VIERNES – Our Last Day!

Hola, my name is Martini Frazier. I am going to be in the 12th grade at Greenville Weston High School. I am blogging about the entire Honduras Bound Trip. Today was a really laid back day. We did however go horseback riding again. I had a different horse than last time and I kind of wish I had the same horse. My horse liked to run fast, but he didn't like any other horse to run beside him. My horse has bitten everyone's horse and kicked one. It was really funny, but dangerous. This trip has really helped me to love to ride horses. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was. Riding the horse was really easy, but staying on the horse's back was a different story. I almost got thrown off my horse, but my crazy self was laughing about it. We went horseback riding today because everyone had fun doing this more than anything else. Everyone wanted to do this again and they loved it more this time than last time. This gave everyone a chance to ride their first horse. Again. I've also learned from this experience that you should never stop a hungry horse from eating. My favorite part of the trip so far has been nothing. I've LOVED everything about this trip and hope I come back with the group or on my own accord. This has been another wonderful experience in my life.

ME GUSTA HONDURAS, COMIDA DE HONDURAS, Y LAS CHULAS DE HONDURAS.
(I LIKE HONDURAS, THE FOOD OF HONDURAS, AND THE HOT GIRLS OF HONDURAS.)

JUEVES – Last Day of Volunteering

June 4, 2009
My name is Denzel Parker and I just graduated this year. Today we volunteered at the primary school and we had a party for the kids learning a hundred English words. Our schedule for today was as follows: wake up was at 7:30, breakfast with host families was at 8: 15, we met at
the school at 9:00, we did volunteer work at school at 9:35 to 12:00. We ate as a group at a restaurant at
12:15. We had classes at the Guacamayan Spanish school at 1:30 to 3:30 then we went home to eat with our families at 5:00. We met back at school at 7:00 for salsa dance class and at 9:00 we watched movie. After the movie we had journal writing and debriefing. Once we were done with debriefing it would be time for us to go home and go to bed. At the primary school we had a graduation party for the kids and they were very excited. I really enjoyed seeing the kids so happy when we were having the party for them. I learned that most people can't afford to have a decent education so I advise everyone to take their school work very seriously. My favorite part of the trip so far was when we were horseback riding because I actually rode the horse fast and didn't fall off.

TODAY WAS A VERY INTERESTING DAY FOR ME AND THE REST OF THE HONDURAS BOUND TEAM.


THANKS FOR VISITING OUR SITE.

Photos

Check out photos of this awesome trip at

http://picasaweb.google.com/hondurasbound09/ByRuth#

MIERCOLES- Second day of volunteering

Hola! My name is Maressa Gordon. I am 18 years old. Today is June 3, 2009. Today we volunteered at the primary school for the second day. We were all assigned to work with different groups. The students had their final exam so we reviwed in stations. We were given the task of teaching the students words in English! Words such as walk, stop, and so on. The students learned the colors, some numbers, directions, and how to play BINGO! It was a blast. After that we went back to our host families for lunch and shortly after eating we went back to the Guacamaya school for 2 hours for Spanish classes! Right befor leaving the school Tre sat in the cheir and broke it. That was the funniest thing that happened today. Then we were given the opportunity to go shopping and or walk around the city of Copán. After 2 and a half hours of shopping we returned to our host families to eat dinner! Unfortunately all the lights and water was off in the city! But this did not stop me because I enjoyed seeing my friends run around in the dark. The only thing I did not like was that we couldnt really use the bathroom because we couldnt flush the tolets. All of the students had to walk back to the school for our nightly meeting in the dark! In our meeting we planned for tomorrow and voted for VIAJERO DEL DIA (the traveler of the day), which was Denzel, then we returned to our family for bedtime! My favorit part of this trip so far was being able to go horseback ridding. It was fun going up the hill but hilarious going down because Quinterra yelled and screamed the hole way down!!!!! Very funny!

