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:

The WWII Course reports:
Since Saturday we have been in Prague. The pictures below show the Astronomical Clock and St. Vitus Cathedral in the Prague Castle (Photo 1 & 2). On Sunday we toured the site of Lidice, a Czech town razed to the ground by the Nazis in revenge for the assassination of the German commander Reinhard Heydrich. All 192 men in the village were shot and all the women and children were sent to concentration camps, where 52 women died by torture and 88 of 105 children were gassed. We met with Mrs. Miloslava Kalibova (Photo 3), who was 19 when she was sent to the concentration camp and was one of the few who survived. On the site is a memorial consisting of life-sized statues of the 105 children (Photo 4).

On Monday, we toured Josefov, the former Jewish quarter of Prague. We visited the Jewish Cemetery which was used from the 14th to the 18th centuries (Photo 5), and then met with Pavel Stransky, a Holocaust survivor of the Theresienstadt and Auschwitz concentration camps (Photo 6).








The Costa Rica Course reports:
We are in Arenal on a mountain top tonight before heading back to San Jose tomorrow. All is well after a wonderful visit to Monteverde. We had great weather there and were able to see Arenal Volcano entirely today, quite a rare treat. All students are doing fine and the group is doing well collectively.

The Guam Course reports:
Hafa Adai from Guam!
We toured Saipan this weekend and saw several points of WWII history, including two war museums, Suicide Cliff, Bonzai Cliff, and several bunkers. We also toured the beautiful grotto, saw some sunken tanks and planes just offshore of our resort, and our tour was concluded with a star-studded performance at the Hard Rock Cafe Saipan.
This week our work with Catholic Social Services includes visits to several centers around the island. Tonight we're going to the opening day of Guam Major League Baseball and then we're off to the Chamorro Village Market tomorrow night. This weekend we'll take a dolphin watch snorkeling tour and go on a jungle hike, otherwise known as a boonie stomp!






The Ireland Course reports:
Here are our students at Kylemore Abbey situated in the Connemara Mountains in Western Ireland and at Glencar Lough and waterfalls in Yeats' country, Sligo. We're off to Derry in Northern Ireland in the morning.




The Brazil Course reports:
On Monday the Brazil class had their third and final Capoeira lesson. I hear some of them plan to bring Capoeira back to Elon. Here’s a group shot with our master instructor.

We also finished our service project with Laborearte by decorating the gazebo at the assisted living facility for Carnival and having a party…as you can see from the pictures.
A local TV station came to do a story on our project, too!

The Mexico Course reports:

Hemos estado ocupados durante la semana pasada. Empezamos en Mérida, México y entonces nos mudamos a los pueblos Tinum y Loop Xul por dos noches. La primera foto muestra a nuestro grupo en la primera noche en México cerca del centro de la cuidad donde pasamos tiempo juntos y llevamos sombreros tradicionales. El segundo día, conocimos a nuestras familias anfitrionas y nos establecimos antes de prepararmos para las actividades del próximo día. La segunda foto es una de las ruinas de Dzibilchaltún donde tuvimos nuestra primera lección de la historia de los mayas. Aprendimos sobre el calendario, el estilo de vida, y las tradiciones. La tercera foto es de nuestro tiempo en Loop Xul, un pueblo cerca de Tinum, en una milpa tradicional donde ayudamos a la familia de granjeros a hacer canastas. Aquí, nos acostumbramos a la vida sencilla. Dormimos en hamacas, visitamos una panadería, ayudamos a un carpintero, y aprendimos sobre medicinas tradicionales herbales. En el viaje de vuelta a Mérida, aumentamos nuestro conocimiento de los mayas con una parada en Chichén Itzá, uno de los Siete Maravillas del Mundo. Durante nuestro tiempo en Tinum aprendimos a bañarnos al estilo maya con un cubo y una copa, y disfrutamos de nadar en el cenote mostrado en la cuarta foto.

(English Translation of above)
We have been very busy the last week. We began in Mérida, Mexico and then moved to the villages of Tinum and Loop Xul for two nights. The first photo shows our group on our first night in Mexico near the center of the city spending time together and wearing traditional sombreros. On the second day, we met our host families and got settled before we prepared for the next day’s activities. The second photo is one of the ruins of Dzibilchaltún where we had our first Maya history lesson. We learned about the calendar, the lifestyle, and the traditions. The third photo is of our time in Loop Xul, a village close to Tinum, in a traditional milpa where we helped a family of farmers make baskets. Here, we became accustomed to the simple life. We slept in hammocks, visited a bread bakery, assisted a carpenter, and learned about traditional herbal medicines. On the trip back to Mérida, we increased our knowledge of the Maya with a stop at Chichen Itza, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. During our time in Tinum we bathed with a bucket and a cup like the Maya, and we enjoyed swimming in the cenote shown in the fourth photo.

Written by class reporters Caitlin McGuire, Brett Patterson and Laura Ward.





The New Zealand Business Course reports:
We're now in Napier. Everything is going very smoothly.

The London Course reports:
Things have been going swimmingly because all is well and the amount of rain we have received since our arrival. While we are all conscious that this is typical weather for this time of year, I suppose we also thought that our auspicious arrival would somehow change the universe.

