Clairen

Archive East Africa- KIFARU
This will be my first post on the group blog! Hello everyone! We are all so sorry for not being able to keep the blog updated so far. The internet access in Fort Portal was very sketchy and most of us didnt even get much of a chance to check our personal emails. Thank you Backpackers Hostel in Kampala for having GREAT internet connection! 😀 Africa is incredible. I really… Read More

Camille

Archive East Africa- KIFARU
Yesterday we left the beautiful fort portal and came back to the still beautiful but grungy kampala. While still in Fort Portal we got to see Eddie ( a friend of currys) graduation gear before him, his girlfriend Nadja, and Curry went off to his graduation. It was his last day at mountain of the moons university! needless to say we were proud. Thankyou so much mom for sending money!… Read More

We’re safe and sound in Kampala

Archive East Africa- KIFARU
Dear Parents, I apologize that your children have kept you in the dark for so long. Curry and I have asked them several times to update the blog, but for some reason they haven’t been able to do so yet. To be fair, long work days (building a cow shed and chicken coop for AIDS orphans), limited internet connections, and frequent power outages made updating the blog from Fort Portal… Read More

Leh, Ladakh

Archive India- SHIVA
Hey Hey Everyone!Since the last post more than not of us have been rather sick with the altitude and other maladies. Things at SECMOL have been going great, playing games and getting to know the students better. Today we came into Leh around 10 and visited the Tibetan Children’s Village (tibetchild.org). It’s a very beautiful clean campus they have set up to house, and educate ~2000 children in family units… Read More

day 14 In San Andres

Archive Central America- QUETZAL
We have left Poptun and moved to our second homestays in San Andres. The scenery has changed from dirt roads and rural housing, to near 90 degree paved streets and a lovely veiw of lake Peten Itza. Here is the follow up of our last remaining days in Poptun: Our ditch digging was put to a hault after a query between a few local residences, whose homes were being flooded… Read More

Battambang- and the Adventures in Ptea Teuk Dong

Archive Southeast Asia- SABAI
Hello one and all-Greetings from Battambang, we arrived here after a lengthy bus excursion and have been staying at the Ptea Teuk Dong Center for rehabilitating those who have been affected by the sex trade. The people we have been living with are simply wonderful. Their hospitality is is only matched by their graciousness. In our time here so far we have had the opportunity to partake in several projects;… Read More

Paucartambo and our trip into the jungle!

Archive South America- INTI
Hello! This is Carter from a tiny internet cafe in a tiny city in the Amazon! to continue from what Stacey wrote, leaving from Hanaqpacha, our frist stop, was bittersweet. We were sad to say bye to such a peaceful scenery but we were all so anxious to continue on our journey. Hugo, our coordiantor for the next 10 days, joined us in Cusco. After a four hour drive thrugh… Read More

Darjeeling!

Archive India- SHANTI
After a quick flight, and a three hour jeep ride up winding mountains, we have found ourselves in Darjeeling. Upon our arrival we were warmly welcomed at our hotel, and offered the tea which Darjeeling is so well known for. Darjeeling is generally the opposite of the crazy hectic city New Delhi. There is a sense of deep serenity and calm which eminates through the land as well as the… Read More

Jule from Ladakh

Archive India- SHIVA
We arrived safely in Ladakh after a stunning plane ride, overlooking the Himalayan mountains. Although we had little sleep, there was no way we could close our eyes to the fantastic view of the sun rising over the snowcapped mountains. Once at the SECMOL campus, we were able to rest, meet the amazing students and begin to adjust to the high elevation of about 11,000 feet. For the most part… Read More

Homestays in beautiful fiji!!!!!!!

Archive South Pacific- WALKABOUT
Hey everyone, coming from Fiji its your group OZ!! What can i say, its pretty much amazing here! September 16th (day 4) we arrived at the home-stays. As soon as we got here everyone was smiling and waving! Being here is such a new wonderful experience. Theirs cows and horses running freely and every morning wake up to the sound of roosters! The meals are wonderful! Theirs breakfast, lunch, tea… Read More

Poptun, Day 3

Archive Central America- QUETZAL
One week in and the whole Central America is having lots of fun, even with the seven hour van rides, blazing sun, pouring rain, giant tarantulas, and occaisionally dubious bathroom conditions. We spent the first few days holed up at the lovely Finca Ixobel, where we stayed in cabins and went caving, whitewater tubing, hiking, and horseback riding, as well as lounging by the pond and partying it up (sin… Read More

Final days of Phnom Penh

Archive Southeast Asia- SABAI
Hello readers, We find ourselves on the final eve of our time in Phnom Penh. Yesterday the group visited the Killing fields. It was quite emotionally trying. We saw the Bone Tower which housed thousands of skulls of the victims of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. We then moved on to see the many mass graves that were scattered all around the surrounding field. It was very painful just learning… Read More

We Have Arrived!

Archive South Pacific- WALKABOUT
Bula! Day one, we arrived in Nadi, Fiji at 5:30 am. From there we took the road 2-hours northeast to Volivoli where we arrived at our backpackers resort. Along the road, we followed an abandoned railroad track. Cattle, horses, and dogs roaming freely alongside the taxi-van. We had orientation upon our arrival and got situated in our rooms overlooking the coast. After all the traveling and a brief introduction, we… Read More
Archive South America- INTI
Greetings from Peru! This is Stacy writing our first blog from South America. We should be updating once a week if at all possible, so keep checking in with us! Getting to this point took some pretty strenuous travel time. Many of us spent upwards of 24 hours straight in airports or in planes, so by the time we got to Lima, we were in fairly low spirits. I know… Read More

Safe and Sound

Archive India- SHIVA
I wanted to post something immediately to let you all know that all of the students in all Carpe Diem groups are well, in good spirits, and bedding down for the night without incident. I’m sure some parents have noticed in the news that there’ve been some bomb blasts in Delhi and the leaders, in their safety-consciousness, have all checked in with me and had this to say: hey Ethan,just… Read More

Safe and Sound

Archive India- SHANTI
I wanted to post something immediately to let you all know that all of the students in all Carpe Diem groups are well, in good spirits, and bedding down for the night without incident. I’m sure some parents have noticed in the news that there’ve been some bomb blasts in Delhi and the leaders, in their safety-consciousness, have all checked in with me and had this to say: hey Ethan,… Read More

Eager to Explore!

Archive Southeast Asia- SABAI
Hello from Phnom Pehn!! Yes, after some rough spots in the journey, we are safe and sound in Phnom Penh. The students are on a scavenger hunt as a means to explore the city and get a bit more comfortable with their environment. We are well rested and energized! Tomorrow we will go to The Killing Fields and S21, both historical sights of the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. We… Read More

Hey Guys!

Archive India- SHANTI
Hi everybody.I cannot believe I am in India. It’s amazing. There is so much going on all around us. I love it, and I feel like this is the place to learn a lot about myself. I know we all will. I am trying to learn the language, and people are mostly very nice. There’s something magical about India, that’s for sure.Namaste.Mychal… Read More