On Monday, August 1, we began our fourth and final week of volunteering at the school in Faizabad, India. Once again, the first three days of the week were at in-town campuses of the school. Kimberly's Fourth Graders at Jingle Bells School Above Photos: 1. K with Security guard who escorted her through the gate … Continue reading Final Week of Faizabad with a side of Monkeys
On Monday, July 24, we began our third week of volunteer teaching in Faizabad. As in the previous two weeks, we spent the first three days at the campuses in town. Jingle Bell School and Academy, Faizabad In addition to his English classes, Dennis led the drama group in another meeting; and again it was … Continue reading Volunteer Teaching Adventures: Drama, Cultural Encounters, and Mischievous Monkeys
On Thursday, July 14, we put in our first day (or rather half day) of volunteer teaching at the remote campus of Jingle Bell Schools, that we arranged through WorkAway. To get there, we were driven about half an hour, along with the principal and two of the teachers from that campus. The driver was … Continue reading Teaching, Dental Woes, and Simple Joys of WorkAway Life in Faizabad, India
photobombed by Alain who we met on the trail to Pico March 12 With our first week of volunteering concluded at UBHA school, we were free to spend a 3-day weekend hiking through the stupendous Chicaque Natural Park. On Saturday morning, we set out on a hike to visit one of its landmarks: Pico (the … Continue reading Exploring the Trails in Chicaque Natural Park
Although it's only half an hour from the buzzing metropolis of Bogota, Chicaque Natural Park is like a lost world, and parts of it seem far removed from any signs of civilization. It's 300 hectares (741 acres) of mountains, streams, thick vegetation, with a few but not too many tourist amenities like campgrounds, lodges, restaurants … Continue reading UBHA the One-Room Schoolhouse in a Colombian Cloud Forest
Puyo, Ecuador turned out to be a bit of a disappointment -- at least as far as the city itself. We didn't see why anyone would recommend going there except for nearby attractions. Like the Amazon -- Puyo is the closest jumping off place to tour the jungle; even the tours leaving from Baños go through … Continue reading Monkeying Around in Puyo
Having feasted our eyes (and our capacity for awe) on the Mayan ruins, we were ready to cross the road and feast at least a couple of other senses at Choco-Story, an outdoor (sort of) museum dedicated to the history of chocolate and the culture of the local region that has produced it for millennia. … Continue reading Mayan Ruins and Chocolate (Part 2)
December 3, 2021 - Part II > If you're going to visit the Yucatan Peninsula, you simply have to see some Mayan ruins. And the best place to do that is the enormously famous Chichen Itza, right? So we thought. And so we'd planned. It is after all, one of the seven wonders of the … Continue reading Mayan Ruins and Chocolate (Part 1)
world travel with a theatrical flair 