In southern México in the Mexican state of Chiapas is the National Park "Cañón del Sumidero. Inside the park is a narrow and deep canyon called Cañón del Sumidero, for which the park is also named. It is one of Chiapas' most popular tourist attractions. The canyon has vertical walls that can be as high as 1,000 meters at some points. A river also flows through the 13-kilometer-long canyon.

• A non-touristy town that connects people to the beautiful park. Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the entrance to Chiapas as well as to México's piece of natural beauty.
• The narrow, deep canyon in México National Park has peaks as high as one kilometer.
• A stalactite that looks like a seahorse and a colored cave: Sumidero Canyon has been nominated one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Surrounding the canyon is the México National Park, which covers nearly 22 acres of land with pure nature. Adjacent to the park is the Mexican state's largest city, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, which after arriving in Chiapas makes you feel immediately connected to its natural beauty. The Mexican state of Chiapas has only one city, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, and this is the most developed, populous and therefore most important municipality in the state. Unlike many other areas, the city is not a tourist attraction, but primarily an important place that offers tourists access to the state. With a major airport and bus terminal, Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the entrance to Chiapas

Sumidero Canyon was formed by cracks in the earth's crust and erosion from the Grijalva River, which still flows through it. This process began about 35 million years ago; this makes the Sumidero Canyon the sister of the American Grand Canyon near the Colorado River. The Grijalva River begins in Guatemala, then flows on to Chiapas, through the 13-kilometer-long canyon, and finally empties into the Usumacinta River. In addition to the Grijalva River, the Cañón del Sumidero México Natural Park has other streams, many of which are seasonal. Some consist of waterfalls on the sides of the canyon and underground currents, which have created caves. The canyon itself is narrow but deep and is characterized by vertical walls between 200 and 700 meters high, but with peaks as high as 1,000 meters. The width of the canyon ranges from one to two kilometers.

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World

The national park in México was nominated one of the seven natural wonders of the world in 2009. This is due in part to the canyon, which possesses many wonderful natural wonders. For example, the canyon has as many as thirty rapids, five waterfalls, three beaches, two freshwater springs and is the habitat for endangered species such as the Central American river turtle and the American crocodile, which, by the way, you can spot on the banks. The canyon walls contain small caves, rock formations and other striking natural beauty. One of the most famous caves of the area is the "Cueva de Colores" (Cave of the Colors). This cave gets its name from the natural filtration of magnesium, potassium and other minerals, which form beautiful colors on the walls. There is also a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe, usually surrounded by flowers and burning candles placed there by visitors. The "Cueva de Silencio" (Cave of Silence) gets its name from the fact that no echo or any other form of resonance is formed there. In another small cave there is a very special dripstone called 'Caballito de Mar' (Seahorse). The dripstone is so named because it looks like a seahorse.

Spanish as a Second Language

British students are increasingly choosing to study Spanish as a second language.

In the last ten years the number of British students choosing Spanish as their second language when taking the General Certificate of Secondary Education exam has risen by 50%.  The vice-president of one UK exam board has attributed the phenomenon to the popularity of Spanish speaking personalities such as FC Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, who is often celebrated as the world’s greatest footballer (soccer player). There has been a clear “Messi effect” she has stated. Another exam board exec has asserted that it was only a matter time “as to when the most popular language taught in the UK is Spanish”.

As of four years ago, more UK students are already opting to take the exam in Spanish than in German, and it is expected to overtake French in the near future also.

Messi, who is from Argentina, won the coveted FIFA Ballon d’Or award an unprecedented 4 years in a row. Just to give you an idea of Messi’s popularity, consider his 50 million Facebook followers. He has also been featured in Time magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world.

Many observers also attribute the recent success of Spanish in schools to the popularity of vacation destinations; Brits have been flocking to Spain’s Mediterranean coast for years to spend their vacation time there. Others point out that now students have a choice of which language they want to study while in the past French and German were assigned to students. Students with a choice are opting for Spanish, the second most spoken language in the world in terms of native speakers (after Mandarin Chinese).

