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Exchange
Opportunities
For
details on any of these exchanges, please contact the Exchange Director
directly.
For
a complete listing of upcoming Friendship Force exchanges, visit the
exchange page on the FFI web site: http://www.thefriendshipforce.org/WorldExchanges.html
Please forward this exchange information to your friends and others
interested in participating as a Friendship Force Ambassador. If you
would like to be added to the Friendship Force International mailing
list to receive occasional e-mail updates on exchange opportunities,
please send your name, postal address, and e-mail address to
ffi@thefriendshipforce.org.
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CANADA
Edmonton Festival
August 19 - August
28 (departure date), 2009
Cost: $450 (program fee)
Contact Marilyn Caskey: mcaskey@telus.net
The
Friendship Force of Edmonton and Area Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary --
in honour of Our First Inbound Ambassador Group.
Please come join us in the celebration, as we welcome the world to our 10th Anniversary as members of Friendship Force International. Come experience friendship Canadian style in August 2009; plan your trip now. The Friendship Force of Edmonton and Area welcomes old friends and new. There will be many cultural activities, such as the Fringe festival, with FF members invited from around the world. There will be something for everyone. No doubt the best part will be the hospitality!
Click here for details.
Price
includes 3 nights hotel accommodation, activity fees and a 6 day/night
home stay. A block of rooms has been reserved in a hotel at a special
rate for Friendship Force Festival Ambassadors. See schedule.
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EUROPE
Limburg,
Belgium
(Lincoln NB Club)
October 16 - 30
Estimated Cost: $1,900 land only
*Prices subject to change due to the fluctuation of the Euro-Dollar exchange.
Contact: Nancy Comer; comer1234@windstream.net
Co-ED: Erica Birky Rios; ebirky@lps.org
Hurry - only three spaces
left!
Join Friendship Force Lincoln for the Limburg, Belgium Exchange and on to a tour of the German Ardennes and the Netherlands (Delft and Amsterdam). Something for everyone: opportunities to make new friendships, learn more about other cultures, view medieval architecture and art of great masters and taste a myriad of culinary treats in what is today the center of the European Union. Please
contact Nancy for price to include airfare from your hometown.
For seven days in October, members of the Friendship Force of
Lincoln will be home hosted by the Friendship of Limburg, in
Hasselt, home of the 2006 Limburg Festival that celebrated the
club’s 20th anniversary. Our mission on this trip will be to
"Create new friendships and increase cultural
understanding", and our hosts and new friends in Limburg will
give us a real treat that one will find hard to resist. We will be
introduced to the products that make our friends proud of their
region: chocolates, champagne, beer, gin, pastry and other
gastronomical treats of the Limburg Province, including a guided
visit to Bruges, 13th century, medieval fairy tale city, Battle of
the Ardennes museum, the Abbey, and more.
After
saying our goodbye to our friends, we will continue our Europe
venture with a six days optional extension to the Ardennes in
Germany and Amsterdam, Holland. The cost of the optional tour is
$1,420 and includes very interesting tours of Amsterdam, Van Gogh
and windmills, a cruise through the canals of Amsterdam, a Tour of
Flower Auction Aalsmeer, the world’s largest flower auction,
Frans Hals museum Haarle and more. *Prices subject to change due
to the fluctuation of the Euro-Dollar exchange.
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Discover Ireland
March 14 to 25, 2009
Contact: Laurie, Ann Scott lalpscott@aol.com
Ambassadors from all over the Friendship Force World are invited to apply for this wonderful Discover Ireland Exchange. You will begin your tour of Ireland in Dublin where the newest Friendship Force Club is in its formative stages. Take a full day to explore the Ring of Kerry, the quintessential image of Ireland, a coastal road that threads its way through towns and villages, flanked by rugged seascape and lush countryside. Visit the rugged Cliffs of Moher and Galway. Have a full day in Connemara National Park and visit charming Clifden and Kylemore Abbey. Explore Donegal and travel to the old walled city of Derry, where members of the Causeway Coast Friendship Force will be meeting us. A two night homestay will include a visit to the Giant’s Causeway.
A tour of Ireland would not be complete without a visit to Belfast, including a visit to Stormant, the Parlaiment Buildings of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Finally, we return to Dublin, with its thousand years of history, as the River Liffey flows through its timeless expanse and the old and new stand side by side. Savor 250 years of brewing history at the Guinness Storehouse. The members of the newly formed Dublin Friendship Force will be thrilled to meet our ambassadors.The itinerary is designed for the modern traveler who would like some options and free time along the way. This program has a moderate degree of difficulty as exploring castle walls, backroads and cliffs will require a certain degree of physical fitness. This wonderful Discovery of Ireland is priced at 990 Pounds Sterling, excluding air so you may plan as you wish before or after the program.