MARTES – First Volunteer Day

Tuesday/ June 2, 2009
I am going to discuss the voluteering at the primary school.
Today we woke up early and we all had breakfast with our host family. We met at the Guacamaya School for 8:20. Not to much longer we were at the primary school. We left there and had lunch with our host family. Return to the Guacamaya School at 5:40 so that we could have our two hour long Spanish classes. Later that evening we had group dinner at Jim's Pizza. We also had a debrief and a short meeting about everything that had went on in the course of the day. Going to the primary school was very exciting to me. I really like spending time with the kids because they are very happy and jolly about everything. They are very easy to talk to. Coming to the school was a very good experience for both of us (the group) and the students. It allows us as a whole to expand our Spanish and at the same time allow the children to learn English. Yet, coming to the school was a very sadful site. The school system is very poor. POR DIOS. Most kids don't make it to a 6th grade education, due to the lack of money. Imagine yourself walking into your school with only three classroom, two teachers, and a class full of students running every where. This life long lesson has truly taught me to appreciate so much more and learn to be content. REMEMBER THAT THE GRASS IS NOT ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE. The purpose of us coming to the school is to enhance the children knowledge with English speaking and grammar. Over the course of us teaching the students, we all ended up learning something new. I have enjoyed the trip and hope that one day I get the chance to do this experience again. My favorite part of the trip so far is meeting the different ratio of people in my house and learning more about them and their way of living. VERY INTERESTING!!!!!

Lunes-Horseback riding and spanish class

Monday June 1,2009

Hola! My name is Jasmine and I am in the 12th grade.Today we went horseback riding through the Mayan village, today also was the beginning of our spanish classes. I began my day by eating pancakes for breakfast. Muy Bien! After breakfast it was straight to Gucamaya school. The moment I was waiting for, horseback riding. It took two hours to get up the mountain and two hours to come back down. I really enjoyed myself and so did the others. It was a calm, but slightly rocky trip.We stopped by the indigenous village, there we had a tour, and a brief description of how the children went to school, and how they made their living. Once back in town I really didn't want to stop riding the horse, but it was either get off or pay $15 to ride again. Then, it was lunch with our host families. I CAN'T BELIVE I ATE AMARDILLO!! but it was good. Once again it was a long and tiring walk back to the school for spanish classes. I was nervous at first, but excited at the same time. I really enjoyed the one on one time with my teacher. After speaking spanish for two hours it was again time to go back home, but first we went through town to do a little shopping. The day soon came to an end. The purpose for these activities: to relax, enjoy ourselves, and enhance our spanish skills. My favorite activities so far, it's so very hard but I enjoyed Hot springs, and most of all horseback riding, simply because I love horses! Chao!

DOMINGO – The Copán Ruins and Hot Springs

Fantastic Ruins and Hot Springs

May 31,2009
Hola! My name is Shamita and I am in the 12th grade. The activity for the day was going to the Mayan Ruins and Hot Springs. The schedule for the day was very long and busy. We were to wake up, eat breakfast with our host familiy, meet at the Guacamayan school, visit the Mayan Ruins, return to Copan, eat lunch with host family, free time , meet at the school, hot springs/dinner at hot springs, return to host family, and last go to bed. The Mayan Ruins was fun, exciting, informative, interesting, and a new experience for all of us. We were so excited about the Ruins because we had a great opportunity to explore the Honduran culture. We also had a chance to see the Honduran president at the Ruins and that was also exciting. The Mayan Ruins were very fantastic and I know everyone enjoyed themselves. Hot Springs was very beautiful and different from the water that I'm use to seeing. We got a chance to get in hot tubs and take mud baths. Hot Springs is an excellent place to relax and enjoy the different things in the park. We went to the Ruins because it is always good to know some history about the place you are visiting. We went to Hot Springs to enjoy ourselves and relax from the hot long tour at the Ruins. Traveling to the Ruins and Hot Springs served as a good purpose for this trip because we got a chance to learn some things about Honduras history and we still had a chance to enjoy ourselves. I enjoyed both the Ruins and Hot Springs. The Ruins were very hot and long but it was worth it because I got a chance to learn some things that I didn't know about Honduras and at Hot Springs I got a chance to explore different things that were in the water park and enjoy my time there. The most exciting part at the Ruins was seeing the hieroglyphic stairway. The most exciting part at Hot Springs was me in the pool and my legs couldn't really reach the bottom of the pool. My favorite part of this trip was going to the Ruins. I didn't expect much from the Ruins but I ended up getting the best information there, which was about the Honduras history. Overall the trip is excellent and I am looking forward to the rest. All I am left now to say is WoW! Hopefully my feelings and thoughts will stay the same which I know they are. Adios!

