The Peru Heritage Course reports:
We spent the last three nights in Arequipa (altitude = 7,000 ft) and are heading to higher elevations in about an hour. We will go over the high pass at 16,000 ft as we head to Lake Titicaca.

In Arequipa, we toured the main plaza, the Santa Catalina covent, and some students visited the Cathedral during Mass. We also visited the Incan mummy called Juanita. She was a sacrifice to the "Apus" (gods of the Incans) to bring good tidings. In Arequipa the students also were on there own for all dinners so that they could practice their Spanish.

Students had two Spanish classes at Maximo Nivel, a local language institute and will continue with the same local teachers when we arrive in Cuzco next week. Two environmental classes included a lesson on plate tectonics, which was tied to our ride over the Nazca fault line and to the August earthquake in Pisco, and a lesson on global warming and ozone depletion. These environmental problems are recognized around the world and we discussed how they affect Peru specifically. In Cuzco we will look at environmental issues more on the local level.

As we move toward Puno and Lake Titicaca, Internet availability is low. We will probably not send an update until Cuzco in about 4 days. Here are two recent pictures from our travels. The first is a group shot from the Aqueducts in Nazca. The second is with a student, Larissa Long, and the children of Lomas de Marchan.



The Barbados Course reports:
We recently visited Codrington College, a theological college of the Anglican Church affiliated with the University of the West Indies. The grounds include the original mansion house as well as the main buildings which houses living areas and classrooms. From there, we hiked through Welchman Hall Gully, the last remaining natural rain forest on the island. The preservation of the Gully has been threatened in recent years and local naturalists are working hard to maintain this important historic and ecological property.

Students have begun to participate in course 'challenges' which require the navigation of the public transportation (bus) system to access more remote areas of the island including the north point of Barbados. This is an all day adventure that allows students to gain insight into rural life in the northern parishes.

Here are pictures from Condrington College and our hike through Welchman Hall Gully:



The Brazil Course reports:
We arrived safely in Montes Claros, the site of the heart of our service work while here in Brazil. We spent one night in the historic city of Diamantina and this picture is of the class touring the birth home of Juscelino Kubitschek, a former president of Brazil. Tomorrow…our first Capoeira lesson…



The Costa Rica Course reports:
Since the last update we've been quite busy with classes, excursions into San Jose, and more travel in the countryside. The past two afternoons we have spent visiting the Museum of Gold, the National Theater, and the National Museum. A featured exposition there was about a nineteenth century American "William Walker" who declared himself President of much of Central America and tried to take over several of the countries. The exhibit celebrated his defeat and expulsion from Costa Rica. We also took time to explore the surrounding area of San Jose in the commercial/shopping district. The group certainly stimulated the economy of several vendors.

Today we traveled about 2 hours by bus for a day of whitewater rafting on the Rio Reventazon. The guides did a great job of preparing us and leading us down the river of many "class 2-3" rapids. "Class 2-3" appears for be Spanish for "Class 4-5" rapids. It was intense and there were several unplanned swims and fishing for paddles and shoes along the way. The river was absolutely beautiful and luckily most of us have rafted before. The uncommonly nice weather was an added bonus.

Everyone is getting more accustomed to our neighborhood and venturing out more and more. We all have different family situations (we live with Costa Rican families) and that is often the topic of discussion. Last night many of us made an impromptu trip to the local futbol stadium for a three game match-up which was a fundraiser for the Cancer Society. The local San Jose Club "Saprissa" played the nearby Heredia and the very nearby Alahuela teams. They played hard, but like our Phoenix basketball team on Wednesday evening, they were defeated by the nearby rivals. Nonetheless, it was a great experience for all of us to be the only Gringos amidst many thousand Ticos.

Friday it's back to the books prior to a weekend trip to the Monteverde cloud forest.

Here are some of our latest pictures:







The Hawaii Course reports:

We are currently in Hilo on the Big Island. We had the fortune to have a traditional hula lesson taught by Hollis Kiwala'o Taylor. She is an extraordinary instructor and holds the distinction of Kumu Hula (Hula Master). We all had a great and interesting time. We also spent a day at 'Imiloa, the Hawaiian Astronomy Center. Here we learned about the formation of the islands, the sea voyage that brought the original settlers here, and celestial navigation. We had a great session talking with Ka'iu Kimora. Ka'iu sailed aboard Hokule'a on her last voyage from Hawaii through Micronesia to Japan. This voyage was done using no modern instrumentation and only historical celestial navigation skills. These sea voyages are a great source of knowledge and pride relating to the recovery of the Hawaiian culture. We also spent a day at the Hilo Farmers Market, Akaka Falls, and the Tsunami Museum. Hilo has the distinction of being severely damaged by tsunami in both 1946 & 1960. Later that night, we were invited by Stan and Sue Toyama, Hilo residents and friends of Dr. Pugh and his wife, for a traditional Hawaiian meal. It was quite a treat. We spent our last Hilo day at Volcanoes National Park. We had a ranger lead hike, went into the Thurston Lava Tube, and walked up to the caldera.

