We have a new president since we last posted, which has not only been huge news in the United States but on a global scale as well. It is a privilege being in a foreign country as this goes on, as many people never get the chance to experience an election from the outside. It’s a hot topic here, among host families, our teachers, and people on the streets. Many… Read More
Since we last touched base in Guatemala City, the Quetzal group has traveled to two more Spanish schools and we’re currently stationed in the beautiful (and rather chilly) city of Xela. Before arriving here we studied in a sister school located in a charming city in the mountains where we shared meals with host families and got a closer look into rural Guatemalan livelihoods. There we had many opportunities to… Read More
After an exciting week full of turtles and sleep deprivation, we packed our bags and caught a bus back to San Jose for the night. We stayed at Mi Tierra, a local hostel, and because of the size of our group (a whopping 14 people) we had the whole place to ourselves!
The next morning we swapped tires for wings and flew to Guatemala City, Guatemala. The view from the… Read More
Hola!
Following Ezra´s last post of our time in San Juan Del Sur, we took a bus from San Juan to Rivas, then waited a while for another bus, which then took us across the border (long process of getting on and off the bus about three times) and into Costa Rica. Once across the border, we bussed for the next 4 or so hours and arrived in San Jose.… Read More
Arrival at San Juan Del Sur! We´ve finally reached out first student directed travel destination. Everyone´s expectations were totally blown out of the water as soon as we stepped into the hostel. The hostel we are staying at, Casa De Oro, is a comfortable change from Bona Fide. Instead of sleeping with mosquitos and tarantulas and whatever other bugs decide to get friendly at night, we actually have air conditioning… Read More
Here are some pictures of the volcano crew enjoying lunch along the shore of the crater lake at the summit of Volcano Maderas and another shot from the basket (or shall we more accurately say, hat) weaving workshop.… Read More
After 2 bus rides, a taxi ride, a ferry, and a van ride, the group successfully left Matagulpa, and arrived at the Bona Fide permaculture farm on the island of Omatepe, located in Lake Nicaragua. We’ve spent the past week getting up bright and early, and tasking ourselves with a variety of jobs such as hauling firewood and rice husks, weeding the gardens, and trailblazing with machetes. We’ve adjusted to… Read More
After an epic (and highly successful!) travel day we arrived on the island of Ometepe, which will be our home for the next two weeks. Sunday morning started early when we met at the bus terminal in Matagalpa and, under the direction of our student travel leader, we purchased tickets to Managua and piled onto the bus, while our packs were secured to the roof of the repurposed yellow school… Read More
This week we took on the challenge of diving head first into our first homestay experience in Matagalpa, Nicaragua and successfully completed a week of Spanish classes at Colibri Escuela de Español. Spanish, sleep, and eat isn´t all we did though, we were priviledged to participate in various activities that gave us the full cultural experience of this incredible town. We had a full week of challenging, fun, and new… Read More
This is the first blog of many but the only one by me… We arrived at the spanish school on Sunday and it was amazing!! The first thing that we all noticed was all the amazing scenery and all the green. Coming from the city with all the noise to just nothing but silence for the most part. The only exceptions are all the dogs and roosters that constanly keep… Read More
We have finished orientation (wow, that was fast) and the group really seems to like one another. Here are some snapshots of the highlights from our orientation: walking to a lake on the edge of town at sunset for the culmination of our first day; dance-bathing in the rain as an afternoon shower moved through town; exploring our new surroundings during a scavenger hunt; and having ample opportunity to connect… Read More
After a night of travel, we’ve received word that the QUETZAL crew has arrived in Nicaragua. They were picked up from the airport in a lovely Nicaraguan bus, and just arrived at their hostel in Masaya, where they are sitting down for brunch! They are tired, but happy to be there. They are looking forward to some food, some rest, and then to dive into orientation. Stay tuned for more… Read More
From all over the USA, the Central America QUETZAL students have made it safely to LAX and are together as a group for the first time! They are checked in for their flight to Nicaragua, and are getting ready to head through security and begin their journey together. Everyone is excited, and happy to finally meet one another. We wish them much learning, laughter, joy and adventure over the next… Read More
Here we come Central America!!!
We are so excited to finally meet as a whole group and adventure southward. With just a few days left until you leave remember to: 1) breathe 2) take time to yourself and envision what you hope to gain from your semester and, most importantly 3) enjoy some good ice cream or sweet treats to reward yourself for choosing to challenge yourself and grow during… Read More
To Our Dear Quetzal Queens,
Another day has dawned and the sun is shining once more on the glittering ocean. Coffee has been consumed, balingas — ahem, excuse me, baleadas — have been eaten, and all is well here in Roatan…. But it’s not the same without you! As great as this little golden island in the Caribbean is, it’s safe to say: WE MISS YOU!
By now, you are… Read More
