Food is never far from the forefront of our groups’ mind. Our wonderful preoccupation with our meals didn’t skip a beat during student directed travel. We started our week off in the sleepy fishing village of Las Peñitas, a lazy beach town perfect for relaxing, swimming, and eating. So we relaxed, swam, and ate. If you had walked into the common area at Hostal Barca de Oro you would’ve found… Read More
Last week our group split into two groups and embarked on separate CVA (Conservation Volunteers of Australia) journeys. My group, which consisted of Nick, Riley, Liv, Trace, Allie, Brett and our new team leader whose name was also Brett, camped and worked at the beautiful Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park for the week.
Our campsite was a short walk from the beach which was made up of warm… Read More
Our journey into the outback began when we got picked up in this massive off-road looking bus. We set off into the outback riding on normal asphalt roads as well as driving on rocky dirt roads. It was pretty hard to take a nap because we were being bounced around inside the truck. The very first place we stopped, we were at a watering hole so we could go for… Read More
After a tough week of work in the Amazon we returned back to Puerto Maldonado a small river town. There we decided to splurge on a hostal that was slightly out of our budget but a neccesary luxury. The hostal Anaconda Lodge featured large lodge type rooms with private bathrooms, warm water, comfy beds, a gorgeous pool, the best thai food in Peru, and best of all monkeys. It was… Read More
After a week of jungle life, it was time to begin our student directed travel. We stayed in Puerto Maldonado for a couple of days in what became known amongst the group as `Monkey Palace`. Monkey Palace is the beautiful hostal we stayed in, filled with adorable (but sneaky) monkeys. After Puerto Maldonado, we took a 10 hour night bus to Cusco, and from there, a 2 hour bus ride… Read More
L’Esperance, the hilltop orphanage in Rwanda across an expansive lake from dual Congolese volcanoes.
We began our week of forestry, frolicking with children, and painting with the not-so steady boat ride into the beachfront property of the L’esperance Orphanage. After the 45 minute walk up to the colorful orphanage we arrived to find something of a paradise. Victor, the Guatemalan director of L’Esperance opened his home to us and among… Read More
Blog from Sarah P. Hello friends and family!
We are now in Rwanda after an amazing few days on a canoe trek around Lake Bunyonyi.
On the canoe trek we spent the first day canoeing and exploring the islands around the lake. It was really beautiful, and nice to be back on the water. We were in dugout canoes that are made by hand by various people around the lake.… Read More
G’Day family and friends of the Carpe Hongi group!
We just arrived back in Alice Springs from an exhausting, yet liberating week in the Australian outback. This week has pushed us in ways we didn’t even know we could be pushed, both emotionally and physically. From a 25 hour train ride all the way to swimming in between million year old rocks.
Our bodies were tired, dripping with sweat and… Read More
I could see the apprehension in Benji’s eyes at the first whispers of a Thanksgiving feast, hours after finishing a four day trek. But once Katrina and I secured a kitchen, the wheels of holiday cheer were in motion and there was no stopping us. Over the next few days, all eight of us brainstormed different dishes to serve and thought up strategies on how to execute an eight-dish meal… Read More
Ever since applying for Carpe India, I’ve been psyched for the four day trek. There’s something extremely satisfying about going from point A to point B using nothing but my two feet (plus 16 mules’ hooves…zero ways I’m dragging a propane tank and a few tents up the mountain). The trek was challenging on some days but we got plenty of breaks and were treated like kings and queens at… Read More
We have been very busy here in India the past several weeks, but a very different kind of busy from the first half of the trip. Instead of running about crowded towns filled with honking horns and cows, we have been enjoying the mountain scenery around the towns of Rishikesh and Dharamshala.
After a short stop in Delhi after an incredible week in Kolkata, we took a train to Rishikesh… Read More
Blog from Lily B. Walking to the bus station, we learned what the benefits are to backpacking light. We headed off southbound to Mafinga for a brief wait at the bus station for the connection to Mufindi- a site of peculiar people watching and interesting cultural
interactions. Bumping along the roads to Mufindi Chilren’s Village, we saw brilliant green tea fields in all directions. We met with Amari, new college… Read More
Just a quick post to keep everyone updated! We haven’t had time the last week to take care of group things such as the blog because we’ve been staying at the beautiful Phool Chatti ashram in upper Rishikesh. The ashram overlooks the Ganges river from a bluff and has the perfect atmosphere for some serious reflection and spiritual exploration. Our days we’re jam-packed (5:30 am to 9 pm!) with yoga,… Read More
Greetings from Calcutta! I have been given the lofty task of describing my experience here. Honestly, I know that I will probably fail at fully expressing all of the emotions I have pertaining to this amazing place, but I will try my best.
I want to start off by saying that Calcutta was the reason that I chose this program. Yes, I was excited for many other aspects of the… Read More
Blog courtesy of Maddy K. from their safari a couple of weeks ago! Thanks for your patience with the delay on posting this blog as internet can be challenging in Tanzania. Hello Hello Hello!
I am Maddy Karsten from Grand Rapids, Michigan and this week’s blogger! Since our five days learning Swahili at River Valley Campsite, we have had an unforgettable 5 days. We spent three full days walking around… Read More
On the morning of November 9th, we all said farewell to our wonderful host families as we began our full day journey to Bona Fide Farm on the island of Ometepe. Carrying our backpacks with us, and thankfully not misplacing any of them, we prepared ourselves for two back to back two and a half hour bus rides, 2 taxi rides, and eventually the one hour ferry ride (which was… Read More
This week we headed up the Rio de Madre Dios to El Gato hostel in the Amazon Basin of Peru. We focused on the theme of sustainable living by working with the local nonprofit, Camino Verde, to build a fish pond so they can source their own protein. This organization strives to protect the biodiversity of the beautiful Tambopata river basin by planting endangered tree species. Enjoy the photo highlights… Read More