Britain’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities, the British Council, has announced in a report they published last year that Spanish is the most important language for British people to learn, citing indicators such as emerging markets and the value of the language in terms of British business activities.

Messi may be the biggest star of the world’s biggest sport, but he is relatively unknown in the US. According to Forbes magazine, he was known by less than 20% of US consumers in 2012. Although soccer is gaining in popularity in the US, many American football and basketball fans seem to remain quite uninterested in the world’s most popular sport.

Spanish is by far the most studied second language in the US, where over half of all university students studying a foreign language are enrolled in Spanish. It makes sense in a country where 37 million residents 5 years and older speak the language, that’s over 12% of the entire population. In fact it is expected that by the year 2050, the United States will be the country with the largest population of Spanish speakers.

Britannic World Data estimates that by 2030, 7.5% of the world population will speak Spanish, and it comes as no surprise that Spanish study is gaining in popularity around the globe. The Cervantes Institute estimates that some 20 million students study Spanish as a foreign language. Aside from the statistics, Spanish speaking stars such as Lionel Messi will also continue influencing students’ decision when choosing a foreign language to study.

The European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students, or in Dutch, the European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students, better known as ERASMUS, is a European Union project developed to promote cultural exchange between students from countries of the European Union, the three countries of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), Switzerland and Turkey. The name "Erasmus" was chosen in honor of the theologian, philosopher and humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam.

The exchange program was created in 1987 as a product from initiative of "AEGGEE Europe," a multi-national student organization. The initiative was welcomed by the European Commissioner of Education and strongly supported by the Presidents of France (F. Mitterrand) and Spain (F.Gonzalez). In 1995 the program was included in the framework of the 'Socrates Plan' and was definitively established in 2000, when it was approved by the 'Socrates Plan II'. (The 'Socrates Plan' is an initiative of the European Commission in the field of Education) In 2007, the 'Socrates Plan' was replaced by the so-called 'LLL' (Life Long Learning).

The aim of the Erasmus program is "to enhance the quality of education in Europe and strengthen its dimension by promoting international cooperation between universities, encouraging mobility in Europe and improving transparency and full academic recognition of courses and certifications throughout the Union."

To benefit from the opportunities offered by the Erasmus program, all you need to be a student of a university or Bachelor's degree program who has completed the first year as well as a citizen of one of the countries covered by the program. Students can study and earn credit for three months to a year in a European country other than their home country. Another option is participating in an exchange program where you do an internship in a host country and the work you do may also be included in your curriculum vitae. Nowadays, many colleges and universities also give you credits (study points) for this.

Erasmus in Spain

There are also Erasmus scholarships to help students cover some of the extra costs of living abroad. The scholarships depend on the country you are in, and in Spain they even vary by autonomous community. The scholarships almost never cover the total extra costs, but they do give you some extra help from about 200 to 800 per month.

The opportunities offered by the program have made Erasmus a unique life experience for many young people in Europe. It gives them the chance to experience -often for the first time- what it is like to live abroad. It will increase their knowledge of other cultures within the European Union and give them the chance to meet students from other countries and learn about living, socializing and integrating in the country of their temporary stay. Spain is the destination of choice for Erasmus students. As many as 6 of the 10 most popular cities for Erasmus students are Spanish places: Granada, Valencia, Madrid, Seville, Salamanca and Barcelona. In conclusion, the concept of Europeanism is beginning to catch on among young people of the European Union with the help of these multi-national experiences.

The Erasmus program was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in 2004 as "one of the most important cultural exchange programs in the history of mankind."

Top 10 Film Festivals in Spain

You could say that Spain is a country you’d see in movie and a country in which you’d see a movie: its scenic landscapes have not only been captured in an impressive number of famous films, but they also capture a big variety of Spanish film festivals. You can find film fests here on just about any genre imaginable, from documentary, feminist, environmental, short film, gay/lesbian, fantasy, horror, advertising, international film… Spain holds more than 80 film festivals every year. That’s almost 2 per week.