Here are some of our recent pictures. We are enjoying Hawaii as you can see!

The Ireland Course reports:
After a gloriously sunny morning at the Cliffs of Moher, a walk on the burren, and a visit to Coole Park to see the inspiration for "The Wild Swans at Coole" by Yeats, the Ireland class has arrived in Galway.

The Mexico Course reports:
We have finished the village stay where everyone fell in live with their Maya host families and the food. Sleeping in a hammock was a little difficult for some. The village stay was a bonding experience for the group.

Monday was a very unusual day culturally. It started with breakfast in a Maya hut in the village of Tinum. They then went to the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza followed by a swim and cliff diving in a cenote 75 feet underground. Upon the return to Merida there was an added activity, free tickets to a Latin Jazz concert by world renowned jazz artists. Every student got dressed up and attended the concert at a classic European style theater where the Russian Ballet performs each year. (The concert was phenomenal).

Elon can be very proud of these students.

The first photo below is of the students at one of the new seven wonders of the world, Templo Kukulkan at Chichen Itza. The second photo is Elon students, faculty and Instituto Yucatan jointly presenting gifts of school supplies to the primaria in Tinum pueblo.





The Guam Course reports:
Hafa Adai everyone!
Our continued tour of the island included a jungle riverboat cruise to an Ancient Chamorro village where we saw the Latte Stones that once supported the huts of the natives. We saw a lot of beautiful plants, and some water life, including stick fish, crabs, and a huge catfish. The tour guides gave us headbands and toy fish from coconut leaves, and showed us how they made fire with sticks. We also toured Gef Pago, a Chamorro village we where learned how to make coconut candy, how to make rope from a pandana tree, and we got to watch a master weaver work with coconut leaves. We started our service with the elders and the students were showered with gifts and affection at the senior centers. We learned some coconut leaf weaving techniques, did dances including the Guam Cha-Cha and the Electric Slide, and some of the students decided to teach the elders "Soldier Boy" and a couple of other dances. Last night we went to the Chamorro Village market and had fantastic food, saw some cultural dances and listened to some great music. All in all it has been a great cultural exchange between the mainlanders and the islanders.






The China Course reports:
Below are some photos from the Great Wall of China, the Panda Conservation Center, and the ancient wall of Xian. We're heading to Tibet tomorrow and will keep you updated from the roof of the world.






The Scandinavia Course reports:
Hellas Garden - Polar Plunging
Nordic Museum
Natural History Museum - Golden Eagle

Greetings from beautiful Scandinavia! Our group has the privilege of saying that we are partaking in the coldest Winter Term trip that Elon has ever offered. Clad with our P- coats and scarves, we are battling the dark skies and snow filled streets of Sweden’s capital, Stockholm. A few days ago, we sat atop a tour boat with reindeer skin covered seats where we enjoyed the scarce hours of sunlight that Stockholm has to offer throughout the winter.

From the tour, we passed over the sight of the sunken Vasa ship whose new resting place, the Vasa museum, was in plain view just across the bay. Later that day, our class received a guided tour that elaborated not only on the capsizing of the ship, but also the extensive salvage job of 1961. Constructed in the early 1600’s, it sank on its maiden voyage less than a mile off shore due to unstable ballast and top heavy construction. Although it looked like something straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean, it did not have the magic of the big screen to stay afloat. After sitting at the bottom of the bay for over 300 years, its true beauty can now be observed at the Vasa Museum.

In order to allow students to explore aspects of Swedish culture on their own, free days have been implemented in the itinerary every so often. Despite the frigid temperatures of the area, a few members of the group decided it would be fun to partake in a local favorite past time, the polar plunge. It is much like the Polar Bear Plunge in Elon’s Lake Marynell, except that you sit in a sauna before each plunge and the lake itself is completely frozen over except for an area kept clear for plungers. Later in the trip, the entire group will be taken there to participate in the plunge as part of a group presentation. Be waiting for a great group picture to arrive soon!

