Nepal has 8 out of the 14 highest mountains in the world. Take a look:

Mount. Everest 8,850 meters

Mount. Kangchenjunga 8,586  meters

Mount. Lhotse 8,516 meters

Mount. Makalu 8,463 meters

Mount. Cho Oyu 8,201 meters

Mount. Dhaulagiri 8,167 meters

Mount. Manaslu 8,163 meters

Mount. Annapurna 8,091 meters

Costa Rica is a surfer’s paradise; it is one of the top surfing destinations in the world. The point breaks, beach breaks, and perfect lefts and rights make this country a major hotspot. Costa Rican beaches are beautiful, clean and not over crowded. The country has a great climate; it is warm all year long. It offers 50 of the most famous surf breaks along its shore line. The most challenging waves can be found in Costa Rica.

Since Costa Rica is a country that has access to both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, you might be asking yourself which coast to surf? The Caribbean/Atlantic Coast: the surfing season on this coast is not very long. Most of the waves here are caused by tropical storms off the Mexican coast. The Pacific Coast: waves are smaller and more consistent. They are generated from low pressure troughs off New Zealand. Major waves can be found between April and October, but waves on the Pacific coast are their cleanest from December to April. Whichever destination you choose you will have a great time surfing and experiencing the beauty of the coast.

Here is a quick history lesson on Chile!

Pedro de Valdivia who was a Spanish conquistador and first Royal governor of Chile.  Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago on February 12, 1541. He is famous for his remark that Chile was a nice place to be since there is nothing in the land that can kill you (snakes, wild beasts, etc.). Streets, hotels, and cities are named after him. This includes the river city Valdivia which he founded in 1552 as a hideaway from pirates seeking Spanish gold.

RelayRides began in 2010 and is a new way of renting a car. It is a peer to peer rental or car sharing service. This service allows private car owners to rent out their vehicle on a short term basis. The car owner determines the price and the company takes 35%. This is a way for car owners to make money while they are not using their car. The company estimates that between $2,300-7,400 can be earned annually by participating in this service. The estimate is based on the hourly charge rate of $6-12.

Unlike traditional car rental services, RelayRides neither owns the vehicles nor maintains them. Instead they are offering a platform for car owners and renters to connect. They provide a platform that tracks the cars and matches prospective borrowers to car owners. RelayRides covers $1 million worth of insurance for vehicles during the rental period, and performs basic background checks of vehicle registration and safety, as well as renters’ safety records, to lessen the likelihood of complications between the owner and borrower of the vehicle.  The company installs a device in the car, which controls and locks the car’s ignition, so that only registered and approved RelayRiders can drive the car.

To make the car available, a car owner that has signed up for RelayRides signs onto the network and states the time and place where the car will be available.
A member who wishes to borrow a car will reserve a specific time slot for the car online,and pays for the amount of time they signed up for. The user will then find the car parked at the place specified online and marked with a RelayRides log in, which is needed  to unlock and drive the car.

Zermatt is at the foot of the Matterhorn and is simply a must for any traveler to Switzerland.  The destination can only be reached by train which, winds its way around mountains and over gorges of breathtaking scenery. Even though a train is needed to travel,  Zermatt is a traffic-free area. Upon spotting the Matterhorn, you will be overwhelmingly excited by its impressive beauty.

 
Despite its status as a world-class resort Zermatt has not lost its authenticity as a Swiss mountain village. Chalets, old half-timbered houses and cabins, restaurants or shops, line the streets with geraniums spilling out window boxes in the summer. In winter, the snow is clean and white and the sun shines bright. Sleighs jingle through the streets. Skiers are in paradise, with gondolas and cable cars to peaks and glaciers from which the fabulous descents are as long as 8 miles. Mountain top chalet restaurants and rugged cabins make great places to hangout.
Besides the fabulous skiing including glacier skiing in summer and extensive off-trail terrain and powder skiing, there are indoor tennis and squash courts, pools and gyms, and of course shopping. In summer, the mountaineering and hiking opportunities are probably the best in the world. There are 250 miles of marked footpaths through varying terrain for short, easy walks in the valley or steep hikes to the surrounding peaks of Gornergrat, Klein Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, the Rothorn and the Matterhorn.

Here are some crazy- fun facts on the country:

• Fast food restaurants like Burger King and McDonalds have home delivery.
• Costa Rica means “rich coast” in Spanish.
• Prides itself on being the land of peace and it has had over 100 years of political stability.
• Costa Ricans refer to themselves as Ticos (males) Ticas (females).
• The country has 800 miles of coastline between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.
• Has 1000 species of butterflies.
• Well educated population with a 97% literacy rate.
• Producer of coffee and it is not unusual to give babies coffee in their bottles.
• More than 121 volcanoes and some of them are still active.
• Costa Rica is one of the most valued environmental destinations.  Approximately 25% of the country has protected forests and reserves.
• Irazu is the tallest volcano in Costa Rica at 11,259 feet
• Costa Rica hosts more than 5% of the world’s biodiversity even though its landmass only takes up .03% of the planet’s surface
• Costa Rica ranks at the top of lists for the world’s best surfing, sports fishing, dive spots, and great mountain hiking.

