Alzar School News

120 Kids, 2 Whitewater Events, and Tons of FUN

2011-07-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

The Camp Cup Challenge 2011 was a huge success! Young people from across the U.S. and a few international youth attend summer camp in North Carolina every year. We invite camps to bring their whitewater-loving youth to a two day event on the Nantahala River. Day one is a training day, followed by delicious ice cream (Thank You Endless River Adventures). Day two, campers participate in two

We want you downstream for safety

2011-07-06T16:29:00.001-07:00

“Alright, rafters, you guys are going first. We want you downstream for safety.” The order was coming from the very top: our leaders of the day. Sitting in this eddy on the Cabarton Section of the NF Payette, I couldn’t help but feel a touch nervous. Forty yards downstream was a horizon line where the river dropped completely out of sight into Howard’s Plunge. A small crowd of spectators

Too fast and too furious.

2011-07-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a fast three weeks. I can't believe it is already over. Our last day of kayaking was bittersweet. Living in Georgia most of the year, I really enjoyed being back on western rivers. Our last two students left for the airport, and we are just putting away the last of the gear. I came in to get out of the heat for a bit. Last night Sean had everyone write their highlight of the trip on

Entry by Sam N.

2011-06-29T21:33:00.002-07:00

On 6-22 the entire group of kayakers traveled to a beautiful canyon. In this canyon was a tiny but spectacular creek called Clear Creek. The water actually was extremely clear and really cold. While floating down this beautiful, clear, cold creek, we had wildlife sighting and exciting rapids. Through the course of the run, I did the first half in the raft and the second half in kayak. Both

An hour off the clock, by Sam Goff

2011-06-29T21:33:00.001-07:00

The daily student leaders allowed instructors Sam Goff and Dan Thurber to run the notorious Nordheimer class iv/v stretch on the Cal Salmon. The duo set out early, charging tight classic pool drop lines. This boating style is a far cry from the big wave constant action provided by the NF Payette yet still it's very challenging.The most memorable rapids were Cascade and Freight Train. Cascade

Ranger Danger Dave's Hike by Serena

2011-06-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

As a start, I'd just like to say hello to the outside world! I hope all of you reading this are well, especially since I haven't talked to any of you recently.But, I'd like to blog about what I at least think was the coolest day on the trip so far. It was three days ago, on the 24th and it was a bit of a change of plans. Originally, we were supposed to drive to our next campsite and then spend

Ranger Danger Dave by Burke

2011-06-28T12:28:00.002-07:00

On the 24th of June the Alzar School spent the day with river ranger "Danger" Dave. We started with some paddling and service work, pulling scotch broom, an invasive species. After that we were rewarded with an amazing hike to a secluded waterfall. Now I've done some hiking in my day, and I'm not the biggest fan. But this hike was awesome! We crossed a creek three times, and one of them we

Elena's thoughts on FLOW

2011-06-28T12:28:00.001-07:00

Paddling every day has been super cool and I am getting a lot better. I've already had two pretty good tries at a combat roll and my eddy turns and peel outs are improving. We have been to some incredibly beautiful places, especially Clear Creek. And, the photos I've been taking with my silly little disposable camera hardly do justice to any of the fantastic views. The swims I've been having

A cold day on the water by Adam

2011-06-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

It was only the second day of the trip when we paddled the Cabarton section of the Payette River. We were told the water would be very, very cold, but little did we know that it would also be raining. After performing my first roll in the water, my whole upper body instantly went numb. At first I thought it was going to be a long, miserable day, but when I began to notice the intensity of the

Chaco tans and cornbread pans by Joe

2011-06-28T12:26:00.002-07:00

Every day starts almost the same. Wake up too hot, step outside and it's too cold. My nose is too stuffy to breath through. I stumble through the morning twilight to the horrid smelling portapotty. I then try to help the cooking crew with any last minute preparations. As I eat, I wait for my allergy pills to take effect. This is my ideal situation.Currently I am sitting on a grassy hill

Methodist Creek by Gordy

2011-06-28T12:26:00.001-07:00

After a little later than expected lunch, the more experienced paddlers decided to go to the South Fork of the Salmon River. After arriving at the put in, our fearless leader of the day, Katie, decided to take charge. We quickly unloaded our boats and waited for shuttle. After our instructors Sean and Dan arrived, we finally got to have some fun. Katie did a great job leading everyone down the

