This summer, thanks to the Boyse Educational Foundation Trust, I was able to enjoy a month away in Mexico and Belize with a group of boys from King Edward VI Stratford.

The expedition was arranged through a company called World Challenge, who regularly run trips through schools to exotic places around the world. We were lucky enough to be one of the teams going to South America, one of the further afield destinations they incorporate in their itinerary. After a long 11 hour flight we arrived in a dark and humid Oaxaca, a World Heritage site in southern Mexico. The city was the location of our exploration for the next two days; as we wandered through the bustling streets we were offered local delights such as spiced grasshoppers which many of us enjoyed. The change in culture was very obvious, especially for those who had never been to this area of the world, and simply observing the ‘goings on’ around Oaxaca was enough to fill the day.

The next week was the first real taste of the countryside as we had entered the first trek phase of our trip. This was to an area North East of Oaxaca only about 2 hours away from the city. After a bumpy and windy drive up to the starting village, which lay at 10,000 feet, we all piled out of the minibus eager to get on our way. The first day was the hardest as we were not accustomed to the altitude. The sights along the way were amazing, with views over the whole state.

As seeing wildlife was a huge part of the trip for me, I was thrilled to see huge diversity in the birds, as well as being lucky enough to see a rattlesnake. Each night we were put up in local houses, which was a real eye opener as for a week we ate and slept in similar conditions to the indigenous people of the area.

After finishing our trek, we travelled back to Oaxaca in order to move on to the next phase. A much needed rest was had before getting an overnight bus to Jalentenango, a town in the lowlands further South. From here we travelled to El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, a largely untouched area of cloud forest. Here we stayed in a base camp and took day trips with two local guides who were very informative. It was at this stage in the expedition that I saw the greatest number of species, not only of birds but mammals and reptiles as well.

A rare sighting of a Ring Tailed Cat has to be the highlight, possibly of the whole trip. It was also here where we really experienced the wet season, and on more than one occasion we got soaked out in the forest.

Luckily we had a nice warm hut to return to during these periods of weather! In order to get the bus to our next destination we had to get up at 3 in the morning and walk in the dark down to the entrance of the reserve.

After two weeks of trekking and getting up at 3am, the prospect of walking 15 km is not a pleasant one! The next few days of rest and relaxation were well appreciated by the whole team, not only because we didn't have to walk and cook for ourselves but because it was another opportunity to take in the sights and local culture. We managed to visit one of the major remaining sites of Mayan ruins, Palenque. The sheer size, detail and engineering put into the structures is amazing considering they date back to 120BC.

The next phase, ‘The Project’, was by far the most satisfying, as we were laying the foundations of a new classroom. Another overnight bus had taken us into Belize and we were now staying in one of the classrooms of the small primary school we were helping out. Unfortunately the classroom seemed to be full of unwanted ‘critters’ such as scorpions, tarantulas and mosquitoes! We worked alongside two locals, who taught us everything we needed to know, including mixing cement and laying breeze blocks. It was amazing how much we got done and we all really felt a sense of achievement by the end. I'd like to thank the Boyse Trust again for helping with funds, enabling me to go.

The last two days of the trip were dedicated to relaxing on a small island, Caye Caulker, just off the coast, where we stayed in comparatively luxury accommodation to the last few weeks. A snorkelling day trip, swimming with nurse sharks and rays, was the perfect way to end an amazing expedition and one that I will never forget. I will take a huge amount with me from this trip, and hopefully I will return at some point in my life.

Joe England