On Monday, the entire group saw “The History Boys”, a play about different philosophies of teaching and human relationships. The topical issues and humor excited discussions about teaching and learning as well as the ethics of certain kinds of behavior. It was originally produced at the National Theatre but became so popular that it demanded a West End venue. We highly recommend History Boys as an intelligent and thought provoking experience.

Wednesday and Thursday tested our students’ resolve with high winds and constant rain in Wales. This was especially the case at Big Pit, an operating coal mine, located on the barren hills a ways outside of Cardiff. We learned a great deal about coal production for the avarice appetite of industry in England and, perhaps even more importantly, the gentleness and dry humor of the Welsh. Our guide was a retired miner who, without a trace of anxiety, took us through a malfunctioning exhibition with rough grace and humanity.

Tomorrow, we leave for a tour of Canterbury Cathedral in the morning and an experimental excursion to medieval ruins, beach and an oyster harvesting around Whitstable. We do not know what to expect of this part of our travels but we all decided to take a chance and attempt something different. The decision forced us to function on that continuum between courage and ignorance.

The WWII Course reports:
We arrived in Prague just fine after a 12-hour train trip from Amsterdam. Had a walking tour around the Old Town and the Prague Castle this morning.

The Italy Heritage Course reports:
We have been traveling quite a bit. We were in Sorrento for a few days and from there we made day trips to Pompeii, Paestum, and Naples (where a garbage strike was in full force). In Pompeii we checked out the ancient brothel, among other interesting places! After Sorrento, we spent a couple of nights in Orvieto. A highlight for many of us was a visit to Civita Banreggio, a hill city that is slowly eroding away. Our presence in the city tripled the population and we had to walk across a footbridge to reach the city. Today we travelled to Spoleto, where tomorrow we meet the mayor and experience the yearly procession of the skull of the town's patron saint.

The China Course reports:
We've arrived at the roof of the world – Tibet. Although a few students are still adjusting the high altitude, in general, the whole group is doing very well and having a great time here. Yesterday, we visited Portala Palace (winter palace for Dalai Lama), Jokhang Temple (the holiest place for Tibetan), and Tibet Hospital. Today, we went to Norbulinka (Summer Palace for Dalai Lama), Tibet Museum, and Sera Monastery. Tomorrow morning we'll leave Lhasa for Kunming.





The Ireland Course reports:
We left Galway this morning after a memorable time there experiencing the seafaring culture in connection to the drama of Synge and enjoying the abundance of traditional music. This morning we learned about the mining of Connemara marble (and made a few purchases!) and then visited the beautiful Kylemore Abbey. Tonight we will discuss several Yeats poems in preparation for our tour of Yeats country around Sligo tomorrow.

The Brazil Course reports:
On Saturday we had a 2nd Capoeira lesson and returned to Laborearte to continue work on our service art project. Once again we were joined by children from the orphanage and residents of the assisted living facility where our art will be displayed. Those old folks sure do like to dance! The picture is of the group having a Samba lesson. At least one student has said Saturday was a life-changing experience for them. That’s why we’re here!



The Barbados Course reports:

We will spend most of the remaining time in country exploring the island's history and culture in small groups. This is a bit challenging as it requires utilization of a public bus system that is often over burdened and difficult to navigate. We have had the opportunity to visit some of the old sugar plantations as well as the Barbados wildlife preserve. The famous 'green monkeys' made an appearance just as we were preparing to board the bus! These most recent pictures highlight a large drive wheel once used to crush cane in the rum production process as well as students enjoying a few hours of relaxation at Bottom Bay, one of Barbados east coast beaches.

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

The Scandinavia Course reports:
Here are some photos from our course.













The Brazil Course reports:
Friday has been a very busy day in Brazil. We started with a Capoeira lesson, our first of three. The first picture is the class as a group learning some of the basic moves…this one is a defensive move. In the 2nd picture Chase Keller and Dave Day are showing off what they have learned. We then went to visit an HIV/AIDs NGO called Grappa. We finished our day with the beginning of our major service project…working with an NGO called Laborarte which takes discarded materials and turns them into beautiful art, teaching at risk teens to make the art. They are starting to work more with the elderly, also, and our project is to make Carnival decorations for a public assisted living facility. Some kids from a local orphanage are helping us, too. Today we painted and cut and we were joined by some of the elderly folks and some of the orphans. On Saturday we will continue making our art and on Monday we will decorate the facility. It has been very moving experience for us already. The third picture from Brazil today is one table of our students, along with a few kids from the orphanage, making flowers out of the bottoms of discarded 2 liter soda bottles.





The Ireland Course reports:
Greetings from the Emerald Isle! We finally found an Internet cafe where we can upload pictures. You can see our students here at the Cliffs of Moher, with the Aran Islands and O'Brien's Tower in the background. We were lucky to have sunny weather even though it was very windy on the Cliffs. Then we stopped by the Burren, which is an area of limestone rock. We're enjoying our final day in Galway, despite the rain, and then we'll be off to Kylemore Abbey and Sligo tomorrow.

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!