Location: Clear Creek, CA by Bailey

2011-06-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

The roar of an upcoming rapid fills my ears. I focus on direct strokes as the blade of my paddle cuts through crystal clear water. The sweet aroma of danger, the great outdoors, and freedom fills my nostrils. The rocks, some ten feet below me, look like yellow lines on a highway. They speed right by and are filled in by new shades of green, brown, and blue. Clear Creek cuts right through

Hike with Ranger Dave by Sarah

2011-06-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

In Happy Camp, California, we met the ranger and helped him with pulling plants that are invasive species to California. The day before we had pulled the mustard seed plant. We decided as a group to raft and kayak down the Klamath River with Ranger Dave and helped pull another kind of invasive species. Ranger Dave told us about a really cool waterfall up a creek and we all decided to hike

First set of blogs from FLOW 2011

2011-06-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Luke's Blog EntryOn the morning of June 19, the Alzar School departed Idaho bound for Oregon and eventually California. With anticipation speeding our efforts, we quickly packed up camp and drove off in the early morning sun, leaving behind our generous camp host Steve (believed by many to be Sasquatch). The school drove through rolling hills pockmarked with caves and 20 foot cliffs, passed

More lasting impressions from "Rivers of Chile 2011"

2011-01-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

In Chile we felt more welcome than we would in any other country. Their hospitality and kindness was better than any other. Sean and Kristen had talked about the friends that they had made down there. At first I just thought it was people that they had met but I soon learned otherwise. My favorite memory of the trip was pulling up to Augustine's house at 11 at night and everyone was happy

Students' Lasting Impressions of Chile

2011-01-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

As the end of the trip neared, my sadness for leaving Chile grew more and more. It seemed like I was just getting comfortable with trying to speak the language on a more regular basis. I would say that the most memorable moment of the trip was last night's asado. When we arrived at the home of Agustin it felt like we had known his family for years. At that moment I completely understood why Sean

Chilean Inspired Haiku by Robert

2011-01-12T03:48:00.000-08:00

Robert is studying poetry in his English class back in New Orleans and was assigned to write seven haiku. While writing, the infamous Chilean colihuacho was giving him trouble. Here are a few of his poems we found entertaining:Gliding through airSearch for their preySeem immortalWaiting to explodeHolding back their furySit beautifullyThe colihuachosDo not serve any purposeBut to disturb

Volcan Planchon by Adam

2011-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago we travelled through the Andes Mountains to the Argentina-Chile border to spend the night. We spent the night on an awesome plateau surrounded by HUGE, god-like mountains. That night before we went to bed I saw something I had never seen in my life. It was the stars in the southern hemisphere. My Dad has always exaggerated how amazing they were, and now I know why hey

Blog 2 by Joe

2011-01-09T05:53:00.000-08:00

Buzzzzzzz......You wake up to it; you eat through it; you even shred nar whitewater with it. It is the sound of the coliguacho, a massive, flesh-eating black and red horsefly. They are never far away, they would hardly miss a meal. My first experience whith one was eating breakfast when I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I made eye contact with one of the most hideous insects I've ever seen. It

Paddling the Lake by Robert

2011-01-09T05:50:00.000-08:00

Paddling the lake was supposed to be a 45 min. paddle before we reached the rapids but we are on Chilean time so those 45 min really got stretched out. My small playboat and I started off in the front of hte pack, but slowly as my energy and drive lowered I fell behind. The rapids were awesome but the adrenaline soon wore off once we saw the hike at the takeout. The hike was almost worse than

CONIN by Woody

2011-01-09T05:47:00.000-08:00

We left the town of Los Quenes and made our way to the town of Curico where we went to the CONIN orphanage to meet all of the kids there. When we first walked into the orphanage everyone seemed anxious and the kids seemed extremely shy but it only took about ten minutes before everyone was having fun even us and the kids who were so shy before were now very happy and seemed excited to see us.

NC vs. ID by Hines

2011-01-09T05:45:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of this trip I was talking poorly about the rivers in Idaho. The differences between the east coast rivers and the west rivers is waterflow. In Idaho you have big water with lots of waves and holes (big ones!), and in the east you have somewhat technical stuff with a sticky hole at the end. Well after paddling the Rio Fuy I would like to try out one of these rivers in Idaho.