The cute characters in the picture above are Yeony and Suny. “Yeo” means beautiful and “Su” means water. The characters represent plankton, which is a food source for marine life and a key absorber of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They are the face of Expo 2012, which will begin May 12 and continue until August 12. The international exposition is located in Yeosu Korea and will focus on preservation and sustainable development of the ocean and coast. This is a chance for over a hundred countries and millions of people from diverse backgrounds to gather and try to find a balance between production and consumption while preserving diversity and resources. Threats of rising sea levels, loss of biodiversity and pollution have been major concern. Expo 2012 has a vision of green growth and restoring the life of the sea. This can be possible through cooperation and international agreement. Travel to Yeosu this summer and show your support for the ocean and the marine life that depends on a healthy environment.

If sustainable development and change are important to you than check out the trips Evolve Tours has to offer. You can make a difference in a developing country and have the best time of your life while doing it.

Fenway Park which is the home to the Boston Red Socks turned 100 years old last month. Fenway is the oldest major league stadium still in use, but Wrigley Field in Chicago comes in a close second. Fenway was erected in April of 1912 and the first game played at the stadium was between the Red Socks and the Highlanders, which were later renamed the Yankees and become their infamous rival. Fenway Park was named a historic landmark by the National Register of Historic Places. This is a great honor to the park, which is now deemed worthy of preservation.

To commemorate the 100 year anniversary there will be events and special activities taking place over the next year. Pieces of baseball history will be on display throughout the park. Players will celebrate the rich history of the park by wearing period jerseys instead of their usual uniforms during a few games. It is a chance for fans to come out to the park and celebrate the centennial by remembering Red Socks greats such as Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Ted Williams and the legendary Babe Ruth.

If you want to spend 3 weeks of your summer attending major league games in Canada and the United States check out Evolve’s Baseball Tour here

Evolve Tours sends student and teen groups to some of the coolest places on this planet, and Costa Rica is one of these great locales. (Check out our summer trip here!)  Sometimes there are things you can only learn about a country from visiting, things that tour books and guides often don’t mention. Well, they may not help you locate your hostel (actually, check out #8!) or figure out what to pack but here are some facts that are totally unique to Costa Rica:

1. In Costa Rica, it is not uncommon to give coffee to babies (in their bottle, with milk) and to young children.  Just try and imagine a two year old on espresso!
2. MANY Costa Ricans use their credit cards for everything. What so I mean by everything? Well… a newspaper, a candy bar, a pack of gum, etc. I means things as low as just pennies in cost! It is truly bizarre to be in line behind a Tico and watch him whip out his card to make an eighteen cent purchase.
3. MacDonald’s, Burger King and all the others have HOME DELIVERY in Costa Rica!  This is not a good thing if you are on a diet.
4. Ticos are short statured people in general. Therefore, chairs, couches etc are built about 6-8 inches (sometimes more) lower than furniture say from the USA. If you are tall, you will find that the act of just getting up is an effort.
5. If you should die while here, you are buried here on the same day you die… no embalming… nada.  They just plant you!   Everyone looks to see your obituary on TV several times per day!  (This can occur easily if you buy the cheap cigarettes and have your Big Macs sent to the home!).
6. There are few street signs in Costa Rica and even fewer addresses.  Read that as almost none.  Just about all addresses are in terms of a well-known building or landmark; often the local Catholic Church, cemetery, or another fixed location.  But just to keep things interesting, some addresses are phrased in terms of building that may have burned down 20 years ago!  Also, when you see an address that says 200M west of something, that normally means 2 blocks and NOT a true 200 meters.
7. Diet Pepsi here tastes better than Diet Coke.
8. Instead of saying “my other half”,  Ticos often refer to their significant other as their “media naranja” or the other half of their orange.
9. Tangerines are called mandarins (mandarines) here. Limes are limónes.  And you can’t buy lemons here… or at least I have never seen them.  So, if you want a lime, ask for a limón (lee-moan).
10. Candy and cookies manufactured here are to Tico tastes and have a LOT less sugar (and maybe fat) and thus a lot less flavor.  If you have a sweet tooth, it can still be satiated as nearly all the popular candy from the US is available.  However, if you’re a cookie lover, you’re pretty well outta luck.  Not much available except Oreos and a handful of others.
11. Locks (houses, gates, etc.) in Costa Rica almost always work (turn) backwards.
12. We say in English “She had a baby” or She just gave birth”, but in Spanish they say, “Ella dio a luz” or translated, “She gave light.” Cool huh?
13. Front doors of almost all commercial establishments almost always open INWARDS. This is against every fire code in the USA, but here, perhaps because they have never had a tragedy in which hundreds died because the door could not be opened outwards, there is no such code. As you have become “programmed” to Pull when entering and Push when leaving, plan to feel silly as you tug or push in the wrong direction.

If you don’t believe us, visit yourself!! http://www.evolvetours.com/destinations.php?Evolve+Costa+Rica+

One of the coolest pictures from Costa Rica we’ve seen in a while. Its always tough to get good pictures of Sloths, even though they move super slow. This one was caught on a recent student trip in Costa Rica by a quide with a quick trigger finger. Make sure you check out Evolve’s Costa Rica trips for your chance to take some very cool shots: http://www.evolvetours.com/