Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

The first ever GLA Animal Rescue Project was a huge success and a great learning experience for our students. Service projects included helping local organizations in Nosara, Costa Rica to improve conservation and well-being of wildlife and domestic animals. The activities ranged from building monkey playgrounds for rehabilitating monkeys, creating and teaching local kids a play about animal care, helping protect sea turtle nests, constructing cement steps, transplanting trees, and conducting a town census and hosting a spay/neuter clinic, among others. The service activities inspired our young leaders to discover their own strengths in taking on leadership and community server roles, strengthen their teamwork and communication skills, and interactions with local people and environments.

While our mornings were packed with these service activities, our afternoons were often filled with cultural and adventure activities. We hitched a ride on across a river on Quenco’s ox cart, enjoyed cafecito with an inspiring woman, kneaded dough to create delicious Costa Rican treats, braved the ocean tides to gather clams, learned about the challenges of recycling and ecotourism in Costa Rica, and even danced our legs off with a local dance instructor. Many of these activities were highlights of the trip, because they allowed the students to interact with local leaders and ways of life.

As Global Leadership Adventures, we also made sure to emphasize the adventure part of the program. A highlight for many students were participating in Costa Rican activities such as surfing, horseback riding on the beach, zip lining, and paddle boarding. Students bonded as they zip lined over the country’s highest zip line, caught some waves at beautiful Guiones beach, galloped Playa Pelada, and paddled down a croc-infested river. We also had a several day trip to gorgeous Rio Celeste, featuring a challenging but rewarding hike to see waterfalls, turquoise rivers, and stunning wildlife. We milked a cow and drank fresh hot chocolate, produced sugar cane juice from a traditional mill, observed native Costa Rican animals at a puma rescue and river safari, and also witnessed local pottery being made. To be honest, though, every day was an adventure! From enjoying the swell at Playa Garza, to dodging crabs and dogs and cats at home base, to our lively bus rides, we always had a dose of Costa Rican flavor.

Through service, cultural and adventure activities, and leadership/team building workshops, students on the first ARP session grew as individuals and as a team. Many students faced fears- whether it be hiking strenuous trails, assisting hands-on with the spay/neuter surgeries, or even just dancing in front of a crowd- and all came out stronger leaders from it. We believe that many animals and local people have been touched by our students’ work and willingness to represent America and GLA, and know that our students will never forget the experience either.

Some snapshots of our experience:

We knew this would be a special group the moment they, not even two hours yet in the country, gathered in a group huddle after lunch the first day. Throughout the program, the group remained close.

A particularly memorable moment of the trip was the strength of several students to persevere through the Rio Celeste hike despite injuries or ailments. Victoria Flores and Phyllis Pawa are a few examples of students whom have had past injuries yet did not complain nor turn back once during the hike. When they reached the end, the other students cheered them along. Many other students also found this hike challenging, and yet everyone considers it one of the most rewarding parts of the trip.

Other students overcame challenges and stepped up to the plate during the castration clinic. A few students, Sarah Gillis and Lauren Henry in particular, spent the entire day assisting the vets to shave, attend to, and perform surgery on the animals, and then weighed them afterwards. These girls overcame previous fears and were the stars of the day as they really got hands on with the animals and carried some heavy dogs!

The zip lining crew was a highlight as well- all of us hung upside down, even Madison Newman and Libby Schreffler whom were previously afraid to. Libby even got treated to a 720 degree spin! After the rides, we all bathed under a refreshing waterfall together.

One especially exciting moment was spotting a sloth hanging from a circopia tree from the bus. All of us got out to just gawk at the enigmatic creature and snap photos. We also loved seeing the various monkeys, crocs, birds, snakes, and cool bugs on nature excursions.

Jarisel Vazquez was a star as she took the lead in gathering the local kids to play games and enact the responsible owner play. Sydney Hayes and Keegan Sullivan also shone in this aspect as they entertained the local kids despite not speaking the language.

Our local director, Susan, came surfing with us and even as a Tica it was her first time! It didn’t look like it though as she was truly a natural. The surfers all had a blast and all got up, but Susan stole the show!

Alyssa Kapusta and Fiona Mulhair overcame fears and, with local high schools students to help, interviewed community members in Spanish for our census.

Anna Luby, Noah Snitzer, Daven Martinez and Phyllis Pawa worked especially hard on  making cement steps and railing at SIBU. Their clothes were completely dirty by the end of the day but the effort was more than evident!

Natalie Rubin was always volunteering for anything and everything, but she one- upped even herself when she volunteered to put a spider on herself on the nature reserve hike.

Another highlight were our ox cart riders who cruised across the river, despite initial nerves. We all watched from afar and cheered them on.

Moments like these were countless, but one especially special one was on our last day. The night before, we held an appreciation circle in which everyone was invited to acknowledge what and who they are grateful for during this experience; we expanded this activity of reflection and thanks to our fellow program members during our last beach time. A group of students closed their eyes and turned their backs to another group that touched the shoulders of the first group whenever the mentor mentioned a statement such as “this person is a true leader,” or “this person has changed my life”, or “I will never forget this person.” Tears of happiness and sadness to be leaving were rampant as we all opened our eyes to the final beach sunset at the end and group hugged!

Summer Blog Posts

June 28 – First group photo

All students arrived safe and sound! Pura Vida!

June 29

Hola! After a delicious breakfast this morning, the GLA Animal Rescue Team kicked off our orientation! We had an inspiring talk from our Local Director, Jen, about the meaning of service, leadership, and global culture. We decorated our hotel with homemade spanish language signs that were created with construction paper and markers. After meeting our friendly local staff of the Playa Garza Hotel, we took an excursion to the local Guanacaste Recycling Center. Here we met with Allvaro, a man who established the recycling initiative in the community. He discussed the “other side” of ecotourism and some of the realities of waste disposal. We realized how shocking the reality is! For lunch we ate some authentic Italian Pasta and vegetables! We had the chance to swim, walk, and play games at the beach. Wow- Playa Garza is incredible! We are so excited to learn about the service sites tomorrow and watch a snake presentation in the evening!

Buenas noches!

June 30, 2016

Hola!

We started the day off with a delicious buffet style breakfast. Afterwards, we received a talk from Isis, the education specialist of Nosara Animal Care. She explained the service we were going to be taking a part in, including a spay/neuter clinic and a play for the local children. We also visited the two monkey rescues we will be working with! At each one, we received a talk that was truly eye-opening, educating us on the dangers of human imprint on animals’ natural habitat. There were monkeys everywhere! At the end of the introductions, we went out to lunch, and received wonderful food and some fresh watermelon juice. Then, we rode back to our hotel, and we had another educational presentation- this time about snakes! The head fireman came with a live snake of his own, and plenty of knowledge on how to stay safe around these animals. Finally, we finished the day with relaxation, and a presentation by our mentor Heather on how to unplug and have fun on this wonderful adventure. We await our first day of service tomorrow!
~Natalie

July 1

Buenos días from Playa Garza!
We woke up bright and early this morning to start our first day of service at Sibu and Refuge for Wild Life. Students started building a staircase, building a monkey playground, and various other tasks to help the local organizations. We returned to home base for a delicious lunch and then had 3 Spanish classes to help us improve our communication skills in Costa Rica. After that, we took a small excursion to the beach and took lots of photos and played with our the dogs from home base. The evening was the best bonding time we’ve had thus far, as we had an acoustic jam session with our amazing hotel manager, Juri. Our jams then turned into a pizza dinner with lots of laughter and extremely full bellies. Our Animal Rescue Project group is turning into a close family that is ready for service tomorrow!
Adios!
Libby

July 2

The group’s second day of service began with a early start as the groggy, but motivated students headed out for their worksites. One group lugged cement up a trail making a staircase for easier passage through the monkey sanctuary, while the other set hard to work on a playground specially designed for monkeys. The afternoon at Playa Garza began with chill time, and a snack run which was quickly run into a lesson on cooking of the most authentic Costa Rican meal: rice with chicken. The students visited the home of Lizbia, a private chef for local families. Everyone got a chance to chip in on the preparation of the meal, and when cooked, it turned out to be no average rice! Tomorrow, students look forwards to beginning the planning of a play set to educate Costa Rican children on the proper care for animals. Buenos Dias!

Arroz Con Pollo:

Ingredients:
Celery, Green beans, Carrots, Rice, Chicken, Onion, Red Pepper, Corn, Butter, 2 cloves of garlic, Achote (Paste originated from native Costa Rican plant), Cilantro, Pepper, Ketchup, Lizano, Chicken broth, Mustard (optional)

Directions:
~Chop vegetables
~Heat olive oil in pan
~Saute the vegetables
~Simmer for 5 minutes on high
~Add Chicken and butter
~Add rice (make rice day before to avoid “mushiness”)
~Simmer for 10 minutes

-Natalie-

July 3

Hola!

Today was a tranquil day with lots of time to relax after a laborious 2 days of service. We slept in a little, and after breakfast, divided into groups to create a play designed to educate local children and their families on pet care. Students worked on a script, costumes, background, props, and several other things in preparation for the show. We relaxed after our service and proceeded to go reconnect a little at 2 small Internet cafés (with delicious pastries by the pool). Upon returning to home base, we ventured to the beach to have mentor group meetings, some of which got very emotional. The rest of our day was Frisbee, swimming, and sandcastle building on Playa Garza. Tomorrow we get to sleep in before starting our adventures!

Buenos noches!
Libby
P.S. Happy 4th to everybody at home!