Being a Leader by Ashley (Mobile, AL)

2011-01-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had my fist experience leading the group. I really enjoyed setting hte pace for the day by planning the itinerary. When you are leader, it is important to make sure the river had something for all levels of paddlers, there is a balanced studytime, and we are never rushed or bored.The hardest part of the day was leading down the river. It reminded me of getting my drivers license.

Orphanage, by Caroline (Baton Rouge, LA)

2011-01-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

Last week we spent a day at an orphanage in Curico. When we arrived there we played with the kids for about an hour. We brought them coloring books, crayons, bouncy balls, and silly bands to play with. People read them stories and held the younger ones. For most of that time I held the babies which were anywhere from 2-8 months. This orphanage was pretty small, about 30 children, which means

Leaders of the day, by Agustin (Curico, Chile)

2011-01-06T04:49:00.001-08:00

Being the leader of a crew is a new experience for me because I have to make a lot of decisions involving the breakfast time, study hours, kayaking groups, and lots of other things. I do like this because you feel that you are important in the group and you try to do your best, helping as much as you can.I think it is a very good idea to motivate people with leadership. This is what makes you

On the Road, by Challis (Boise, ID)

2011-01-06T04:43:00.000-08:00

So I've been reading this book, On the Road, by Jack Keroac. I picked it up at the bookstore in the Portland airport on flight down here. And so far, I like it, even if it isn't about anything in particular. I guess I shouldn't say that, I mean it is about lots of things: traveling, love, getting lost... but I guess mainly it's about life.So anyway, I found this real great cherry tree at our

Elements of Leadership, by Coni (Curico, Chile)

2011-01-06T04:40:00.001-08:00

In the "Rivers of Chile 2011" trip, I learned the "Elements of Leadership." They are very important for all people because you always have to make decisions and reflect on them. And by doing this, you help other people. Specifically, I learned that "communication" is to talk with one or more people and you want to have many components, that are: actions, sensory data, wants, feelings, and

The People of Chile

2011-01-02T17:10:00.002-08:00

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Blog #1

2011-01-02T17:10:00.001-08:00

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“Los Gringos Locos”

2011-01-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

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Awesome

2011-01-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

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Walking through Los Quenes

2011-01-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

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The Los Quenes Step Bridge

2011-01-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

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At the Pool

2011-01-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

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Border Times

2011-01-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

ChallisThe mid-day sun sat high upon his lofty thrown, and beat down hot upon the Argentinean countryside. As we walked along the trail the shards of lava rock chinked and chiseled with every footfall. In time we came upon a mountain lake, nestled between the snow capped bosom of the Andes, whose surface was so glossy that it was a pristine mirror of the virgin blue sky. So moved was I by this

Los Quenes

2011-01-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

WoodyWhen I first walked into the very small town of Los Quenes, Chile the villager greeted us “gringos” with stares of confusion. Not being used to seeing (North) Americans in the village it was obvious that there weren’t many (North) Americans that go to this town. One of my first goals was to be as nice as possible o the villagers greeting them all with an hola. Now only four days have

Planchon Volcano

2011-01-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

HinesI’m currently sitting in a tent underneath the Planchon Volcano in the Andes Mountains. We are overlooking a grassy plain filled with small creeks. Horses were running in at right about sunset. Woody, Adam and I took a break and walked about halfway (maybe a little less) up one of the mountains to overlook the everything. I can honestly say I have never seen anything so beautiful. This

An Alzar School Holiday

2010-12-28T05:59:00.000-08:00

We are lucky to have so many great friends here in Chile. It’s a reflection of how warm and welcoming the people are down here. We’ve spent the last week getting ready for the Rivers of Chile 2011 program to begin, and so many people have been helpful and generous that we can’t start the program without sharing our experiences of the past week with you.When we arrived in Santiago we knew that

Llegamos en Chile

2010-12-22T01:24:00.000-08:00

We love Chile, and every year that we come down I am instantly reminded why. The countryside is stunning, the people are friendly and welcoming, and we spend time laughing and amused by the simple things.Instructors Jeff, Kristin and Sean arrived in Chile on Monday, the 20th of December. In a long plane-ride induced haze we rented a truck, loaded up, and drove south. We arrived in Curico, and

Hammer Flats Service Project

2010-11-05T15:09:00.001-07:00

This fall, the Alzar School has been helping out the City of Boise Parks Department by engaging in a service project at the Hammer Flats location. This was an area that a developer had plans to build a large housing development, right above the local, immensely popular Black Cliffs, a sport climbing site. The plateau is also home to many animals, including coyotes, antelopes, foxes (which we

