This week took us from the Amazon to the Andes. We have spent the past 7 days in Peguche, a small indigenous town in northern Ecuador. Our group of 12 split into three smaller groups for homestays with local families. We have lived and eaten with our host families as well as had Spanish classes in their homes in the mornings. In the afternoons, the whole group got together to… Read More
How many people do you know have been to Madagascar? Me, I’ve only ever met one person, a well traveled man whom i greatly respect and admire.
“What do you think of me going to Madagascar for my Latitudes program?” I asked.
“You’ll love it.”
A 14 hour international flight to Tananarivo, the capital, an hour and a half local flight to Fort dauphin, Madagascar’s most southern city, a three… Read More
Namaskar dear friends and family!
It’s Kai-ji writing to you today from the beautiful, hot, historic city of Calcutta. This past week has been packed full of exploring both the wonderful city as well as the privileges we have all been blessed with.
For the past six days, the group has been volunteering at the Mother Theresa Home for the Destitute. Our typical day starts with breakfast at 7am and… Read More
After two strenuous weeks of language classes at PlQ and la Escuela de la Montaña we took a four hour bus ride to the city of Antigua where we spent one night. The following day we left for the remote town of El Paredon where we have been volunteering with the local non-profit La Choza Chula. We have been learning about sustainable development in small communities. We volunteered with local… Read More
On Sunday we arrived to the amazon and it was amazing. The water was flowing nice, the amazon house that is owned by Tom had one lounging room that had a dinner table that overlooks the river. Dinner was very special because there was no lights and so its candle-lit throughout the table along with buffet style food served to all 14 of us. Breakfast at 8, work from 9… Read More
It felt like we were only back in Bayamo for a split-second before we were on a bus to a new city. A new place to explore, a new group of Cubans who can share their lives with us! The buses in Cuba have been surprisingly comfortable. Chinese made, they have reclining seats and AC consistently cranked down to below freezing…allowing us to finally make good use of our Patagonias,… Read More
Blog from Cooper
After arriving at the Mirror Foundation and helping restore some of there rice fields, we got dropped of in the Lahu village. Right away we got greeted by friendly smiles and kids jumping on us already wanting to play football. Abooja, abooja saying hello in Lahu to the friendly people. We get into our home stay and get accustomed to our blankets for beds and the ground… Read More
The first thing that hit me as I stepped outside the airport in Accra, Ghana was the intense heat that is West Africa. Within minutes my clothes were soaked with sweat as the humidity clung to every inch of my skin. I was welcomed by my contact and his wife, and after a restless nights sleep in a dingy hotel, we made the six hour drive to Kumasi where I… Read More
Hello Family and Friends!
This week was our student directed travel week! The week began with a trip to Hobbiton, the film set for both the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. During our visit we had the opportunity to walk through the shire and learn all about how the movies were made. Pierce and Aislinn, our die hard Lord of the Rings fans, was bursting with excitement the… Read More
Blog from Tyler C
Writing this hiding from the heat that’s only getting warmer as the days go on. The rainy season on Koh Tao is over and the dry season is approaching with only my fan to keep me cool. But don’t worry many cold showers are being taken to try to stay cool.
I arrived on this island kind of lost and with very little idea of where… Read More
I couldn’t have made a better choice than to come to New Zealand for the second semester of my latitudes year. The past seven weeks here in the Tasman Region on the South Island have exceeded expectations, and I’ve had a blast at my FVP.
Interning at Whenua Iti Outdoors, an experiential education organization that brings in school groups for multi-day expeditions and camp programs, I’ve been documenting activities and… Read More
Blog from George Geike
We continued our cultural immersion in the highlands of Southern Tanzania through a two-part program in Igoda province organized by Foxes NGO, a non-profit dedicated to child welfare and regional healthcare.
The first half of our program was a four-night homestay with farmer families of the Hehe tribe. Here, our Kiswahili and “kulima” (cultivation) skills gained over the past two weeks at Lutheran Junior Seminary and… Read More
Blog and photos from Anna Rapson
7 weeks ago, I arrived in Yarra Junction, a little bit confused and extremely exhausted. My host was nowhere to be seen, and after three hours of traveling to get to the valley, I was upset and already in a bad mood. After about an hour, my host Travis picked me up on the side of the road. I discovered that that day was… Read More
Blog from Deanna. Photos from Diane and Peter
After leaving Varanasi, the group arrived in Bodhgaya. We’ve spent the last six days studying Buddhism and meditation while staying at the Root Institute for Wisdom Culture. Here the group would start the days with meditation and dharma talks. During our meditation we would meditate on love and compassion. Some would consist of us meditating on our love for our mothers and… Read More
A few snapshots of the group’s time at the farm outside of Varanassi last week and in Saranath. Thanks Dianne and Peter for the great photos!… Read More
Ashram life is breathtaking, unusual and full of energy! Cali, Colombia is a beautiful city with lots to do so you will never get bored here. I arrived at Yogendra EcoAshram at the end of January with about a week to rest, explore and try to make this place feel like home for three months. It was difficult for me at the beginning trying to figure out how I fit… Read More
Day 1
The crew piled into the two vehicles and headed for Santo Domingo! After a long and bumpy ride we arrived, hungry for adventure and maybe a second lunch. We split up into our houses and then met back up to hang out before dinner. There we met our guide Miguel. A man who was friendly and was ready to show us around the mountain. He described the plan… Read More
It has been a jam packed week full of all things Bayamo. Bayamo is one of the most historic cities in Cuba, allowing us to better understands this beautiful nation’s history. On our first day in Bayamo we began the day by riding horse coaches throughout the city. We quickly learned that about 40% of the city relies on horses as a means for transportation. The city felt almost farm… Read More
7 marzo, 2017
I write this sitting in a friend’s living room, listening to the rain beat some ancient rhythm outside as it has been for the past few days. Jack and I are staying here at Kike’s tonight because the room we’re living in has leaks in the roof and we’d prefer not to wake up again to a floor that resembles one of the surf spots here, Piscinas.… Read More