Viernes - Traveling to Copán

FRIDAY - MAY 29

Tyeisha Roberson
11th grade
I am blogging about the beginning of our great experience of traveling out of the county, but before we could do that we had to go through the exhausting experience of the actual travel. First we all met up at the Greenville-Weston High School to load up and headed to Memphis, Tennessee Airport. We then flew from Memphis to Miami on A VERY small plane. This was my actual first flight and I was kind of scared and nervous. I was actually so nervous that I held one of my chaperone's held my hand to keep me from overacting. After the plane landed and I actually started breathing normally again we went to the crazy and very crowd Miami airport. There we got to communicate with different Spanish speaking people as we waited for our last flight. This airplane was much bigger and more comfortable than the first one, but I still was a little bit afraid. Once we landed in San Pedro we got everything and went through customs where we experienced one of our first power outage while in Honduras. We then traveled by van from San Pedro to Copan. We then met our host families and got settled in. The thing that I enjoyed about this busy day was that we all got a better chance to know each other. I learned that if you conquer your fears, it will always work out for the best. My favorite part of the trip so far is being able to see my trip members daily for the next week and just enjoying each other company.

Sábado - Tour of Copán and Bird Park

Saturday, May 30
Travaris Payne, Graduate
I am blogging about the Tour of Copan and the Bird Park.
1. I woke up and at breakfast with my fellow travelers and my host family.
2. Denzel, Martini, and I left the house to round up the rest of the group.
3. We arrived at the school and had a brief meeting.
4. The tour of Copan started and our guide walked us through this beautiful city.
5. We had lunch with our host family and returned back to the school.
6. Then we rode to the bird park in tuk-tuk's(taxi's in Copan), which was probably my favorite part of the day.
7. We returned to the stores our guide previously showed us and I got a chance to call home.
8. We went back to our house until our meeting where our instructors debriefed us.
9. We went back to our house.

The tour of Copan helped me realized the importance of everything the people in this intriguing city were doing and why they were doing it. It also clarified the reasons for some of the places and things I didn't understand about Copan. The Bird Park was a great experience that helped me learn about the wildlife in Copan. This tour helped me realize the importance of wildlife and why it is so highly appreciated here.

My favorite part of the trip is just making it to Honduras. It was like I was in a movie and nothing around me was actually real until I was able to interact with people and things in my surroundings. I love Honduras. I will definitely come back when I am able to.

Airnecia Mills- Preparation for Honduras Bound 2009

May 28, 2009
Airnecia Mills
Upcoming Senior 2009-2010

Hola! Me llamo Airnecia Mills. I am very excited about Honduras Bound 2009. This is a great experience and I was chosen to attend. I have been preparing for this trip since my acceptance letter in November. Now the day has finally arrived. I am all packed up and ready to go. I consider myself well prepared with the help of my advisers. Planning for this trip hasn't been easy, but it's been worth it all: hard fundraisers, long meetings:), boring paperwork, and sponsors that are "STRICTLY BUSINESS". Overall, even the preparation for this trip has been awesome! I am very elated about it and I can't wait to get to Honduras!!
**The most important thing that I've learned during this preparation and getting ready for this trip is to be prompt and organized and ready for "whatever".

Getting Ready!

Hey all!

Stay tuned over the next week for posts from the students as we get ready to head to Honduras! We have less than a week before we leave and last minute preparations are well under way. Once we get to Honduras, each student will blog each day, so keep checking this link to hear firsthand about the students´ experiences!

We´re all really excited about the trip and would like to thank everyone who helped us get here!

¡Muchas gracias!

Profé

sAlSa PEoPle!!!11

Hola. CoMO eStAS?.........hAVE u eVer BeeN 2 HonDUrAS.......AND lEARNed How to SAlSA....LET aLONe LearN How to SAlSA....BUT go to A hONdURAN fAmOuS dAncING sPot (VIA VIA).....AND pROve YoUr DanCiN sKIllS.......iM gLAD u ASkED mE a BrIlLiANT qUEstIon Because YES i HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!wIT THe Honduras BOund 2008 crew......AND WE HAD A bLast....Learning how to salsa is a totally different vibe than learning how to do an American Dance.....we stepped into a different culture and grasp a touch of their inner style......in the American form of dancing u can go with the groove and do what ever comes to mind....but in the Honduran style....u have to know what your doing first.....and then have your way with the dance floor.....Let me tell you people about my experience with the Honduran Dance fLOOR.....iMAGINE.....iM DANCIN AND TURN AROUND AND SEE this bRillIanT mAN dANCING so BEutiful......i had to ASk for his Hands....."cAn I dANCE WiTH You?" i ASKED....hE PUlls OUt hiS hANDS and away he went with me......tURN ME ARound....Numerous of times.....tUCKED ME UNder his arms.....and to top it all oFF....hE Picked me up and i ALMSOT TOUCHED THE skY in HIs arMS......ImmediATELY i RAN TO cHAPEROn and toLD HER THese WoRDs........"i FEEL LIKE A WOMAN"......AND Had a Seat and Watched him wORK.....iF I could i would love to go back TO hONDUrAS and salSA aLL Night......not alone sALsa.....but extend my hAnds TO neEDED........WhiLE I was In Copan HondURas, i got aN eYE FUll....bUT NOT ONly will i hAVE AN eYE FULL IN THE fuTURE......BUT aLSO WILL hAVe a Hand FUll whEN i ExTEND My HandS wORKIN foR THEM..........gOODbyE!!!!!!!!!!!Tammie Litt