July 4

Hola from Playa Garza! The group began their fourth of July with a beach Olympics. Students played tug of war, made sandcastle art, and ended the competition with a nice cool down in the ocean. The afternoon came with adventure activities specified to students’ choice. Students went surfing, horseback riding, zip lining, or stand-up paddle boarding. Whatever the choice, everyone had a blast. Sarah named herself a “natural born pro surfer,” and stand-up paddle boarders received fresh fruit juice at the finish line. Horse back riders witnessed some incredible scenery, including a crocodile while riding through a pond, and zip liners got the opportunity to ride the longest zip line in Central America, and ended at a beautiful waterfall! Needless to say, everyone is exhausted and enjoying hanging out at home base tonight.

Buenos Noches!

Natalie

July 6. 2016

Today we dug into the details of our Nosara Rescue Dog Play. Several local children attended during the planning stage of the play development! All GLA students were able to practice their spanish with the children while playing games and explaining the play. We learned that communication goes beyond language! After returning to home base, we headed to la Playa de Guiones with Juri to learn about a local tradition- clamming. We learned to dig into the sand during high tide and find clams. It was a blast! On the way home, we stopped to grab some well-deserved gelato. We are looking forward to a relaxed night and working more with the children tomorrow!

Chow!

July 7, 2016

Hola from home base at Playa Garza!

Today started with service at Nosara by putting finishing touches on our play. Students returned to home base after working with some awesome local children and then waited for an adventure at home: dance class. Everyone enjoyed learning from Willy, the unofficial “best dancer in town”. We all successfully did the bachata and kept all of our toes too! Tomorrow is the day of our show and we are all very excited to work with the local kids to educate and entertain the community!
Buenos noches!
Libby

Hola!

Animal Rescue Project students were back at it again with the service! Our group was divided into 2, half at Sibu and half at Refuge for Wildlife. Painting, building, cutting trees, and tying monkey swings took us all morning. After lunch, students took a short excursion to get wifi and update friends and family on their adventures. Then, we met Quinco and his oxen, which he still uses to deliver sand and wood from the mountains to local people. Students are currently busy packing their bags for a 3 day excursion to Rio Celeste! Buenas noches from Playa Garza!

Libby

July 9, 2016

Muchas gracias!

Buenos Dias from Playa Garza! Today was play day! Students woke up bright and early, getting to the school in Nosara by 7:30 sharp. The group ran through the play three times with the kids, and by 10, the bleachers were packed with family and friends of the young actors. We were also joined by Initiative for Children, another GLA program doing work in the same area. Having worked with the kids for three days, seeing them preforming so confidently was a real proud moment for all the students. After clean-up, we came back to a laid back meal of vegetable soup and rice, which was perfect for in the afternoon, we went into town for coffee. The students split up into two groups and went to two different local homes. There, everyone received a homemade tortilla and a fresh cup of local coffee. After the meal, we came back and had another one. Pizza night! A long awaited Friday night tradition here at Playa Garza. Guito, as always, delivered beautiful homemade pizzas one after the other. With our stomachs full, and satisfied we looks forward to another day of service tomorrow.

July 12

Today we returned to home base after an incredible two days in Rio Celeste. We started off the trip learning about the art of pottery in Costa Ria. We were able to participate in the pottery making process and buy a few authentic items. Next, we headed on a river safari excursion where we had the chance to see crocodiles, monkeys, bats, and iguanas in their natural habitat. It was incredible! The following day, we woke up early and visited a local farm where we learned how to milk a cow! We were able to mix the fresh milk with chocolate powder and make hot chocolate- straight from the cow! Soon after, we headed down the road to Tenorio Volcano National Park where we embarked on a breathtaking waterfall hike. This was the highlight of the trip for many of us! Students pushed themselves physically and mentally through the rolling hills and stairs on the muddy trail- and the payoff was incredible! After lunch, we visited a sugar cane farm where we learned different methods of sugar extraction- it was a blast! Today, we took a hike at the hanging bridges and visited a puma rescue. After a delicious fish dinner, we relaxed and watched “The Champions”- a movie about dog animal rescue! Chow!

7/13

After our weekend away, GLA students began their last day of service at the monkey refuges. Students at SIBU completed the concrete steps they have been working on since the first day of service. At Rescue for Wildlife, students finished off the monkey jungle gym adding toys, and other inventions to entertain and strengthen the monkeys for rehabilitation and release. In the afternoon, we rejuvenated and relaxed at the beach, swimming in the beautiful, blue water. For dinner, we received a student favorite, an authentic Italian pasta dish made by Guido, our chef. Just getting back from Rio Celeste, everyone was happy to be back in Playa Garza, and make the most out of these last few days.

Natalie

Pura Vida!

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

The GLA Animal Rescue Project session 2 has just wrapped up and has opened the eyes for many students about a unique culture, community, and environment. The students helped put on a widely successful local dog show which not only promoted awareness of how to properly take care of one’s pets but also encouraged the whole family to enjoy the friendship of an animal and each other. The GLA students worked tirelessly to design the materials, decorations, events, and tables at the show, down to the smallest details. We also completed projects at SIBU, Refuge for Wildlife, and Tortuguiones that have been a huge help to local animal rescuers. Service projects included helping local organizations in Nosara, Costa Rica to improve conservation and well-being of wildlife and domestic animals. We completed building a monkey playground for rehabilitating monkeys, took a tour of and made signs to help protect sea turtle nests, painted a beautiful mural, cleaned up the local beaches, constructed cement steps, prepared food and cages for rehabilitating monkeys, planted and transplanted trees, cleaned out a greenhouse, constructed fences and gates, and conducted a town census and hosted the dog show, among many other activities. The service activities inspired our young leaders to discover their own strengths in taking on leadership and community service roles, strengthen their teamwork and communication skills, and held interactions with local people and environments.

While our mornings were packed with these service activities, our afternoons were often filled with cultural and adventure activities. One standout activity was having cafecito with inspiring women in the community and getting to know their families. Many students remarked that this experience was life-changing even in the few hours it took. We also hitched a ride across a river on Quenco’s ox cart, kneaded dough to create delicious Costa Rican treats while learning to play marimba, strolled through a local waterfall, learned about the challenges of recycling and ecotourism in Costa Rica, and even danced our legs off with a local dance instructor. Many of these activities were highlights of the trip, because they allowed the students to interact with local leaders and ways of life. They also inspired us to enjoy the “pura vida” and laid back lifestyle in Costa Rica that also prides itself on strong family bonds.

As Global Leadership Adventures, we also made sure to emphasize the adventure part of the program. A highlight for many students was participating in Costa Rican activities such as surfing, horseback riding on the beach, zip lining, and paddle boarding. Students bonded as they zip lined over the country’s highest zip line, caught some waves at beautiful Guiones beach, galloped on Playa Pelada, and paddled down a mangrove river to a black sand beach. We also had a several day trip to gorgeous Rio Celeste, featuring a challenging but rewarding hike to see waterfalls, turquoise rivers, and stunning wildlife. We saw sloths, toucans, snakes, monkeys, and crocs! We milked a cow and drank fresh hot chocolate, produced sugar cane juice from a traditional mill, observed native Costa Rican animals at a puma rescue and river safari, and also witnessed local pottery being made. To be honest, though, every day was an adventure! From enjoying the swell at Playa Garza, to dodging crabs and dogs and cats at home base, to our lively bus rides, we always had a dose of Costa Rican flavor.

Through service, cultural and adventure activities, and leadership/team building workshops, students on this ARP session grew as individuals and as a team. Many students faced fears- whether it be swimming in the ocean for the first time, running an event, or even just dancing in front of a crowd- and all came out as stronger leaders from it. We believe that many animals and local people have been touched by our students’ work and willingness to represent America and GLA, and know that our students will never forget the experience either.

Some particular highlights include:

The dog show- we were definitely challenged by the preparations for this activity, but it really paid off. We had no idea how many people would show up, if any at all, but in fact at least 40 dogs and even more people came by, all from the local community. The GLA students ran a grooming and tick/flea care station, the entrance and information booth, a photo booth, agility course, DIY dog toys session, a information booth and game for proper nutrition, face painting, a raffle booth, and ran the best in show activity. Every student was involved in some way and could see the fruits of their labor come to fruition as the mood was quite high among both pets and owners.

Our trip to Rio Celeste was filled with many highlights as well, including the hanging bridges and waterfall hikes which featured abundant wildlife and beautiful vistas.

Among other students, Leslie, Max , and Kate mentioned learning and growing a lot from mentor group sessions. Many shared heartwarming and heart wrenching parts of themselves and all grew because of it. These included workshops on becoming better leaders and more informed young adults.

Students Vivian, Ilaria, and Kate shone in their painting skills as they helped create an outstanding mural at SIBU featuring native flora and fauna. Others including Clare L. and Lacey also shone in painting and installing signs advocating for protecting turtles.

A fun highlight was dancing at the local grocery store parking lot to an amazing local band in celebration of Guanacaste Day. All students, despite hardly knowing each other, got up to dance to the band and even groove with the locals.

A highlight was finishing our playground at SIBU- students worked together to construct, nail in, tie up materials, and put together the structure. Tay, Katie, Ilaria, and Samara were some stand out participants.

On our second to last night, Claire S. led a very positive and reflective activity in which all students had a piece of paper with their names on it and each wrote something on each other’s papers. Whether it was an inside joke, how that person impacted them, or a meaningful experience they shared, everyone recovered some positive feedback.

-Hilary, mentor, GLA ARP Costa Rica

Summer Blog Posts

July 23, 2016

All 24 students are here and ready to begin this incredible GLA journey! Animal Rescue Project: Costa Rica- here we go!

