Crooked Trails Blog

Travel 98118: Amazing trip, short distance

October 20, 2011 by crookedtrails

by Crooked Trails co-founder Chris Mackay

Crooked Trails’ first Travel 98118 Program was a feast for the senses! On September 24th, twenty participants had an enriching time at the homes of their host families. I acted as the guide for the group who went to the home of Hirut from Ethiopia. We spent 3 hours in her home in Rainier Valley with her two children and had a wonderful time.

Hirut’s home was filled with the fragrances of a special aromatic wood resin mixed with the pungent smell of roasting coffee beans and the spicey smell of shora simmering on the stove. Hirut showed us how Ethiopian women roast, grind and make their coffee in a traditional style. She also shared her homemade honey wine with us, which she makes from the bark of a tree I had never heard of. Other participants made injera bread with their host families, and one group had a tour of a Somali shop which felt and looked like they were right in the Horn of Africa.

Everyone who took part in the Travel 98118 Program also got to volunteer fixing bikes, with the help of volunteers Tom, Giovanni and the great folks from Bike Works. We were able to fix 10 bikes and distribute them to needy kids who were more than excited to ride home that day on a new set of wheels. Many participants had their hair braided and others played soccer. Everyone danced and ate traditional Somalian and Ethiopian food.

Of all the activities we did that Saturday, most people came away saying spending time in the home of their host family was the best. And this is what we hear on our international programs as well. We know it’s about the cultural exchange. It’s about sharing. We hope you will join us on the next Travel 98118 Program, to be held in early 2012.

Here’s a great video collection that gives you a peek into the home visits, service project, dancing and fun!

Also, be sure to check out the rest of our photos on our Facebook page.

Thanks to participant Mishelle Maas and Lauren Leary at HOAS for sharing their photos with us!

Posted in CT Community, From the field, Newsletter highlights | Tagged cultural exchange, Seattle, Travel 98118 | Leave a Comment »

Introducing Liz Truong, the new Executive Director of Crooked Trails

October 1, 2011 by crookedtrails

Crooked Trails is proud to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Liz Truong. Liz is coming on staff as our new Executive Director, and we couldn’t be happier about the addition of her energy and talents to our work! (Previous E.D. and Crooked Trails co-founder Christine Mackay isn’t going anywhere, by the way – she’ll just be focusing her efforts differently.) We asked Liz a few questions so we could all get to know her better.

Tell us a bit about your background before coming to Crooked Trails. Where are you from originally? Where did you go to school? And where did you work prior to coming to the fold?
I was born and raised in the Southeast corner of Washington in a town called Colton – a small, farming town of 300 people. My graduating class was 15 people and my family were the only minorities where I was raised. When it was time for college I was ready for bigger things in the city so I attended the University of Washington and got two degrees in marketing and psychology. I originally started my career in the sports industry before making the move to the non-profit sector. Growing up in a small town really put an emphasis on the importance of community and giving back. I worked for a company called KTBA where I plan and executed over 130 charity events a year before moving on as the Executive Director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I spent 3 years at MDA before coming to Crooked Trails.

How did you find out about Crooked Trails and what made you decide to come and work for us? My friend Billy referred Crooked Trails to me over a year ago because he took a life-changing trip to Peru through the organization and I was looking for a way to do meaningful travel. My first traveling experience outside the US was to Thailand with the YMCA doing a cultural exchange in the hill tribes where we built an education center and lived with the locals. I’ve always wanted to emulate that experience in my travels for the rest of my life, and I found Crooked Trails was doing that. Their mission of educating on different cultures, bridging the world together and peaking interest and understanding in each other through travel really hit home to me. The more I learned about Crooked Trails the more passion I was building on carrying out their mission and helping to make a difference. Co-Founders Tammy & Chris are very inspirational in their vision and make such an impact on everyone they meet.