Today we arrived back from the Island of Gotland. Specifically we visited a World Heritage Site on Gotland, the medieval town of Visby which is surrounded by a centuries old wall. As with many of the places we have visited, it is easy to get a sense of the history of the area as many of the buildings that surround us are older than the United States itself. Through a local tour guide that showed us around the city, a visit to the Gotland Fornsal Museum and by talking to local cafe owners, we have been able to learn a great deal about the Viking and medieval roots of the city.

Relating to Elon, Visby is making large strides to become completely self-sufficient in regards to energy. Through solar panels, hydro electric power that is obtained from the Baltic Sea, and strategically placed windows, their library is well on its way to running solely on sustainable energy.

Our class is divided into groups that focus on the following aspects of Swedish culture: art, education, sports, wildlife, cuisine and automotive safety. The groups are responsible for contacting local professionals and creating a presentation that will educate the rest of the class in their specific areas. Thus far, the wildlife group has taken our class the Natural History Museum where we were introduced to many native creatures that are capable of surviving and adapting to the extreme climate of Scandinavia. We are all hoping that many of these species will be visible when we visit, Kiruna, Sweden’s most northern town, later this week. This evening we are looking forward to experiencing the local cuisine at Tennstopet, one of Stockholm’s local restaurants.

The Aboriginal Australia Course reports:
Wednesday Jan. 9
Today we took a Ferry Ride to Rottnest Island. The island is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, the indigenous inhabitants of the Perth City area. In one of their dreaming stories that piece of earth separated from the mainland and received its name Wadjemup once it separated, meaning "the land across the water".

In traditional Noongar history, the island had no negative connotation; however since the arrival of the Europeans, the island is very negatively associated with the Noongar people. The Europeans turned this beautiful island on the Indian Ocean a prison for the aboriginal people. They created laws without telling the aboriginal people and then imprisoned them here on Rottnest. The prisoners had a very rough time on the Island. They were only rationed 2 pounds of bread a day for all of the prisoners and their cells were the size of office cubicles. The prison is now a tourist hotel on the island called the Lodge.

There is also a cemetery on the island were both the prisoners and white inhabitants of the island are buried side by side. However, all of the graves of the aboriginals are unmarked because in their society is very particular about their deceased and their spirits.

Now on the island you can find a local Australian coffee chain Dome, tandem bike tours and a plethora of other vacationing extravaganza.

Thursday Jan. 10
Today we had more classes at Curtin University Aboriginal Study Center. We were cultured in the Aboriginal domain, dreaming and outlook by three knowledgeable individuals. One, a lady named Lesley Neale, a white woman who actually teaches professors how to teach aboriginal studies. Originally from England she has spent around 20 plus years working with aboriginal children and studying their culture.

The other is John Mallard, an aboriginal who looks like a white man. Only another indigenous person would be able to tell he was an aboriginal. He explained the intermarriage with the Dutch since the 1640’s, that have cause his white features. Mr. Mallard explained all the aspects of the Dreaming, the basis for all aspects for life on aboriginal societies. There was at one point over 400 aboriginal tribes all with their slightly own unique story of the Dreaming. Mr. Mallard cultured us in peculiar social peculiarities and aboriginal territorial rights.

Lastly, there is the very humble Darren Garvey. He is an indigenous man, a Torres Strait Islander, who hails from the Northeast corner of the continent. He is a Psychologist by trade and an expert in spreading the understanding and beauty of the aboriginal people. He is a very engaging speaker, pleasant, a phenomenal listener and seems eager to learn the American perspective on the aboriginal situation as well share all of the knowledge he has.

Later in the day we ventured to the Western Australia Museum and Art Gallery. Here we learned of the history of the indigenous dating back 50,000 years ago up to modern day. The museum covered everything from first traces of aboriginal settlement to the current day action of providing those equal rights and opportunities as well as all of the nitty gritty details in between. At the art gallery we were able to see modern artwork down by aboriginal artists all over the country.

Tomorrow we are off to Margaret River and are all very excited!!

The Brazil Course reports:
We had a Tuesday afternoon bus tour of the city of Belo Horizonte, capitol of the state of Minas Gerais and 5th largest city population-wise in Brazil. The first photo is a group one taken in front of a Catholic church (yes, it truly is a church) designed by famed architect, Oscar Niemeyer, a native of BH. The second photo is the backs of some of the students (sorry about that!) with another Niemeyer building in the background. Guess how many stories are actually in that apartment building you see? Ready…8. This is one of Niemeyer’s signature architectural creations.