~HoT sPrInGs~

HoLa!!...Have u ever been to Hot Springs in Copan, Honduras??....Well, Honduras Bound 2008 Participates went, and it was amazing!!...I couldn't believe my eyes!...The scenery was unbelieveable!!...We did numerous of things while there. We got in the jacuzzi, it was fun!!...We even took a mud bath!!...Although, I never took a mud bath, it was one of my best moments! Also, we took a steam bath! It was so relaxing! Even though, some parts we couldn't go in, because it was hot, we still enjoyed ourselves!!...We also went to the river-part, my friends and I were struggling trying to get across!..It was hilaroius!...The strong waves were knocking us over!...We took beautiful pictures infront of the gorgeous waterfall!..Last, but not least, we had delicious snacks afterwards!..The ham and cheese sandwiches were terrific!...They also had magnificent peanut-butter sandwiches!...The fruits were fresh, sweet, and good!!...Lets not forget the cookies, they were so good, i couldn't stop eating them!! Well, I, Kaila Roberson really enjoyed my trip to Copan, Honduras. It was the best once in a lifetime experience! I also enjoyed myself at Hot Springs! If you haven't been to Hot Springs, you have yet! I advise everyone to visit....I promise you wouldn't be disappointed!!

The Orphanage

Today, we went to an orphanage which was a nice distance from our houses. We walked from the school to the orphanage. The trip was long and slightly smelly because of the horses that had been through the area. The trip was worth it because we got to contribute to the lives of children who are a lot less fortunate than us. The children were extremely excited to see us all walk in with smiles, art kits, coloring books, and reading books. When I arrived in the room with the children, I noticed a crying baby girl by the name of Cecilia had fallen through the bed. I immediately became aware of her pain, and I picked her up. She seemed calm and I felt like a hero. When I first embraced her, I didn't realize that she had a bare bottom. At first, I felt a little weird because I thought that she was use me as a restroom. Once I encountered another child that needed attention, I tried to put Cecilia down, but she wouldn't let go. I found a way to work with both children, and I felt great inside. We all interacted well with the children, and even taught some of them to play cards. The overall feeling was overwhelming. I only wish that they were more fortunate enough to provide every child with what they need. Now I can honestly say how great it feels to help those that are lest fortunate than us.

Wow!

Hola a todos! I`m excited to finally write something here! I don´t know if I can put into words how wonderful the trip has been so far. Sure, we´ve had our ups and downs (like scary instances on horses, trips to the medical clinics and some rumbling stomachs) but I have been so impressed with how the kids are handling most of those down points. And they´re taking everything else in with enthusiasm, positivity and an observant eye! Yesterday we headed to the Mayan ruins and got to walk around the land where the Mayans settled in Copán. It was really interesting, especially because our tour guide, Mauricio, was very enthusiastic about everything and answered all the kids´questions in a very clear way. And the kids were asking some great questions and making some pretty insightful comments about what they were learning!

It has been awesome to speak so much Spanish here but even more awesome to hear the kíds´ excitement and exhaustion when they get out of their one-on-one Spanish classes. They are learning a lot (some in a very different than myself or Thérése has taught them) and I think they´re really enjoying the one-on-one time with their teachers. They keep talking a lot about the different words they´re learning and who´s farthest along in the workbook, etc.

I think my high so far for the whole trip has been to hear the kids talk about their host family experiences. Almost all of them are having some great opportunities to speak Spanish with their host families (Dale and Rex got help with their homework from their father and Tylisha and Kayla Pam´s host mother has kept them up late into the night chatting in Spanish!) and it´s wonderful to hear the kids making cultural comparisons about their host family´s culture and see them stepping out of their comfort zone with things like traditional food, the language and learning how to live in someone else´s house!

Today we went to the orphanage for the first time and the kids got so involved with the children at the orphanage that some of them want to go back on Wednesday and bring undergarments, pampers and wipes for some of the younger kids that clearly did not have those things. It was cool to see the "taking care of others" culture that our students have been brought up with!

Ok, I´ve written too much probably, but I hope everyone´s enjoying the kids´ posts more than mine anyway!