Update from one of our first students ever - Scott

2010-09-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

Recently, an alumni of Alzar School, Scott, came through Boise and stayed with administrators Sean and Kristin Bierle. We asked him to describe what he'd been up to. Scott was on the "Chilean Expedition 2007" program, almost 4 years ago. This is what he had to say:I went through the Alzar Chile program its first year, when I was a sophomore in high school, this was one of the best months of

A Broad View of Wilderness

2010-09-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

Sean Bierle, Alzar School Head Teacher, was recently published in the Journal for American Whitewater. His article, with photos, can be found here: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Journal/show-page/issue/5/page/7/year/2010/A Broad View of WildernessMost of the time, beginner kayakers, canoeists, and rafters learn our sport on runs that are not widely considered “wilderness,” often

Report on the Camp Cup Challenge 2010 - Record numbers!

2010-07-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to tell you that this year's Camp Cup was an astounding success! Kristin and I departed Boise on Friday (July 16) after sending off our last student from our alumni program, "Plus," and started the cross country drive to NC. Somewhere just outside Laramie, Wyoming, our beloved van decided it would go no further, leaving us with out transportation. Fortunately, our broad network of

Student Blogs 2 continued

2010-07-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

RobertI have never really thought about how much I have grown as a leader and paddler from day one last year to now. I guess I could say that I now wake up on time according to our daily schedule, which is something I had a lot of trouble with last summer. Not only can I now wake up on time but I can also run class IV rapids confidently, another big step from last year. It was hard to see how

Round 2 Student Entries

2010-07-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

JohnThere are 2.5 more days left of this 3-week expedition and its crazy to think that I’ve been away from home this long. It’s one of those situations where it seems like its been forever but it also only feels like I’ve been gone for a week. Idaho and California are beautiful states and it’s going to be hard adjusting to the puny Appalachian Mountains back in North Carolina.I am psyched to

Round 1 Student Blog Entries

2010-06-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

HenryThis past week I have really enjoyed the opportunity to paddle in both a kayak and a raft. So far on the trip we have paddled sections on Indian Creek, the Cal Salmon, the Klamath, and the Trinity River. I have been frequently alternating from kayak to raft. I am new to kayaking and like having the option to use the raft on more challenging rapids. I have also found that I really enjoy

A quick update from the Somes Bar Store

2010-06-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

We are a week into FLOW, paddling along the Cal Salmon River. The students are doing great, and each bring a unique perspective to the program.Tess: Tess was co-leader of the day today and did a great job. She tells great stories about the Salt River and makes us all want to come down and visit!Sam: Sam was co-leader of the day today and planned an action packed day of whitewater (watching

Happy in Happy Camp, CA

2010-06-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

The Klamath River has been good to the Alzar School students thus far. We have been working hard on tuning up skills both on and off the water. Today we ran the "Urban Run" on Indian Creek as a group along with Ranger Dave, who has been working as the River Ranger for the Klamath National Forest here for 30 years. Our section is named the "Urban" section because you see about three houses as

Preparing for FLOW

2010-06-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

As one of our FLOW 2010 students reminded the world via Facebook today, "T- 38 hours until FLOW and lifejacket tan lines." I don't know if the students or Alzar School staff are more excited.The Alzar World Headquarters has been a flurry of activity over the past week- and we are almost ready. Student lesson books are bound, the oil is changed on the van, we used 12 oz. of seam seal to

2010-06-10T09:50:00.001-07:00

Gjttjmtma

One great first stride.

2010-05-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

The Alzar School is feeling very humbled at the moment. On May 1st, our Board of Directors worked very hard to invite their friends and family to a free fundraiser breakfast. The main purpose of the event was to tell people about our mission of developing and educating teen leaders, and to ask those who supported our mission to contribute financially.The event was hosted at the BEAUTIFUL

Update on Alzar School's relief effort for Chile - by Kristin

2010-04-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

I noticed the first signs of damage from the 8.8 earthquake while waiting to pass through customs in the Santiago airport. Tiles had been removed from the ceiling to check for structural damage and spider-vein cracks climbed the walls. The car rental department had been moved outside of the airport into huts while construction crews worked to repair portions of the building. As

Wow! Our students rock.

