|
5 Things to do in:
Guayaquil and Quito, Ecuador
1. Cerro Santa Ana and Las Peņas
These are two historic neighborhoods that have been restored into beautiful areas with colorful houses and cobblestone walkways and sidewalks. There are restaurants, bars and lots of tourist shops, but the most beautiful aspect is the view. There is an almost 500 step stairway as you walk up the hill to the views of Guayaquil and the Daule and Guayas River. Las Peņas, which is next to Santa Ana hill, is a popular destination at night because it is located next to the river and has beautiful scenery as you walk up from Malecon. Most of the city's cultural events take place in Las Peņas neighborhood.
2. Malecon 2000
Malecon 2000 is also known as the Guayaquil river walk and used to be considered one of the worst parts of town, but is now restored. It is now a walkway that follows the nearly 2 mile stretch of the river that borders the city. It is lined with shops, restaurants, monuments, gardens and the first IMAX in South America. At the end of the path, it meets with Cerro Santa Ana and Las Peņas.
3. Parque Bolivar and the iguanas
A few blocks over from the walkway Malecon 2000 is an open park crawling with iguanas, where the locals go for a stroll and socialize. The Metropolitan Cathedral accompanied with a statue of Simon Bolivar, a South American hero and liberator from the Spanish colonial rule, is also located in this park, which originally dates back to 1547 and was restored after a major fire swept the city.
4. Old town UNESCO site
This is one of the first centros historicos, or old towns, to be named a UNESCO site and it is also the second highest capital city at a 9,200 feet (2850 meter) elevation. Surrounded by the Andes Mountains, it is filled with 17th century cathedrals, cobbled streets, and plazas. From the Plaza de Independencia you can see the active volcano called Pichincha, which last erupted in 2006. Around the plaza there are multiple cathedrals and palaces to visit such as the Palacio de Gobierno (Presidential Palace).
5. Mitad del Mundo monument
The middle of the world monument is located just north of Quito where a monument straddles the latitude 0 line. Many expeditions, most notably the French one in 1736, were sent out to find the line that split the earth into two hemispheres. In 1936, the monument was built where the explorers determined the equator lies. Tourists can theoretically place one foot on each side of the line to be both in the northern and southern hemisphere simultaneously, although modern technology has determined that the actual equator is about 800 feet (240 meters) south of the true equator. Even so, this monument is a must see when you visit Quito.
Learn more about our World Endeavors programs in Ecuador, which have great projects available.
__________________________________
|
|
Featured Alumni Profile:
Lorelei, Volunteer in Thailand
"It was probably the best experience of my life. I didn't have many expectations; I expected just whatever was going to happen. From the second I got off the plane, the in-country coordinator and her husband were so friendly. They took me over to her brother's home, which was where I was staying, and they were the nicest people I had ever met!"
__________________________________
|
|
Check us out on our blog!
Whether it's advice form an experienced traveler, general information about going abroad, or updates about World Endeavors, you can follow us on our blog. There's always something new and interesting to read!
http://worldendeavors.wordpress.com/
__________________________________________
|
|
Testimonials
"Thanks so much for giving me the confidence I needed to study abroad at Mahidol Univeristy last Spring. I'm now graduating and taking a job as an teaching assistant at a college in Hong Kong, thanks again for your support on helping me become a global citizen."
Greg, Study Abroad in Thailand
"This experience will influence a lot of my future decisions. Especially situations in every day life I can see with different eyes and I have other priorities. One day I want to go back and visit my family, kids, and friends there."
Stephanie, Volunteer in Ecuador
"Through my home stay, I learned a great deal about the Ghanaian culture. I was treated extremely well, with more than enough food. The family made me feel very welcome and I spent time talking with them and playing with the kids each evening."
Danya, Volunteer in Ghana __________________________________
|
|
Connect with WorldEndeavors
__________________________________________
|
|
World Endeavors
3015 E. Franklin Ave
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55406
612-729-3400
866-802-9678
9:00AM-5:30PM CST
www.worldendeavors.com
____________________________________
|
|
|
|
|
World December Holidays
Holidays are celebrated distinctly in every country and learning about them gives you a better understanding of the culture from which they came.
