P2P Day 18: Turns Out London Was a Thriller! Moonwalking the West End

See Katie? She's auditioning for a zombie movie.
Good acting.

As I write this they are already at Heathrow. People to People has this grueling rule about getting their early (see "I will never again complain about this rule" here).

Anyway, it's 4am and they are there. I suspect it's because the Casper, Wyoming folks need to get an earlier flight to Chicago because the LA gang doesn't leave for like six hours. That's a LONG morning but nearly guarantees sleep on the plane.

They did a ton today - from Parliament to the Tower of London to cruising on the Thames and ending in the West End at Thriller Live! The show gets great reviews and I have to say, it's kind of a brilliant choice because there wasn't much that was going to keep them awake at this point - except maybe some Michael Jackson music.

Of course, Katie doesn't know any of the music.

Well, time to scramble to bed. Big day tomorrow - here's to safe travels for them all! Happy homecoming!

From the People to People Itinerary

One of the privileges of traveling as a Student Ambassador is gaining access to people and places you would otherwise not have the opportunity to on your own. Today you will take part in an exclusive access meeting with a current or former Member of Parliament. This unique opportunity explores the British Constitution and discusses the respective roles of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Monarch, and England's long standing political relationship with the US - a true honor for Student Ambassadors.

Explore the must-see Tower of London and make sure you visit the Crown Jewels where over 23,000 gems make up the collection. As a prison, it confined such famous prisoners as Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh. You may wish to download the free iPhone and iPod Touch app from the iTunes store called "Escape from the Tower". You can `help four worthy prisoners escape from the Tower by re-enacting their real-life events'. Do you know how many of King Henry VIII's six wives were imprisoned and executed at the Tower of London?

Also during your visit to the Tower of London you may meet the Yeoman Warders, or "Beefeaters'', who guard the tower and are caretakers of the mysterious ravens. Legend has it that if the ravens ever leave the Tower, the Kingdom will fall!

Cruise the River Thames taking in many of the city's famous sights. It is here on the River Thames that the beautiful Tower Bridge is located. You may remember during the London Olympics, the Olympic rings hung on this bridge making this iconic beauty even more spectacular. Unfortunately for us the rings no longer hang on the bridge, however the beauty of Tower Bridge remains.

Spend an evening experiencing the glitz and glamour of London's world famous theatre scene, attending a performance of one of the capital's most popular shows.

P2P Day 7: Road to Peace Leads to Belfast, Ireland

The leaders started posting a lot more photos since they arrived in Belfast. I'm guessing the big city has Internet.

It's been fun to see photos from the last few days.

There are pics of puppies from the sheepdog training place, and photos from the sheep shearing, from (what I think is Stirling Castle) and also a great group shot with Nessie in the background.

Despite having Internet, I didn't hear from my kid today.

Parliament

I'm guessing there was plenty of fun happening at the hotel because she was on social media (I saw her liking posts on Instagram) but no messages for me. Well, one. She sent this note to her friends who commented back and eventually passed it along to me. Her friend Louis, who supports a football club in Doncaster, loved the pic.

She also sent some silly pics of her as a ginger (Katie loves gingers) and with her new P2P friends. I love the candid shots; you can see them below.

They went to Parliament (in Ireland) today and learned how government works. Tomorrow there will be some physical adventure. Should get some great photos then.

From the People to People Itinerary

This morning, make your way to the ferry port where your ferry will take you across the Irish Sea to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The Road to Peace

Discover the capital city of Belfast with your professional Blue Badge Guide. Learn how the city suffered during the period known as 'TheTroubles' but has latterly undergone a period of calmness and economic growth. See the dry dock at the Harland and Wolff shipyard where the infamous ocean line Titanic was built.

The Road to Peace. Learn the history of The Troubles in Northern Ireland - why they started, the effect they had on the people of Northern Ireland and how this has changed for the better since the signing of the Good FridayAgreement. You will also have the opportunity to meet with locals and discuss how this period influenced their childhoods.

The Road to Peace

The Titanic Museum

Day 5: Meeting the Weta, Visiting Parliament and Enjoying Wellington, NZ

I think Peter Jackson is a national hero in New Zealand. He's certainly done a lot for the tourist industry!

Today the kids will visit the Weta Workshop Museum (which is kind of like Pixar or LucasFilms out here) and get to see behind the scenes visual treats about the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and Narnia (UPDATE: a few pics here).

The Weta Cave

They are filming the second Hobbit movie now and if you really want to be on the cutting edge with inside information, you should "like" the Weta Facebook page for updates on how it's going.

And in case you are wondering, "Weta" is a large brown wingless insect related to the grasshoppers, with long spiny legs and wood-boring larvae, found only in New Zealand. 

There you have it. Oh and I found a little photo for you just in case you couldn't imagine how huge this thing actually is! 

Maybe the kids will bring one home for us! The weta bug.

After Weta, they head on to Parliament (which might mean they are dressed in P2P outfits today) to learn how government works in New Zealand. After that, it looks like they will tour some museums and learn about the local art scene.

UPDATE: got a very short note from Katie around midnight. All was well, they are having a blast and she'd say more when she had more wifi! Got another note from her this morning. She sent a few pics from yesterday and a little video (midway down for both)! So far so good!

From the People to People Itinerary:

While you continue your tour of Wellington:

• Visit Weta Workshop Museum, the multi Academy Award winning special effects company that helped create movies like the Lord of the Rings, King Kong, and Chronicles of Narnia.
• Learn about New Zealand’s system of government when you visit Parliament buildings and enjoy a guided tour of the facility.
• A center for the arts, Wellington has many museums and art galleries.
• Visit Te Papa National Museum, a fascinating museum devoted to Maori culture, natural history, modern art, science and technology. 

Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand

Te Papa National Museum