2010-03-20T14:50:00.001-07:00

This year, the Alzar School led a group of students in Chile. While there, we enjoyed the amazing rivers and geography, but the students were mostly amazed by the warm people. They made great friendships with our Chilean students, instructors, and supporters.On February 27th, Chile was rocked with a magnitude 8.8 earthquake, the 7th largest ever recorded. Over 500,000 people were left homeless

Kelly's Whitewater Park

2010-02-09T20:03:00.001-08:00

This past weekend, Kristin and I headed to Cascade, Idaho to meet with some of the folks leading the development of the new whitewater park there. This park, which will be known as Kelly's Whitewater Park (KWP) and looks like it will be SWEET. Thanks to the mayor of Cascade, we were given a tour of the site and the visitor's center which is under construction. The in-stream features look really

Rivers of Chile 2010 Trip Report in Numbers

2010-01-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

2 flat tires9 bags of mintitas (Kristin's consumption only)10 different sections of river2 swings1 chalkboard100 lbs of orphanage supplies donated= amounts of butt and hockey puck bread15 pots of beans11 new friends3,000+km traveling in country4 consecutive days of chocolate cereal for breakfast7 packets of mayo1 pair of lost tennis shoes5 volcanoes2 tarantulas2,078 photos (coming soon to the

Un nuevo desafio

2010-01-16T06:11:00.000-08:00

Al transcurrir la semana los instructores, nos propusieron un nuevo desafio poder ser lideres por un dia, en un comienzo pensamos que era facil, pero luego nos percatamos que el trabajo era en parejas siendo asi un poco mas complicado, ya que la responsabilidad era compartida, y tambien la toma de decisiones.Pasando los dias llego el momento de ser lider junto a Olivia y presentar el plan, en ese

surfing in pichilemu

2010-01-15T16:46:00.000-08:00

here we are in cabanas Santa Irene , in front of one of the best surfing spots in the Chilean coast , enjoying our last days of Rivers of Chile .today we had a good surfing session in the morning then we start cleaning up group gear getting ready to leave to Santiago. also we had a great dinner at a local restaurant and shared our best moments of this trip , for sure cross feeling finishing

2010-01-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

At CONIN, the Chilean orphanage we work with. This year Alzar students painted an old swing-set (previously without swings), built swings, and painted a mural that has a portion that is a chalkboard. We spent a lot of time with the little kids, giving hugs and playing games. Lots of smiles, lots of giggles, good day.

2010-01-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

Rosario and Titi giving us a concert at our Asado

Huckin' Meat, by Conner

2010-01-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

It's been some time since I shared about our bread-scapades, and in that time we have been up to some rather amusing shenanigans, most notably hucking our meat. We were also shredding gnar on the Fuy, the Enco, the Trancura and the San Pedro, just to name a few. Almost everything has been rather big, person-sized waves, rhinoceros-eating holes, with one or two 30 foot drops thrown in for good

Open Arms, by Cameron

2010-01-14T17:55:00.000-08:00

Despite the great rivers I paddled, and magnificent views I've seen, the culture or environment has been the most enjoyable. I would love to come back to paddle Chile again, but the attitude of everyone here is what really draws me to come back. For instance, I'm not afraid to even ask a police officer a question, because unlike some places in South America, you can trust the police. In fact,

You Will Remember

2010-01-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

We are reading poems by Pablo Neruda, the Chilean nobel laureate during dinner. Here is the one we read tonight.You will remember that leaping streamwhere sweet aromas rose and trembled,and sometimes a bird, wearing waterand slowness, its winter feathers.You will remember those gifts from the earth:indelible scents, gold clay,weeds in the thicket and crazy roots, magical thorns like

Un momento por favor...

2010-01-14T14:40:00.000-08:00

After spending two weeks under the Chilean sun, I've received my first ever chaco tan. I'm estatic, and I'm still trying to figure out what that is. What is it about the strappy skin damage on my feet that puts me in a state of such jubilation? Perhaps my toasted brown skin, much more appealing than the doughy white from winter in the states, yierlds a similar satisfaction to that of roasting

Whales, Dragonflies, and Unicorns, by Zoe

2010-01-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

I remember being a little kid pretending to go on exotic, dangerous adventures. Never did I expect it to be anything like this. I can speak and understand people speaking a totally different language I'm spending time with and learning from some of the most talented people I have ever met.I couldn't iagine being anywhere else but here. It seems like we have been friends forever, this is such a

