Au revoir!

Thank you again for sharing out memorable journey with us. Spread the word and help us keep our travel program strong. If your have suggestions for improvement, please share so we can keep moving in a positive direction!

We have landed and are still getting to gate. 20min or so! Maybe less!

Thank you so much for your trust in us to take and bring your son or daughter to Europe and bring them back safely. They were a great group of young people!

At the gate and ready to head home!

Quick note, please monitor the status of AirFranceach flight #682 so you can meet us at the arrival area of the international terminal. It is scheduled to arrive at 2:25pm as is. 

We had a fantastic, full day of sights in Paris today and walked more than 10 miles doing so. Bringin home some tired world travelers...zzz....

See you tomorrow! 

We made it to Paris earlier this morning via Eurostar train under the English Channel! Had lunch near the train station, a bus tour of the city, and a crepe with pictures at the Eiffel Tower. Checked in to hotel and heading back via RER & Metro for dinner and exploration. Bon jour!

Lovely day in London and Windsor! Here at St. Paul's Cathedral. Off to Paris in the morning!

We arrived in London! Had a famastic day in Stratford and visited all the Shakespeare landmarks and hotspots. We are all excitedoing for free time after dinner!

Had a great, but short stay in Wales after our very calm trip across the Irish Sea on the ferry. Got to explore perhaps our best castle yet and dine on an authentic fish & chips lunch (most did anyway!). After long bus ride we enjoyed some down time at hotEl this evening. Great stuff tomorrow with a visit to Shakespeare's old stomping grounds before our arrival in London!

On the ferry heading to Wales!

Good Bye, Ireland!

Great day in Dublin began with a fantastic city bus tour led by a local guide and continued with a short journey to a coastal suburb and lots of free time in the capital. EARLY morning for our ferry trip to Wales.

Important change of hotel in London for Monday and Tuesday night. We are now staying at a 4-star hotel closer to the city! Awesome change for us (as I type this from a 4-star, awesome hotel!😀)

The Clayton Crown Hotel

142-152 Cricklewood Broadway

NW2 3ED London 

+442084524175

We made it to Dublin!

We have arrived in Dublin after a day of driving with stops to kiss the Blarney Stone and explore Cahir Castle. Dinner at Murphy's before heading put to our hotel. Full day of exploring the capital tomorrow!

Great bus tour with lots of stops around the Ring of Kerry today. At hotel next door for dinner currently. Half group is taking in an Irish show of music and dancing later this evening. We are excited to head to the capital tomorrow.

Castle #2 before dinner!

Checked into our hotel in Kilarney. Visited a castle for a photo op and stoped for lunch in Adare on the way from the airport. Very quiet bus ride with many sleeping teenagers...and chaperones! Exploring Killarney after we get settles with dinner at our neighboring hotel at 8!

Greetings from NYC! Landed, headed to the gate to begin our wait for the overnight flight over the pond!

At gate waiting to board for NYC!

Landed, through immigration, and waiting for bags!

Eating breakfast at Monkey Bay then off to the airport. Scheduled to land at 5:12pm if all goes well! See you all soon!

Day 7!

Rain, rain, go away!  A wet Friday didn't stop us from having a full day!  Fantastic canoe/birding expedition with a soggy sandbar lunch was followed by a rousing "football" game with St. Matthews school kids.  Great meals throughout with a movie night at Monkey Bay before turning in.  Too wet for lots of pictures, but we'll get one to post tomorrow!

A great time was had helping out the Belizean community school near Monkey Bay!  Here's the work crew behind the sidewalk we poured to connect the school's two main buildings.  We've had plenty of time to complete school work the last two days went not at work.  Tomorrow brings a return to exploring our physical environment with a canoe trip down the Sibun River followed by a soccer match with the school kids.  Several kids have requested we "leave them at the airport" but I assure you we will bring them all back.  Needless to say, a great time is being had by all!

NC's Students Go to Work!

The work crew after a solid day helping out the students at the school just down the road from Monkey Bay.  Will return tomorrow to finish a substantially long sidewalk from the main building to new classrooms.  It will benefit them greatly during the rainy season for sure.  We also donated our school and recreational supplies.  The principal was very gracious as were the students who received candy from North Cobb's finest during their lunch break!  Study time now then a bird walk with Ms. Billak before dinner.  Same schedule tomorrow before we return to exploring the country with a trip to Belize City then north for another site with Mayan ruins.  Another great trip!

We're Back!

Two fantastic days of in-country travel took us to a Menonite ice cream shop, Marie Sharp's hot sauce factory, Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary for a hike and waterfall swim, and Tobacco Caye for snorkeling on the largest reef in North America.  Whew...12 teenagers and 2 teachers will sleep well tonight back at Monkey Bay tonight!  Tomorrow starts our community service project at St. Mathew's  government school.

Day Two: Exploring Belize's Mayan Culture

Greetings from Xunantunich!  An excellent day exploring the ancient Mayan ruins near Guatemala.  Had a well-deserved swim in the Sibun River near Monkey Bay after returning from the hike to the ruins.  Eating dinner now with study time this evening.  Tomorrow we head to the rainforest at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuay.  Overnight there with a snorkeling trip to Tobacco Caye on Tuesday.  We will be away from an Internet connection until Tuesday, but we will be too busy to post anyway!  

The 2015 Crew @ Monkey Bay

We Made It!

After an air traffic congestion delay of nearly an hour, we arrived safely in Belize City where we connected with Monkey Bay staff.  After a 45 minute bus ride, we got our Monkey Bay campus tour and are awaiting dinner at 6pm (7pm EST).  After dinner we will visit the Belize Zoo at night and then get a good night's sleep before exploring Mayan ruins tomorrow!   Off and running!

Belize 2015: Welcome to Monkey Bay!

Monkey Bay Website

We're just under 24 hours from taking off on the adventure of a lifetime!  NCSIS is very excited to renew our relationship with the outstanding employees of Monkey Bay for a third consecutive year!  Click above to check out where we'll be staying, learning, and never forgetting!

We are through security and will be boarding the plane within the hour! VERY tired travelers headed your way!

Finishing breakfast at the hotel in Cusco. Off to airport in 30 min for short flight to Lima. Afternoon there before our midnight flight home! See you all very soon. This is likely the last post I will be able to make. It has been a great trip. Thank you so much for entrusting us with your children!

Another deeply impactful day in Peru took us to a community school outside of Cusco. Peru's Challenge relayed their mission to us and showed us their phenomenal work at the school. We handed out fruit and bread to all the kids and parents before leaving and donated money to the Women's Group who have a workshop at the school. They are saving to buy a new sewing machine and were very grateful. We also explored an Incan/Spanish site in the morning. We are headed to a cultural show and late dinner. Tomorrow is our return flight to Lima and time to explore the capital before our midnight flight home. Your kids will be exhausted!!

Back from Machu Picchu. Visited one Inca site, had lunch, on way to Cusco via a town/market on way! More later!

Words can hardly do justice to the experience of the train ride to Machu Picchu and the hike around the site with the mile hike to the Sun Gate to finish. What a day.  Going to be tough to hard to top this one!