Blog

The much talked about volcano hike finally arrived and our groups departure was on our doorstep. We were scheduled to summit Acatenango, a massive Guatemalan volcano outside of Antigua, in 7+ hours. The night before was filled with last minute acquisitions for our overnight trip.  Some flooded the grocery store for bags of water while other stood outside Old Town Outfitters after they had closed, as we convinced them to let us buy last minute supplies. We went to bed ne… Read more

Sitting in the quiet early morning, watching the sun peek out over the vast volcanos in the distance, I was struck by the fact that it had taken two long days to get to this beautiful mirador. Eight long hours each day of pulling our sore bodies, laden with heavy packs, over boulders, into rivers and through valleys. Of course, not all of it was difficult or painful. The majority of the trek was passed peacefully, walking by awe-inspiring views in the company of good peo… Read more

The next stop on our Central American journey afforded us a week-long stop in the city of Xela, Guatemala.  This was an exhilarating and interactive learning experience. Xela, which is an alternative name for Quetzaltenago, happens to be the second largest city in Guatemala. The name Quetzaltenango is derived from a species of beautiful birds which are called the Resplendid Quetzal. They liked these Quetzales so much the currency  also shares this name.  Xela is actually… Read more

The Belize zoo is unlike any zoo I've ever been to. When I think of a zoo what usually comes to mind are small enclosures with a variety of animals not indigenous to that country and huge crowds of people all trying to see a big cat get fed from a metal hook. The Belize zoo is different from the "regular zoo". This zoo is a non profit animal sanctuary, and does not receive any funding from the government, so all the visitors coming to the zoo who are paying for admission… Read more

Thursday marked the start of our catamaran adventure. After a quick breakfast of bagels, waffles, and coffee we headed to the Ragga Empress, a large catamaran festively painted red yellow and black. We were ushered on by captain Kevin, chef Linton, and guide Elio. We raised the mainsail and headed out to the first snorkel spot. Immediately we could feel the difference from Bacalar Chico dive camp, our previous inhabitance of the last ten days. With Raggamuffin Tours we w… Read more

As our boat arrived at Blue Ventures Dive Camp in Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve last Saturday, none of us knew what to expect. 10 days on a remote island in Belize with no way to contact our friends and family definitely sounded a little scary. Would it be tough to go from the larger, air conditioned homes of our homestay families, to small, hot cabañas covered in sand and bugs? I'm not going to lie - it was definitely an adjustment. But although it was different, I knew … Read more

I have been chosen to write the first journal entry for our group in Central America. Its been a little over a week and I'm currently basking on the floor of my Mexican host family's home. Since you're probably wondering how I arrived in this state...well, let me to get you up to date! The first thing that happened was that it was hot, and when I say "hot", imagine a huuuuge outdoor sauna, with cheap tacos and lots of español. Our first week consisted of an in-depth ori… Read more

Hola Everyone! My name is Benny Jacobs-Schwartz and I was born and raised in the sunny part of Southern California, Los Angeles. I, along with Caitlin, will be one of your instructors for our upcoming course to Central America this fall! I am brimming with excitement as we will get to share an amazing 10-weeks getting to know each other throughout five amazing countries. Over the last 3 months I have been living at a residential summer camp located just outside Yosemite… Read more