Coming in as E.D., what are you most excited about and what do you expect will be your biggest challenge? I’m excited to get other people involved in traveling and seeing the world in a responsible and meaningful way. Traveling outside of the U.S. is not common with Americans, but traveling this way is even more so uncommon. I think people are really missing out on an incredible opportunity to not only see the world, but understand the world. I’m excited to help create global citizens of the world.

What are your top 3 countries on your travel wish list right now?
Vietnam to meet my real family! Turkey, and Peru.

If you’d like to say hello to Liz and welcome her to the CT community, you can drop her a line at liz@crookedtrails.org

Posted in CT Community, Newsletter highlights | Tagged Crooked Trails staff, Liz Truong | 2 Comments »

Want to travel with us? TRAVEL 98118 and Connect with African Culture on Sept. 24th

September 15, 2011 by crookedtrails

Dear Friends,

Two or three times a year I pack my backpack, grab my passport and board a flight for hours of travel, spend 100’s of dollars to visit the families and friends in communities around the world where Crooked Trails works.

Last year, I grabbed my family, found an old soccer ball and headed to Tukwila, Washington where I was invited into the home of a family of 9 refugees from Somalia who had just arrived into the U.S. We sat on the floor of their new home, shared a cup of Somalian tea and talked about their arrival into the U.S. My son played with their 7 kids all dressed in traditional clothing, they played soccer in the apartment parking lot and laughed together as all the kids tried to get on one bike. I took photos as the kids all crowed over my shoulders to see the view finder and the first pictures they had seen of themselves. The father showed me his work permit and his professor’s certificate from back home. We discussed getting jobs in America and he sat silent as we pulled out my computer to set him up an email account. The mother grabbed my hand, tears in her eyes and said “mahadsanid“, Thank you in Somalian.

We returned every week to visit them, sharing our lives, inviting them to our family events and helping the father to create a resume. My husband and I brought gifts for the kids, clothes, books and furniture. The family cooked us food and brought friends to meet us. I cried when the husband called me and told me he got a job working in Alaska in fisheries.

Have you always wanted to travel with Crooked Trails? Please do not miss out on the opportunity to join us on September 24th, just one day, to the Rainier Valley, the most diverse neighborhood in the U.S., to share your life with a refugee family. Bring your family, offer your friendship, learn about what it is like to be a refugee in the U.S.

This locally based travel program provides a unique opportunity for a cultural exchange experience right in the heart of the city. Participants will be paired with refugee families who will welcome them to their homes to learn and share.

We will dance Somali style, learn new words in each others languages, prepare Ethiopian injera bread, work together on service projects such as repairing bikes for local residents, and much more. The experience will culminate with an inspiring concert to unite all the cultures represented and to celebrate the lasting relationships being forged.

The program is built on the belief that everyone benefits from the opportunity to connect and share with neighbors, and to learn a bit about yourself and the world in the process.

Tammy Leland
Crooked Trails Co-founder and International Program Director

This program has limited space and you must pre-register to participate – click here!

Posted in CT Community | Tagged African culture, community based tourism, Seattle, service project, Travel 98118 | Leave a Comment »

Mojarra, Guapote, Sardines and Tilapa

September 6, 2011 by crookedtrails

By Crooked Trails guide, Alexis Bonoff

One Friday afternoon, when school was canceled for a teacher’s meeting, I took the boys of Si a la Vida fishing. We walked down the dusty road to the port where the overnight ferry leaves twice a week. I had found a tackle box in the storage closet and had raided the lures and hooks, weights and line. The boys scoured the grounds for the perfect stick to use as a pole and we wound yards of nylon tight around them.

The port was empty except for the syolies, small flying insects that linger by the lake. The port is concrete and raised with big heavy tires lashed to the sides. The boys had brought plantains as bait; the native mojarra and guapote were apparently just as fond of the fruit as the Nicaraguans themselves. It was a still day, overcast and not too hot and the boys tossed the lines into the dark waters.

