As we were planning our Belize Honeymoon, advice flew forth from friends, fast and furious:
“Go to Ambergris Caye! It’s more posh and there’s more to do.”
“No, Caye Caulker is so much better! It’s so chill and relaxing.”
Back and forth the factions battled, until at last Colin and I settled on three nights in Ambergris Caye, followed by one night in the center of Caye Caulker.
That way we could sample each and [...Read More!]
There is so much graffiti in Greece, we even saw graffiti on the PLANTS growing up the Acropolis in Athens.
Throughout our Greece Teacher Tour, we’d exclaim, “Look at that graffiti over there, and there… and THERE! So terrible. Why do they allow it?”
How jarring it is to have an idealized vision of a country (you know, Greek gods in flowing togas striding around a pristine Athens and handing out free Ambrosia)… then arrive [...Read More!]
Traditional Greek dance consists of men in fluffy white skirts spinning and jumping. And it’s great!
On our last day in beautiful Nafplio, Greece, our Greece teacher travel tour nestled into a golden-lit family restaurant for a traditional dance performance. Hoo boy!
While the two female Greek dancers maintained a stately dignity throughout, the male dancer duo went wild. Did the fluffy white skirts bring out their inner male dancing beasts???
UP went the arms of the [...Read More!]
I never realized the sheer amount of nudity in the ancient Olympic Games until our teacher tour of Olympia, Greece this week.
“The ancient Greek Olympic Games took place from 776 B.C.E. to 394 C.E.,” our guide, Mara, explained. “The athletes were all men, and they were all… NAKED. They were also covered in oil.”
“Whoa!” gasped one teacher traveler, aghast. “Were the spectators nude, too?”
“Well,” Mara laughed, “Funny story. The only people [...Read More!]
Article #9 in the Student Travel Stories Series from our tour of Beijing, China. By Stephane, Age 17, 11th Grade in Boston. Born in Haiti, moved to U.S. at age 10.
Q: How did you feel about our China trip?
A: Had anyone told me seven years ago in my little house in Haiti that in 2012 I would be across the world, visiting China, meeting amazing new people, and climbing one of the [...Read More!]
Article #6 in the Student Travel Stories Series from our tour of Beijing, China. By Candace, Age 15, 9th Grade in Boston. Born in the U.S. to parents from America.
Q: Something amazing happened to you in China because of your blond hair. What was it?
A: In America I’m just a regular girl, but traveling in China with blond hair, it was like being a celebrity! I guess celebrities have that feeling every [...Read More!]
Article #5 in the Student Travel Stories Series from our tour of Beijing, China. By Elaina, Age 14, 9th Grade in Boston. Born in the U.S. to parents from America.
Q: How have you changed since you traveled to China?
A: In China, all the websites I use like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Docs, and more are blocked by the government, and you can’t use them.
While I was on the trip, I was always [...Read More!]
Article #2 in the Student Travel Stories Series from our tour of Beijing, China. By Julio, Age 16, 9th Grade in Boston. Born in the U.S. to parents from El Salvador.
Q: What was the best part of our week in China for you?
A: Honestly, a highlight of the whole trip was the Silk and Cotton Markets because something very unique to China was the bargaining. Most kids in the U.S. never get to experience bargaining because [...Read More!]
Article #1 in the Student Travel Stories Series from our tour of Beijing, China. By John, Age 17, 11th Grade in Boston. Born in the U.S. to parents from Vietnam.
Q: John, what did climbing the Great Wall make you realize?
A: I pay so much respect to the Great Wall of China because it is over 3,000 miles long. That is as far as the distance between Boston and California! I [...Read More!]
I just got a call that my wedding dress has arrived and is ready for my fitting! Ahhh!
Not only is this thrilling, but it is also highly relevant to this article about royal palaces around the world. Why? Because my dress is white-ish, and so are most royal and governmental buildings in Europe and America! This is in sharp contrast to the bursting rainbow colors of Asian royal buildings and wedding [...Read More!]