Las Posadas is celebrated in Mexico from December 16th-24th and the festivities are held every evening. The festival is called Las Posadas, which means the inns or shelter, because of Mary's difficult journey to find a place to stay on her journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It is a religious holiday that lasts for nine days, which represents the nine months that Jesus was carried by Mary and can also represent the nine day journey to Bethlehem. Individuals are selected to play the roles of Mary and Joseph and they walk down the streets in a procession to go to a different home each night. Joseph stays outside the inn and they all sing a song about the innkeeper saying there isn't any room for them to stay, but ultimately lets Joseph and the others inside. After everyone goes inside, they read a passage from the bible or say a prayer before the celebration begins. Often tamales are served and piņatas and candy are provided for the children.
The winter solstice festival in China, and most of Eastern and Southeastern Asia, can be celebrated between sometime between December 21st and the 23rd depending on the year. The festival begins when the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 270 degrees and ends when it reaches 285 degrees. During this time families get together and eat "tangyuan", which are glutinous rice balls that are sometimes brightly colored and served in a soup. Each member of the family gets one big rice ball and several smaller ones in their soup and this symbolizes reunion. In some parts of northern China it is common to eat dumplings instead of "tangyuan" during the solstice. In China, people believe that as the days grow longer, each day after the winter solstice, the positive energy will increase. Many people visit their loved ones who have passed away, exchange gifts and wear new clothes.The Akwasiadae festival in Kumasi, Ghana, also known as Adae Kese, is held every six weeks on a Sunday and the last one of the Gregorian calendar year is held on December 23rd. It is a celebration of past leaders, heroes and Ashanti kings. The festival was first celebrated when the Ashanti region gained statehood and independence, and it is divided into two parts: the observance and the party. The first part of the festival takes place in the king's palace and includes only members of the royal family. Here they perform many rituals to purify the land take away the evil. The king also goes through purification and is completed through ceremonial meals and drinks that represent their ancestors while they pray for protection and guidance. The second part of the festival is an ornate ceremony in the Kumasi town square in which people wear colorful clothing and parade through the town. The drumming, dancing and gun firing is meant to keep the evil spirits away. The overall purpose of the festival is to make their people stronger by reminding them of what their ancestors have done. The celebration also gives the king a chance to speak to his people and to advise and unite them.If you happen to be in one of these locations in December, make sure to check them out!
_________________________________________
|
|
Volunteer During Spring Break in
Costa Rica
Wondering what you should do this spring break? Try one of our volunteer projects in Costa Rica and make a difference while learning Spanish and becoming immersed in another culture.
Volunteers choose from 4 different and meaningful projects: Wildlife Conservation (freshwater turtle conservation), Childcare and Orphanage Assistance (nutrition centers), Teaching (local schools), or Environmental Conservation (nearby reserves).
Visit our website for more details about the program!
http://worldendeavors.com/spring-break-programs
After you are ready to apply, click on the apply tab on the top of the www.worldendeavors.com webpage.
__________________________________________
|
|
|
Featured Video:
Volunteer in Costa Rica
Volunteer at a school, orphanage, or wildlife conservation center in Costa Rica with World Endeavors. Volunteers live with a home stay family and take part in local culture. For more information about World Endeavors' volunteer in Costa Rica programs or other study, intern or volunteer programs abroad check out our website at
______________________________________
|
|
Featured WE Staff Member:
Amara Sankhagowit
Enrollment Assistant Intern
Amara was born in San Jose, California and then spent 15 years of her childhood in Thailand. As an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota she studied neuroscience and philosophy. She has many other interests such as history, foreign languages, music, and films specifically from Asia and Scandinavia.
Even though Amara already had international experience through her time in Thailand and trips to Hong Kong, Singapore and various cities around the USA, she was still excited to go abroad when she was in school. She states that many people at her school go abroad and she found herself looking through pictures from other countries.
In the summer of 2011 she got the chance to study abroad in Iceland for three weeks. Her favorite memory from this experience abroad was "going to a small island called Videy" which was very pretty. Now Amara is an intern at World Endeavors and enjoys the small work environment and going to the Seward Co-op down the street regularly.
______________________________________
|
|
|
|
