World History

The land of fire and ice- Iceland

Our trip began to the land of fire and ice in June 2016. We made Reykjavik the capital our base. The city is located 2 degrees south of the Arctic Circle and in Summer there is about 21 hours of light per day. 80% of the people live in Reykjavik. Most of the country is uninhabited. It's very environmentally friendly. They use their geothermal activity and hydro-power to provide citizens hot water, electricity and heat. The countryside is filled with moss and greenery and is very magical looking.

We started the classic Golden Circle tour at Frioheimar Green House- It is powered by green energy and is a supplier of the sweetest tomatoes. They even bring in bees to help with the growing process. The homemade tomato soup with bread was delicious!

Geysir Troll. Trolls are a big part of Icelandic mythology. He came down from the mountains because he loved the sound of church bells. He stayed and was even buried near the church, so he could hear the bells forever.

Geysir- This is a geothermal area and is home to the geyser after which all others are named, as well as the Strokkur hot spring, which blasts out water every 4-8 minutes up to 20 meters into the air.

Gullfoss Waterfall
The waterfall is created from glacial melting and falls deep into the Hvitargljufur canyon. The highlands were beyond beautiful. This waterfall is breathtaking. Pictures can not capture how powerful it is.

Thingvellir National Park

At this national park Thingvellir "parliament plains" is where the first parliament in Iceland was established in 930 a.d. Parliament continued to be held at this spot until 1798. All major government activities were held here. It was also a place where merchants met for trade. In 1000 a.d. parliament was religiously divided (pagan and Christian). It was at this meeting where they decided it was in the best interest of the country to be united with one religion. Thus Island became a Christian country.

Another amazingly beautiful trip was to the South Coast of Iceland. First stop was Skogafoss Waterfall.

The next stop was to the black sanded Reynisfjara beach with basalt columns, cliffs and caves. This beach was right on the North Atlantic Ocean. Man, the waves were so powerful and you could see how dangerous the water was.

Eyjafjallajokull Glacier -- The glacier is one of the smaller ice caps in the country. The glacier covers the volcano. The volcano last erupted in 2010. You can still see the ash on the glacier from the eruption.

Genocide- End of the year 2016

Another year of AP World Students who presented projects on Genocide! No matter how many projects I see or how familiar I am with the topic... I am continued to be inspired by my thoughtful, creative and world changing students. Here is evidence from their study.

Costa Rica and Nicaragua

The beautiful beach, Playa de Conchal

Pura Vida- the classic catch phrase of Costa Rica. We traveled to Costa Rica in July 2015 to see the beautiful beaches, lush landscapes and to eat delicious fresh seafood! We went in July, which is considered the peak of rainy season. However, like California it only rained once because they are also in a drought.

Costa Rica is Spanish for "Rich Coast."

Some interesting facts about Costa Rica is that it is bordered by Nicaragua, Panama, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It has a large population with the majority of the population living in the capital city of San Jose.

Delicious fresh fish.

Zip Lining in Costa Rica's rain forest. Rincon de la Vieja, National Park

Like most Latin American countries, Costa Rica was also colonized by Spain, had a revolution and gained independence in 1847. Currently they are considered the most stable, and prosperous country in Central America. What Costa Rica is most known for is its beautiful geography, landforms and landscapes.There are 14 known volcanoes in Costa Rica, and six of them have been active in the last 75 years. The country also experiences earthquakes. It is 8 and 12 degrees north of the Equator, so the climate is tropical year round. However, the country has many micro climates depending on elevation, rainfall, topography, and by the geography of each particular region.

We stayed in the Guanacaste province in the northwestern part of the country, along the Pacific Ocean.

Nicaragua

We also took a day trip to Nicaragua. Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America. The population of Nicaragua is slightly over 6 million and its capital is Managua.They are a multi-ethnic population that includes: indigenous peoples, Europeans, Africans, Asians, and people from the Middle Eastern. The main language is Spanish. Some native tribes on the eastern coast still speak their own languages.
It was also conquered by Spain in the 16th century and gained independence in 1821. Since its independence, Nicaragua has undergone periods of political unrest, dictatorship, and fiscal crisis. These periods of crisis led to the Nicaraguan Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s. They are currently a democracy and are experiencing economic growth and political stability.
The environment is very diverse: warm tropical climate, with many active volcanoes and is currently becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination.The Colonial city of Granada in Nicaragua, is one of the most visited sites in Central America.