Like almost every country in South and Central America, Costa Rica welcomes its rich flora and fauna. Especially the wildlife is a true paradise of colors with various reptiles, amphibians and birds. Book a guide and experience the fauna of Costa Rica in a special way, or go into nature yourself and discover all the unique species!

• Spot more than 800 species of birds without chasing them in the land of rich flora and fauna!
• Get an encounter with one of the largest snakes harmless to humans, measuring up to 3.5 meters long!
• Learn about the special Quetzal bird, which not only has a stunning appearance, but also carries a wonderful story.

The Animals of Costa Rica

As mentioned above, the wildlife is really worth a careful look. The animals of Costa Rica are perhaps the most impressive in the world and you can spot them through a guide by taking exciting, beautiful tours. Of course, this requires you to be patient and calm, so you don't scare that one special strawberry frog or chase one of the 850 bird species.

Costa Rica has a large number of eco-systems, which makes it possible for many different species to live in the country. Costa Rica is home to as many as 259 species of mammals, over 200 species of reptiles and even 150 species of amphibians, not to mention those 850 species of birds that brighten the country with their bright colors. As many as 135 species of snakes live in Costa Rica, 17 of which are venomous. The largest snake in Costa Rica can grow up to 3.5 meters in length; the for-humans-dangerous boa constrictor, a strangling snake. Besides snakes, Costa Rica also has a number of crocodile and lizard species that don't care about tourists and live quietly in their own beautiful world.

Also, Costa Rica should be proud of a fauna like this and the country is doing everything it can to preserve it. For example, the country has a national park that is one of the most important protected areas, called Santa Rosa. The park is located by the sea, so every year hundreds of thousands of turtles come onto the beach to lay eggs. This true spectacle takes place between September and December.

The Quetzal Bird

One of the special birds found in the cloud forests of Costa Rica is the Quetzal. This bird is best known as the symbol of the flag of Guatemala, but it was also very well known in the past. For example, this species of bird was part of an Indian legend; if someone killed the bird, that person risked a death sentence. In addition, the bird was also popular among the Mayans; the animal was known as a symbol of freedom. The Quetzal's appearance is also quite special because of its striking colors. The birds' head is a shiny green, as are its back and wings. The breast of this bird is red and the tail feathers are white. The difference between males and females is that the color in females is somewhat lighter and less conspicuous. The beak of the female birds is black while that of the males is yellow, by the way, this beak is very short but incredibly strong.

Spain´s national holiday is very international

Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Americas on Oct. 12, 1492. This historic event marks an important change in the course of the history of the Western world, such as the long-standing contact between Europe and the Americas. The day is officially celebrated in different ways and has different names throughout much of Latin America, the United States and Spain.

Spanish law established the day as Fiesta Nacional de España, or the national day of Spain, although many Spaniards still call it Día de la Hispanidad, which was the former name of this holiday. The law further explains that the day is commemorated because it symbolizes the expansion of the Spanish language and culture beyond European borders. Spanish is spoken as a native language by 414 million people, only 46 million of whom live in Spain.

When the day was first celebrated in Spain in 1914, its original name was "Fiesta de la Raza," hoping to create a holiday celebrating the unity between Spain and Ibero-America. Just a few years later, Spanish priest Zacarías de Vizcarra suggested the change from the term raza to hispanidad. Indeed, celebrating Columbus' first voyage across the Atlantic, an event that launched the European conquest and colonization of the Americas, did not always inspire a sense of unity.

Oct. 12 is still known as Día de la Raza in some Latin American countries, including Mexico. Other Latin American countries, which have commemorated the day as el Día de la Raza, have changed the name in recent years to honor diversity or celebrate resistance to colonization. In Costa Rica, the day is known as Día de las Culturas (day of cultures), in Argentina it is Día del respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (day of respect for cultural diversity), in Venezuela Día de la Resistencia Indígena (day of indigenous resistance) and in Bolivia Día de la Descolonización (day of decolonization). In Cuba, this day is not celebrated.