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MIDDLE
EAST/ASIA
 Nagasaki, Japan and Taichung, Taiwan
September 27 - October 18
Contact Dale Leisy: drleisy@webtv.net
This is a great opportunity to experience two different kinds of Asian
culture in Japan and Taiwan. On your first stop in Japan, you will have
a six day tour of Tokyo and Kyoto and then move on to your homestay with
the Friendship Force of Nagasaki. While with your hosts in Nagasaki, you
will visit Glover Garden, museums, the Atomic Bomb site and Museum and
the Shrine of the 26 Martyrs. You will also have the opportunity to go
to the city of Arita which is famous for its porcelain ware and to Huis
Ten Bosch, which in former days was known as Holland Town. The highlight
of the visit will be attending the Kunchi Festival which is famous
throughout Japan.
For your second exchange week, you will move on to Taiwan for another
homestay where you will have many opportunities for sightseeing in the
Taichung vicinity while you are with your hosts. The Confucius Temple,
Wood Factory, National Museum of Science, Sun Ten Pharmaceutical
Company, Baguashan (Giant Buddha), Fu Hsing Granary, Show Chwan Memorial
Hospital and Taiwan Glass Hall are among some of the areas and sights
you will experience. The highlight of your visit will be an overnight
trip to Sun Moon Lake which is a very scenic area. While there or on
your way, you will visit the Puli Paper Factory, where paper is made by
hand. Other interesting sights you will be visiting are the Formosan
Aboriginal Culture Village and the spectacular Tai Chan Monastery, on of
the world's most lavish and stunning monuments to Chan (Zen)
Buddhism.
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Koriyama and Aichi, Japan
October 8 - 23
Contact Rubye Erickson: rocketrubye@comcast.net
Come experience home hospitality first hand in Japan in two of our clubs
on Honshu, the largest of the islands that make up Japan, Koriyama and
Aichi. During your first week of home hosting with the Koriyama club
there are many festivals and events available in this region in the
fall. There are a multitude of activities available in the region
including visiting museums, gardens, shrines, temples, castles, going to
mountains and parks and other cultural and historical sites. Your hosts
will show you the best of what their region has to offer.
During your second week, travel south west
to the Aichi club. Located in the heartland of Japan, Aichi is linked by
direct flights about 30 cities across the globe, and lies midway on an
east-west line running from Tokyo, Japan's capital, to Osaka, the
largest city in western Japan. Since ancient times the area has served
as a key transportation hub. Nagoya, the prefecture's capital, is a
major metropolis with the population of about 2.1 million ranking
alongside Tokyo and Osaka; it has evolved as the economic,
administrative, and cultural center of the surrounding central Japan
region. Aichi is known for its bountiful natural environment, and has
many sites of historical interest and tourist attractions. Toyota Motor
and Noritake China are among world-renowned manufacturers in the region.
A one day adventure to Kyoto will be just following the hosting in
Aichi. Be a part of all the best Japan has to offer!
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Vietnam and Cambodia
October 13 - 25
Estimated cost: $3,500 (includes international air; from Charlotte, NC) or $1775 land only
Contact Ellen Gragg: gragg@rocketmail.com
The Vietnam-USA Friendship Society is ready to welcome you to Vietnam. After a week in Hanoi with your hosts, you will most certainly feel like a local instead of a tourist. You will visit Ho Chi Minh city where you will have the opportunity to go to parks, markets, museums and take a day trip to Cu Chi to visit the tunnels that were created during the Vietnam War. A four day extension to Cambodia to the city of Siem Reap, home of the famous ancient temples of Angkor Wat, is immediately following the Vietnam program.
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Discover China (REVISED PROGRAM)
October 16 - November 2
Estimated cost: $3,500 (without international airfare)
Contact Cathy Cameron: catherine@ccameron.net
The adventure begins in Beijing with a busy itinerary. Then on to Xi’an, another ancient capital; a highlight will be a day trip to see the 2000 year-old army of more than 6000 life-sized Terracotta warriors and horses. Visit Shanghai; the famous canal town of Suzhou; fly to Guilin and spend one night in the ancient market town of Yangshuo and an overnight sleeper train to Guangzhou, formerly Canton, where you leave the tourist routine to be home hosted. If you want to experience more Chinese culture, a three day extension to Hong Kong is also available.
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Raanana, Israel
(Long Island Club)
October 21-28
Estimated cost: $3350 land only (exchange plus tour)
Contact Harriet Weidenbaum: eubios2@aol.com
Don’t miss your chance to be hosted by new friends in Raanana and share the experience of seeing beautiful Israel. The exchange includes an optional extension week from October 28 – November 11. This tour will include 5 days in Jerusalem, one day in Petra, as well as many other sights.
Your adventure to the Holy Land begins in Tel Aviv. Don't miss your
chance to be hosted by new friends in Raanana and share the experience
of seeing beautiful Israel. Don't delay hosting only available for 20
ambassadors. The exchange includes an optional extension week from
October 28 - November 11. This tour will include 5 days in Jerusalem,
one day in Petra, as well as many other sights including Galilee,
Nazareth, the ancient Synagogues of Israel, the Dead Sea, Masada, Eliat
and kibbutzes including Kfar Ruppin a kibbutz know for its fish farming
and the Kfar Ruppin International Bird Watching Center. This center was
established in 1996 to promote multi-national interaction for wildlife
and habitat distribution and demographics throughout the area.
See Itinerary, cost details and letter
from Harriet.