July 24

Today, our lively group’s second full day here in Nosara Costa Rica, we had an early morning wake up at 7:00 for a delicious breakfast of pancakes, quinoa, plantains, and beans. This day was centered around expanding our knowledge of the who, where, and whys of the Costa Rica Animal Rescue project we all have been so blessed to be apart of. We came to learn that we will be teaming up with organizations such as Nosara Animal Care who came to speak with us this morning about the work they do here around town and their efforts to save domesticated animals who were not taken proper care of, whether it be due to locals who perhaps were never aware of the resources they had for animal care, or children who were not taught that abuse towards an animal is immoral or wrong. After a very informative and heart warming presentation, we hopped on the bus and headed over to the Refuge for Wildlife here in town where they rehabilitate indigenous monkeys, most commonly howler monkeys, and release them back into the wild. Our group also learned about the pet trade and how it has affected the wild animals here in Nosara. The pet trade is the unadvised forced domestication of wild monkeys or other precious wildlife so they can be used as pets. Brenda Bombard, a very kind lady we met upon arrival, told us all about the animals she has had come through the Refuge for Wildlife. Unfortunately, it is very hard to let these animals back into the wild as they would not be able to fend for themselves now that they have been raised to be human dependent. Another terrible epidemic that is leaving monkeys in these refuges is the electrocution by power lines here in Costa Rica. It seems to be very common and can cause sometimes fatal injuries to the animals.

After being shown around Refuge for Wildlife, we loaded the bus again and made our way to another refuge called SIBU. We were warmly greeted by Steve who showed us the spacious grounds and all the wonderful wildlife and vegetation his Refuge had to offer. His wife Vicki further explained the dangers of Power Lines. To our dismay, it is quite expensive to equip just one power line with coverage from the electrical wires that cause massive hazards to all of the monkeys who climb them. She then discussed the pet trade as well and stressed the importance of never taking pictures of any person holding the wildlife or even coming within close vicinity of them as that may promote to Americans or other non-natives that Costa Rica allows domestication of their monkeys or any other creatures that may be dwelling in these vast rainforests.

After a long day of roaming the refuges and discussing the work we need to have done in these next three weeks, we finished the day with a taco dinner and a cultural festival in the heart of Nosara where we got to enjoy dances and plays put on by the locals. We even got to introduce ourselves to the other GLA group and hear about the work they got to do in their time here. I know our group is more than excited for the days that are yet to come.

Pura Vida!

-Katie McMorrow

Hola!
Today was our third full day and we had so much fun! We woke up and had a delicious breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs and fruit. After breakfast, we departed to Guanacaste’s Annexation parade, and then followed the parade to a small festival held in local school yard. Following the festival, we had a fantastic time dancing to a live band with the locals! We then came back to our headquarters for lunch, after eating our wonderful lunch, we had a brainstorm session for our upcoming Nosara Animal Care Dog Show, coming up with tons of amazing ideas to help the local communities learn how to better care for their furry little friends! We then had a presentation on snakes, where live snakes were brought in and many brave students held some of the snakes. We then had tomato basil pasta with salad for dinner and ended the night with our new mentor groups and shout outs to our fellow students.

Pura Vida!

– Elise

July 26

Hola!

Today was filled with lots of hard work and fun! We were early risers as breakfast was at 6:30. After breakfast the whole crew got in the bus and headed out to our service sites. Half of the group went to SIBU and the other half went the Refuge for Wildlife. At SIBU, we helped in restoring some of the monkey cages, planting in the greenhouse, working with the compost, and began painting a mural. At Refuge for Wildlife, we had the pleasure to clean up monkey poop! As well, we cleaned up bamboo shoots and painted them, and worked on the monkey playground. After a few hours of very hard work we went back to home base for a hearty lunch. After lunch, we had some time to relax and hangout. We then headed to the beach to play some team building games and enjoy the beautiful view. We quickly dusted off the sand and got ready to head out to our cooking lesson.

At La Cocina de Lisbia we helped in making a traditional Costa Rican meal. We had Arroz con Pollo and with vegetables. It was delicious! After dinner we had lots of fun dancing to spanish music. When we came back to homebase we were delighted with crepes and nutella for dessert. Easy to say were eating great! We’re now resting up for another day of hardwork of service.

Pura Vida!
– Kate

July 28, 2016
Today was Thursday, July 28 and we encountered a lot of new adventures and discoveries today. We started the day off with a hike lasting between one and two hours in the beautiful area of Boca Nosara (shoutout to Steven for being the guide). Soon after, we took our bus to the Nosara Recycling Center to learn about the recycling system set up in Nosara and the challenges they face. We had the chance to pick trash out of big piles and learn to make use of it. A few found interesting books, souvenirs, and materials that could be used for our upcoming dog show! From there we separated into groups: horseback riding, surfing, and zip-lining and paddle boarding. These experiences taught us to overcome any lasting fears we have in our lives or manage to make a dream come true (shoutout to the mentors for setting it up and the staff at each activity). In conclusion, not only are we making bonds with each other but also with the vast, beautiful landscapes and culture of Costa Rica.

-Justin

July 31, 2016

The past two days were full of adventure activities including hiking, beach games, horseback riding, stand up paddle boarding, surfing, and zip lining! Today was one of our more relaxed days here in Costa Rica. We started with an early breakfast at 6:30 before leaving to return to the location of our anxiously awaited dog show. After a few hours of preparation, we reconvened at home base for lunch and poolside relaxation. At 2:30, we rounded the group back for some grocery shopping at Súper Nosara, the local super market. After snacking, we met Isa at her local bread shop called Panadería Isa. She taught us how to make delicious empanadas and bread, or “pan” en español. While we waited for our creations to cook, local marimba players taught us the history and the ins and outs of the instrument. They played a few songs for us while we ate and danced. We all appreciated the light hearted day we spent together!

Pura Vida
Katie

Hola!

Today we had the pleasure of sleeping in an extra hour, as breakfast was at 7:30 instead of 6:30. After breakfast, we headed out to our service site. We continued to work on and finish up our preparation for the dog show, which is tomorrow. Some people stayed at the site and continued to work on things such as set design and construction for the dog show, and others went walking through the community to continue to promote the dog show. Additionally, a small group did a spay/neuter census of the community. This census consisted of asking local households questions like; How many cats or dogs they had? How many of them were spayed or neutered? And if they weren’t, ask and encourage them to bring their pets to a castration clinic that will be happening later in august. After a long morning at service we headed back to home base for a delicious and well deserved lunch. The afternoon was a time to kick back and relax. We headed out to the beach, where some soaked up the sun and others participated in a great game of soccer. To cool off, we went for a dip in the ocean. Our beach afternoon was refreshing, and was a perfect way to get us ready for our big day tomorrow at the dog show. For dinner, we had burgers and fries, and cake for dessert. Safe to say we are eating well. We closed off the night with mentor groups and now are off to bed. Have to have a good night sleep for the dog show tomorrow!

– Kate

Hola!
Today was the day we have all been waiting for! The Dog Show came to be and it was a huge success!! Many owners came with their dogs to participate in raffle drawings, obstacle courses, competitions, games, and many more fun stations! All of us loved to see and play with all the dogs and interacting with the Nosara locals. It was a great opportunity to practice our Spanish! Some of us also had opportunities to make this Dog Show meaningful for the dog owners by informing them on proper dog care at the Nosara Animal Care organization booth. It was also meaningful to us GLA students to see a community of people (and dogs) come together to support their pets. It was a lot of hard work preparing for this fair but it was absolutely worth it! Also we got pizza, so all is good in Costa Rica!

~~Pura Vida
Maya

August 10, 2016

Today is our final day here in Costa Rica! After the dog show on Sunday, we began our service work with Tortugiones. We constructed and painted beach signs that will be placed throughout popular areas of Guiones in order to shed awareness on sea turtle conservation. We also returned to Refugee for Wildlife and SIBU to finish up last minute projects including the construction of the baby monkey playground and SIBU mural. For our final cultural activity, we met with our local guide to learn about oxen and their purpose here in Costa Rican history. We then took a ride throughout town in an ox cart! This morning we are finishing up goodbyes and heading to the airport! Thanks to all the staff and students for an incredible, meaningful session that will have a lasting impact on the animals of Nosara! Chow!

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Greetings, Global Citizens!

I hope this note finds all of you well, happy, healthy, and grateful for all that life has provided our unique lives.

How in the world time has flown so quickly, I will never know, but it sure has been wonderful to think about all of the memories we made together in Belize this summer!  I will never forget everyone’s pure enthusiasm during the scavenger hunt at the TEC, and the awesome, warm greetings you always gave Juan when we got on the bus!  You all are so wonderful!

Each of you were instrumental in the beginning of a new partnership with the village of Cotton Tree.  The power and enthusiasm behind your camp songs from day one to ten was so much fun to watch unfold!  Oh man, I miss you all.  It was very evident that you all built some pretty amazing relationships in your classroom with your students.   How wonderful was it to read the words that Ms. Coleman wrote on her thank you card to us on our final morning at summer camp?  I think half of us had teary eyes and full hearts!

More than anything, I can’t believe that we were witnesses to Hurricane Earl within our first week of our program together.  Again, thank you so much for your trust and flexibility.   It was so fun to play telephone charades as we waiting for the “go-ahead” to get back to the TEC!  I am grateful that we were there to be of support to the community and Ms. Coleman at such an ominous time.  #goodbyeearl

A handful of favorite memories:

• Your awesome acting skills during Nicos’s game!
• The winds and rain of Hurricane Earl!
• The TEC scavenger hunt
• Walking through the village of Cotton Tree and your students coming out of their houses along the way.  We nearly had a parade walking though the village!
• Cave tubing, turning our head lamps off, and floating in pure darkness
• Picking the perfect oranges in the citrus field with Juan
• Sharing genuine thoughts and feelings during our Compliment Circles
• Receiving beautiful bookmarks from Ms. Coleman and Mr. Francisco on our final day of service
• Our photo-shoot at Altun Ha!  One more group pose!  One more group pose!
• Relaxing in the hammocks on Caye Caulker
• Trying every hot sauce at Marie Sharp’s Hot Sauce Factory
• Inspiring a young student from camp who recently dropped out of primary school, Melford, to sign back up for school in September!  Great job, Liz & Cate!

