping them develop into caring, self-sufficient individuals. We completed construction projects at two of the organization’s three centers and spent time interacting with the boys as well, learning a lot about them in the process. For the past two days, we have been in Copan, visiting Mayan ruins, participating in a Mayan feast, and exploring the city. We are spending the night in San Pedro Sula and will depart for Tegucigalpa tomorrow morning. From there, we will head to Hope for Honduran Children, where we will stay for the remainder of our course. While there, we will work directly with the children, engaging in a variety of instructional activities.
We are happy to report that everyone is doing well.

Gutenberg
We arrived in Prague on schedule and took a very quick Metro undergound ride to the hotel.

Peru: Heritage
Since leaving Arequipa (elevation 7,700 feet above sea level), the group has crossed over the continental divide (15,500 feet) seeing wild herds of vicuñas, llamas, and alpacas, and arrived in Puno (12,500 feet). Puno is the largest city on Lake Titicaca. The region around Lake Titicaca divides Peru´s two ancient languages of Quecha (north to Peru) and Aymara (south to Bolivia). Our first night was a restful one allowing the students to acclimate to the high altitude.

The second day the group boarding boats and headed out onto Lake Titicaca. The first stop was to the Uros Islands (called the floating islands). These islands are made completely of reeds located in one area of the Bay of Puno. In fact, not only are the islands made of reeds but so are the houses and the boats that are used for transportation. Students were given an overview of Lake Titicaca focusing specifically on the Uros. They were shown how the islands are made and even got to taste the island (yes, the reeds are edible and a source of fluorine for the residents).

After our visit to the Uros we headed out of the bay and to Amantani Island. Here we were treated to lunch at Don Turibio´s home, including an introduction to life on the island, and assigned families for our home stays. Students traveled with their families to their homes and got a chance to unwind. In the afternoon students were given the option of hiking to the temple on top of Amantani (13,300 feet) or hiking close to the village. Both sets of students enjoyed the views that these hikes presented. Many of the students returned from the hikes and were assigned tasks to prepare for dinner. After dinner the students were dressed in native attire and enjoyed a night of native dances and music. All had fun but returned home exhausted.

The next morning the students woke and helped prepare breakfast. After breakfast the students participated in any normal activities of their host families. Some went to see a local soccer tournament, others learned to plow fields, and others learned to sew or play flutes. The group then gathered to play soccer at 12,900 feet. I am proud to say the Elon boys even beat a team of young Amantanis. We returned to Puno after lunch to rest for our travels to Cusco.

Amantani Island is a step back in time where people live much like they did 400-500 years ago. I believe the students truly appreciated their visit.

Australia: Aboriginal Studies
Since leaving the city of Perth, our travels have taken us to the Town of Margaret River. Our first day here we were privileged enough to experience the Bushtucker Canoe Tour where we had our first taste of Australian cuisine. At lunch that day, the spread included kangaroo, emu, and bardi (witchity grub). After some brief cave exploration, we tested our canoeing skills with a race back to the starting point. During our time on the river we were able to see the historic Ellensbrook house and learn more about the local history of Margaret River.

The second day saw us at the beach participating in a Beach Derby Day hosted by Curtin University. We competed in a sandcastle building competition in which we incorporated what we’ve learned about Aboriginal Culture into our sculptures. The winning castle was a replica of an Aboriginal mosaic we had seen in the Curtin University Center for Aboriginal studies. We also had several relays including a wheelbarrow race and a balloon pass.

Yesterday, after a free morning of exploring the town and shops, we headed off to the Wardan Aboriginal Cultural Center. There we witnessed and joined in traditional Wardandi dances and had a common Australian dinner of kangaroo stew. Today we returned to the Center and studied Wardandi foods, bush medicine, and toolmaking. During a bushwalk we learned about the past and present of the Wardandi people. Later we practiced our boomerang and spear throwing skills and learned some of the Nyungar language before returning to the hotel for dinner.

  

Ghana
From family visits in the Volta Region to classes with Ghanaian professors in Accra all has been going well for this year’s Ghana class. There were many highlights on our trip to the Volta region at the outset of the course. Four Periclean scholars and Professor Heidi Frontani visited the village of Kpoeta for the opening of the health clinic whose construction they have supported. In recognition of that assistance, Professor Frontani was installed as the honorary development queen mother, Kadu I. In the rural community of Sokode, Elon students, Professor Brian Digre, community members and instructors from Ho Polytechnic constructed a peanut sheller machine of great potential use to the community. Students also had the opportunity to learn about village life in Sokode by meeting with families, attending a church service and participating in a Durbar (community celebration). Tomorrow we will be leaving Accra for a long excursion that will take us to a wildlife park in the savannah of northern Ghana and castles on Ghana’s coast that were used in the terrible trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Mexico
¡Hola Amigos!