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Gifu, Japan with a tour extension of Central Japan
November 1 to 15
Estimated cost: $1640 land only
Contact Mary Kelly: baranet@msn.com
Experience a 7 day homestay with the Friendship Force of Gifu that will include excursions to Kyoto and Takayama (World Heritage Site). On November 9, after the homestay join a 5 day tour that will take you to see castles around Central Japan and Mt. Fuji. Shopping will be available in Kamakura, see the Great Buddha, the Toshogu Shrine and the Kegon Falls. The tour will end in Tokyo on November 15. Come and join the fun!
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Eco-Adventures in Thailand
January 18 to February 2, 2009
Cost: $1,700 (land only - starts and ends in Bangkok)
Contact: Lawrence Nahlik, ThaiFFI09@gmail.com
See an entirely different side of Thailand! Former Peace Corps Volunteer Lawrence Nahlik introduces you to the natural beauty of both northern and southern Thailand. To start out the program, you will spend time in a Wildlife Preserve and work alongside research scientists. After a few days in Bangkok (where you’ll share a dinner with the local club members) and incredible Chiang Mai, you’ll visit the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in the mountainous north. Then experience life in a hill tribe village in the Golden Triangle, while giving a little time to help the community with much needed repairs. This exchange ends in Phuket, where you will experience firsthand the beauty of our planet’s unspoiled beaches and snorkel pristine reefs; then compare them with others devastated by the 2004 tsunami. These experiences will definitely have an impact on you. This itinerary is designed for the adventuresome!
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Eco-Adventures in China
Late April, 2009
Cost: please watch this space!
Contact: Minh-An Arthur, marthur@thefriendshipforce.org
This program begins with a four-night stay at the Wenhai Ecolodge in Lijiang. Here activities include biking, canoeing, picnicking, horse back riding, hiking through the forest to Lashihai Lake, visiting a school, and exploring Zhiyun Temple, the most important Buddhist temple in the Lijiang area. Learn about various Nature Conservancy environmental efforts in the area, participate in a community service project in the local village, and enjoy a twonight homestay with a Naxi (an ethnic minority) family. Next it’s on to Liming, where you will stay in a guesthouse and climb the Thousand Tortoise Mountain to view the valleys, villages, rivers and other mountains. Kunming, your next stop, is the southwestern China headquarters of The Nature Conservancy; enjoy dinner with staff members and hear about some of their ongoing projects in this region. Finally you reach Chengdu, whose history can be traced back 2400 years to when the first emperor built his capital here and named the city. The highlight
of this visit will be a personalized tour of the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center with one of the scientists. This itinerary is designed for the adventuresome! To receive details and price information as soon as they become available, please contact Minh-An Arthur at FFI at
marthur@thefriendshipforce.org.
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Discover China
May 18 to June 4, 2009
Cost: $2,850 (land only)
Contact: Lee Rockwell lrockwell@alltel.net
The Beijing Summer Olympics, along with intriguing glimpses of life in China, recently enthralled the world. Now Friendship Force International offers you an opportunity to explore much of this fascinating country without facing the hordes of visitors that descended on China during the Olympics. FFI’s program, Discover China, starts in Shanghai May 18, 2009 and ends June 4 in Beijing. Jack Cang from Nanjing, China, and currently a member of the FFI Board of Directors, has organized an exciting 5 day cultural program to start the exchange off. He knows the Friendship Force philosophy well and is incorporating it throughout the program. The 5-day cultural program in Nanjing includes dinner and an overnight stay with Chinese families. Next, you’ll will visit Shanghai; cruise on the Yangtze River for three days; explore the Terracotta Soldiers Museum in Xian; and visit Beijing for three days to see the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and other sights in the Chinese capitol.
Round-trip airfare from San Francisco is available, or ambassadors may wish to arrange their own transportation to Shanghai. FFI club members throughout the world are welcome to participate.
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Humanitarian Library Project in Vietnam
September 15 to 30, 2009
Cost: Price to be announced soon!
Contact: Laura Strehlau 2dognite@whidbey.com
The Friendship Force and PeaceTrees Vietnam are teaming up to build The Friendship Peace Library in Axing Commune, Huong Hua District, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. The area, approximately the size of King County, WA, 2000 sq miles is mostly agricultural. It was the most severely bombed battleground in the history of the world. More bombs were dropped in Quang Tri than the combined number of bombs dropped by all allied forces during World War II. Sixty percent of all casualties on all sides of the war were suffered in this area.
When the war was over, these unexploded ordnance (UXO) and landmines, which can be active for up to fifty years, remained. Quang Tri Province is home to indigenous people who cannot read or write Vietnamese and so cannot understand warnings about UXO and landmines and because of this, Quang Tri Province has one of the highest rates of injury and death from UXO and landmines in all of Vietnam. The Friendship Peace Library will serve as a community center and learning center to teach landmine awareness and teach the children to read and write Vietnamese. On the exchange, you will experience some touring around Vietnam, stay in host homes and of course, be a part of dedicating the library to the local community. If you are interested in making donations to this project, please contact the exchange director Laura Strehlau, directly.
