Tegucigalpa, Honudras Last day

Today was my last day in Tegucigalpa. It was a sad day but the family made it very fun! First when we woke up we had a big delicious breakfast and orange juice. We hurried to get ready and we rushed out the door to have a fun filled last day in Tegucigalpa. First we got in the car and rode to Parque Nacional El Cusuco. When we got there a tour guide came to us to explain the park to us. First he said "This park is one of Honduras's best parks for vistiors" I was so excited to look up and see the beautiful mountain range. When we looked around we found a really pretty bird. It's called the Enigmatic Quetzal Bird It's the loveliest of all tropical birds it's on the brink of extinction, due to loss of habitat as well as over-hunting for the long beautiful tail feather. After we examined the bird we went hiking, went to the wildlife area, and bird sanctuary. Later we left and went home. The rest of the day we talked about traditions in Honduras. They have many religious holidays, like the feast day of the virgin of suyapa. Virgin of suyapa is Mary the mother of jesus. She is known to be a patron of Honduras, believed to perform have performed miracles in Suyapa a Tegucigalpa suburb. They also celebrate easter, christmas, labor day, independance day, and new years eve. After we talked about the tradtions and holidays it was time for me to go. I was so sad but happy to see my friends and family back home. I really hope I can come back to Honduras. I gave the family a hug and got on the plane.

-Lexie

Montevideo, Uruguay Final Day

Im having mixed feelings right now because I had such a good time here, but this was my final day! At first I visited Punta de Este. Locals told me it was once known for sailors and fishermen but it is now this wonderful resort. The beaches are so nice and they seem like they go on forever! There were so many restaurants, shops, activities and clubs. Everything was so amazing. The only thing bad about it was that it was an hour and a half away from Montevideo.

At night i visited one of their festivals held in March. It is their Carnival Week (Shown above) and the annual festival of the nation. There were dancers and food stands everywhere and the atmosphere was just really amazing. The coolest part was the Parade of Calls. It was really cool. Well that sums up my last day, I had a wonderful time.

To Learn More about Carnival Week, Click Here

Tyler C

Asuncion Paraguay

Hi this is T.J. and it is my last day in paraguay I went to this school called Asuncion Christian Academy this is a school in paraguay. This school is for pre-K through 12th grade. Surprisingly all of the classes at this school are tought in completly english. Students in highschool must earn 24 carnegie credits to graduate. They have all the regular classes we have and a spanish program. The size of the classes are 13 to18 students. Another interesting thing is that collage-bound seniors generally score on or above the US in SAT and ACT scores. To learn more about this school check out this link http://www.mapsof world.com/paraguay/educatin/asuncion-christian-academy.html

In these schools they have gym type classes too where they play sports like soccer and baketball. While I am here we played alot of basketball, basketball is a pretty well known sport out here and they host the south american basketball tornamet here. Contries like Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Uraguay, Paraguay, Chile, Columbia, and Peru attend this event.

Ponce, Puerto Rico Day 3

Today was my last day in Puerto Rico. I am really sad to be leaving, but I'm so glad that I got to come! Today we celebrated two holidays. A Puerto Rican holiday, "El Dia de los Emancipacion". It's a holiday that celebrates the day that slavery was abolished. It happened March 22nd, 1873. March 22nd also happens to be my birthday, so we had twice the celebration. The whole family was there and we had a roast pig dish called "Lechon". It was probably the most delicious thing I have had on this whole trip-- it was irresistible! Here is a recipe for Lechon. http://www.bigoven.com/43570-Roast-Pork-(Lechon)-recipe.html They had the day off from school, so we decided to go see some landmarks in between meals.

We spent the day at the Ponce Cathedral. Juan

and Tina told me all about its history. It was built in 1670, and it was supposed to just be a chapel, but in

1692 it was turned into a parish, which is like a local church. But the building kept getting damaged from earth quakes in the 18th century so they replaced the old building with a new one. Then that one got destroyed from one really bad earthquake, and so in 1839 they replaced it with an even bigger building, and in 1924, it was declared a cathedral. A lot has happened within that piece of land! The building is so nice, the outside is a pure white which just makes it look even nicer in the bright sun. This is a picture of the cathedral. It was a great last day!

-Regan

Lima, Peru

Today we went to a festival in Haucho Peru, just outside of Lima. I was so excited to see some cute little guinea pigs! Little did i know, the guinea pigs were not only judged on best dressed almost like a dog show, but also on the tastiest! They eat guinea pigs here!!! See...

At first I was disgusted, but Gloria explained to me that it was a tradition. Everyone ate guinea pig and it's a good source of protein with the added bonus of being low in fat. I still couldn't believe they eat the same rodents we keep as pets back home. They cooked them in many different ways while the luckier bunch were shown off in tiny outfits. When Gloria finally convinced me to try some, i had to admit that it wasn't half bad! Tasted almost like chicken. But the thought of eating one of those furry little animals made me uneasy...*shudder*

That was just one of many celebrations, festivals, and holidays Peru has. The country is mainly catholic, so they celebrate christmas but some celebrations are based on the times before the spanish, with nature oriented festivals. Many of the holidays, the people dress in bright colors and sing and dance.

Later we visited the anciant Machu Picchu. WOW. It was so amazing! The view was beautiful in the Andes and the town was literally built into the mountainside. I even saw some llamas which was also pretty cool. The Martinez's told me all about the history of the Incan Empire that was later conquered by Franciso Pizzaro. The ruins are still here to this day in these beautiful mountain tops. I can't believe people made this city way back then. It's incredible.

This was my last day in peru. I can't believe I'm leaving already! I can't wait to get home and tell everyone all about Lima, peru. Although i'm really going to miss my "family" and Lima. I had so much fun here and I'm definitely going to bring my family here for a trip.

Carina

Santiago, Chile - Final Day.

What a great past couple of days! Today is my last day in Chile. I had a wonderful time and i have made memories that will last. On my last day here which is Jan 1st is New Years in Chile, just like back at home! They celebrate it sorta different here though. Here, they have fiestas and families have parties and get together to welcome in the New Year. It was a wonderful time! I loved meeting other family members and getting to try more of there food they make for special occasions. Everyone in Chile celebrates New year, and it seems like a great time to all of the Chilean People.

After we went to the family parties Marie and her family took me to Easter Island for my last day. It was very nice there. There were huge statues called Moais. Marie told me it was a very popular place for people to visit. Everyone likes it because of it's beautiful scenery and mystery. Marie was also telling me how Easter Island is protected by Ropa Nui National Park. I really enjoyed my trip to Chile and i'm happy I got the chance to go!

Sam C
Click Here for Easter Island Facts!

Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. Day 3

Today was both wonderful and sad. It was sad because it was my last day here. It was alot of fun though. I woke up very excited to find out what we were doing today. I was surprised to find out that w celebrated womens day today which was very cool. I have never heard of womens day before and it was interesting to learn a whole new holiday. Womens day is celebrated all over Africa and it brings our attention to issues that women face. We also reconized how women made the world a better place.

After lunch we all went to Monte Alen National Park. It was beautiful! It was mostly just a big rainforest and we took a hike through it. On the hike the guide pointed out all kinds of animals like gorrillas and giant frogs. We even saw an elephant! It was the biggest animal I have ever seen. At the end of the day I was sad that I had to pack up all my stuff and leave. It was a great adventure!

-Sam