¡Adios!

--Profé

The past that should not be forgotten.

Today was a great learning experience. We explored the Mayan Ruins at approximately 9:00am. At the entrance of our tour we were greeted by the Scarlet Macaw which is highly prided by Copan. As we walked farther I began to see the Mayan community come alive through the many facts and theories our tour guide revealed to us. Our path lead us into an amphitheatre known as the Plaza of the Statues and there we meet the most popular king of the Mayans, 18 Rabbit. We learned of animal and people sacrifices. When Mauricio( tour guide) explained the ball game I hung on to every word. The ball game was played with an even number of players on the field. The players could only use their shoulders, elbows, hips(used most) and knees to control the ball and the ball could not touch the ground. The object of the game was to hit 1 of 6 stone Macaw heads. At the end of the game the captain of the winning team was beheaded however, it was with great pride that they died because they would become a semi-god. It is no suprise that they believed they would become a semi-god because the were polythestics (had many gods). For example they had a wind god, a water god, and sky god. Not only were they polythestics but they were also poligamists (many lovers) and polylinguistics ( many dialects). The Mayan culture is a great example of the world today. They created drain systems that still work today and even had a temple to similar to NASA where they studied astrology and astronomy. The Mayan ruins are definitely a must see when exploring Copan. During the tour I was captivated because Mauricio was so passionate about the Mayan Ruins. I could see the passion in his eyes. History is Mauricio's heart beat. His pride of his culture reminded me of a quote by John Muir, it states " We love only what we know and we will perserve only what we love". Mauricio and the people of Copan love their culture because they know their history, want others to know it because they love it therfore, they perserve it. In Copan tradition is alive and well. The peope lead their lives like many people do. They survive to live by making the best of what they have. Copan itself is a very close knit community. Copan may be located in the second poorest country in the Carribbean but its people have a heart bigger than the sun. The Mayan ruins are the past but that doesn't mean that they should be forgotten.

Estaba enferma en Honduras!

Hi everyone today was a very good day….well not really. I was actually sick…I got sick today because of the weather. I had an asthma attack and guess what??? The doctor of Copan diagnosed me with Asthma. I was so so sick. Plus, I had a hard time breathing. I didn’t know I had asthma. My teachers Mrs. Mc-W, and Profe’ were very scared and worried! They almost had me scared but I knew that It wasn’t as serious as they thought. they were really worried about me. I felt special. I am happy that it happened to me and no one else because I don’t think that anyone else would have took it the way I did. Getting sick was the high of my trip so far! I got to sleep the whole day after it happened. I honestly think that going to the doctor and actually getting sick in HONDURAS was good for me because I actually went to the doctor in a foreign country. No one else would have been comfortable with going to the doctor in another country but me so I am glad that I was the one it happened to. And after getting sick I was nominated the Traveler of The Day. They nominated me because they said I was very brave and I also laughed when I was sick even though I couldn’t breathe that well!

-Tylisha Jones

Horseback Riding!!!

Today was awesome... we went horseback riding and i rode a horse... again... i swore i would never do that but it was cool i enjoyed it. We went to see the Shorti Mayan Village. It was cool and we saw huge mountains and big bulls. It started raining on us but it was a relief from all this hot air.The sight on top of the huge mountains were beautiful... I never seen anything like it. I learned a lot about the little kids in the village and there culture. We almost got attacked by the bulls but everybody made it out safe! We saw the store that is trying to survive in the middle of nowhere. It helps the whole Shorti community out and doesn`t just give to one family. As the day progressed, we talked with the children about their life,what foods they ate, what did they eat on that day, and asked questions about their family. The children that were their were either brothers and sisters or were closely related.Melissa Lockea, Whitney, and myself gave the children snacks even though we weren`t suppose to, but it felt good to give to the needy. I had fun today and the experience was great. I hope this will be able to happen to some of the people that are reading this.

A Challenging Day

Well, I'm back today was a very challenging day. So far the trip is just going wonderful and I'm not surprised anybody is not letting little things get to them. That's because Maestra and Profe picked the most mature kids for the trip. Today was fun and very crazy. While riding the horses a crazy bull went crazy and attacked some of our people. Luckily the bull only hit there horses instead of our people. Thank god. Well everything has been wonderful and that includes adjusting to the food which has been upsetting my stomach and I'm not about to complain. I want whats best for the trip and complaining is not it. Everybody is having fun and will continue in the morning and thats conclude for today.

P.S. Don't eat too many beans EVER.......lol.

Honduras Bound 2008 is the best ever.