The WWII Course reports:
On Saturday, we toured the site of the Plaszow concentration camp on the edge of Krakow; it was where many of the scenes in Schindler's List took place. The first picture shows the house where Amon Goeth, the commandant of the camp, lived; the second shows the memorial marking the execution site. On Sunday, we travelled to Berlin, and on Monday studied sites related to the Nazi government. The third picture shows the longest remaining fragment of the Berlin Wall, while the fourth shows the Topography of Terror exhibition in the remains of the basement of the headquarters of the Gestapo.





The Peru Course reports:
We spent our last three days in the Sacred Valley on our way towards Machu Picchu.

On our first day, we left Cusco and visited the Incan ruins at Pisaq and Ollantaytambo. Pisaq is a beautiful city built on a mountain with spectacular views of the valley below. It is unique in the fact that all visitors from the rainforest stopped here to be quarantined for a period of time before going into the city of Cusco. Ollantaytambo was the place where one of the last battles with the Spaniards took place. These battles allowed the Incan royalty to move toward Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba ahead of the Spaniards and they were basically able to abandon those sites before they were discovered. Ollantaytambo is the starting point for the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, a four day hike up and down a difficult mountain chain.

The second day brought the group into the Patakancha Valley. This excursion brought us up to 13,000 feet and back in time 500+ years. The students met two families that still practice ancient farming techniques. They were able to ask questions and try their skills working the field. Kelly and Larissa were gung-ho and tried a variety of techniques, but I am pretty sure the families were going to redo our work! We left the families and traveled to Huilloq were we were treated with a pachamanca. Pachamanca is a meal cooked in a stone over similar to a Hawaiian luau. We eat lamb, potatoes and quinoa soup. After lunch the students had the opportunity to participate in an Andean costume of talking with a shaman. The shaman used coca leaves to answer questions about the students' futures. Some students were skeptical, some were optimistic. He did predict the Giants would beat the Packers! Sorry, no info on the Super bowl!!!

On our last day in the Sacred Valley we traveled to Chinchero, the hometown of our guide Raul. Chinchero is the home of a women's weaving cooperative were the women are trained in the ancient art of weaving. The quality of the weavings is fair beyond tourist quality and some parents may be getting some surprises. Many of our young women took the opportunity to learn to do some basic weaving but we could not convince any of the guys to try.

After the Sacred Valley we move onto Machu Picchu and then return to Cusco for the final exam.

The Cathedral Course reports:
We have arrived in Ireland - our last destination. The weather is great and everyone is enjoying themselves!

The Italy Fine Arts Course reports:
We are fine, Sienna is beautiful!

The Peru Biology Course reports:
We are in Cusco and all is well.

The Aboriginal Australia Course reports:
Today was spent walking around and learning about the town of Albany, which was the site of the first European settlement in Western Australia. We met with two local Nyoongar elders, Alvin and Vernice Gillies, to learn about Aboriginal life before and after the arrival of the Europeans. On a bush walk, we learned the Creation Story of the area, which involved two giant snakes shaping the land and rivers. Later, Alvin and Vernice took us to what used to be a reservation for Aboriginal people, who could not leave the area from 6PM to 6AM.

Friday Jan. 18
On the way from Albany to Hyden, we stopped at Kojonup, "place of the stone axe," where we met a local older for a tour of the Kodja Center museum. The museum contained exhibits about the agriculture industry in the settlement of Western Australia and how the Aboriginal people were affected by it. Outside, a rose garden maze contained the stories of an Aboriginal woman, a European settler, and an Italian immigrant. The stories told of their different experiences in the area and provided background to the different cultural influences.

Saturday Jan. 19
Today we are in the small town of Hyden, which is famous for Wave Rock, a geological wonder, which held significance for the Aboriginal people. They camped there in the winter, where they were able to find fresh water. We also visited Mulka Cave, a place where mythology tells of the punishment of a cannibalistic, murderous Aboriginal outcast. The story was told to Aboriginal children by their parents to remind them of the importance of following the law of the land. Because of the story, the area of Wave Rock and Mulka has become taboo for the Nyoongar people.

Sunday Jan. 20
After a day of traveling, we arrived in New Norcia, a small town that was founded by Spanish Benedictine monks, who set up a monastery there. We toured the monastery and learned of its history as a boarding school for both white and Aboriginal children, some of which were taken from their families by order of the Australian government. These children were a part of what is called the Stolen Generation, an attempt to incorporate Aboriginal children into Western society and eventually "breed out" Aboriginal blood.