Know that we are thinking of you often, and hope that Belize has put a hop in your step to reach your goals and dreams!

YA MON!

Kelli & Lauren

Summer Blog Posts

July 29, 2016

Greetings from Belize! August 2016 adventures are underway!

A few students arrived this morning, while all remaining students arrived into Belize for our August program by dinnertime! Great conversations were had by all over chicken, rice and beans, coleslaw, and plantains – mmmmmmmmm! The students are beginning to explore and make the Tropical Education Center their new, comfortable home for the next three weeks!

Students have shared their excitement, how they chose to travel to and explore this small, beautiful country, and what they’re looking forward to!

Here’s to an adventurous, meaningful experience with new friends!

G’night!

leader of the day, Yailin: July 29, 2016

Whats up Fam,

Today was our first full day at the Tropical Education Center where we started off our day at 8:00 AM with an amazing combination of french toast, orange juice, yogurt, and fruit for breakfast. Afterwards, we played bonding games in order to get to know each other better. Then, we went into talking about what the program requires and what will be expected from us until it was lunch break. After lunch break, we had time to ourselves, which was converted into a photo shoot session by the amazing photographer, Brooke. We then came back together around 2 o’clock and talked about the material, the kids, the lessons, and what our planned days are looking like. We then had an hour break from 4pm to 5pm. To be honest, this is when it hit me. “Wow, I’m really tired.” I said.

However, life here is so exciting because there is always someone to talk to, something to do, or something new to learn about. When 5 o’clock arrived we got to meet the prodigious principle, Ms. Coleman, from the school we will be teaching. We went from talking about the kids to talking about the village life to talking about school opportunities. We finally got to have dinner with this amazing principle and chat a little more about her motivation systems. Singing, dancing, talking, and eating smores around a bonfire and under the stars was the most marvelous way of ending our day with each other (of course). It has only been two days and we already feel so comfortable and like a family. However, most importantly, we all see the value in this trip, and can’t wait until we get to meet and teach the kids.

Quote of the day: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker

Love and hugs,
Yailin Garcia

August 1, 2016

So today was a time set to prepare for the school in the morning. Everyone was assigned into their learning groups. I specifically was placed with the second youngest children and with another student. We went to the school in the morning to help set up the classrooms for the children. It was interesting to see how different the children’s school life is compared to my own. It got everyone to fully understand how to appreciate the things that we have back in the states and in Canada. I also got to chat with Ms. Coleman who is the Principal and she explained how tiring to is to have to setup classrooms year after year. This truly opened my eyes to what she does for the school and how much she does for the children themselves. Whether they realize it or not she is a true hero for the children in Cotton Tree, and they are very lucky to have someone as dedicated as she is. The group also got to bond with each other in creating lesson plans and games for the children to play. We are all very excited to see the children and give them the education they deserve.

Also, today was my birthday and I got a really cute Oreo cake which was so good, and I don’t think I’d want to spend it any other way.

-Bzu

August 3, 2016

Greetings from the Log Cabin,

Today we had a sudden change of events because of the tropical storm Earl. But not to worry we are all safe, we are currently in San Ignacio in a very beautiful hotel that has air conditioning and wifi!!! It’s great! We are all very sad that camp had to be cancelled tomorrow because of storm, but excited to bring it our all when we resume on Friday. Through out the past three days, we have managed to establish amazing connections with the children who attend our class. We have seen them really express themselves and we have seen their eyes light up when they learn something new. We have really learned so much about the Belizean culture through them and observing the way the community functions when faced with difficult challenges like a hurricane. Overall we are loving the time that we are having here and we look forward to the fun adventures that are to come.

Good night! Miss you all so much.

Jaydel Hernandez

“When life puts you in tough situations, don’t ask why me? Just say, try me.”

! GLA blog special parent edition:
Hello to the GLA Belize Students and Families!

The past few days have been eventful for visitors and residents of Belize. Since arriving here with my daughter Isabelle just prior to the start of GLA, I’ve been touring the country, and decided to take my chances and stay for the storm. It was a very severe natural event. I will never again underestimate a Cat 1 hurricane. This was weather with fury.

First of all, I want to commend the GLA team for their excellent communication. For parents and family members back in the states, the communication may have seemed sporadic–but cellular and data services were the first to go and the last to return–after power is up, roads and bridges reopened and cleanup underway. This has preoccupied Belize since Wednesday. That GLA staff’s communication was so timely is a tribute to their preparedness and professionalism.

Secondly, as I attempted to evade the storm by moving to the mountains above San Ignacio, I was able to visit the Log Cab-Inn, where GLA staff moved our students for safety. It was an excellent choice–a good structure with easy access to the main road and in little danger of flooding or isolation. Unfortunately I arrived there just after the group had left for their return trip to TEC, so didn’t get to meet the group. Again, good choices by GLA staff on the ground here.

My experience of the storm and from talking with locals is that, because these storms turn counter-clockwise, it is possible to predict the areas in the most danger based on the path of the storm’s eye. In this case, the eye passed south of Belize City, pushing the most severe effects north to San Pedro. As it turns out, the eye of the storm passed exactly over the Cayo district where San Ignacio is located. This central and western mountain/rainforest region of the country absorbed all the rainfall, which led to the flooding you may have seen. (In fact, GLA transported the students to a much safer location to where I ended up–in a flash flood zone.) So, after seeing the destruction and experiencing the challenges (transportation, communication, access to services) first-hand, I thought I would assure my fellow parents and family members back home that the students are in a good place, with people who have done a good job looking out for them.

Sending gratitude and kudos to the GLA staff, and best wishes for the students and staff for more good (and safe) adventures!

Jeffrey Berke

August 3rd

Greetings from the Log Cabin,

Today we had a sudden change of events because of the tropical storm Earl. But not to worry we are all safe, we are currently in San Ignacio in a very beautiful hotel that has air conditioning and wifi!!! It’s great! We are all very sad that camp had to be cancelled tomorrow because of storm, but excited to bring it our all when we resume on Friday. Through out the past three days, we have managed to establish amazing connections with the children who attend our class. We have seen them really express themselves and we have seen their eyes light up when they learn something new. We have really learned so much about the Belizean culture through them and observing the way the community functions when faced with difficult challenges like a hurricane. Overall we are loving the time that we are having here and we look forward to the fun adventures that are to come.

Good night! Miss you all so much.

Jaydel Hernandez

August 4th

Hello families!

We’re very happy to report that we’ve survived the hurricane! A lot happened that night, but thankfully, we’re all okay. We were in San Ignacio longer than originally planned, but have made it happily back to our home base for dinner and prep for service tomorrow.

Speaking of service, we’re so happy to have made it halfway through our first week of service. Despite not having service today, we’re so excited to resume teaching our classes again tomorrow. We all missed and were very worried about the kids and Cotton Tree village and are so excited to see them again. We’re also excited that Emily and her family, one of our mentors, had their flight delayed. We know it must be hard and she must miss people back home, but we’re happy she’s staying for a few extra days.

So far, this has been a great trip for all of us! We’ve been out on some great excursions and we’ve had an amazing time getting to know each other and bonding. We’re all starting to get really close and we know that the friendships we’re forming are going to last much longer than this trip. We’d like to wish everyone the best and to have a good weekend!

Love from Belize!

-Isa

August 5th

To everyone at home,

Today, after a hurricane caused hiatus, we returned to the people of Cotton Tree village and their children at St. Joseph R.C. school. Although the day was anything but ordinary, it felt like a return to routine and to our mission here in Belize, to teach English, Math, and life skills to the children in our classes. As a result of the hurricane, only about a third of our regular students came to camp. Our hearts sank and hearts opened as we discussed the impact that hurricane Earl had on the village of often weakly constructed houses. Everyone was impacted, but it is fair to say that the severity of the impact on places like Cotton Tree was magnitudes worse than in places like The Log Cab-Inn, where we weathered the storm. Children in Cotton Tree experienced the roofs of their houses blowing off, allowing everything in their homes to be soaked by rain and ravaged by wind. Many houses were destroyed completely. Imagining the shock and grief that things like these would cause for my family made my heart drop into my stomach. I could not even begin to imagine what the effect would be if my safety or the safety of my loved ones wasn’t guaranteed.

Although the effect was terrible, it was inspiring and heartwarming to see the community rallying to help their friends and neighbors. As we taught a class of younger students in a room in which Earl had installed a skylight, men climbed on top of the classroom and replaced the metal roof. We worked hard all morning helping the school recover from the hurricane. Always eager to help us were the children of the village, who jumped to our aide and carried pieces of roof and awnings that had blown off in the storm. The most surprising moment of the day came when we opened up one of the classrooms, a room which had small openings near the ceiling to help with ventilation. It had been used for storage, and had been filled with chairs, desks and tables. Accompanying them was a single can of sky-blue paint. Wind had entered the room, swept up the can of paint and ripped off its lid, and carried it around the room, creating a scene that was reminiscent of one of Kandinsky’s paintings. In the humidity and heat, we carried everything out into the courtyard and built a barrier of chairs around a power line that had dropped into the middle of the path, so that none of our students would be burned or injured by it.

Over the backdrop of the aftermath of the storm, we taught to our students one of our favorite activities. It was a lesson on story writing followed by a period during which our students could craft their own stories. During my class’s discussion of the impact of the hurricane, one of our students chimed in over and over with fantastical stories of playing catch in the storm, flying through the air, and wrestling crocodiles. These were of course greeted by choruses of laughter and whispered comments. As usual, the girls of the class were motivated and focused but this boy and his friends lagged behind. My favorite moment of the day came when after much encouragement from my fellow teachers and I, this boy took his ability to craft ridiculous and often hilarious fictions and applied it to the activity we were teaching. I saw him transform as he was given an outlet to unleash his creativity. At the end of the day his story was the longest and one of the most syntactically complicated we saw.