Hoy es nuestro sexto día en México, y acabamos de regresar del pueblito Tinum, una experiencia nueva para todos sino nuestra maestra Donna. En Tinum vivimos en casas hechas de palmas y madera y dormimos en hamacas. Una de las casas no tenía una sala de baño, y todos teníamos que duchar en agua fría. Pero, con temperaturas entre 80-90˚, estuvimos contentos de escapar del aire caliente. Durante los días experimentamos muchas cosas interesantes. Visitamos una milpa, una panadería, la escuela primaria en Tinum donde hicimos un proyecto de servicio, y pasamos mucho tiempo con nuestras familias adoptivas. Comimos nueve veces con nuestras familias, y probamos comidas tradicionales como tortilla con frijoles, maíz, salsa de tomate, legumbres, cebolla y pollo.
Today is our sixth day in Mexico and we just returned from the little town of Tinum, a new experience for all of us except for Maestra Donna. In Tinum, we lived in homes made of wood and palms, and we slept in hammocks. One of the houses didn’t have a bathroom, and we all had to shower in cold water. But, with temperatures between 80-90Ëš, we were happy to escape the hot air. During the day we experienced many interesting things. We visited a farm, a bakery, the elementary school in Tinum, where we did a service project, and spent a lot of time with our adopted families. We ate nine times with our families, and we tried traditional foods like tortilla, with beans, corn, tomato sauce, vegetables, onions and chicken.

   

Gutenberg
The group has arrived in Munich and all is well.

Barbados
The Barbados class is in the midst of a full week of visiting cultural and historical sites across the island. From our home base on the south coast, challenge groups have explored the remote north point, travelled up and down the east and west coasts, and ventured into the hills and valleys of the interior. Students have learned the intricacies of the island’s public transportation system and have navigated their way to locations rarely accessed by tourists who visit Barbados. Their efforts have been rewarded with the opportunity to experience authentic Bajan life. Since our last update students have learned about the education system by spending time in classrooms and talking with teachers and administrators; observed and learned about the process of crushing sugar cane to make sugar, molasses, and rum; visited the wildlife reserve in which the famous green monkeys are free to roam; enjoyed the music and experience of the Barbados Jazz Festival; tried to understand the rules and strategies of cricket (nearly impossible!); and visited with one of the potters of Chalky Mount where generations have crafted pottery from the clay found in the regions soil. Today (Thursday) students are once again tackling one of the five course challenges. Tomorrow we will tour the Medford Mahogany production site and talk with Reggie Medord, one of the island’s leading producers of Barbados arts and crafts souvenirs. From there we will tour the facilities at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus with plans to finish the day at Mullins Bay by watching the sunset off the island’s west coast. Here are a few pictures taken by students in the past week.

          

Italy:  Heritage
The group has arrived in Spoleto. Here are some recently-received pictures to accompany yesterday’s blog:

   

Italy: Heritage
Buon giorno! The last few days have been busy for us. After visiting the Etruscan necropolis in Tarquinia and some of the catacombs in Rome, we left Rome for Sorrento. From there, we traveled to the ancient city Paestum, known as Greek Italy, and the ruins of Pompeii which had been buried for over 1500 years after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. While en route to Spoleto, we stopped at an archaeological museum in Naples to see many of the artifacts recovered from Pompeii, along with items from various other cities of the past.Don’t forget to keep an eye out for another update from us in a few days. Ciao!

Ireland
Hey all,

So we are having tons of fun (or craic as it is said in the Gaelic language) here in Ireland. The airplane had turbulence almost the whole time which some people liked and others didn’t. Then we got off the plane bright and early at 4:40 Elon time. Our bus driver met us there, his name is Tom, from Kilkenny, and he is extremely informative of places we go or just pass on the road. There was a 2 hour bus ride from Shannon airport to Blarney Castle. Everyone passed out on the bus even if we wanted to stay awake and look/enjoy Ireland. Blarney castle was really cool. Most people climbed up and kissed the Blarney stone. The steps were very slippery from being worn down. We got to go to Blarney Woolen mills and had our first meal in Ireland. The bus ride back was more sleep.