The Brazil Course reports:
We are alive and kicking at Ariau Jungle Towers in the Amazon forest. This is an incredible place and a great spot to end our course. We come home tomorrow (Thursday) and while it will be hard to leave, I think most of us are ready!

The China Course reports:
Lijiang is by far everybody's most favorite place out of all the 6 places we've been and everybody just wishes we could have more time here. Many students have said this is the real China in their minds before they come to China. Even the four-side courtyard style hotel (Photo 1) makes it stand above all the other modern ones. In Lijiang, we've toured the Black Dragon Pool (photo 2) to see the mirror image of the beautiful Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the cleanest water we've seen in China, the Naxi Museum to learn the unique pictorial Dongba culture (photo3), the Yak Meadow to observe the 13 peaks of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from different angles (photo4). During night, the students have enjoyed the singing competition and fire dance with the local people. Tomorrow, we'll leave Lijiang for Guilin to see the famous Tower Karst in the world. However, many students have said they'll come back in the future, even for their honeymoons.






The WWII Course reports:
On Thursday, we studied areas involved in the Holocaust in Krakow. We first looked at the Kazimierz neighborhood which was a center for Jewish life before the war. The first picture was taken at a site featured in the film Schindler’s List in the scene after the Jewish residents of the neighborhood have been forced to leave by the Nazis and the little girl comes down the steps and is hidden under them by her Polish friend. The second picture is from the Podgórze neighborhood, location of the Jewish ghetto. It shows the square where the Jews were brought to be registered during the closing of the ghetto, after which they were all transported to the Płaszów and Auschwitz concentration camps. After everyone had left, only the chairs where the Nazi registrars had sat were left, providing the model for the current memorial in the square. In the background is the famous Eagle Pharmacy. The third picture is taken in front of Oskar Schindler’s factory, a short distance away. To end the day, we met with a Righteous Among the Nations, a Polish woman recognized by the state of Israel for having risked her life to save Jews during the Holocaust. As a girl of 17, she and her family hid nine Jews under their house for the duration of the war. She told us of her experiences and explained that her father never hesitated when the opportunity to provide a hiding place for the first Jewish family arose, saying it was the only thing to do. On Friday, we’ll explore Auschwitz.









We spent a long day exploring the memorial and museum at the concentration camps at Auschwitz on Friday. The first picture shows us entering the first camp at Auschwitz (Auschwitz I) through the main gate with the infamous cynical slogan Arbeit Macht Frei (Work makes you free) where thousands of prisoners marched out as slave laborers daily. The second picture is also in Auschwitz I at Block 11, showing the Wall of Death where the Nazis executed thousand of prisoners, mostly Polish political prisoners and resistance fighters, by shooting. In the afternoon, we studied the Auschwitz II / Birkenau extermination camp, a short distance away. The third picture was taken in one of the wooden barracks in the quarantine camp which housed several hundred prisoners at a time to accustom them to the unquestioned obedience of camp life. The next picture shows the class on the railroad platform with the gate to the camp in the background. Here Nazi doctors met incoming transport trains and selected those prisoners whom they deemed fit for labor; those not selected were marched directly to the gas chambers at the end of the track. The final picture shows some of us in front of the remains of gas chamber and crematorium II, blown up by the Nazis days before the camp was liberated by the Russians. It was a long and challenging day for us.

Photos 7-11 Auschwitz

The Costa Rica Course reports:
We are all doing well. Sunday is a paseo to Cartago, then on to the beach for an aquatic habitat study - on Monday.







Here are some photos from the Scandinavia Course:

Photo 1 - Ice Hotel Entrance
Photo 2 - Snowmobiling Under Northern Lights
Photo 3 - Art Room Ice Hotel
Photo 4 - Group In Ice Room 1
Photo 5 - Group In Ice Room 2
Photo 6 - Feeding Reindeer
Photo 7 - Reindeer
Photo 8 - Sami Chief
Photo 9 - Dog Sledding With 10 Dog Team
Photo 10 - Dog Sledding With 3 Dog Team
Photo 11 - Outside Kiruna Airport

Note: many of these entries are from over the MLK Jr. Holiday weekend.

The New Zealand Business Course reports:
We've arrived safely at Queenstown, our final destination. All of us really enjoyed being right in the heart of Christchurch for the last few days. We visited Christchurch cathedral, went through the aquarium and saw a number of New Zealand fish and also saw some of the largest Kiwi birds I have even seen--- up close and personal. We also visited a black currant farm and one of the largest dairy farms in the world.