The worst part about fishing is the waiting. For maybe an hour the nylon sliced in and out of the water, the boys intent on finding the perfect spot in the rocks or the best method of casting. Then one by one their attention wandered and before I knew it Nelson had been thrown in the water. Pretty soon the boys were jumping off the rubber tires and diving from the concrete pilings. Even the dogs went for a swim.

Just as the sun was starting to hide behind the volcano, there was a joyful shout. Junior, the youngest of the boys at age 10 , pulled a mojarra out of the water. It was six inches long and certainly large enough to eat. He proudly displayed it for a photo, then tossed it in the plastic bag to fry up for dinner.

As the shadows grew longer and the day´s heat began to subside we made our way down the dusty street comparing angling techniques and making bold predictions for the next adventure. It wasn’t the most successful of fishing trips but it sure was a wonderful day.

Has this little slice of Nicaraguan life whetted your appetite? Join us there this November, when Crooked Trails inaugural Nicaragua Volunteer Travel Program visits not only the boys of Si a la Vida but also ventures into the countryside of Ometepe Island to help register citizens to improve their access to better education and healthcare! Click here to read more and apply for the program.

Posted in From the field, Nicaragua | Tagged Nicaragua, Si a la Vida, voluntourism | Leave a Comment »

Nicaragua: Work and Celebrate with the Locals

August 29, 2011 by crookedtrails

By Aileen Ly

International travel? Get to travel to and stay on a volcanic island in the middle of a lake? Doing a service? How could I pass this opportunity up? I couldn’t! Crooked Trails’ November trip to Nicaragua reminds me very much of my time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Vanuatu: sunny weather, sandy beaches, friendly people, learning the stories of the villagers, helping complete community projects, and of course, living on a volcanic island! I will never forget the experiences of my service because I made a difference, may it have been only one person or several hundred people.

One of the things about this trip that got me the most excited was the chance to experience and see the Fiesta de San Diego in Altagracia. What I remembered the most about my Peace Corps service was the traditional celebrations (weddings, deaths, births, Christmas, Independence Day, etc) that I got invited to and got to see firsthand. The traditional dances, wide variety of food, sense of community, and celebrations always brought everyone together from near and far and gave me a glimpse of the way they really lived. The Fiesta de San Diego celebrations occur every November 12-18. The weeklong celebrations commemorate the pilgrimage and death of Altagracia’s patron saint, San Diego. During the week, the people of Altagracia and Ometepe gather and dance the Baile de Zompopo (dance of the leaf cutter ants) at night and a statue of San Diego is carried around the island as a symbolic reenactment of his pilgrimage. At the end of the week, the statue of San Diego is returned to the Catholic church in Altagracia until the next year.

You can have the opportunity to see and experience the Fiesta de San Diego for yourself this November and make a difference for hundreds of people by signing up to join Crooked Trails’ inaugural trip to Nicaragua to help register locals for their birth certificates. Birth certificates are easy to obtain; it’s just a matter of getting to a local governmental office and registering. But for many locals on Ometepe Island, they live remotely without access to transportation. That’s where we come in! We visit the remote villages of Ometepe with a local government official and get as many people registered as possible. Along the way, we’ll story with the villagers, relax at the beach, experience the celebrations of the Fiesta de San Diego, climb a volcano, and make a difference.

Take part in this amazing cultural experience! We’re accepting applications NOW for the November Nicaragua travel program. Visit our website to learn more and apply.

Photo credits:
Festival procession by H Dragon

Posted in From the field, Nicaragua | Tagged Altagracia, community based tourism, festivals, Nicaragua, Ometepe Island, voluntourism | Leave a Comment »

Crooked Trails on New Deals4Dreams Site

August 26, 2011 by crookedtrails

We are proud to announce we have teamed up with a local company that is dedicated to helping nonprofits, like ourselves, to raise money on a year around basis and spread awareness of our organization. The name of the company is Deals4Dreams.