Once in Limerick we had class then got to get food and explore. This was an early night for most. The next day we got up and took the bus to The Rock of Cashel, and it was not a rock. It’s actually a gorgeous church/cathedral. You can see 7 different counties. You can see mountains too and it is nicked named the devils bit because on one of the mountains in the distance you can see a little U shape where it is said the devil flew over Ireland and took a bite there and dropped it at Cashel. From there we went to Cahir Castle which is the most intact castle still in Ireland. The Butlers owned it for a long time, and finally gave it up so it wasn’t ruined. It was really neat because we were able to explore it all. Got to walk around where the people lived. The people must have been short to get to some places. The town/city of Tipperary is where we stopped for a pub lunch. We then got to explore the whole town. We took the bus back to the hotel and drove past St. John’s castle. We got time to ourselves after class for the rest of the night. Most everyone was at one Pub with live music that night.

The next day we had to leave Limerick but we got to go to Galway, which is awesome. On the way we stopped by the Cliffs of Moher, which were really cool, but very foggy and windy. We drove through the Burren stopped into Coole Park which is where Lady Gregory lived and Yeats loved to be. We got to see a tree where authors signed and read one of Yeats poems by a lake which inspired Yeats to write it. We got to Galway later than planned and had class in Professor Warman’s room. We then got to explore the city and it has a great night life. The next day we got to sleep in a little and had a scavenger hunt and do some research and explore. That night we went to Beauty and The Beast Pantomime. It was a new experience for most and neat. Unlike American the performers weren’t perfect, but it was awesome. Being Sunday night the city shut down earlier. The weather was perfect until that day when it was “Irish weather”, rainy, but got nice in the middle of the day. We hoped the weather would get better for the next day, and sure enough it was the most perfect weather! We went to Aran Islands and Dun Aonghasa was SO amazing and pretty. It even got a little warm for how we were bundled up. No words can describe how pretty it was from up there. We had class on the fairy on the way back then most people passed out. On bus rides lots of people normally fall asleep. We got the rest of the night to ourselves after that, except people who read Wild Decembers got to go to dinner with the professors and discuss the book.

In the morning we left for Sligo. We stopped by Connemara Marble factory and heard about it then went to Kylemore Abbey. It was so beautiful especially with the mountain behind it and lake in front of it. This year is the last year they are holding classes; they are closing the school after. We stopped by Knock which is a religious town where people saw a vision years ago and people go there for pilgrimage now. On the bus ride today we saw our first Irish rainbow, and got out and took pictures.

The whole trip has been amazing and fun. The weather has been so perfect we are really lucky. It is amazing to actually be in Ireland. There are a ton of walls and rocks in Ireland. The walls are amazing because most were made hundreds of years ago and has not fallen down. There is nothing holding them together, except just rocks. There are lots of sheep all around, and up on mountains.

    

Costa Rica: Culture, Language and Ecotourism
Buenos Dias!

I am happy to report that all is well here in Costa Rica. It has been an exciting last few days. We all arrived back yesterday from a weekend trip to Tortugero, Costa Rica. Here we were able to enjoy the beach, learn about turtle conservation, and enjoy a relaxing time outside of the city. Many activities consisted of relaxing by the beach, swimming in the pool, lounging in hammocks, and even playing a soccer game against the local Ticos. We have arrived back to San Jose for two days of class until we leave for another trip to Monteverde Cloud Forest and Volcano Arenal.

Stay tuned for more exiting adventures.

   

Belize
The group has arrived at their next destination, Clarissa Falls, and all is going well.

Peru: Heritage
The Peru Heritage course has enjoyed their first week in Peru and we have packed in a lot of activities. The course began in Lima on Sunday with a quick tour of the Lima Cathedral and the Plaza de Armas. Since Catholicism is the main religion in Peru, our visit to the Cathedral was short and we were not able to visit the grave of Francisco Pizarro, the conquistador/conqueror of Peru. In the Plaza de Armas the students witnessed a special changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace performed by the national police. We continued on to visit the catacombs under the Church of San Francisco. Afternoon touring brought us to the Larco Herrara Museum, which is the largest private collection of Peruvian artifact. Here the students saw how ancient societies used pottery to tell stories. The also saw three of the finest quipos on display. A quipo is a series of knots that may well be the written language of the Incas.