Everyone is having a wonderful time and having many adventures. New Zealand is a fascinating county and we've been fortunate to visit six of the most interesting cities.

The Ghana Course reports:
January 2008 is the 12th year of Elon's winter -term program in Ghana, and with 37 students the largest class yet. While our Ghanaian faculty have remarked favorably the lively classroom discussions, most of the students rate their experiences in the rural community of Sokode as the most meaningful part of the program. This included family visits, attending church and participating in a traditional durbar. A close second among their preferences would be the visit to Mole National Park, where we not only had some great opportunities to view elephants but also played football (soccer) with the local youth. Speaking of football, tomorrow morning we will be leaving the coastal town of Elmina to return to Accra and watch the opening match of the African Cup of Nations - Ghana vs. Guinea. Go Ghana!

The Hawaii Course reports: We are safely back on Elon's campus to finish our course.

The Brazil Course reports:
The Brazil class has safely arrived in Manaus and is preparing for our entry into the Amazon jungle on Monday.

The Cathedral Course reports:
We are all in Heidelberg safely; the independent study time went successfully. All is well with us. (You can read more about this course via their course blog - click link on the right of this blog).

The Italy Fine Arts Course reports:
We are doing fine in Florence. Tomorrow is Siena. Wednesday, we will be in Rome and then home.

The Peru Heritage Course reports:
We completed our first stay in Cusco (we return next week) with two days of touring and two days of class.

The first night was a free night for the students and they got to explore the various eateries in the main plaza. Raul took a bunch of students to "Fallen Angel", an interesting restaurant for college students complete with flying pigs and bathrooms for heaven and hell instead of men and women. Most students loved the experience and told me the food was the best they had.

Our second day began with Spanish classes at Maximo Nivel and environmental class with Don Daniel. The environmental topic was ecotourism. The students were divided and had to discuss some of the experiences we had in terms of good vs. bad ecotourism. Though most activities have good components the students were able to suggest improvements. That afternoon we did a walking tour of the center city. Cusco was the capital of the Incan Empire and we visited one of the most important sites, Q´ricancha or the sun temple. After the Spanish conquest the church of Santo Domingo was constructed on top of the sun temple. Over the years various earthquakes have taken down the church but the structure of the sun temple never fails. We then went to the Cathedral and saw a picture of Jesus at the Last Supper eating guinea pig. Guinea pig, or cuy in Spanish, is a local delicacy and it was part of the religious syncretism to attract the native people to the Catholic Church. Again we gave the students a free evening to explore.

Our third day began again with classes at Maximo Nivel and environmental class. We covered two topics today. The first was identifying the three main ecosystems of Peru and the products/industries associated with them. The three ecosystems are the coast, the sierra, and the rainforest. We also talked about environmental issues in Peru focusing on the destruction of the rainforest and urban issues like water quality and pollution. Afternoon touring included visits to three Incan ruins: Saqsayhuaman (a fortress like facility used for training that was constructed with stones as big as 100 tons, in fact the Spanish thought it was built by the Cyclops); Tambomachay (a site used for purifying oneself before entering the holy city); and Qenco (a site used for mummification). Again we gave the students a free evening to explore.

Students also had access to two additional excursions: Visits to a local Alpaca sweater factory and a local silver factory. Sorry to say parents -- I think the girls loved the silver factory!

From Cusco we headed into the Sacred Valley. I will send another update when we arrive in Machu Picchu today to highlight those events. And I think we will have better phone service so maybe some calls will make it home.

The Barbados Course reports:
The Barbados students learned the fundamentals of cricket, Barbados national sport which just about all Bajans are passionate. After practicing batting and bowling on the pitch and grasping the basic rules, we played a few overs on the oval. As explained by one local, the players who are in come out until they are out and then they go in. The players who are out go in when the players who are in are all out. Simple! Here are a few action shots of students batting and bowling.

On both Saturday and Sunday students conducted formal presentations and led discussions about specific topics of interest such as art, music, healthcare, history, gender roles, tourism, and sport in Barbados. Today (Monday) is a national holiday celebrating the life of E. Barrow, the nation's first elected Prime Minister upon Barbados complete independence from Britain in 1966. Locals traditionally spend the day relaxing with friends and family, picnicking, and enjoying Barbados beaches. Keeping with this tradition, we plan to enjoy a catamaran ride up the west coast of the island, snorkel with giant sea turtles, and learn more about the island's marine life.

Students will complete their fifth and final challenge on Tuesday, take the written final exam for the class on Wednesday, and prepare for an early departure on Thursday.