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AFRICA
 Humanitarian Exchange to Central Tanzania
October 1 - 17, 2008
Cost: $2160 land only including 2 day safari
Contact Lyn Hargreave: lhargreave@charter.net
Come join us in the central highlands of Tanzania where the Friendship
Force of Iringa has asked that we come and share in the work of one of
their rural schools. There will be an opportunity to work and share with
secondary school students and faculty in such topics as English, math
and music.
We will be staying and eating in the city of Iringa and we will be
commute to the school. In addition there will be an opportunity to spend
a day at the village of Mtitu, http://www.mtitu.org.uk
where we hope to discuss health issues with the village health workers.
We also plan to visit English Medium Primary School and visit an
"off the beaten path" Maasai village.
Following the week of activities with our Iringa friends we will travel
to Ruaha National Park for safari adventure. Ruaha, approximately the
size of Belgium, is the second largest National Park in Tanzania but is
one of the least visited. Unlike the northern parks, the famous Baobab
tree is seen throughout this area helping to create an entirely
different environment for the park. Ruaha is noted for large numbers of
kudu, sable and roan antelope. Cape buffalo, lion, zebra, giraffe, wart
hog, and large herds of elephant are also to be found here, along with
more than four hundred species of birds.
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Mispah, South Africa (Rocky
Mountain club)
October 5 to 12
Estimated cost: $1,715 from Denver or $315 Land only
Contact: Christine Hall: christinehallep@aol.com
Rocky Mountain Friendship Force is going to Mispah, South Africa and we would love to have you join us for a one week home stay with our fellow Friendship Force friends there. In addition to the friends you will make we will see the regions “winelands” and go to Cape Point where the two oceans meet.
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 Discover Morocco
Oct 17 - 31
Approximate cost: $2920
Contact: Cinda Clark: clarksmail@msn.com
Come and explore Morocco for fourteen exciting days! Morocco blends
African, European and Middle Eastern delicacies, rhythms and style into
an intricately woven country with a mysterious air. From Casablanca to
Marrakesh, the tastes will intrigue you and the people will entice you
to stay forever. Your journey will begin in Casablanca but you will move
quickly on to Marrakesh the southern pearl of Morocco. In Marrakesh you
will discover the history of a region where politics and religion have
been shaping a nation for centuries. Moroccans are as diverse and
stimulating as the land on which they live. Get to the heart of the
country through home and day hosting in Azrou/Ifrane. Widen your
knowledge of the local people by enjoying a 'day in the life of a
Berber'. Live an adventure of a lifetime by taking a camel trek into the
desert to watch the sunset. End your exchange in Fez, the grand imperial
city, otherwise known as the 'city of endless mosques' and home to some
of the country's most notable architectural structures. This is but a
taste of the wonders that await you.
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Cape Coast, Ghana
March 4 to 11, 2009
Cost: $850 (land only)
Contact: Becky Elston beckyelston1@gmail.com
Join the ambassadors from Western North Carolina in celebrating Ghana’s Independence Day on March 6 with our hosts from the Friendship Force of Cape Coast. We’ll leave on March 1st and return on the 20th. These dates include the home stay program from March 4th – 11th. After a one-week home stay in Cape Coast join an optional trip to Morocco to visit the “Imperial Cities” of Casablanca, Fes and Marrakech. Optional Morocco land cost is $1,000. Flights from New York to Ghana and Morocco cost approximately $2,000. Prices subject to change due to availability and number of participants.
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Humanitarian Exchange to South Africa
March 21, 2009
Cost: Land only price to be announced. Watch this space!
Contact: Robin Baker rdbaker@bresnan.net
Calling all musicians, former or current music teachers, and those who simply enjoy music! Come support The Friendship Force of Mispah, in Cape Town, South Africa in their work to provide a community music program for those who would otherwise not have access to this joyful medium. You would greatly help by bringing donations of musical instruments, music teaching materials and sheet music. Those with musical skill would be asked to help teach music community members for a few hours during the week. Don’t forget to let us know what instrument(s) you play!
Participants can also assist their Mispah hosts serve the community at their food kitchen and sit down with local youth providing much needed educational and mentoring support by assisting with or reviewing their school work. This is real opportunity not only to experience South African daily life through a seven-day Friendship Force homestay, but to explore, understand and serve the local community in two very distinct but valuable ways. An optional post-exchange safari will also be available.
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CENTRAL/SOUTH
AMERICA
Belem, Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Eastern Nebraska club)
November 8 to 22, 2008
Estimated cost: $ 2,800 ( Air included from Nebraska ) or $ 2,000 ( Air
included from Miami )
Contact Rob Cerveney: realtorrob@homesomaha.com
Join the Friendship Force of Eastern Nebraska for two weeks in exciting Brazil. Enjoy one week of home hosting in Belem, the most Amazon’s historic city in the Northern part of Brazil. Pos the home hosting experience, we will go for a 5 nights tour in one of the most dynamic cities of Latin America, the spectacular Rio de Janeiro. We will also visit both sides of the Iguazu Falls, the Brazilian and the Argentinean side. A $300 deposit is required along with your completed application.