Twice a week, our subscribers will be receiving an email from us that contains a very high quality “deal” that is sourced by Deals4Dreams. If the deal is something that you have interest in, when you purchase it, a percentage is given back to Crooked Trails at the end of the month. For example, they have sourced a restaurant that you would like to try and it costs $50.00 which buys you $100.00 worth of food. Of that $50.00, 50% goes back to the merchant and $11.00 will go back to the non-profits they’ve chosen to support, Crooked Trails being one of them! (Click here to subscribe if you are not already on our e-news list.)

We hope you as members will embrace this new and exciting program and share it with your friends. Anyone can buy and support Crooked Trails. Through your continued support we will continue to grow in awareness and financially succeed.

Thank you!

Chris, Tammy and Angela
The Crooked Trails Team

Posted in CT Community | Tagged Deals4Dreams, fundraising, Groupon | 1 Comment »

Baseball at 13,000 feet

August 19, 2011 by crookedtrails

By Christine Torrison Mackay

My brother in law Mark O’Neil is a baseball fan- true and blue. He played the game throughout his youth and now, as a father of two boys, he coaches as well. He has also been instrumental in creating the baseball field the kids use playing catch at machu pichu in West Seattle. It is his church. After a long day of crunching numbers as an investment broker, he heads to his field of dreams and coaches each of his son’s teams. After he has spoken to his assistant coaches, parents and everyone else who needs a piece of his ear and everyone has left, Mark stays late and mows, waters and cares for his field. It’s his time to relax and reflect.

So when my sister suggested to Mark it would be a good idea to take their eldest son Riley –age 13 to Peru for a change of life trip-these two baseball fans would bring a particularly interesting travel item hidden in their suit case. The first sneak preview of the above mentioned items made their appearance at Machu Pichu. When we arrived at the citadel in the jungle perched on top of steep green mountains, Mark and Riley got out their baseball mitts and a ball and wanted me to film them playing catch with the incredible Inca ruins behind them. I had to laugh and so did others who saw them. It made for a great shot.

Fast forward two days and our small family group are now at the small Andean village of Usmabamba at over 13,000 feet. We were there to participate in a few of Crooked Trails’ village projects including the cow project we had begun over 2 years before as well as the new kitchen project where we are building inexpensive and practical kitchens which provide hot running water and a smokeless stove which heats the home an additional 20 degrees in the freezing winters.

some of the village players At the end of the day Mark and Riley brought out their baseball bat, 6 balls and several mitts. All the village kids were arriving home from school at the nearby village. I handed out tootsie pops and we gathered a nice group of 30 kids- a mix of boys and girls. None of them had ever seen a baseball bat or mitt, let alone a baseball, and had no idea what we were trying to do. Mark has coached literally hundreds of kids over the past 8 years and even though these kids didn’t know a word of English and Mark didn’t know a word of Spanish or Quechua the first lesson began.

Mark and Riley laid out the diamond, got kids on base and got the others lined up to bat. “How do you say hit”? he asked.. ‘Gopiar’ my brother Russ replied who had come on the family trip. Mark would yell “gopiar” at the kids and toss the ball to them. It wasn’t long before kids here hitting, running, throwing and catching. A few of those kids slammed some balls way out in the field over the roaming cows and sheep. And a few of the girls had tremendous arms and astonishing accuracy. The game went on for over 2 hours. Although the kids didn’t quite understand the concept of “out” when the ball got to the base before they did, they sure got the concept of “fun with baseball”.

