May 18, 2004 - Travel for some may just be a vacation, but for others, it's a life-changing experience. Stepping outside the safety of your day-to-day life into a different culture can be both exhilarating and frightening. It forces you to confront your perceptions of the world, meeting people who are simultaneously the same as you, yet very different in subtle and not so subtle ways. If you've been fortunate enough to study abroad or participate in outreach organizations like the Peace Corps, you know what we're talking about. And while those opportunities may seem like they're only for the young (they're not!), we'd like to tell you about some groups that promote travel and cultural exchanges for points all around the globe.
Cross-Cultural Solutions (800/380-4777; www.crossculturalsolutions.org) is up to its good deeds again this year. Traveling with this not-for-profit outfit could take you to Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Peru, Russia, Tanzania or Thailand, where you might teach crafts, songs and games to children; help in business development; or work in medicine, for example. There is no manual labor and no special skills are required for these people-to-people encounters. One 19-year-old participant is quoted as saying "I saw myself change...I saw my heart open up, and up, and up." Maybe it can happen to you.
Here's a sampling of this summer's programs, including departure dates and land-only prices:
- Two weeks in Cartago, Costa Rica; June 19, July 24, August 14; cost $2,175
- Two weeks in Trujillo, Peru; June 6, July 4, August 1; cost $2,175
- Three weeks in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania; May 29, June 26, July 17 & 24, August 14; cost $2,423
- Three weeks in Trang, Thailand; June 12, July 10, August 7; cost $2,423
CCS staff will help you find the lowest-cost airfare available.
Each project involves daily afternoon Perspectives Programming, offering cultural insight via field trips, lectures and special events. You stay in a home with the other participants. In the mornings, you might assist in local schools and nursing homes in Cartago, provide daycare to Trujillan families, teach English in Kilimanjaro, or help non-governmental agencies in environmental/resource work in Trang.
There's time for fun, too, with dancing and Spanish lessons in Costa Rica, visiting the Moche tribes and temples in Peru, talking about tribal customs in Kenya, or taking cooking classes in Thailand.
Two quite distinct groups, Elderhostel and Interhostel, have programs for mature travelers, which Elderhostel defines as aged 55 and over, Interhostel saying it's for those 50 and older. The oldest group, Elderhostel, was founded in 1975 and is based in Boston. It has many programs in which participants journey somewhere, seeing the sights, of course, but also attending lectures and demonstrations intended to educate. As an example, their "Hidden Treasures of Germany & Austria" program this year (September 3 to 17), invokes the storybook images of those countries, but then asks, "but what of the lives, history, art and spirit hidden within such delightful scenes?" On this trip from the beautiful Neckar Valley to the Alps and through southern Austria to Vienna, the program promises to "delve into human evolution, Gothic architecture, Baroque art and romantic music," among other items. They say you walk up to two miles per day and stand around (mostly in museums and other attractions) about two hours per day. The program includes airfare, all lodging and meals (except two lunches and one dinner "so you can enjoy exploring local restaurants on your own"), and more. The cost from New York with air is $3,663, without air $3,017 per person.
Contact Elderhostel at www.elderhostel.org or phone 877/426-8056 weekdays 9 to 9 EST.
[Editor's Note: Elderhostel recently announced a new program for those travelers who are seeking the same educational opportunities but with greater freedom to explore on one's own. To learn more about the new Road Scholars Program, visit www.elderhostel.org/welcome/jm_letter_rs.asp.]
Interhostel, founded by the University of New Hampshire in 1981, says that its programs are co-hosted by a local university or educational institution, including the American University of Paris, the Art Institute of Florence and the University of Hawaii. A representative from the University of New Hampshire accompanies groups on foreign tours, as well. The tours are all-inclusive, which means lodging in three-star (or better) hotels, three meals a day in restaurants and other local dining establishments, and transportation to and from included activities. You have the choice of purchasing airfare on a group flight or making your own travel arrangements. General range of prices is from $1,000 to $3,500. AmeriCorps volunteers can use their educational vouchers towards Interhostel programs.
Among the 2004-2005 programs are cruises to the Baltic and South or Central America and workshops and programs in France, Uruguay, Italy, Alabama, Arizona, Texas, Rhode Island and Florida (the Keys or Sanibel Island).
Contact them for a free catalogue at www.learn.unh.edu/interhostel or phone 800/733-9753.
Have you traveled with any of these groups? Please, tell us where you went, what you did and whether you liked it or not on our Message Boards today.