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Festival at Sea - South America
January 15 to February 4, 2009
Cost: New pricing to be announced!
Contact Bruce Wazorko: bcwazorko@comcast.net
Join us for a fun-filled festival on the high seas with friends from all around the world! The trip will begin with a two-night hotel stay in Valparaiso, Chile followed by a 14-day cruise aboard the Celebrity Infinity leaving from Valparaiso, Chile. You will be cruising around the horn of South America, a route made famous by Captain Cook. The cruise will end in Buenos Aires, Argentina followed by a two-night hotel stay and tour of this beautiful city by the sea. For price details, please contact Bruce Wazorko.
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Nature’s Garden: Costa Rica
February 12 to 25, 2009
Cost $1,600 (land only)
Contact: Vicki Vance vcvance@aol.com
Hurry - only 4 spaces remain!
Lush tropical rainforests, volcanoes, waterfalls, mountains, beaches and cloud forests all await you on a nature exchange to Costa Rica. The FF of Heredia is eager to welcome you to “la ciudad de Flores” or the City of Flowers. Our new Tico amigos will teach you about Costa Rican life and culture while sharing the beauty of their tropical paradise. You’ll start off with a 6 night hotel tour to visit volcanic thermal springs, wildlife refuges, hanging bridges, rainforest centers, gardens, pineapple plantation and much more in the Arenal Volcano/La Fortuna/Sarapiqui areas. Monkeys, sloths, crocodiles and tropical birds abound and make Costa Rica one of the world’s most diverse biological regions. For the adventurous ambassador - try ziplining through the treetop canopy of the rainforest! You’ll then explore the beauty of the Central Valley wih your Heredia hosts who have planned outings to a Pacific Ocean resort, the oldest city in Costa Rica, an orchid garden and a trip to Poas Volcano. Join Americans, Canadians, Germans and Brits as you meet new Tico friends who are anxiously waiting to say “Bienvenido a Heredia.”
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Bogota/Cartagena, Colombia and Panama City, Panama (Los Angeles club)
February 17 to March 3, 2009
Cost: $2,495 (all inclusive); $1,495 (land only)
Contact: Mike Gittleman mikegitt@yahoo.com
Fly to Colombia with our ambassadors from the FF of Los Angeles and meet our hosts from the vibrant FF of Bogota. Our journey will begin with 7 days homestay in beautiful Bogota. Then we will fly to Cartagena, a magnificent spanish colonial city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. On February 27, we will fly to Panama City where we will board the MV Pacific Queen to transit the Canal and to visit the Embera Indian village. A $300 deposit is required along your completed application due by 09/30/08; balance is due by 10/31/08.
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Discover Guatemala
March 4 to 18, 2009
Estimated Cost: $2,200 (land only)
Contact: Mike Summers, miguelveranos@aol.com
Explore Guatemala and visit with local families who are interested in creating The Friendship Force of Guatemala. Your trip will start in Guatemala City, the capital, a bustling and fast paced city home to a multicultural population of more than 2 million, and the location for your four-day homestay. The rest of the journey includes a visit to Antigua, a World Heritage site with 16th and 17th century architecture. Visit Lake Atitlan and Panajachel both framed by massive volcanos with shores lined by Indian villages. You will see the famous market town of Chichicastenango where market days bring hundreds of local merchants with handicrafts and goods to sell. The premier Mayan sites in the world at Tikal and Flores will also be part of this tour and the impressive ruins will give you a sense of the true history of this country. Be part of this unique opportunity to discover Latin America the Friendship Force way!
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West Alajuela, Costa Rica
March 9 to 16, 2009
Cost: $325 (land only); $600 (optional add-on tour)
Contact: Martha Copp, coppma@gocougs.wsu.edu
Come join us on our exchange to the Central American country of Costa Rica. This is a diverse nation of tropical rain forests, mountain cloud forests, volcanoes, coastal lowlands, and beautiful rivers. Our friends from West Alajuela will be showing us the highlights of the city of San Jose, the volcano Poas, the Valley of Orozi, and Jaco beach as well as sharing their homes, food, and culture during our week’s exchange. The optional add-on tour will be offered for three to four-days either to Tortuguero National Park or the Monteverde Cloud Forest. This tour will be offered before the week’s exchange. Exact dates and costs are still being negotiated. A deposit of $100 and copy of valid passport are to accompany the application.
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Belem, Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Eastern Nebraska club)
November 8 to 22, 2009
Estimated cost: $2,800 (Air included from Nebraska) or $2,000 (Air included from Miami)
Contact: Rob Cerveney, realtorrob@homesomaha.com
Join the Friendship Force of Eastern Nebraska for two weeks in exciting Brazil. Enjoy one week of home hosting in Belem, the Amazon’s most historic city in the Northern part of Brazil. After the home hosting experience, you will go for a 5 nights tour in one of the most dynamic cities of Latin America, the spectacular Rio de Janeiro. You will also visit both sides of the Iguazu Falls, the Brazilian and the Argentinean side. A $300 deposit is required along with your completed application.