After an hour or so Mark said “OK Ri-Man get up there and show them how it’s done.” Riley got up to bat and sent a few balls screaming over the kid’s heads to sound of cheers. ‘Ah ha!’ you could see them thinking.. ‘That is how it’s done’. Then Mark tossed a ball to himself and slammed it out of the field over the drainage ditches and sent the kids cheering with glee.  Seeing that ball fly so high and far made everyone smile.

batter up

As I watched this whole game unfold I couldn’t help but smile. Never in my wildest dreams would I have brought a baseball and bat to Peru- never. Yet baseball is near and dear to Mark and Riley and it is what they wanted to share. And that is the beauty of travel-it’s individual. We all bring our own loves and interests to travel and if we are open- we share those interests with those we encounter and the ensuing relationship is what travel is all about. I will never forget the sound of Mark O’Neil (who has never travelled to a developing country) yelling ‘Gopiar’ and then ‘corre’ to the young Peruvian village children as they hit the ball and ran to first base. Nor will I forget the excited faces of the kids as they learned a new game and especially when Mark and Riley gifted all the equipment to the kids when we left. Mark wants to send down bases in September and more mitts as well. I can imagine 20 years in the future when the first professional Peruvian baseball player is asked where he learned to play ball in a country of soccer, and he replies, “well.. some American guy brought the game to my village when I was just a kid….long time ago”.

Posted in From the field, Newsletter highlights, Peru | Tagged baseball, Family Travel Program, Machu Picchu, Peru, Sacred Valley | Leave a Comment »

Waterfalls, Howler Monkeys, Changing Lives

August 12, 2011 by crookedtrails

by Claire Ricci

In my twenties I wandered. I could travel for weeks sometimes months at a time. Each new place unfolded like a flower as I meandered through backroads, into new friendships, and into a clearer sense of myself. As I got older I no longer had that kind of time. Travel was shorter, and as it shortened it seemed to have less depth.

Nicaragua beach scene

When I stumbled upon Crooked Trails my first thought was, “What a great idea!” A non-profit travel organization that traveled only to communities where they’d been invited, and engaged only in community development projects chosen by the people of that community. Trips were led by people who’d fallen in love with communities around the world and wanted to share them. Wow.

This was travel I craved. Travel that goes beyond seeing the sites of a country, and draws you toward its people and spirit. Travel with meaning and purpose where cultures are shared, connections valued, and learning comes in a hundred unanticipated ways. Travel that feels more like traveling with a friend, than any kind of organized excursion. I wanted this.

Enter Ometepe Island, often called Nicaragua’s candidate for the the Eighth Wonder of the World. Formed by two volcanoes it sits in the middle of Central America’s largest fresh water lake. Remote and beautiful it is a world away. Populated by parrots, howler monkeys, waterfalls, beaches and gracious hard working people.

Crooked Trails is heading there this November with a special mission.

Imagine a woman in the rural town of La Palma on Ometepe island with three children. She is looking forward to her eldest son graduating from Primary school. She discovers he can’t receive his diploma because he has no birth certificate. Having given birth to him an hour and a half away from the nearest clinic, and having no reliable transportation his birth had never been registered. 11 years old and there is no official recognition of his existence. With no birth certificate he could not be awarded his diploma.

This is a common in many rural areas of Nicaragua, when births happen at home. A birth certificate is needed to attend high school, work outside of an agricultural area, or get a passport. Obtaining one is simply a matter of registering at a government office, but this can be a near impossibility for many who live remotely with no access to travel.

Nicaragua waterfall Now imagine being part of the solution. Participants of Crooked Trails’ inaugural trip to Nicaragua will travel with a member of the local government to remote rural areas of Ometepe island and hike the needed paper work into coffee and plantain fields. Meeting at local schools and houses we will sign the children and some adults into recognition by the government. This small piece of paper can mean huge change for a better life.

I am so excited to be a part of this remarkable trip! If this is your kind of travel please join us. Grab the chance to explore this extraordinary Island, make a real difference in lives of its citizens, and possibly in yourself.

Photo credits:
Nicaragua beach scene by Ken_Mayer

Howler monkey by tostie14

Nicaragua waterfall by permanently scatterbrained

Posted in From the field, Nicaragua | Tagged community based tourism, Nicaragua, Ometepe Island | 2 Comments »

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