AAVE Trip BLOG » 2007 » July
July 31, 2007
Hola from Ecuador & Galapagos #2A
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : Ecuador & Galapagos, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Hola from Ecuador!
After ascending to 15,000 feet on day one, we began our first adventure in Ecuador by mountain biking down glacier covered Cotopaxi (one of the highest active volcanoes in the world). Once again luck smiled upon us; we had beautiful blue-bird skies, mellow winds, and good temps. Two nights later we found ourselves sleeping below Chimborazo (the highest peak in Ecuador, rising above 20,000 feet) reflecting on our long day of community gardening and sprucing up the town hall with a fresh layer of paint for one of our service projects which benefited the small indigenous community of Santa Anita.
We have just completed our first full day in the Galapagos accompanied with sun, water, sharks, sea lions, eagle rays, and bottle nosed dolphins. The group has been having a blast and everyone is making friends with ease. To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a group so supportive of one another. Everyday has been filled with challenges and everyone has risen up to them with a sense of accomplishment rarely found elsewhere. I can’t believe we only have 12 days left to enjoy!
Adios y gracias,
Lyn and Heather
Bold Europe #1A - Happy Camper
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
I just wanted to let you know how much Peter enjoyed his trip. He absolutely loved it and is already talking about where to go next year. He thoroughly enjoyed the other kids, the leaders and the activities. Thanks for taking such good care of him but more importantly, helping him learn how to take pretty good care of himself!
Sincerely,
Amy Barr
Peter’s mom
Buenos DÃas from España Clásica #2A
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : Espana Clasica, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
¡Buenos DÃas!
We have just completed our first full week in España, and thus far the entire group has enjoyed itself thoroughly. After meeting up in the airport in Madrid, we took a van ride to our first campsite and spent the entire day getting to know each other and relaxing. Everyone was friendly and welcoming to each other, and the meeting would only be a harbinger of good things to come.
Our routine normally includes waking up at eight and preparing brekkie. After our meal, we set off for adventure. Returning to camp offers a break to rest or head off for a dip in the pool. We prepare our own meals at night with our cook crew. So far we have turned out pasta dishes, lomo, a typical Spanish dish, and our own twist on grilled cheese.
The next day, we became Master Torreros, bullfighters, and spent an hour in the ring with a baby bull. There were a few bumps and scrapes, but overall the group was successful. The owner of the finca, Antonio, was so impressed with our fearless performance that he awarded us all certificates. From there, we proceeded to take in the beautiful college town of Salamanca, where the group enjoyed the centuries old architecture and atmosphere.
After Salamanca, we departed for the Picos de Europa, widely regarded to be the most beautiful national park in all of Europe. Our biggest challenge was a 16.5 mile hike that taxed us both mentally and physically. We were rewarded with spectacular views and a sense of accomplishment unlike any other we had experienced. After leaving the Picos, we stopped briefly in the small town of Potes, wherein we had lunch and many a café. We then departed for the town of Santander, where we would stay for an entire week with a host family, living la vida española.
Great group, great times, amazing adventures en espana!
Ernie, Lien and the EC#2A Team
Thailand #2A - Sa Wa Dee Krab!
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : General AAVE Trip BLOG, Thailand , add a comment
Hello all from Chiang Mai,
As I write this, the kids are in Thai cooking classes learning five different dishes that I encourage you to get them to make for you back home. They will all be given the recipes in a nice cook book so they will have no excuses.
Our day and night raft house trip was so much fun: swimming, relaxing, visiting temples, enjoying the Thai scenery and a disco party at night (most of them were too shy to dance, but Caroline and Julie definitely enjoyed it). I know Jared was sure happy to be back in the water for a little bit.
After getting off of the raft house in the morning, we immediately got on a songthaew, which is standard transportation, basically it is a large pick-up truck with bench seats and a cover in the back, and headed to Erawan falls. The falls have 7 different pools to swim in, complete with a rock slide and some rocks to jump from tucked up in the jungles of Thailand. We loved every minute of it! That afternoon we showered up and everyone enjoyed a couple of hours of down time to use the internet, get a massage or just relax around the guest house.