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AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
Queanbeyan-Canberra, Mount Barker and
Murray Bridge, Australia
Oct 7 - Nov 5
Approximate cost: $4000 including airfare from Denver, CO
Contact Nancy Brigden: brigden@comcast.net
Not only will you enjoy these three rewarding
weeks of home hosting but you will also see the natural and spectacular beauty
of the Great Ocean Road one of Australia's premier scenic drives; Port
Campbell, a sleepy fishing village nestled in the cliffs of Victoria's stunning
coastline; and a two day tour of Kangaroo Island, a haven of wildlife, bushland
and pristine beaches-you won't be disappointed.
Don't wait-apply now as some of the additional
activities listed have limited space available. Don't forget that an added
benefit of joining this exchange is that you are in Australia at the perfect
time to extend your visit in Australia by attending the Friendship Force
International Conference on the Gold Coast in sunny Queensland. For more
information please see the conference details listed on the Friendship Force
website:
www.thefriendshipforce.org.
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Kiwi Quilters (Southern Oregon and Colonial Carolina clubs)
October 8 - November 3
Contact: Gillian Cooper: kiwiquilters@yahoo.co.nz:
subject=Quilters Exchange
One and all are welcome to join us for a mixture of quilting/patchwork and exchanges with the Southern Oregon and Colonial Carolina clubs. Quilters and non-quilters are all welcome. For specific details contact Gillian.
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Howick and Christchurch, New Zealand and Blue Mountains, Australia
February 19 to March 18, 2009
Cost: $5,200; land only price available soon, inquire with ED
Contact: Lynn Harrington santafeharry@dishmail.net
Join us as we leave from LA bound for Christchurch, New Zealand. During our weeks home stay we will have three tours of the area including the mountain area where “Lord of the Rings” was filmed. We will visit Picton and then spend a night in Wellington before continuing on by train to Auckland through the interior of the North Island.
The Howick club will be our hosts for the first week of March and a highlight will be the chance to experience the Maori culture. We will then spend a week in Sydney with the Blue Mountain club SW of Sydney – these fine folks were our guests this past June here in Kansas and have promised us a warm welcome! The middle of March will find us in Cairns for a two day visit. The Great Barrier Reef tour will include lunch with the opportunity to snorkel as well as experience the view from a glass bottomed boat. We return to LA on March 18 with fond memories of a truly outstanding visit “down
under."
The cost of the trip will include all air and land travel as well as excursions and admissions. Hotels for the four nights with breakfast and transfers as well as the exit fee for leaving New Zealand will be included. A deposit of $500 will be needed by October 15th in order to hold plane and hotel reservations. The balance will be due by November 15th. This is a truly great price for almost a month’s travel and sightseeing. Please let your membership know of this opportunity and feel free to contact me with any questions.
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Anywhere Exchange
to Peru
November 9 to 18
Estimated cost: $1,600 including roundtrip airfare from Miami
Contact: Ellen Simmonds, mailto:ellen@icofmaine.com
- subject=Anywhere Exchange
The mystery has now been revealed. This exchange is going to Trujillo, Peru, located on the north coast of Peru, north of the capital city of Lima. Trujillo is surrounded by archeological ruins and temples. Your hosts are planning a full program of cultural activities and sightseeing and have set aside plenty of time to spend with you in the comfort of their homes.
A $500 deposit is required along with your completed application. Hurry, these exchanges fill up fast!
A $500 deposit is required along your completed application. Hurry, these exchanges fill up
fast! Plan early for 2009.
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Discover
Trips for Club Expansions
Discover Trips have been organized to take groups to areas where
Friendship Force wishes to establish clubs. They are open to
Friendship Force members from any country. Ambassadors stay in
hotels but meet with local people interested in forming new clubs.
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Discover Morocco
Oct 17 - 31
Approximate cost: $2920
Contact: Cinda Clark: clarksmail@msn.com
Come and explore Morocco for fourteen exciting days! Morocco blends
African, European and Middle Eastern delicacies, rhythms and style into
an intricately woven country with a mysterious air. From Casablanca to
Marrakesh, the tastes will intrigue you and the people will entice you
to stay forever. Your journey will begin in Casablanca but you will move
quickly on to Marrakesh the southern pearl of Morocco. In Marrakesh you
will discover the history of a region where politics and religion have
been shaping a nation for centuries. Moroccans are as diverse and
stimulating as the land on which they live. Get to the heart of the
country through home and day hosting in Azrou/Ifrane. Widen your
knowledge of the local people by enjoying a 'day in the life of a
Berber'. Live an adventure of a lifetime by taking a camel trek into the
desert to watch the sunset. End your exchange in Fez, the grand imperial
city, otherwise known as the 'city of endless mosques' and home to some
of the country's most notable architectural structures. This is but a
taste of the wonders that await you.
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Discover
China and Tibet
October 18 – November 2
Estimated cost: $3,500 (without international airfare)
Contact Cathy Cameron: catherine@ccameron.net
This
adventure begins in Shanghai, China’s largest city, where old meets
new. You’ll see soaring skyscrapers and Art Deco buildings dating from
the colonial era; visit ancient gardens and a state-of-the-art museum
which houses the country’s foremost collection of paintings, bronzes
and sculpture. Our stay in Guilin includes time to visit the ancient
market town of Yangshuo, enjoy a cruise on the awesomely beautiful Li
River and see rock formations made famous by Chinese painters and poets.