Many U.S. states also recognize Oct. 12 as a holiday, where it is usually referred to as Columbus Day. But not always; views on how the day should be called change here as well. The state of South Dakota in the United States, for example, now celebrates Native American Day on the second Monday in October.

In 2010, the United Nations declared Oct. 12 as Spanish Language Day, to celebrate cultural diversity and to encourage the "equal use" of the UN's 6 official languages throughout the organization.

Oct. 12 is seen in different ways in the United States and Spanish-speaking countries and thus has been renewed many times throughout history. Today, Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world by native speakers and is spoken as an official or primary language in 21 different countries. 

We all know that Spaniards often find themselves outdoors above average, especially in spring and summer, when evening temperatures are still above 20 degrees. Spaniards go to cafes, grab a terrace in the many, beautiful squares or have their Spanish beer on their own terrace at home. There are plenty of places to relax in the healthy outdoors. Yet in the late 1990s, young people came up with a new idea!

• Bring a bottle and enjoy the Spanish atmosphere with young people in town squares. A botellón is meant for cozy summer evenings.
  Guitars and sometimes an entire keyboard are brought along to make the (flamenco) music themselves for the ultimate Spanish feeling.
  Rules keep social gatherings from getting out of hand.

The botellón phenomenon is very famous in Spain, but is now slowly flying over to countries such as Belgium and Ireland. The origin of the botellón is in the Spanish autonomous state of Andalusia, where people began buying alcohol in stores in the late 1980s and taking the bottles outside to enjoy the pleasant temperature even in the evening. Botellón is the Spanish word for "bottle". Especially Spanish young people adopted this habit. It is said that the main reason for buying bebidas yourself is that this way you can go out cheaper. Over the years, it became more and more popular and friends gathered every weekend in summer and spring in parks and town squares to have a drink together. In many cases a guitar is brought along to bring in that real Spanish atmosphere. Friends sing with each other, clap to the rhythms of flamenco and dance. It's all about conviviality, being with friends, relaxing outdoors and enjoying a small drink. Beer, spirits and wine mixed with soft drinks (typically Spanish) are alcoholic beverages often used for a botellón in Spain. After a botellón, young people return home or continue their party at a bar or nightclub.

Not everyone in Spain agrees with the phenomenon these days, as it can sometimes cause some inconvenience. To keep everyone happy, the rule is that botellón can no longer be held everywhere. Some parks are closed at night and police walk around to keep it quiet. Nowadays it is forbidden to consume alcohol on the streets, but it is allowed to gather in town squares. It is therefore tempting for many young people to take a small drink anyway. Spaniards love conviviality and enjoying life. They keep the fun going in the streets even at night, and tourists can sometimes join in with the music and dancing they produce in the process.

La Movida Madrileña in Pictures

La Movida Madrileña was the movement that took place in post dictatorship Spain during the late 70's and early 80's. This social movement was like a cork popping from a bottle of cava—years of pent up angst and repression suddenly exploded onto the streets. Taboo subjects like sex, sexuality and alternative living were now free to be expressed in public without fear of reprisal. Freedom of expression was now something real. Madrid wasn't the only city to experience this kind of Movida; almost all large cities experienced it in one form or another like Barcelona, Vigo and Bilbao. But Madrid was the maximum exponent of this new trend with people like Almodovar, Alaska, Vicente Molina Foix and Loquillo giving it a face and voice.

But faces have to be transmitted and the happenings of this time needed to be recorded. Video was still relatively new and a medium would be needed to visually capture the happenings during this turbulent and exciting moment in post-Franco Spain. Photographers were an important element to capturing what was happening and one photographer, in particular, captured the essence of the Spanish counterculture: Alberto García-Alix.

Alberto García-Alix

Born in 1959 in the city of León he later moved to Madrid. He studied law but dropped out of university, later he studied science and, again, didn't finish his studies. Feeling the need to explore and do something different, he got a used Nikon F2 camera and began to work as a Photographer. In 1980, two of his portraits were published in the alternative magazine "Dezine". This would mark the beginning of his involvement with the Movida and the start of a portfolio which captures an era and amazes for its scope and quality.