We enjoyed an evening in Lima visiting the Park of the Fountains and seeing a show with regional dances. The last dance of the evening was the “Matrimonio del Diablo” (the wedding of the devil). El Diablo surveyed the audience and selected Laura Allen as his bride. Laura was slightly embarrassed but performed well as she danced with her groom.

From Lima we headed south to Ica/Paracas. Our main excursion here was a boat ride to the Ballestas Islands. These islands used to produce (in Colonial times) millions of tons of guano. Guano is the organic fertilizer from bird droppings. Both the islands and the birds are now treated as a national resource. The reason the islands are rich in guano is the presence of the Humboldt Current that brings cold water from Antarctica - it keeps the water rich in fish which attracts the birds.

We continued south to Nazca and had overflights over the Nazca lines. The lines are gigantic geogliths in the desert, some as large as football stadiums. Theories for the origin of the lines range from ritual walks to alien communication to celestial maps. We had classes in survival Spanish and environmental science. The environmental topics included why the Humboldt current was important to the areas we visited.

We arrived yesterday in Arequipa and the students had their first experience eating on their own. They all seemed to embrace the challenge. Today we toured the colonial part of Arequipa. The highlight was the Convent of Santa Catalina. It is truly a city within a city. Rich families used to send their second daughters to become nuns. We tried to get Anna Lambeck to commit but even though she is a second daughter she is a little old.

Mexico
Antes de nuestro viaje a Tinum, visitamos el sitio sagrado maya Dzibilchaltun, y después de nuestra visita a Tinum, visitamos una de las nuevas maravillas del mundo moderno, Chichén Itzá. Los dos sitios fueron ciudades importantes para los mayas, especialmente porque fueron sitios religiosos. Por supuesto vimos las ruinas, los templos y los edificios construidos por los mayas, pero también pasamos en el Museo del Pueblo Maya y aprendimos sobre la ropa maya, los artefactos de los periodos preclásico, clásico y posclásico, y las celebraciones y los rituales importantes a la religión maya. La experiencia nos enseñó mucho porque nunca hemos experimentado una cultura tan única y especial como la maya.

Before our trip to Tinum, we visited the sacred Maya site Dzibilchaltun, and after our visit to Tinum, we visited one of the new wonders of the modern world, Chichen Itza. The two were cities important to the Mayas, especially because they were religious sites. Of course we saw the ruins, the temples and the buildings built by the Mayas, but we also passed through the Museum of the Maya People and learned about Maya clothing, artifacts from the pre-classic, classic and post-classic periods, and the celebrations and rituals of the Maya religion. The experience taught us a lot because we have never experienced a culture as unique and special as the Maya.

  

Cathedral
The Cathedral group arrived in Rome. Everything is going well.

Gutenberg
The group had arrived in Erfurt. Everyone safe and sound.

Greece
Ours is the first Elon course to visit Crete, largest of the Greek islands and home of the Minoan Civilization which reached its zenith around 1500 BCE.  Today (01/09/09) we explored the Palace of Knossos, associated with the mythical King Minos, the sacred bull, and a more ancient goddess-centered culture.  The Palace itself extends over 5 acres and consists of 1400 rooms.  The large central courtyard was the site of a unique activity called “bull jumping,” in which young athletes - male and female - somersaulted over the horns of a charging bull.  When the Minoans were overrun by the Myceans (early Greeks), their traditions and mythologies were incorporated into Greek mythology - possibly being the basis for the story of the Minotaur and its labyrinthine maze.

Ireland
The Ireland class is now all together, with the addition of our two delayed students.  Our first day in Ireland we climbed to the top of Blarney Castle, and most of us kissed the Blarney Stone.  The next day we learned so much about Irish history at the Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle outside of Limerick, and then yesterday saw the stunning Cliffs of Moher before taking a walk through Coole Park, where W. B. Yeats was inspired to write “The Wild Swans of Coole.”  We all got our fill of live traditional music in the Galway pubs last night and are preparing to attend a traditional pantomime tonight.  Tomorrow, winds willing, we set sail for the Aran Islands to explore the landscape that playwright J. M. Synge found so inspiring. 

Italy Fine Arts
The Italy Fine Arts group is in Naples avoiding the crazy flurry of motor scooters zipping through the streets. We visited the ruins of Pompei yesterday and the Capodimonte art museum this morning. Tomorrow we will visit the archaeological museum. We hope to post pictures by our arrival in Florence.