Some more photos! 1/10/2010 (more tomorrow too)

2010-01-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

Good experiences, by Titi

2010-01-10T15:20:00.001-08:00

I feel like I’m in another country. Being all the day with people that aren’t Chilean, and in places that I haven’t been before is awesome. In all these days I have been able to improve my English a lot, learned about other customs, and also show my culture doing things that I never thought I would be able to do with them. Getting to know each one of these students has been incredible, there

Flowing and Growing by Lizzy

2010-01-10T15:18:00.002-08:00

When I signed up for the Rivers of Chile expedition I was expecting to learn how to kayak. Now, with little more than a week left here, I’m realizing that we have been taught so much more than eddy turns and peel outs in school bus munching waves. I’ve learned that made up play moves like “Grace Kelly with a belly” are far more fun than any move could ever be. That no matter how many times you

Blog #2 by Fletcher

2010-01-10T15:18:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone! Sorry it has been awhile, we have been traveling and paddling a whole lot, so far we have paddled the Rios: Claro, Fuy, Enco, Licuara, Trancura, and the San Pedro. They have all been so so so much fun! I have gotten some amazing pictures. The paddling has mostly been really fun big water! On the bridge-to-bridge section of the Rio Fuy I hit a wave that was so big it flipped me

Update

2010-01-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

Everyone is healthy and learning tons! We had another great day on the river, Claudio taught an intro to river rescue class and Valeska when downstream for the first time. The group was very supportive and it was pretty exciting for all of us. We have begun the team leadership days, and will have mid course updates from the students shortly about their experiences. The group is working

More Photos from Chile 2010

2010-01-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

Enjoy these new shots. As you can see, we're all having a great time.

Blog Post #1 by Fletcher

2010-01-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody! I miss you all! I am healthy and having a blast! Yesterday we paddled the Rio Claro in Los Quenes- it was awesome! One of the coolest things was the ride and hike to get to the river. The road we took up the Southside of the river was really really bumpy and steep. There were times when I thought our 12-passenger van wouldn't make it. We got through. After we got out of the

Conner on Bread

2010-01-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

I am a man of many tastes in bread. The smell of a fresh baguette caresses the olfactory as if you are settling into a long lost pair of favorite shoes. Here in the land of "butts" and "pucks" you generally have two choices. As the imagination would suggest, butt bread is creatively shaped like, well, a butt. Just as originally, hockey puck bread is formed like a puck. A dense and tough skin

Climate and River Diversity by Cameron

2010-01-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

Chile has the most diverse climates that I know of. WHen I look at the Chilean scenery I have to associate it with other places that I have been ot, in order for me to understand it better. An example would be of one of our van rides to Choshuenco. One instance I thought I was going up the windy roads of hte Blue Ridge Parkway of North Carolina, then I felt like I was on Highway 1 of

Some photos from Rivers of Chile 2010

2010-01-02T14:56:00.000-08:00

A few photos from the trip so far...New Year's Eve fun!Students enjoying a wood-fired hot tub in an old wine vat.

!Mi experiencia en Alzar School! by Valeska

2010-01-01T14:48:00.001-08:00

Me enfocare principalmente a lo distinto que somos las personas, hablando puntualmente sobre la variedad de culturas que existen en el mundo, pero en esta ocacion me referire a los estadounidenses. Bueno, analizando desde el primer dia que comparti con ellos pude pecibir los distinto que somos, desde lo que comemos y vestimos, hasta como realizamos last areas diariament, por todo esto las

Smaller, by Lizzy

2010-01-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

Everything is smaller here. From the toilets to the soda to the people, it seems like everything has been put into a massive shrinkifier. I am having a hard time deciphering whether everything in the US is just unnaturally humongous, or if everything here is small. There are two things, however, that are larger than life here: the mountains and the amount of joy and peace. The mountains are

Friends from the US by Titi

2010-01-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

Maybe to some people it is really hard to make friends, and is more difficult if hte others speak a different language. But one of the most interesteing things that have had in these days is proving that it is no impossible to make friends even though they are from other countries and speak a language that is not my first language.I am starting to love this trip, talking in English all day is

2010-01-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

We are having some problems with the blog. We have entries written from all the students and are working to get them uploaded. We know you want to hear from these students!

2010-01-01T09:01:00.000-08:00