Then off to Lhasa for four full days of sightseeing – Potala Palace,
ancient monasteries, Barkhor Market, and more. The two days in
Guangzhou, formerly Canton, will be very special as we will leave the
tourist routine to be hosted by locals. A three day extension to
Hong Kong is also available.
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Discover Ireland
March 14 to 25, 2009
Contact: Laurie Ann Scott lalpscott@aol.com
Ambassadors from all over the Friendship Force World are invited to apply for this wonderful Discover Ireland Exchange. You will begin your tour of Ireland in Dublin where the newest Friendship Force Club is in its formative stages. Take a full day to explore the Ring of Kerry, the quintessential image of Ireland, a coastal road that threads its way through towns and villages, flanked by rugged seascape and lush countryside. Visit the rugged Cliffs of Moher and Galway. Have a full day in Connemara National Park and visit charming Clifden and Kylemore Abbey. Explore Donegal and travel to the old walled city of Derry, where members of the Causeway Coast Friendship Force will be meeting us. A two night homestay will include a visit to the Giant’s Causeway.
A tour of Ireland would not be complete without a visit to Belfast, including a visit to
Stormant, the Parlaiment Buildings of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Finally, we return to Dublin, with its thousand years of history, as the River Liffey flows through its timeless expanse and the old and new stand side by side. Savor 250 years of brewing history at the Guinness Storehouse. The members of the newly formed Dublin Friendship Force will be thrilled to meet our
ambassadors. The itinerary is designed for the modern traveler who would like some options and free time along the way. This program has a moderate degree of difficulty as exploring castle walls, backroads and cliffs will require a certain degree of physical fitness. This wonderful Discovery of Ireland is priced at 990 Pounds Sterling, excluding air so you may plan as you wish before or after the program.
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Discover China
May 18 - June 4, 2009
Cost: $2,850 (land only)
Contact: Lee Rockwell lrockwell@alltel.net
The Beijing Summer Olympics, along with intriguing glimpses of life in China, recently enthralled the world. Now Friendship Force International offers you an opportunity to explore much of this fascinating country without facing the hordes of visitors that descended on China during the Olympics. FFI’s program, Discover China, starts in Shanghai May 18, 2009 and ends June 4 in Beijing. Jack Cang from Nanjing, China, and currently a member of the FFI Board of Directors, has organized an exciting 5 day cultural program to start the exchange off. He knows the Friendship Force philosophy well and is incorporating it throughout the program. The 5-day cultural program in Nanjing includes dinner and an overnight stay with Chinese families. Next, you’ll will visit Shanghai; cruise on the Yangtze River for three days; explore the Terracotta Soldiers Museum in Xian; and visit Beijing for three days to see the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and other sights in the Chinese capitol.
Round-trip airfare from San Francisco is available, or ambassadors may wish to arrange their own transportation to Shanghai. FFI club members throughout the world are welcome to participate.
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Humanitarian Missions
Humanitarian
Exchange to Central Tanzania
October 1 - 17, 2008
Cost: $2160 land only including 2 day safari
Contact Lyn Hargreave: lhargreave@charter.net
We will be staying and eating in the city of Iringa and we will be
commute to the school. In addition there will be an opportunity to
spend a day at the village of Mtitu,
http://www.mtitu.org.uk
where we hope to discuss health issues with the village health
workers. We also plan to visit English Medium Primary School and
visit an "off the beaten path" Maasai village.
Following the week of activities with our Iringa friends we will
travel to Ruaha National Park for safari adventure. Ruaha,
approximately the size of Belgium, is the second largest National
Park in Tanzania but is one of the least visited. Unlike the
northern parks, the famous Baobab tree is seen throughout this
area helping to create an entirely different environment for the
park. Ruaha is noted for large numbers of kudu, sable and roan
antelope. Cape buffalo, lion, zebra, giraffe, wart hog, and large
herds of elephant are also to be found here, along with more than
four hundred species of birds.
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Humanitarian Exchange to South Africa
March 21, 2009
Cost: Land only price to be announced. Watch this space!
Contact: Robin Baker rdbaker@bresnan.net
Calling all musicians, former or current music teachers, and those who simply enjoy music! Come support The Friendship Force of Mispah, in Cape Town, South Africa in their work to provide a community music program for those who would otherwise not have access to this joyful medium. You would greatly help by bringing donations of musical instruments, music teaching materials and sheet music. Those with musical skill would be asked to help teach music community members for a few hours during the week. Don’t forget to let us know what instrument(s) you play!
Participants can also assist their Mispah hosts serve the community at their food kitchen and sit down with local youth providing much needed educational and mentoring support by assisting with or reviewing their school work. This is real opportunity not only to experience South African daily life through a seven-day Friendship Force homestay, but to explore, understand and serve the local community in two very distinct but valuable ways. An optional post-exchange safari will also be available.