After we returned to the TEC, half of us engaged in a cooking class taught by the staff of our dining hall and the rest in a discussion of American and Belizean communities and cultures that was enjoyable and enlightening. I continue to be delighted by our group discussions and how intelligent and eloquent everybody is. After dinner, we ended our day with an activity known as the “values line” where Kelli read aloud sets of words and we moved to opposite sides of the room based on which we more closely identified with. When we were asked whether we would choose to feed or educate ourselves or our children and to make choices like food or water, education or electricity, the choices which so many Belizeans are forced to confront and make on a daily basis, it helped us bring into focus all that we take for granted and feel entitled to. Finally, Lauren led an activity that was one of the most powerful and impactful thus far. We were somewhat randomly matched up with others and instructed to draw each other, dance hand in hand, and the toughest among them, to stare into each other’s eyes for an uninterrupted 3 minutes. The most impactful part of this exercise however, was when we were asked to discuss with these people whom we have only known a week, yet in many cases feel so close to, what our biggest regrets are, how we deal with stress, what breaks our hearts, and what brings us up again. After much hugging and heartfelt discussion, we broke for bed, preparing ourselves for another full day.

-Nicos

August 6th

Hello from the other side,

Today didn’t exactly turn out the way it was suppose to. We traveled an hour away from home base at the TEC to San Ignacio. We went to a beautiful hotel and resort to visit some very interesting iguanas. A man called Nigel led us to a huge cage filled with iguanas all shapes and sizes. As soon as we walked into the extremely large cage iguanas were all over, there were at least 45 iguanas all together in the cage. As soon as we started taking pictures with and of the iguanas they immediately started scratching people, Kaitlyn especially. Nigel ended up putting one on someone’s back and everyone filliped out. When we left the resort after the iguana attack we left and had lunch at “Hode’s Place” and we were planning to go to the San Ignacio market but we got rained out (weather has not bee on our side on this trip). So, we ended up going back to home base, but not before we stopped at another Chinese market. We got back to home base and kind of relaxed before a very unexpected emotional game, step-in step-out. I don’t want to talk too much about it to respect privacy but I just want to say they I have so much respect and love for every person on this trip. But, even after being rained out and being very emotional, it was definitely another successful day in Belize.

Love from the other side,

Clarissa Huerta

August 7th

Hello from Belize, and happy birthday Lauren!

Sunday has finally arrived, a day full of excursions and fun. We started off the day sleeping in, and eating breakfast a bit later than usual. After breakfast, the leaders created a scavenger hunt for us. We broke up into two teams, and then we were off. The scavenger hunt consisted of many different tasks, some of which were learning the Belize national anthem, and others that involved taking pictures of different birds. The scavenger hunt ended in pulling appropriate pranks on the other group. One group threw the other group’s pillows on the roof, and the other group got back at them by pretending two girls fell in the lake and got attacked by the crocodile. After the tiring scavenger hunt, we were all ready for lunch.

After lunch, Juan, our awesome driver, led us on a nature hike at TEC (our home base). It was a pretty short hike, and we looked at all sorts of nature along the way. Right after the hike, Juan drove us to an orange farm. It was awesome!! The farm is owned by a couple from Ohio. Juan drove us all around the farm, and it was huge. Then we went to a part of the farm that has oranges that were very ripe. The oranges are actually green in Belize. Everyone picked a few oranges from the tree, and Juan cut and peeled them for us. They were delicious. They were so fresh, and people that usually didn’t like oranges loved them. Everyone was so happy we went.

After the farm, we went to a restaurant called Cheers. Most people ordered milkshakes and fries, and everyone was super excited about having wifi. After we got back to the home base, we rested in our rooms and planned our surprise party for our amazing mentor, Lauren. We had dinner and distracted Lauren, and set up her party upstairs in the classroom. She was completely surprised and we had an awesome night of dancing, eating cake, and celebrating Lauren’s birthday. It was overall an awesome day, and everyone is excited for one more week of service to come at the school!

-Cate

August 15

Hello from Belize!

Today was our first day at the camp for the kids! After a thunderstorm that cost everybody an hour of sleep due to noise at 4:30am we still awoke enthusiastic and ready to meet the Belizean children at Cotton Tree Village. We were immediately greeted by numerous shy kids who were ready for our 10 day camp at their local school in Cotton Tree. We were immediately divided up into our various classrooms ranging from 3rd to 8th graders in Americas grade system.

Each kid definitely took time to warm up and come out of their shells and some were easier than others but with a little perseverance and a light-hearted attitude we had them up and singing to camp songs, and playing math and English games in no time. Recess was a blast for us and the kids (it’s harder to tell which had more fun.) We all scattered around the schoolyard to play hand games, jump rope, basketball, Frisbee, and soccer. After recess we returned exhausted but ready for more teaching with the kids. We continued to do work our of a workbook that will help build self-esteem and English vocabulary with the students while also having fun times playing games we picked out ourselves for each of our classrooms. It was so nice to see the kids learning while also engaging with the two-four GLA students assigned to them. By the end of the day after a short trip with every student to pick up the trash in the school yard we said our goodbyes for the day.

One of the most touching parts of the day was the goodbyes; the students whether they were in your class or not came up to hug us goodbye. Some of the students were even given small gifts like food which really shows us the cultures tendency for such great generosity despite the fact in reality they don’t have much to give. After leaving the village with warmed hearts we returned to camp for some quick lunch and a short nap break and then began planning our lessons for tomorrow while learning more songs to teach the kids. It’s safe to say we all anxiously await tomorrow and to make more memories with more kids tomorrow and for the next nine days to come.

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you- it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you…Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”-Anthony Bourdain

-Maggie

August 18

Well, just like that.

Just like that . . . and 14 vibrant, young leaders from the states and Canada formed bonds, created memories, laughed, cried, and were of service to beautiful Belize.

Thursday, August 18th, brought us a pancake breakfast, sharing plane letters, hugs, a few tears, and a thoughtful bus ride to the Belize City International Airport to return to our friends and families.

How will you share your story?
How will you explain your experiences?
Who impacted you the most?
What did you love the most about Belize?
What are you going home valuing more than ever before?
How do you view at the world now compared to June 29th?
How do you view your role in this ever-changing world?

August 18th is a full moon. I hope we all have the chance to take a look at the beauty around us in a new light – moon light – in a way we did before GLA Belize from all the places we call home.

We’re all different people from Day One. The Day 21 hearts and souls that carry us forward have so much potential and a fresh energy to BE THE CHANGE.

Thank you, Maggie, Isa, Nicos, Nic, Miriam, Jaydel, Clarissa, Meghan, Cate, Liz, Yailin, Daphne, Kaitlyn, and Bzu, for creating what was a meaningful experience for all involved!

YA MON!!

Be the Change,
Kelli & Lauren

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Belize Travelers and Global Citizens,

Time truly flies, but we haven’t stopped thinking about any of you!  Your smiles and spirits have lifted us through these last few months!  Reminiscing about your laughter, character, jokes, aspirations, and meaningful conversations have truly kept all of us moving forward with positivity as our days continue.  We all think of you so much and hope that you are all in great places and enjoying school.

We laugh about how quiet the initial bus ride was when we picked you up from the airport in Belize City and how you all could not stop hugging one another when we had to do our shuttles to the airport to return home.  I truly miss sharing Belize with each of you:  running up the ruins, picking out bracelets at the local market, having meaningful conversations in the dining hall and dorms, jumping off the rope swing into the river, dancing before dinner, sharing our highs, lows and heroes (ha!), and being of service to the village of St. Matthews.  We had so many great days together and we are grateful for the life-long memories with each of you included.

You all were the very first group to be of service in Belize with Global Leadership Adventures and you truly set the stage for future global leaders in Belize!  The summer camp that you implemented with 125 local Belizean students was phenomenal.  You all were so impressed and touched by the students that you took the initiative to create the Albert and Maria Fund in order to continue to support the high school education of deserving students.  You all are amazing.  How wonderful to have created something that future GLA students can support and grow alongside you!

YA MON! A handful of favorite memories:

• Sailing on the beautiful aqua waters of Belize
• Line dancing in the dining hall before dinner
• Sharing our highs, lows, and heroes ☺
• Each of us taking turns on the rope swing with Erik
• Early morning interview on Belize’s morning news on our last full day together
• Singing our favorite classroom songs at camp
• Morning waffles and fruit on Caye Caulker
• Racing to the top of the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins
• Playing soccer in the mud at the school grounds
• Planting native plants and the National Tree of Belize (Mahogany) at the school

We wish you the very best with this new school year and hope that your experience in Belize is an experience that encourages you to continue to be a force for good and explore this beautiful world!

With love,

Kelli + Belize Team

Summer Blog Posts

July 6, 2016 

GLA Belize has officially begun!

Students started arriving at 10 a.m., and by dinnertime we had 23 student volunteers here at Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, our home base for the three weeks.

(We’re still waiting for three students who arrive tomorrow, July 7. Can’t wait to meet you guys!)

Everyone was tired after long flights, but they still had enough energy to make friends over a dinner of Belizean chicken, rice and beans and cake. Then we did a round of more formal introductions, went over ground rules and shared what we were most excited about for the weeks ahead. Answers ranged from making new friends to meeting the Belizean kids we’ll be tutoring to visiting Mayan ruins and snorkeling. There were smiles all around as we closed for the evening, then a mad dash for the showers—anything to stave off the heat of the Belizean night.

And tomorrow we begin! Ya mon!

GLA Belize — Rhythms of the Carribean crew

July 8, 2016

Hello, Home!

To start off, Sophie, Nina, and Ishmael made to the base yesterday safely! So happy to have everyone here. Today was spent getting to know one another, both students and mentors, and learning about our service project. We watched a wonderful Ted Talk by Pico Aier and then had the principal of St. Matthew’s Government School, Mrs. Gordon, and the lead English teacher in all of Belize, Mrs. Emily Martinez, come speak to us about their backgrounds and the schools. We then ended the day with some great cake and a bonfire.