The next morning we loaded up the truck for a ride to Ayuthaya, home to a bunch of Thai ruins from the 14th century. We toured around the ruins with our tour guide (Mr. Kat), swam in the pool, and some of us visited a local market. At one of the temples we had a chance to try and catch some fish. Ella, Adam, Kailey and Jared were in the water up to their knees trying to get ahold of them. It was fun to watch. That evening we headed to the train station to await our overnight train here to Chiang Mai.
The train was a ton of fun with some epic games of ERS (a card game) and UNO. Be sure to ask Shawn, Caitlin and Kailey about thier games of ERS with Nok and I. A lot of fun. Some of the others on the train fell victim to the ones who couldn’t sleep, you can ask Kendra and McCall about it later!
After arriving in Chiang Mai, our home stay mom, Mrs. Aoy was there to pick us up. She took us back to her house outside of the city where we immediately got on some bikes and went biking around her village. We stopped at a recycled clothing factory (Olivia won for the most stuff purchased), a mushroom farm, and a temple that was built only 12 years ago. In the afternoon, the kids enjoyed a game of soccer with the local kids and had a blast breaking language barriers with children that didn’t speak a lick of English. Last night we had a traditonal Thai band play for us and they also performed some traditional dances for us.
This morning we headed back to Chiang Mai where the kids are currently in cooking class. I’ve attached a picture of us at the ruins in Ayuthaya. I hope this e-mail finds everyone well and I will be writing again soon. As always, if you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to write. Sa Wa Dee Krab (as they say in Thailand).
Great group, great times, amazing adventures!
~Shaun Jackson from Thailand~
Pura Vida - Costa Rica Clasica #2B
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : Costa Rica Clasica, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Hey Abbott and families!
Life is good in Costa Rica. We made it safely to the Pacific coast at Flamingo and stayed our first night with our host families last night. The kids were so excited when they got on the bus this morning! Everyone got along beautifully with their families and cant wait to spend more time with them throughout the week.
We went surfing this morning and the kids were all “shredding the waves!”
Yesterday we went caving in the most impressive cave I have ever seen…the formations were incredible. Everyday is so much fun with this group. We play a new game almost every day and everyone is always included in all the activities. It will be nice to have some chill time with our host families … we will let you know how it goes!
And yes, we are trying to use our Spanish and it is improving daily!
Pura Vida!
Anna and Diego
July 30, 2007
Bonjour from Ultimate Alps #2A!
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : General AAVE Trip BLOG, Ultimate Alps , add a comment
Bonjour Families!
We are having a great trip in France! We have just finished our third and final day skiing at Les Deux Alpes. We conquered a hike up to 2600m on the first day to enjoy a refreshingly chilly swim in the glacial lake at the top. We have also survived downhilll mountain biking which was awesome! We also enjoyed an afternoon relaxing by the outdoor swimming centre lapping up the glorious sunshine. We are having a great time exploring this beautiful Alpine Village and enjoying lots of Crepes and Oranginas.
Our group is great fun and everyone is up for trying everything and very good at getting back up when they have been temporarily knocked down! The leaders are all fantastic being helpful and teaching us some great camping games. The leaders are excellent at navigating the narrow windy roads and hairpin turns and they make all the drives really good fun!
The glacier skiing is really cool (literally!). Today after skiing we will all race each other down the mountain on the exhilarating alpine slide and no doubt beat all the leaders even with all their boasting.
Tomorrow we pack up camp to begin the next leg of this exciting adventure as we take to the vans to cross over into Italy and discover the romantic and beautiful town of Verona, take in the cultural sites and, most of all, look forward to the pizza and ice-cream coming our way!
See you soon!
Ultimate Alps Trip 2 
Aloha from Ultimate Hawaii #2B!