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Festivals
Festival at Sea - South America
January 15 to February 4, 2009
Cost: New pricing to be announced!
Contact Bruce Wazorko: bcwazorko@comcast.net
Join us for a fun-filled festival on the high seas with friends from all around the world! The trip will begin with a two-night hotel stay in Valparaiso, Chile followed by a 14-day cruise aboard the Celebrity Infinity leaving from Valparaiso, Chile. You will be cruising around the horn of South America, a route made famous by Captain Cook. The cruise will end in Buenos Aires, Argentina followed by a two-night hotel stay and tour of this beautiful city by the sea. For price details, please contact Bruce Wazorko.
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Asia-Pacific Festival
Asia Pacific Festival: Wine and Roses
June 4 – 8, 2009
Contact: Maryam Jordan mjordan@thefriendshipforce.org
The Friendship Force of Oregon’s Mid-Willamette Valley welcomes you to the lush growing land of our valley. During the Festival you will stay in Salem, the State Capital. At the height of the rose-blooming season, you will attend the world famous Grand Floral Parade in Portland, the City of Roses. The Rose Festival began in 1907 and its parade is the second largest all-floral parade in the nation. You may choose to visit and have tastings at several wineries of distinction, including the state’s oldest established in 1933. In three days of selected tours you may also experience rose and iris gardens, the World Forestry Center, The Oregon Garden, a micro-brewery, an art gallery, a carousel with hand-carved horses, and the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum where the massive Spruce Goose resides in a soaring gallery filled with over 80 historic aircraft and exhibits. At this location there is also an IMAX Theater and a wine tasting room. Home hosting is available for four days after the Festival. With your hosts you may visit other areas of the great Pacific Northwest.
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Edmonton Festival
August 19 - August
28 (departure date), 2009
Cost: $450 (program fee)
Contact Marilyn Caskey: mcaskey@telus.net
The
Friendship Force of Edmonton and Area Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary --
in honour of Our First Inbound Ambassador Group.
Please come join us in the celebration, as we welcome the world to our 10th Anniversary as members of Friendship Force International. Come experience friendship Canadian style in August 2009; plan your trip now. The Friendship Force of Edmonton and Area welcomes old friends and new. There will be many cultural activities, such as the Fringe festival, with FF members invited from around the world. There will be something for everyone. No doubt the best part will be the hospitality!
Click here for details.
Price
includes 3 nights hotel accommodation, activity fees and a 6 day/night
home stay. A block of rooms has been reserved in a hotel at a special
rate for Friendship Force Festival Ambassadors.
See schedule.
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2009 International Conference in
Okinawa, Japan
November 19-22, 2009
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Volunteer
Projects
Eco-Adventures in Thailand
January 18 to February 2, 2009
Cost: $1,700 (land only - starts and ends in Bangkok)
Contact: Lawrence Nahlik, ThaiFFI09@gmail.com
See an entirely different side of Thailand! Former Peace Corps Volunteer Lawrence Nahlik introduces you to the natural beauty of both northern and southern Thailand. To start out the program, you will spend time in a Wildlife Preserve and work alongside research scientists. After a few days in Bangkok (where you’ll share a dinner with the local club members) and incredible Chiang Mai, you’ll visit the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in the mountainous north. Then experience life in a hill tribe village in the Golden Triangle, while giving a little time to help the community with much needed repairs. This exchange ends in
Phuket, where you will experience firsthand the beauty of our planet’s unspoiled beaches and snorkel pristine reefs; then compare them with others devastated by the 2004 tsunami. These experiences will definitely have an impact on you. This itinerary is designed for the adventuresome!
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Humanitarian Library Project in Vietnam
September 15 to 30, 2009
Cost: Price to be announced soon!
Contact: Laura Strehlau 2dognite@whidbey.com
The Friendship Force and PeaceTrees Vietnam are teaming up to build The Friendship Peace Library in Axing Commune, Huong Hua District, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. The area, approximately the size of King County, WA, 2000 sq miles is mostly agricultural. It was the most severely bombed battleground in the history of the world. More bombs were dropped in Quang Tri than the combined number of bombs dropped by all allied forces during World War II. Sixty percent of all casualties on all sides of the war were suffered in this area.
When the war was over, these unexploded ordnance (UXO) and landmines, which can be active for up to fifty years, remained. Quang Tri Province is home to indigenous people who cannot read or write Vietnamese and so cannot understand warnings about UXO and landmines and because of this, Quang Tri Province has one of the highest rates of injury and death from UXO and landmines in all of Vietnam. The Friendship Peace Library will serve as a community center and learning center to teach landmine awareness and teach the children to read and write Vietnamese. On the exchange, you will experience some touring around Vietnam, stay in host homes and of course, be a part of dedicating the library to the local community. If you are interested in making donations to this project, please contact the exchange director Laura Strehlau, directly.
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*****
For
a complete listing of upcoming Friendship Force exchanges, visit
the exchange page on our web site,
http://www.friendshipforce.org/WorldExchanges.html
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Open Doors Events
Long weekends offered to members of clubs in the
Southwest Region to visit other SW region clubs. See Events.
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