Sincerely,

Farah Saqer

July 9, 2016

Dear the outside world,

Today was day four of our trip and it was the beginning of our outside adventures! We started the day by driving an hour to San Ignacio to shop for souvenirs and experience the life of local Belizeans.

We ate lunch at a small park and were able to speak to some children playing there. After lunch, we drove to one of the most anticipated parts of the whole trip: Xunantunich. Xunantunich (pronounced shu-NAN-tuh-inch) is a Mayan ruins site that has ancient structures as far back as 820 A.D. at the least. While we were there (after a mile hike to the site), our tour guide led us through the ruins and explained the history behind the structures; for example we passed by a ruin that was dedicated to sports and he explained the sport and how they created the ball needed to play. We then climbed to the top of the highest standing building, learning more and more about ancient Mayan culture on the way. It was breathtaking once we reached the top. We were high enough to see past the villages to the mountains, and even pointed out the road that divides Belize and Guatemala. Sweaty yet accomplished, we walked back the way we came and headed back to Monkey Bay.

I believe all in all today was a testament to the power of man. Humans created the villages they now live in and work hard to have quality products to sell. Humans pushed hard through high hills and fatigue to get where they knew they wanted to be. Humans worked and gave their lives to build a world for themselves, rock by rock, a world resilient enough for us to see 4000 years later by people resilient enough to withstand the hardships of nature and invaders in order to tell their ancestors’ stories. It was eye opening and empowering and fit perfectly with the message I gave to the group this morning via the quote of the day. We all come from pasts of strength and resilience, and it is up to us to tell those stories and push forward so our descendants to do the same.

Lo
“We are the granddaughters of the witches they couldn’t burn.”

July 10, 2016

Hello from Monkey Bay!

Today we started prepping for our service that begins tomorrow. In the morning we broke off into our classroom groups and planned our lessons. After about an hour of planning and brainstorming we finally finished our meetings, ready with a written plan for the day and a code of conduct for us to follow. After lunch we went out to St Matthew’s Government School, where we will be working to set up the classrooms which where all in different states of disrepair. It was there that we took a tour of the village and had the pleasure of meeting some of the village kids that would be in the classes tomorrow.

Overall, today was the day that the service aspect of the trip became real. Between planning our day for tomorrow and seeing the place where our days will play out for the next two weeks, it has been an empowering day.

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how”- Neitszche

-Sophie Balmagiya

July 11, 2016

Hey from Monkey Bay!

Today was our first day of service and it was amazing. Meeting all of the kids and being able to get to know them was incredible. They are some of the sweetest kids I’ve ever met. At the school today we split up into our teaching groups and everyone had students to teach. We played soccer and hide and seek during recess which was fun for everyone! We’re all excited to go back tomorrow.

After lunch, we all headed down to the Sibun River for an afternoon of swimming and jumping off a rope swing. It was so nice and refreshing after a day of hard work. We ended the day planning for camp tomorrow, creating songs and games to play.

Today was a great day being able to have an inside look on a different culture and being able to connect with the kids.

Shannon Faulkner

“We rise by lifting others” –Robert Ingersoll

July 12, 2016

Hi to everyone back at home!!

Today was a really great day and there was absolutely no way to get us down (which you will find out later on). To start off, we had our second day of service. We had a larger turnout then yesterday and in my class alone we had 5 new students which really means a lot. The kids showed so much enthusiasm in learning and especially in a loving environment they weren’t used to. Connections are becoming stronger and stronger and I can’t wait to see how they flourish. On top of all of that the football (soccer) and hide-and-go seek games become more and more intense.
After a “long” day of service we took an adventure into Belmopan (Belize’s capital) to go food shopping and explore. We took about 7 steps of the bus before it started to drizzle. Then the drizzle turned to rain. And then the rain turning into an utter downpour. Granted, we did not let this get us down at all. We continued to play in the rain (shoutout to Bri for really embracing it). So to wrap this up today was absolutely better then what I could have imagined, in a good way, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

-Nina, Leader of the Day

“There is no world. There’s only six billion understandings of it, and if you change one person’s understanding of it, you’ve changed the whole thing.” -Drew Dudley

P.S.- Thank you to Anya and Erik for finally having our deep conversations.

July 13

Hi from Monkey Bay!

Today, we went to St. Matthew’s to work with the kids again. It was encouraging, as teachers, to see how all of the groups improved both behaviorally and academically. Recess was a little difficult due to the heavy rains from the previous afternoon, but I was excited to see people still playing football (soccer) and tag games. Following recess, we all went back to the classrooms and played a bunch of fun classroom games.

After a relaxing lunch and siesta, we went to the Belize Zoo, famous for its jaguars and harpy eagles. The Belize Zoo was one activity that I had really looked forward to for this trip. It was interesting to see the wildlife contained as naturally as possible. A lot of students also got a chance to hold a boa constrictor. The gift shop and café provided everyone with some much desired ice cream and souvenirs. Following dinner, the group was terrorized by a giant beetle that flew and created a perfect story example for Lauren to explain a story arc to us. Overall, today was another awesome day and I am so looking forward to tomorrow.

Shoutout to Carly and Zoe for surviving the shower out of a horror movie.

Thanks!
Anya

July 14

Hi everyone back home!

Today we started off our fourth day of school at St. Matthew’s, which I think we can all agree has been one of the best days yet. We spent the day continuing to work with the kids on literacy by writing stories about heroes, with modifications for each age group. Just as the school day ended at noon, we experienced a brief but powerful rainstorm, forcing a huge group of kids to huddle inside instead of walking home. Here in Belize we are just entering the rainy season and we get a refreshing downpour almost every afternoon.
After dropping off all of the kids and returning to home base, we began our afternoon activity: making dinner with the amazing Monkey Bay cooking staff! We all broke up into groups and tackled a different part of the meal, including coconut rice, grilled chicken, coleslaw, kebabs, and homemade cake. I really enjoyed getting to know all of the women who work on the kitchen and understanding the huge enormous amount of work that goes into each meal. We decided that dinner tasted even better after making it ourselves.
We ended off the day with a classic GLA activity: a compliment circle. The first week with new people can be really difficult and it raised everyone’s self-esteem knowing that we had friends and finding out what others valued about us. Many of us agreed that this was a huge step in bonding as a group and it seemed to raise everyone’s spirits. I can’t wait to continue working with the kids and exploring the many sides of Belizean culture!

Also a big thanks to the Monkey Bay staff for all your hard work (especially considering how much laundry was washed today)

Zoe

July 15

Hey to everyone back home!!

Thank god it’s Friday. Today was great and very emotional day for everybody at Monkey Bay. We all started our day off at service with the kids our last day of week 1. It felt good to start seeing familiar faces and kids getting use to the classroom. All the kids in my class remembered this clapping game called 7 and enjoyed playing it compared to day 1 when they were all looking at us crazy. The kids did an art project in the second half of class. It was amazing seeing the kids open up and start to fully become comfortable with us. After a long week of teaching the group took a hike through the Jungle trail down to the Sibun River to take a nice swim. We then ended the night with a very emotional game called step in step out. Everybody shared about issues in their lives from family deaths to abuse. It got real and intense very fast. Everybody cried and hugged it out before we all went to our rooms. The game made us all realize that everybody is different on this trip but very similar. The night ended in a very weird and emotional place but we all just supported each other. The game brought us one step closer to each other even though we thought we were pretty close.

-Ismael, Leader of the Day

July 16, 2016

Hey to everyone at home!

Today was a very fun day here in Belize. In the morning we went canoeing down at the lake near home base. This was so cool because we got to see the beautiful landscape the trees made over the lake. We stopped along the 2 hour canoe ride to swim and cool off in the lake which was very nice. By the time we got on the bus, everybody was tired. During the afternoon, we all got together to write in our journals about how it felt being half way done with our service trip. Also, we had a long talk about the different dynamics that were happening in classrooms when doing service. The rest of the day was free time to bond more with friends and getting excited for the week of service we had ahead of us.

Today was a great way to end our week of service by getting to see beautiful landscapes and chilling out on home base.

Sinclair

“Self worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.” -Beyoncé

Leader of the Day-  Sinclair.

July 19, 2016

Leader of the Day, July 19 (McKenzie):

Hello, friends and family of GLA students!

As usual, many of us have woken up with more bug bites than we went to bed with. That’s just part of the Belizean experience. Breakfast is different every morning except for one component: eggs. I don’t think any GLA students will be craving eggs when we come back home. After our nutrition-filled breakfast, we headed out to St. Matthew’s Government School. Today, each classroom focused on helping the students at St. Matthew’s think positively and, more importantly, improve their self-esteem. Students have more motivation to learn when they believe that they can actually succeed. Therefore, our goal is to empower these students and make them believe that they can achieve anything that they set their minds to. On our way home, our GLA students were hoping that, one day, there would be Chinese food served at Monkey Bay. We stepped foot into the dining hall and were shocked that the cooks at Monkey Bay could read our minds. There was stir fry! Two hours after lunch, we all headed out to Belmopan. There, we had the chance to go into a supermarket, buy necessities and snacks, and visit a local ice cream shop! When we got back, people parted ways. Some of us stayed back at Monkey Bay to work out, hang out by the hammocks, and relax. Some of us decided to head down the the Sibun River to swing on a rope swing and enjoy the river’s strong current. After an entire day of fun, we got into our service groups to discuss plans for tomorrow’s school day. There is just about a week left of this program and I wish to live these last several days without any regrets.

QOTD: “A house is a building. A home is a feeling.” –Unknown

McKenzie, Leader of the Day

July 20th

Hello friends and families of GLA students!

Today was an amazingly jam packed day that I’m confident every one of us enjoyed.
We started out at St. Matthews writing letters with the children, which is an essential tool the kids must know to be able to pass their high school entrance exam. After recess, we all started various projects with the kids, including cleaning up the unorganized library, starting to plant shrubs in potters, and picking up litter on the campus. After camp was over, we headed over to Marie Sharp’s Hot Sauce Factory, which is a worldwide company known by every Belizean. The bus ride to get there was about an hour and a half long, and we were able to view the beautiful mountains all around us on the way. When we got to the factory, we had the honor to meet the one and only Marie Sharp. She told us her story to success, and we walked through the factory and were able to sample every hot sauce and jam available. There was also a gift shop, and all I have to say is I don’t think any of us will be lacking hot sauce anytime soon. On our way back, we jammed to eighties music and even stopped at a little chocolate shop and filled up on truffles and chocolate ice cream. It was a great day, and I’m so happy to share it with everybody back at home!
With Love,
Cate 🙂

July 24, 2016

Hi from Monkey Bay!

It’s so wonderful to be back at Monkey Bay after a great weekend away on Caye Caulker island! We took an hour long ferry from Belize City to the beautiful Caye Caulker on Friday afternoon. We arrived at The Tropical Paradise Hotel, which is located right across the street from the beach. For dinner, we went to a little pizza place and it was delicious! After dinner, we got ice cream and settled back at the hotel and beach. We spent some time stargazing and chatting and then turned in for the night in our air conditioned (!) rooms.

Saturday morning, we went to an adorable café for breakfast! The Belgium waffles with fruit were a huge hit. Then, we went to grab snorkel gear and headed out on a catamaran to see the 2nd biggest coral reef in the world! We snorkeled at three different spots and saw a variety of creatures, such as stingrays, nurse sharks, brightly colored fish, and if you were lucky, a manatee. It was absolutely beautiful to see a completely different part of Belize, hidden underwater. We spent almost the whole day on the boat, so we got back just before dinner. We ate at a little grill and then hit the ice cream store again. After that, we stargazed and sat on the edge of the pier. Then, there were some surprise fireworks down the beach! Watching those from water’s edge was breathtaking. I will never forget the reflections of the lightening in the distance on the water.

Sunday morning, we went to breakfast slightly later than usual so that we could catch up on some sleep and “Go Slow”, the island’s motto. After that, we did some souvenir shopping along the water and swam in a little channel off the far end of the island. We had a great lunch and then some of us got our hair braided and got henna tattoos! We feel super islandy 🙂

Now, we’re back at Monkey Bay and we feel like we’re back at home! The bug spray’s back on, now over a thin layer of aloe on sunburnt backs and we’re good! Tomorrow’s our last full day together and I’m sure we’ll make it a good one!

See you soon, America 🙂

-Carly Comparato

Today was our last official day in Belize. Everyone was very emotional and nostalgic about the amazing experiences we shared over the last three weeks, and were dreading the upcoming departure. We started off the day waking up before sunrise to head to Belmopan to be interviewed by Rise and Shine, a major Belizean news station that broadcasts to over 365,000 viewers. The operator of the station had passed by St. Matthew’s on Friday, and asked all of GLA to join him for a live interview about our service and support for St. Matthew’s Village. After the exciting and stressful experience, we all headed back for free time and breakfast. After breakfast, everyone packed and spent time with each other, enjoying their last conversations together. In the afternoon, after our free time, we all gathered in the dining hall to reflect on our experiences throughout the trip. Everyone shared their favorite moments with the group, and talked about how they had changed. The atmosphere was very sad and melancholy. Most people were both happy and sad to be returning home, due to the friendships they made as well as the amazing things we all shared together. After our group conversation, we all took time to write letters to each other to read on the plane. The afternoon was relatively calm, as people processed the day ahead. After dinner, we had a short ceremony where everyone received awards from the counselors, saying things like “Most likely to become president” and “Most likely to get One Direction back together”. All of the GLA students then decided it would be fun to create our own awards to the counselors. The evening was filled with more reflection, and one last sharing of our “Highs, Lows, and Heroes” over the entirety of the trip. Many tears were shed, and we all ended the night with a big group hug and cake. This experience has shaped all of our lives in many ways and created life long friendships. We will all miss each other dearly and be forever influenced by this amazing opportunity.

We have attached a handful of our favorite photos from our trip!

Cassady- “You never leave a place you love, you take a part of it with you, leaving a part of you behind.” –Unknown

Mariana- “You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.” –Miriam Adeney

James- “One of the most neglected virtues of our existence is appreciation.” –Dale Carnegie

Cassady, Mariana, and James- Co leaders of the day

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Wow! Can you believe it has already been a few months since we were all together in Bali?  I feel like it was just yesterday that we were eagerly awaiting your arrivals at the airport and see your jetlagged faces ready to embark on an adventure of a lifetime ☺

Recently I have been back to Lovina to visit our friends from the summer. We reminisced about all the fun we had with Domingo, Anik and the singing boys at the beach.   Saw the dorm staff and they say its already lonely and feeling vacant without you there.  And of course I visited the schools that you made such an impact on.  The children were so excited to see me because they thought I had brought all of you back!  Unfortunately not, but I can tell from talking to the teachers that they have a new enthusiasm for learning that directly stems from your incredible teaching ☺☺

I hope that you have had an amazing start to your new school year.  I have no doubt that you have stayed true to your commitments that you left with at the end of the program and that you have a new understanding of your role in the world.  Keep traveling and keep taking risks, I know that each of you is going to make such a difference in the world!

Miss you all and stay in touch!

-Ryan and the rest of GLA Bali Staff

Here are just some of the things I remember from our summer together:

• The holy water ceremony where we got drenched!
• The Lion King theme song with Luna
• Meditation and dinner with children from Narayan Seva
• A special birthday surprise for Rose!
• Ros and her endless knowledge of alternative healing treatments
• Beth and Jennifer with their incredible voices
• The boys terrible singing at dinner in the dorms
• SO SO SO many children to teach!
• Noah’s ability to disappear during night tag in Amed
• And so much more!

Summer Blog Posts

7/16

Selamat Datang di Bali! (Welcome to Bali!)

After a long day of arrivals, we have our entire Gla community together in Ubud! Here is the first photo of the group, along with some of our staff waiting at the airport for students to arrive.

More photos and stories to come, stay tuned!

– GLA Bali Staff

July 18, 2016

We woke up to pouring rain and had toast and eggs with tea and coffee for breakfast. After we had our first global citizenship seminar. We did an exercise where controversial topics were asked and we had to share our viewpoints without judgement. It was still raining and we had amazing chicken soup for lunch and went to our workshop. At the workshop we had 4 stations where we learned how to make Balinese offerings. Made woodcarvings of our names, created authentic Balinese music. And finally learned how to dance the Legong in our sarongs. Finally we had a tour around the prince of Peliatan’s palace and met him to have dinner. He was very friendly and we had great conversation. For dinner we had rice, green beans, chicken kabob, and fruit- everything with lots of spice! Everyone is already super close and having tons of fun!

Elle LeBlanc and Rachel Eldridge

July 19, 2016: Video Blog

July 20, 2016

Today was the day that we transferred locations from Ubud, Bali to Singaraja, Bali. During our drive to the second home base, we made a few stops on the way. First, we stopped at the world famous temple: Ulun Danu, Danau Bratan. Ulun Danu, Danau Bratan is one of the main temples in Bali and is wildly recognized because of its history to the Balinese culture. After we left the temple, we had an extravagant lunch at a very tasty restaurant close to the temple. Shortly after we arrived to our home base in Singaraja, we took a trip to Lovina Beach and took a dip in the ocean before heading out the spider boats. On the spider boat, the group went snorkeling and watched the sunset. When we returned back to shore, our friend Domingo prepared us a very yummy, flavorful dinner at his beachside restaurant. Him and his staff then set up a bonfire where the group sang along to popular American songs. It was a fun filled day in Bali. We closed our night by participating in our first evening activity: Mentor Olympics. We split off into three groups and participated against each other in a series of games. First we untangled ourselves in a game of Human Knot, and then we finished off the night in a game of blindness. Each group was blindfolded and each person was given a number. They then had to arrange themselves in numerical order without speaking or seeing. It was a fun day. Can’t wait for tomorrow! Thanks for reading. 🙂

7/22

We started off the day with our typical morning routine; after breakfast we continued with an activity which entailed a personality test that showed us the type of leader that we all are and the pros and cons that come along with it. After the personality test we all participated in a game where one was blind folded and the group had to blindly direct the person. The game taught us how essential communication and compromise is in our daily lives. After these activities we ate lunch and continued to prepared our lesson plans. We then left for our second day of service and taught the kids a new topic, which was animals and landscape. Teaching the kids is always such a joyful experience because it’s a gift to know that we get to expand their knowledge. Once we left we immediately began to plan our next day. We then ended the night with a fun game of musical chairs.

7/23

Hello fellow friends and family and readers of the blog! Today we began our day a bit differently with a nice trip to the beach. We spent about three hours with some nice sunshine and swimming, along with some shopping. Once we got back we enjoyed a nice lunch that consisted of traditional Balinese food which was rice, grilled chicken, potato and corn fritters, and fruit. After we split into our mentor groups to have a discussion on our strengths and weaknesses as a person and who inspired us the most in our lives. This discussion helped us reflect and realize why it’s important to look up to someone because those are the people that help shape the person you are today. Once we finished our mentor group discussions we headed for our third day of volunteering at our schools. Today’s topic was food! It was fun to teach the different types of food to the children and to see how excited they were once they got something right. It’s always the best part of the day being able to be a part of expanding a child’s knowledge. After teaching we came back to the home base and enjoyed dinner. The mentors got us all pizza because it can be a little tiring eating rice and chicken all the time. During our free time after dinner the whole GLA staff and GLA members got together to decorate the common room for a surprise birthday party for a fellow GLA member, Rose! She was very surprised and had a very happy birthday! After some relaxation and fun we headed straight to work to create our new lesson plan for tomorrow. We had a pretty exciting day today and there is only more to come, so stay tuned! And a VERY Happy Birthday to Rose Rogers! ☺

July 24, 2016

We woke up bright and early this morning to volunteer at the school at 8:30 am. Seeing the kids is super exciting because their enthusiasm and love for learning inspires us all. Jesse’s compassion, Anna’s positivity, and Channing’s passion with the children inspire our peers and is often reflected back in their attitudes. Even when we say goodbye at the end of each day, every child makes sure to say goodbye to every one of us.

