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.

The Business in New Zealand Course reports:
We've arrived safely in Christchurch following our flight from Wellington. The students are actively engaged in many activities and having heaps of fun. They're also learning a great deal. Tomorrow we're going on a farm tour on the Canterbury plains.

The Ireland Course reports:
We visited Newgrange passage tomb this morning and continued south to Dublin, where we have settled in at the edge of the bustling Temple Bar area. Tomorrow we will explore the Dublin Writers' Museum.

The Brazil Course reports:
The Brazil class is now in Salvador, the heart of the Afro-Brazilian area. We did not realize our first day would be the day of Salvador´s most important religious festival, the washing of the steps of the Church of the Bonfim. The procession got started early right outside our hotel and the first picture is one of that gathering. Unfortunately, because of today´s celebration we were unable to visit the Church of the Bonfim, but we had a fabulous tour of the city, nonetheless. We also had another in a series of class meetings where students present their research on various aspects of Brazilian culture, politics, economics, geography, etc. The second picture is of the class during one student´s presentation.




The Costa Rica Course reports:
After a four-day weekend excursion, the group is now back in San Jose with three full days of classes in preparation for Saturday's final exams in Spanish and in the culture/history/ecology/politics of Costa Rica.

This past weekend began with a five hour bus ride to the Monte Verde ("Green Mountain") Cloud Forest Reserve. A cloud Forest, we learned, is like a rain forest except it is located at high altitude and gets its abundant moisture from clouds that come through from the nearby Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It was amazing to actually be "in" the clouds as they blew through at 50+ mph. The abundant plant and animal species were seen and identified thanks to our expert local guides. Highlights of the day included a tarantula, chameleon-like lizard, howler monkeys, and the elusive Resplendent Quetzal.

We finished the long weekend with a day and night at the Arenal Volcano (about a 4 hour ride). As we arrived we were able to see the very top of the dual coned pyramid, which we later learned was quite a treat since it is normally covered by clouds. The clouds did come and we were unable to see the nighttime slow eruptions of lava and red hot rock.

Wednesday brought a brief trip to the local emergency room as one of our crew was a bit under the weather (but no worries, all are fine now except for a few sniffles). The experience was educational as we learned much about the health care system here. We were seen by a well trained, pleasant physician faster than it takes to even get your insurance info completed in most US hospitals. Within 15 minutes of walking in the door, the intake and triage were done and we were with one of the ER docs. The care was constant, competent, and thorough. And this good care came at a low cost... you could FLY TO COSTA RICA, be seen in a private hospital ER and fly back cheaper than most visits to an ER in the US. Some people even come down for elective surgeries because they are less expensive and the care is superb (they utilize current technology and top notch care in this particular hospital). The country also has universal public health care and universal insurance, although there are wait lists for elective surgeries and patient needs are prioritized by urgency rather than ability to pay.

Today the students are in class preparing for tomorrow's final exams. They have three hours of Spanish this morning and then one final guest speaker this afternoon. On Sunday we will head to the Irazu Volcano for a day and night and then on to end the course with some R & R at Manuel Antonio, on the Atlantic Ocean. We'll then be back in San Jose for one night before a very early wake-up and flight home on the 25th.

The New Zealand Business Course reports:

The WWII Course reports:
We have arrived in Krakow safely.

The Costa Rica Course reports:
We are doing fine.

The Brazil Course reports:
We have safely arrived in Salvador but internet access is not as convenient. Pictures to come later! Everyone loves it here!

The Peru Biology Course reports:
We are doing well in the Amazon Basin.

The Italy Fine Arts Course reports:
We are doing well. We will be heading to Florence soon.

The Brazil Course reports:
On Tuesday we spent our last day in Montes Claros by visiting the local hospital where we heard a lecture on their humanization project, made room decorations for the pediatric wing and participated in an arts project. We also attracted local TV coverage again. The pictures are a group shot following the lecture and two students giving interviews to the TV crews.

On Wednesday we visit our next to the last spot, Salvador, the Afro-Brazilian capital. Internet access will become more spotty and updates will probably be less frequent.






The Ireland Course reports:
After crossing a border that we could not see and exchanging Euros for pounds, we have settled into our hotel in Derry. Today we will explore the history of this city at the Tower Museum and then take a walking tour of the murals commemorating Bloody Sunday and the city walls.

The Peru Heritage Course reports:
We have arrived in Cuzco for 3 nights and 2 days of class and local touring.

We spent the last four days in Chivay, Puno and on the island of Amantani. On the way from Arequipa to Puno we crossed over the Andes at 16,000 feet but decided not to stop because of inclement weather. In Chivay, we stayed at a quaint little hotel that Wade Harvey dubbed "the Shire" because it reminded him of the Lord of the Rings. The students enjoyed a visit to the hot springs and a quiet night of adjusting to the altitude. The next morning we awoke early to try to catch a glimpse of the Andean Condors as they rise on the thermal currents. It was a cold morning and even though we saw condors, we did not get a close up view. But wait, we decided to stop for lunch on the edge of the canyon and were treated with three young condors that flew directly over our heads!

After lunch we headed back over the high pass and thanks to better weather we stopped so the students could catch a great view of a series of Andean volcanoes. We then continued on a long bus ride to Puno and Lake Titicaca.

The next morning the students and Don Daniel embarked on their voyage to the floating islands, called the Uros, and onto the island of Amantani. On the Uros Islands, our local guide and island hosts explained to us how the islands were constructed and maintained. The islands are constructed of the roots of the reeds that surround the low water of the bay of Puno and when the reeds die, the roots float like cork. The students were even invited to "eat" the island since parts of the reeds are edible and are a source of fluoride for the locals. After visiting two of the floating islands we traveled across Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, to Amantani. The people of Amantani invited us with open arms, especially Don Daniel who has visited several times and is blessed to be a godfather to a young girl named Milagros.

After lunch we divided into groups and met the families that would host us for our home stays. The students settled in and then hiked to the top of the island to view the sunset on the lake and get a view of Bolivia. Our first day on Amantani was finished with a fire and dancing. Don Daniel was the first to dance and taught everyone the local dance. At the end of the night the students presented Don Turibio, one of the local elders, with books and supplies to help the school children and pledged that they would try to perpetuate this exchange. All the locals thanked us on behalf of their children and grandchildren.

The next morning was spent working the fields or cooking with our families. For example, Larissa and Lauren plowed the field with Don Benedicto and Annie, Dan, Jordan, and Kelly helped weed and harvest potatoes. After lunch we returned to Puno.

From Puno we headed to Cuzco. The students are currently on their own eating dinner and we will start our formal schedule tomorrow.

The China Course reports:
After coming down from the roof the world, we've arrived at Yunnan Province at the foot of the Himalayas. Everybody just loves Yunnan Province in southern China very much. Here, the air is fresh, the hotel is nice, the food is delicious, and the landscape is beautiful.

Yesterday morning, we visited a small village called Qixing, which is home for Sani people, one of the 56 minority ethnic groups in China. In the afternoon, we enjoyed the fantastic Stone Forest, a unique karst landscape that has been designated as a UNESCO Geopark and World Heritage.

This morning, we went to see the Minority Cultural Village which is an epitome of the 56 minority groups in Yunnan province. While enjoying the various beautiful buildings and unique architectures there, the students had a chance to ride elephants and fly on the zipline.

After lunch, we flew to Lijang, which is believed to be the real location for Shangri-La. Many students have instantly fallen in love with it and don't want to leave for the rest of the course. We'll keep you updated when we start our exciting journey tomorrow!

Here are some pictures from our journey: