Back to the US of A

As I'm sure most of you are aware we are, the group is back safely in Maine. The trip was amazing and when combined with the week in Canada prior, it has been one of the most incredible experiences I've had yet.

I've uploaded several hundred photos to the Photobucket site and there should be a few dozen videos up shortly (a lot I know, but it's summer so take a break and browse). I've changed the location of the gallery to allow others to contribute their photos as well. If you're interested in viewing the new gallery, please take a look at the following link: http://photobucket.com/amazonmba09

Other than that, I should be organizing things a bit and adding details to cover the days that I was unable post either due to tight scheduling or lack of connectivity. This might take awhile due to the two weeks of summer class that I'm currently making up and the return to my assistantship and freelance business. There are also a few other charity projects that I've picked up since I've been down there, so I'm sure that will contribute a bit to eating up time. However, other than those few minor projects, I should be able to get all this stuff up here shortly. Stay tuned until then and check back frequently for updates.

Thank you everyone for your interest, support and enthusiasm and for not giving me too hard of a time on my numerous narration slip-ups! (I may or may not have incorrectly described a few things...)

-B-ton

Im on a boat! - A jumble of pictures, videos, etc. as we prepare to leave civilization.

Okidoke, we're about to take off into the jungle and from what I've heard they don't have internet access yet (crazy, I know). Here in Minaus, the combination of meeting after meeting, limited time at the hotel and marginal bandwidth have also limited the upload and organization. Sooooo what I've done for now is to upload a bunch of videos and pictures. Feel free to take a look at them as we record some more of our jungle activities, (fightng off giant anacondas, swinging from vines, the usual).

I'll upload those video adventures then asap.

Brazil - Day 1

Alright, I'm gonna be cheap and start by uploading some vid's from day one. Several are from breakfast and another is from the welcome even that followed our tour of the largest fresh water fish market in the world. In the latter video I take a brief tour of the "camp" that our welcome luncheon was held in along side the Taruma Asu Canal. (Note: I accidentally refer to it as the Rio Negro in the video.)


After the welcome luncheon, we then met and interviewed a native woman who is working to unite area tribes to raise their civil rights awareness. Engaging local constituents such as this in a manner that is socially beneficial is a major focus of purist approaches to ecotourism.

Enjoy the documentary and tell Nat'l Geo that I'll be back in a few weeks.

-Brenton

The whole lack of blogging...

So Canada was amazing, though I'm kind of ashamed that I wasn't able to post much. The Telfer schedule was pretty grueling which prevented me from getting much blogging done. In addtion, there was a slight miscommunication with the airline where they assured me that the 2 hr delay wouldn't effect my connection. I ended up flying into Portland since it was the next closest destination and the next flight to Bangor didn't leave to morning. From there, I then caught a rental car at 2am and drove up to Orono. I got in at 4:30 and then had about an hour to get my bags switched over (one of which didn't make it back from Canada (thanks again Continental).)

Regardless, it was an awesome experience and I had a blast. I'll be posting some photos and a story or two regarding the great experience and incredible people I met along the way once I get back from Brazil.

(P.S. continued apologies on the poor spelling and grammer.)

It would appear the trip to Canada was a bit more hectic than first anticipated, which has caused me to fall way behind on my blogging. I'll begin to fill in the details here when I get back. The group and I are currently sitting in Logan airport. I'll post a few pictures in a bit, but since I'm blogging from my phone it has to be a bit more broken up.

Time's a Tickin'...

Well I've begun my countdown. Convertible quick-dry pants? Check. Pinstriped Suit? Check. Bug spray? Check. I have all my travel docs, agendas, etc. organized and have begun the process of "dual packing". I must say, packing so that I'm prepared for the Amazon, to tour a Cocoa Cola syrup plant, Cirque du Soleil, and meet with ambassadors to Canada (just to scratch the surface) is quite the task. I'm just hoping I don't end up in Montreal with deet-soaked slacks or find myself in Manaus with shoe polish covered wading shoes. Either way, even having travelled extensively throughout the United States, this is still quite the experience.

I don't have much to report and won't really until the ball actually starts rolling. In the mean time though, I've decided to post a link to some photos from last year's Brazil trip.

Enjoy!

A Brief Intro

This blog will be a series of short entries that chronicle some of the incredible experiences that my classmates and I encounter during our time in the Maine Business School MBA program.

Currently on the docket for myself are trips to Canada, Brazil and Germany and involvement with Habitat for Humanity and other organizations. These exciting opportunities are just what is planned and I anticipate new and unforeseen opportunities, challenges and adventures!

-Brenton