Participating in activities at a local festival in Northern Thailand. Celebrations include music, stilt walking, and fishing.OE Jon practices his flying skills.Hanging by the river waiting for the festivities to begin in Nan Thailand.Puppy friend at the permaculture farm.The group takes a photo break during their trek outside of Chiang Rai, Thailand.Drinking out of bamboo cups at a break during the trek outside of Chiang … Read More
Boat trip along the Mekong outside of Kirati, Cambodia.Working with local communities on a garden project through SUP Asia.Staying with homestay families on an island in the Mekong.Exploring Bangkok by boat.Watching a muay thai match in Bangkok.Meal time at Sahainan, a permaculture farm in Thailand.… Read More
Classrooms for the week!Cooking class!Elliot stirring homemade honey.Cooking class.Annie getting ready to fry up our pastries.The finished product.Grace roasts fresh coffee beans.Talia enjoying the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.Ready for the next coffee tasting.How we make “bio” gas!Composting toilet.Vista from the Spanish School.… Read More
By Rebecca Klane
Halfway through. Never before have I had such a mix of awe that it has already been six weeks and frustration that we will not experience the comforts of home for another six. Time has passed quickly but it still seems like there is such a long way to go. Though not logical, this juxtaposition between positive and negative mindsets matches up well with the mixture of… Read More
Hello family and friends of the Sabai group!
This past week the group headed to our friend Sandot’s permaculture farm in Thung Chung, Thailand. Permaculture farming is a style of sustainable farming that is able to use its surrounding areas to its advantage. This enables the farmer to interact with the farm as minimally as possible (once it is established). We learned so much on the farm.
The first day… Read More
By Maddie Cloran
Hola!
Greetings once again from Escuela de Español Colibrí! It’s been a Spanish-practicing, organic, activity-filled week at school and we have been having so much fun continuing to explore the city of Matagalpa. Here at the school, we’ve been practicing our Spanish skills while immersing ourselves in the Nicaraguan culture. Every day this week after class and a lovely home-cooked lunch, we participated in an activity to… Read More
By Greg Hart, our contact abroadThe hillside where we planted the trees for Carpe Diem last year. Most have survived the summer and are set for good growth over the coming wetter season.Spending a couple of hours pruning trees in a block that every Carpe group of students we have hosted (this is the 8th) has spent time working on.… Read More
Kayleigh and Kiara relaxing on the top of a waterfall after a long hike near our Swahili School.Group photo with our teacher from Swahili school.Prepping to make pizza for our host families in Morogoro.The proud chefs.Kiara, Elle, and Tosca with their host parents.Maytal and Kayleigh with their host dad.Always waiting for a bus! (Mafinga, Tanzania)Mary Dudley learning the art of whacking beans with … Read More
By Renee Noordzij
It’s always hot here. And when it isn’t hot, it’s downpouring. So I’m either sweaty or soaked with rain. It’s just a little bit different than the snow of my hometown near Boston. There’s bugs. Everywhere. On the walls, the floors, in the shower, in my bed. My legs are covered in bug bites. My main source of nutrition is rice. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner I… Read More
By Grace Cain-Kellman
Hola from a new country!!!!
Picking up from the last post midway through our stay in El Paredón, our group squeezed in as much as we could during our last days on the ocean. Each time we were sent off for free time, someone grabbed a surfboard, a boogie board or just a towel to get tossed around by the Guatemalan sea, inevitably swallowing some to take… Read More
By Karly Britt
Hi friends and family!
This past week, the group had the amazing opportunity to explore the Amazon! The week started with a boat ride down the Arajuno River, a tributary to the Amazon River, to our home for the week: the Arajuno Jungle Lodge. There, we met Tom Larson, AKA the coolest guy ever. Tom told us about all the work he has been doing to help… Read More
By Maytal Agasi
Habari gani ndugu?
Tunajifunza Kiswahili Morogoro.
Tunasema Kiswahili kidogo.
Hali ya hewa ni joto na mvua.
Tunafurahia kunywa chai ya moto.
Tumekula mikate mingi.
Miti na maua ni mizuri.
How are you friend?
We are learning swahili in Morogoro.
We only speak a little Swahili.
The weather is hot and rainy .
We like to drink hot tea at tea time.
We eat a lot of bread.… Read More
Meeting with the director of WeAct, an organization that provides health services and entrepreneurship opportunities for women infected with HIV/AIDS in Kigali, Rwanda.Meeting with the ladies of the sewing cooperative in Kigali.Freshly picked coffee beans at the Huye Mountain Coffee Farm.Tosca learns how to roast coffee beans the old fashioned way in Huye, Southern Rwanda.Morgan enjoying the view after a hike at the Huye Mountain Coffee … Read More
By Tosca van Oostrum and Maytal Agasi
Last week we were in Rwanda and experienced a lot of emotions that we wanted to share with you.
Apprehensive for crossing our very first land border.
Thankful for better infrastructure in Rwanda.
Frustrated with the language barrier.
Clean due to the supposedly “free” laundry service.
Intune with the nature that surrounds us (even the bugs).
Shocked by the personal stories of the… Read More
By Chandler Christopher
During my time with the Batwa, I received the opportunity to interview four of the members who spoke English. In Batwa communities, it’s very rare that people are educated and know English. So, this was a very big, uncommon opportunity to verbally communicate in the same language with these people. The Batwa are the indigenous people of Uganda, the native people of this beautiful country. Their ancestors… Read More
By Daisy Osowski
The rainy season is upon us. Dirt paths have turned to slip and slides and hauling water from our water tank 30 feet away has turned into an adventure. Just the other day while I was hauling a 40-pound jerrycan up to my house I made it to the top of the hill and slid all the way back down it.
The rainy season isn’t all bad… Read More
By Maggie Otal
Been in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala for a few weeks now and it is just as beautiful as I remember. I love the atmosphere and all the friendly faces. Every person you walk past says “Buenos Dias” or “buenos tardes” even if they have no idea who you are. Some of my favorite parts of being in Xela (short for Quetzaltenango) is seeing the panaderias (bakeries) on every corner… Read More
By Kyla Moede
I never would’ve imagined myself to have gained a deep obsession with five baby howler monkeys in such a simple, tiny town in Belize called Sarteneja.
It’s amazing how life always seems to work itself out. My initial inclination was drawing me to Australia, Thailand, Bali or Costa Rica, and I was somewhat disappointed in my choice of location, but now, I’ve realized that there is no… Read More