Barbados
Students enjoyed their first opportunity to visit the beautiful beaches of the island over the weekend. A group travelled to Crane Beach on Saturday for surf and sun and experienced the tradition of drinking milk from a freshly picked coconut as a mid day refreshment. Today (Monday) is the third of five challenge days during which students utilize the public transportation system to travel to cultural and historic sites. Tomorrow students will explore a special topic (education, economy, arts and architecture, etc.) in preparation for a presentation at the end of the course and in the evening we will travel as a group to the Sixteenth Annual Barbados Jazz Festival (http://www.barbadosjazzfestival.com/). Wednesday we will visit the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, St. Nicholas Abbey, and Chalky Mount. Jennifer Williams has composed the following (presently untitled) poem about her experiences in the course:

Being in Barbados
A chance of a lifetime
Riding buses around to Bridgetown
And traveling the island
Diving headfirst into culture
Oh what an experience to
See another way of life, another way to be

- Jennifer Williams, January 2009

 

The following courses have reported their safe arrival abroad:

Ireland (All have arrived but two students who were delayed and are scheduled to arrive today).

Ghana

Honduras

Costa Rica: Culture, Language and Ecotourism
I can’t believe it is already Friday and we have been in Costa Rica for 6 days now. Everyone is adjusting well to the area, culture and language. There has been so much that has happened in this past week. First of all I want to start out by saying, that there was a minor earthquake that occurred here near San Jose. Luckily we were white water rafting when it occurred, that we didn’t know it happened until we arrived back to San Jose. Needless to say, that was the topic of most family conversations last night.

As for events and excursions, we have done a lot in the last few days. Yesterday we went rafting on the Rio Reventazon, which everyone enjoyed. On Tuesday and Wednesday we had the chance to go downtown San Jose and go to the Museum of Gold, the National Theater, and the National Museum. Following the museums everyone had the chance to explore downtown and do some shopping at the local market. Overall everyone is doing very well and enjoying their time in Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!

     

Australia: Aboriginal StudiesÂ
We arrived at LAX on Sunday January 4 to meet each other for our flight to Perth, Western Australia. The flight was 12 hours from LA to Auckland, New Zealand and we had a long layover at the airport. We then had a 7 hour flight to Perth and finally arrived at 5pm on Tuesday, January 6. We met our tour guide Barry at the airport and he took us to our hotel and showed us parts of the city. Last night we explored some of the city, mainly a part called Northbridge. This morning, (1/7) we met for breakfast at 8:30 and were on our way for the Race Around Perth, which was a scavenger hunt set up by students from Curtin University to help us learn about the city. We got many clues, leading us to places such as Kings Park, arcades, an Irish Pub, Freemantle, and Northbridge. The race gave us an opportunity to get to know each other while getting a feel for the city. Freemantle is a smaller city located about 30 minutes south of Perth located right on the Indian Ocean. We depart for Margaret River on Saturday, January 10 where we will spend a few days before traveling to the Outback. Good thing we brought lots of sunscreen, the weather sure is different than it is at Elon!

  

Italy: Fine ArtsÂ
Despite a bit of lost luggage and a constant downpour of rain in Rome, members of the Italy Fine Arts course are enjoying the sights of this fascinating city. Right off the plane, we took a jet-lagged visit to the ancient tombs of Tarquinia. Yesterday, we walked down the block to Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the early patriarchal churches of Rome and a beautiful example of Baroque architecture. We also visited Santa Prassede and Santa Prudenziana (named for sisters who were daughters of a Roman senator) where a mixture of architectural styles and early mosaics reveal the development from pagan to Christian worship in Rome. Following lunch, everyone set out to discover at least one Caravaggio painting within Santa Maria del Popolo and the tucked away churches of San Luigi del Francesi and Sant’Agostino.

Today, we visited the Vatican and the majestic St. Peter’s Basilica. Despite the wet weather, we are enjoying this fast-paced journey. Tomorrow is a full day at the Roman Forum, the Ara Pacis, and the Borghese Gallery; then we are off to Naples. More later! Ciao.

Italy: Heritage
Ciao!
We’ve been busy here in Rome for the past 5 days! We’ve seen the Colosseum, Pantheon, the Forum, the Triumphant Arches, Hadrian’s Villa, Jewish Ghetto, Tarquinia, and more!
We’re off to Sorrento and the catacombs tomorrow!
Another highlight has definitely been the food!! We’ve all had our fair share of Italian culture (pasta, pizza, panini, and more!)
Here’s a picture of the crew at Hadrian’s Villa - Arrivaderci!

The following courses have reported their safe arrival abroad:

Australia Ecotourism