Tomorrow we have a long bus ride to the historic city of Diamantina where we stay one night and then we are on to Montes Claros. Everyone is having an amazing time…and is learning a lot!




The New Zealand Course reports:
We're now in Rotorua and all is going well

The Aboriginal Australia Course reports:
After arriving in Perth we met our coordinators and enjoyed a nice dinner with our faculty; what a great way to wind down from our long travels. Our coordinators (Adrian and Ben) set up a full day of adventure for Monday. Our group of thirty split up and raced around Perth looking for restaurants, piers, shops, Aboriginal art, historical parks, etc. This race was a great way to become accustom to Perth, learn on our own, enjoy the warm weather, and find different destinations we may need to find our own way to later this week. After venturing around Perth we also headed to the Freemantle Prison and the Western Australian Maritime Museum before eating at Cottesloe beach.

Tuesday morning, our bus left around 9:30 am and we attended our first lecture at Curtain University, Center for Aboriginal Studies. Our class was lucky enough to receive a traditional Nyoongar welcome by Noel Nannup (a well known Aboriginal man) and Darren (our Curtain University faculty member). Noel began by sharing a quote with us; "For some of us, our feet still follow that of our ancestors". This quote immediately made me think of our required reading ("Why weren't we told?"); a lot of our required text spoke about never truly understanding yourself and your culture until you could understand your family history. Unfortunately, many Aboriginal people are still searching for their complete history and as they search for the answers, they trace the footsteps of their ancestors. Noel also shared an Aboriginal story with us, entitled "The Carer of Everything". This story is sacred to the Aboriginal people and challenged us to become engaged in the spiritual beliefs and values of the Aboriginal culture. Many parts of the story took place in parts of Western Australia that we will be visiting in the weeks to come; including Rottnest Island and the Wave Rock. Personally, I found the most intriguing part of his story to be when he spoke about losing all self-centered characteristics in order to be a true carer of everything. It is very easy in today's society to become self-centered and this was refreshing to hear; it made me remember that the common good goes beyond one life and beholds all humanity.

Following our first lecture, we visited the Bernadt Museum (being 75% Aboriginal Art). All of the Aboriginal Art is contemporary, being collected within one year of its making in order to have proper and thorough documentation. Our guide, John Stanton, showed us many artifacts, including carrying bowls, digging sticks, spears, clubs, boomerangs, and grinding stones. We also saw Aboriginal paintings each having their own spiritual meaning. One fascinating fact John shared with our class was that the footprints of Aboriginal people are an identification factor, as faces and fingerprints would be for us as Americans. While knowledge is seen as a privilege for the Aboriginal people, they do keep some things secretive; not sharing certain art, stories, or ways of life with outsiders. I enjoyed learning about the secretive aspect of Aboriginal culture because, we tend to forget that the richness of culture is at our fingertips. More often than not, we as Americans get caught in the materialistic ways of life that surround us and forget that we can exploit our environment and choose a multipurpose way of life.

Tomorrow we leave Perth and I can't wait for what's yet to come.

One of the photos below is of one of our students, Billy, with the books we were given as a gift from Noel Nannup. The second one is a view of Perth and Swan River from King's Park lookout. The third one is three Professors: Lesley Neale, John Mallard and Darren Garvey in the lobby of the aboriginal center at Curtin University. Behind them are three aboriginal flags. One is the Torres Straight Flag, the green represents the land; blue the ocean; and the center is a traditional head piece. The black and red with the yellow center is the universal aboriginal flag. The black represents the people, the red the land and the yellow the sun. Lastly, the center flag with the center is the Goana Flag. The fourth photo is Ross Chernin hanging off a rock on the beach at Rottnest.

The Italy Heritage Course reports:
Our class has been very busy. In Rome, we visited most of the popular ancient sites, including the Pantheon, the Coliseum, and the Forum. However, we also did some more unusual things, such as touring Ostia, visiting the Jewish Ghetto and viewing a Mithraeum (a worship site for an ancient mystery religion) under the church of San Clemente. Everyone enjoyed exploring Rome, in spite of the rainy weather. Yesterday, after visiting the catacombs, we made our way down the Amalfi coast to Sorrento. Today we explored the Greek Temples at Paestum and tomorrow we head to Pompeii. So far everything is going well and we are learning very much through these interactive lessons on Italian Heritage.