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Aloha from the Big Island of Hawaii!
Wow!!! What an amazing start to our trip! Snorkeling with sea turtles, sea kayaking to remote black sand beaches, and bicycling around an active volcano!! Last night Ashley, Aude, and Ally led us into the Lava Tube in Volcanoes National Park for a night hike and a nightly meeting! Maurice, Simon, and Curzio are the funniest guys we have ever met. Max did a great job as “leader of the day” during our bicycle trip. Teddy and Nate’s tent got a little wet last night in the rain, but their good spirits are contagious! Elly and Audrey are so sweet to everyone! Thanks Henry for the great football game! The group is looking forward to some good Italian cooking from Ascanio tomorrow night!
Tomorrow is beach day! We are looking forward to swimming, sunshine, and more laughs and giggles with our awesome group!
-From: UH 2B!!!!
Costa Rica Clasica #2A Rules!!!
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : Costa Rica Clasica, General AAVE Trip BLOG , 1 comment so far
After four full days of Costa Rica we are wrapping up our final night with our first host family stay. As a symbol of how amazing this experience has been, our final dinner together was spent with all host families together in one house. Each host family shared how special their temporary children were (our campers) and some were tearing up even though these families don´t seem to know how to stop sharing laughter. We all expressed how much we will miss our host families as we departed tonight.
We have also been to an amazing hot springs with a loco waterslide, to La Fortuna waterfall for a chilly, gorgeous swim, spent some time shopping for family and friends in the town of La Fortuna, have eaten amazing host family meals (most famous are the juices), have painted powerful murals, created and leveled a park in the town of our host families (in the Lindora district), and have seen traditional Costa Rican dances and skits from young girls in a community called La Promesa. The Volcan Arenal was lighting up with lava during our first night together as a group, which we were so lucky to see!
This group is amazing! They are full of energy, excitement, motivation, and fun ideas! Jane, Brian and Zach W have scored some futbol goals. Julia, Cameron and Mariel really got into painting our murals. Nicole, Nora and Chandler were able to fly in as scheduled and have been lucky to have spent the most time so far in Costa Rica. Zach B has impressed us with his card tricks. Noah helped design our toucan mural. Evan is an amazing muralist, especially painting letters. Winnie took our murals to a whole new level with her finger painting and her clouds, and Lauren glues us all together with her great motivation and intiative! Johnny and I cannot wait for each new day with this group of individually amazing people!
We are so glad to spend the summer with each one of these students, and everyone’s Spanish is improving! The next two days we will be rafting some of the best and most gorgeous rivers in Costa Rica!
Until next time,
Nicole, Johnny and the CRC 2A crew
Colorado Discovery #3 - Action packed!
Posted by Jenny at AAVE in : Colorado Discovery, General AAVE Trip BLOG , 2 comments
Hello from Colorado Discovery!
We are all doing well after our awesome 3-day backpack adventure at the base of Mt. Silverheels. After some beautiful alpine hiking on our first day, we set up camp and got to know one another. The second day we climbed Little Baldy Mountain; an extremely awesome feat considering it’s 12,000+ ft elevation! Oh, and be sure to keep your eyes open for a group picture from the top we have mailed out!
We are rock climbing for the next few days, then on to rafting the roaring Arkansas River. The fun doesn’t stop there as we’ll finish up this week with our horseback riding trip. What a wonderful way to spend a summer! The kids are doing well, getting along great and having a blast.
We’ll be in touch,
Alice, Greg, Jon and the Colorado Discovery crew
July 23, 2007
BOLD WEST
Posted by aave in : Bold West, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Hello everybody!
I was very happy to do this summer camp because I met people and I was able to speak English, and I met two great leaders- Ian and Sheila.
I’m going to Hawaii next. . .
Big Kiss at Ian, Sheila, Rinat, Athena, Nick, Nadia, Stephanie, and the rest of the group.
Charles Â
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