Then, we headed off of to the children’s home which was definitely eye opening. These are some of the happiest children we’ve ever met – greeting us all like we’ve known them forever. The head of the children’s home educated us about their school. Their home is barely funded by the government, receiving most funds from donations. She also said that their daily schedule consists of mediation, yoga, studying, cleaning, school and cooking. All of the kids agree that the yoga and meditation really helps them focus and be patient. They all contribute in these household chores to build a sense of community. The kids also performed a Balinese dance and yoga show for us which was truly amazing.

After visiting the children’s home, we got together for a huge soccer tournament at an indoor field. Jennifer’s spirit, Valerie’s determination, and Nikki’s enthusiasm were contagious in this scene, lightening the room around them. As the teams battled it out, we all broke a sweat and created stronger bonds.

July 25, 2016
Good morning creators,
Today we had to wake up earlier than usual to go into town and visit a nearby community. Here, we were helping to clean up plastic to support the no-plastic movement that has been recently implemented in Bali. We then visited the community temple, prayed together, and later got our souls “purified” with holy water. The ceremony lasted about one hour and was led by the head of the temple. After this we drove to Hardy’s market and were allowed to purchase various snacks and clothing, as well as play arcade games. Following lunch, we went to our fifth day of volunteering at the school. Today was a special day where we were allowed to assign our own lesson plan topics, adding to the difficulty of teaching the children. All of our activities today were filled with excitement and interesting lessons.

P.S.- tell Cuervo I say hi

Brianna and Nikki

July 26, 2016
Today was relaxing and had a different vibe to the rest of the trip. After breakfast we went on a long drive to a beach resort. When we arrived in Pemuteran, we listened to a presentation from locals about the preservation of coral reefs. It was very interesting. To our dismay, we found out that 55% of all coral reefs have been destroyed on account of global warming and selfish human activities such as cyanide fishing and dynamite fishing. Fortunately, two clever men came up with a solution to the coral problem: Biorock. Biorock is a metal structure with electric currents running through it that help the coral grow 3-5 times quicker than usual ones. When at the resort, we had the pleasure of getting to see the Biorock, with its coral and the corals inhabitants. A local took us snorkeling in the ocean and we saw many fish such as the clownfish and blue tang (Nemo and Dory). The whole time we were continuously stung by jellyfish, but the view was worth the pain. During part of the snorkeling there was torrential rain, which was kind of cool. By the time we were done, the weather was lovely and we sunbathed and got massages. When at home base we ate then constructed our lesson for tomorrow. Then we played games including one that caused us to get deep in our feelings.

Beth Hawksworth and Presley MaGann

July 27, 2016

Today was a fairly normal day for us. We had an egg and toast breakfast and then we left on an hour-long drive to a boarding school. For the later part of the drive we had a view of the ocean to our left. Arriving at the school there was an immediate difference between the privately funded orphanage we had visited earlier in the week. The boarding school we visited is a government-funded school for gifted but impoverished children from primary age through high school. We met with different students our age and were given a tour of their school. Afterwards we ate lunch together. Following lunch we returned to one of their halls where we were taught how to make offerings and were given lessons in traditional Balinese dance. After saying goodbye to the students we had met we drove back to Singaraja to teach English. We work in groups of five or six at two different elementary schools; we teach three different classes of English using classroom work, art, and games. After volunteering we walked back to our dorms in the afternoon heat. Walking around in the afternoon shows us what the locals here are doing; we see vendors, students, and children going about their normal lives in Singaraja. After dinner we planned our lessons for tomorrow, which will be our seventh of eight days teaching the children. We then met in our mentor groups and talked about how we could grow as leaders and leave our comfort zones with the last few days of volunteering we have left. After a health check with our respective mentors we were told that we would be competing in an improv competition in our mentor groups. The mentors judged our performances and the winners got ice cream. The rest of us went to bed.

July 29, 2016

Today was our last day of volunteering. We woke up at the usual time and had some cereal for breakfast. After breakfast we had a five and a half hour GLA session about social entrepreneurship and volunteering. We watched a Ted talk about voluntourism, which helped us learn that not all volunteer programs have the right intentions. After the video we got broken up into 8 groups where we had to create a social business around environmental or educational problems. Each group presented their ideas to their peers.

Shortly after the presentation, we walked to the schools for our last day of volunteering. One group taught the children about the 7 wonders of the world and had them colour in the picture. Another group taught the children verbs where they had to perform the actions and race each other. For the remaining 10 minutes we had a full review of what we taught them. They really enjoyed it because they were rewarded candy for each right answer. We said our goodbyes and many tears were shed. The children gathered around all the GLA students and gave them gifts. We finally said our last farewells and headed for Domingo’s restaurant. Many of us changed into their swimsuits and dove into the ocean with a breathtaking sunset behind our backs. We had a buffet style dinner, which incorporated Indonesian and Western food. Several of the students got massages from the Balinese masseuses. We gathered around a bonfire where we sung and danced while the fireworks were lighting up the sky. We all left the beach and we’re sad that we’re leaving Singaraja. Tomorrow we depart for Amed where we will be scuba diving.

Erin Connors, Eve Marks

July 30 2016

In the morning we woke up to a GLA class where we learned about cross- cultural communication; we divided into groups where we created our own community dealing with the issue of cultural differences. To create a successful, well-rounded civilization we had to take everyone’s cultural values into consideration. We were all able to construct a project in which we achieved our goal.

After a nice meal of lunch, we headed to our schools to teach fourth, fifth and sixth graders different topics in English. One of the groups taught directions and danced the cha cha slide with the kids. Another group used worksheets and calendars to instruct on weather and time to the students. Household items and tourism were other topics taught.

Jessica Lefebvre and Ana Vilana

August 2, 2016

Today we had an early morning and we headed to an elephant reserve. It took us approximately 1 hour to reach our destination. The car ride was long and the roads were narrow and winding, but the view was amazing. When we reached the elephant safari, everyone started getting anxious because we could all see the elephants in the distance. We first crossed a small pool which housed a two metre Arapaima which is a rare freshwater fish, and two Pacus which are omnivores and sometimes mistaken for piranhas. Shortly after, we started to interact with the elephants. We fed them all sorts of fruits and vegetables and took several pictures with them. Everyone was overjoyed and we went to watch a talent show. The show consisted of the elephants playing sports, painting on a canvas, and playing with the audience. Although, it was a short talent show, we quickly hopped onto the back of several elephants. The elephants took us around the premises. The ride was bumpy and everyone had a lot of fun. After an exciting morning, we hopped into the buses again and headed back to Madra for lunch. In the afternoon, we visited a tourist temple where we shopped for four hours. It took around an hour and thirty minutes to reach our destination. The temple was by the ocean and it was a unique view. The temple was to worship their god of water. The building was protected by a holy snake which would bring you good luck if you touched it. Once there, everyone went into a shopping frenzy. We broke off into small groups and bargained our way through the whole market. Several of us purchased paintings while others received henna painting which are temporary tattoos that allow the students to express themselves. We had a scrumptious dinner there and watched the beautiful sunset. Sadly, all the stores were closing and so we returned to our home stay to rest for tomorrow where we are going to have an exciting day full of rafting and coffee.
Ps: We apologize we don’t have any pictures of the market, we were having tons of fun and we forgot about that.
-Valentina Mantilla and Ryan Wong

August 3, 2016

Today, we went to a coffee plantation, Teraz Agro, in Karang Asem. The coffee was made from Luwak poop! A Luwak is an animal that is native to Bali which basically looks like a cuter opossum. We sampled several different types of coffee and tea and even got a chance to purchase some at the gift shop located at the end of our plantation tour. We experienced the natural ingredients that each organic coffee and tea was made with such as: vanilla, mangosteen, ginger, cinnamon, lemongrass, ginseng, and coconut. After the brief visit to the coffee plantation, we set out on a short drive to our next adventure. We arrived to the whitewater rafting place fifteen minutes away from the coffee plantation and spent the afternoon ripping through crazy dips and spills down the class 3-4 river. Our river guides created certain code words in order to give us our paddling commands and ensure our safety. There was the obvious forward/backward paddle but there was also “boom-boom” and “pedal to the metal”. “Boom-boom” meant we were about to crash into something so we should hold on and “pedal to the metal” fed into our competitive side and was a way to get us enthusiastic about paddling for nearly 2 hours. The ride down the river was not only exciting, but also beautiful being surrounded by greenery and waterfalls. Towards the end of our adventure, we rafted daringly down a waterfall. After our whitewater rafting experience, we climbed up what felt like 10,000 stairs to a restaurant with a beautiful view. We ate lunch, tanned, and changed out of our wet clothes for the long ride back to our homestays. Finally, after an incredible day we arrived at our homestays and rejuvenated ourselves in preparation for an enlightening and final GLA session.
GLA Bali Babes- Nat and Ro

To access the video posted CLICK HERE

Last day in Bali!

Saying goodbye at the airport. We had so much fun with you all, you are our new GLA Bali family! Stay in touch and we hope to see you back here soon 🙂

– Your GLA Bali Staff