The Peru Heritage Course reports:
We are now in Nazca after moving down the coast.

In our last entry, we wrote about how some students were out sandboarding on the oasis. A few students returned saying it was the greatest thing they have ever done, while other students found the time spent in the pueblos jovenes more influential. We loved interacting with the other Elon group and look forward to seeing them at the end of the month in Machu Picchu.

We traveled in the morning to the town of Paracas. The neighboring city of Pisco was the epicenter of the August earthquake. Damage was visible in the area we visited, but our boat captain told us Pisco was totally devastated and he felt lucky to have survived. We traveled around the Ballestas Islands and witnessed close up what was once an important part of the Peruvian economy, the production of guano. The islands were covered with almost a million guano producing birds including the pelican and booby. We also saw close to a thousand sea lions and countless Humboldt penguins who migrate here to mate. It is the Humboldt Current, the cold water current that comes from Antarctica, which makes a rich environment for fish and birds, and therefore guano.

We left Paracas and stopped in Ica to tour a museum on the four coastal civilizations. At the museum the students were introduced to mummification, Peruvian style.

In Nazca we had an easy afternoon preparing for an early morning to do the overflights over the famous Nazca lines. Students were able to use the Internet to contact their parents but phone service here is confusing. Hopefully tomorrow they can call home from Arequipa. All the students took the overflights and saw the giant geoglyphs on the desert floor. Some of these, like the heron, are over 900 feet long. After breakfast the students had their first class in survival Spanish with Don Ernesto and their first environmental class with Don Daniel. Spanish covered basic phrases for hotel and restaurant use. Environmental class involved discussion of the pueblos jovenes, the possible origins of the Nazca lines, the guano industry and the Humboldt Current and its effect on the environment and the economy. After lunch we visited a series of aqueducts that have been maintained for over two thousand years. The aqueducts carry water from the Andes and still provide water for many coastal towns.

Tomorrow is a long bus ride, 12 hours, to Arequipa with several stops along the way. We will send more updates once we get there.

The Costa Rica Course reports:
We spent the past weekend at Turtuguero. This is the location where green sea turtles nest, and we were able to see one hatchling scramble to the ocean. We investigated the town of Tortuguero, explored the Tortuguero National Park for wildlife, and even held a championship soccer match, which the locals won 8 to 6.

The Tortuguero National Park outing involved a three hour bus ride followed by a 2 hour boat ride through various canals and rivers between Moin and Tortuguero Island, a 22 mile long strip containing a large nesting population of greenback turtles. We actually were able to rescue one "Lone Ranger" left behind in a nest and the group cheered when it finally made it to the sea. Additionally we observed many exotic trees/bushes/flowers and a host of local wildlife. There were crocodiles, tree frogs, iguanas, geckos, monkeys, fish, many species of birds, bats, and Caymans, to name a few. We learned much about the history of the area, its ecology, and what is being done to protect this beautiful natural resource. We had guides who knew the area well and had an astounding ability to spot a small lizard in a large tree from 50 yards! The area gets nearly 200 inches of rain annually but we were fortunate that it rained mostly at night and we had two beautiful days to explore. Dr. Brumbaugh said it was some of the best weather he's experienced there in many years.

The group is doing well. Other than a few stubbed toes/scraped knees we are all in great shape. After spending a great weekend in the Tortuguero National Park, we are settled back in San Jose for classes on Language and Culture. This afternoon we will go downtown to visit the National Museum.


The Cathedral Course reports:
We are in Florence and all is well.

The Brazil Course reports:
We arrived safely in Belo Horizonte (affectionately known as BH down here-- it translates to "beautiful horizon" due to the beauty of the mountain ranges surrounding the city). We are planning on watching the college championship football game together this evening. Tomorrow we will be visiting the city's important cultural and historical sites including some of the famous works by architect Oscar Niemeyer (Brazil's most famous architect that designed most of the buildings in the new capitol city, Brasilia, built in 1955-1960). His works in BH include an apartment building on Liberty Plaza, and a church and museum in the Pampulha Lake district. The students enjoyed the immense socio-cultural diversity in Rio, it's contrasts with BH, and are impressed with the natural and cultural wonders that make Brazil an interesting and exciting place to learn about. We've been having great discussions in our class meetings about what we have seen and done!

The Ireland Course reports:
We have arrived safely at Shannon and are looking forward to seeing Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle tomorrow. We are all so delighted to be on Irish soil finally!