His portraits present a raw and hard look at the Movida showing the Spanish counterculture without the romance or clichés that are so often associated with this turbulent time. Fashion, sex, people and drug use are the focus of his work which is biting, honest and, at times, painful. His black and white portraits will amaze you with their graphic power and intensity. Almodovar, Rossy de Palma, and Camarón de la Isla have been captured by García Alix's lens and are now remembered in images that have been burned into the collective memory of all Spaniards.

His self portraits are also a very important part of his work. These self portraits document his involvement (for better and worse) in the Movida and help us understand why he was able to take the pictures his took. When asked,  in a 2014 interview, about why his self portraits never favor his looks in a 2014 interview, he responded: "What is considered beauty, the canons of beauty…don't pertain to me. I don't try to look good in my photographs…that would be my (artistic) death, my ruin. I try to understand myself within a space."

Today, Garciá-Alix continues to find inspiration in a world that many people will never experience firsthand. His ability to move in through and capture the world of the marginalized and disaffected is a testimony to his authenticity as a photographer. For his work he has received the Spanish National Photography Award in 1999 and was a special guest at the world renowned ARCO Art Fair in Madrid. He has also received the Bartholome Ross Award at Photo España in 2003. He returned to Photo España in 2014 with an extensive exhibit dedicated to his self portraits.

Alberto García-Alix has said that his work is nothing more than his expression of the relation between his life and the environment.  He has said that "we are all marginalized in this life, some in one way and other in another" and his work is nothing more than real life in black and white.

Chocolate, which is said to be 4,000 years old and dates back to the pre-historic "Theobroma" cacao tree from the tropical rainforests of South America, has not always been the globally beloved, sweet treat of modern times. Rather, it was a bitter, yet luxurious beverage consumed exclusively by wealthy members of the communities of the ancient Olmecs, Mayans and Aztecs. The history of chocolate is unknown to many, such as the fact that thanks to the voyages of Spanish settlers in the 15th and 16th centuries, mass-valued cocoa beans were brought to Europe. This was initially developed as a hot Spanish drink with a sweet taste and gradually evolved into the delectable refreshment consumed by millions worldwide today.

• Cocoa beans used to be used as currency, people even paid their taxes with them.
• Golden cups from which the chocolate drink was consumed were discarded after only the first use to continue to honor the value of the drink.
• Thanks to the Spanish colonists, chocolate is now available worldwide and popular everywhere.

The History of Chocolate

Both the Maya and the Aztecs considered these cacao beans to be very valuable. Consequently, they were used as a form of currency among both communities, and the Aztecs even paid taxes to their emperors in the form of these seemingly incredibly valuable beans.

Although chocolate, or rather the cocoa beans used to make chocolate, are usually considered a consumer good, it took on a significantly larger role among the Maya and Aztecs. Not only were the beans used as currency, they had been given divine powers by the gods of the first inhabitants of Latin America, who used them in religious rituals. As a sign of love for the divine creation of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, the beans were exchanged between bride and groom during Mayan wedding ceremonies. In fact, the Aztec god supposedly came from heaven to recover the stolen cacao tree from paradise. The beans were sincerely treasured by the two pre-Colombian civilizations.

In addition to their financial and religious functions, however, the beans were also used in the more commonly known ways. The beans were the main ingredient in a thick, cold, unsweetened drink and produced a chocolate drink that was considered so valuable that the ancient elite, who were privileged enough to drink it, threw away the golden cups from which it was drunk after only the first use.

The many, and sometimes bizarre, ways of using chocolate also continued in Spain in the 16th century. According to Spanish colonist Hernán Cortes, chocolate was primarily intended as medicine. Chocolate was a highly valued remedy for curing the sick; it was prescribed for patients suffering from fever, indigestion and general, physical pain. The Spanish clergy recognized the nutritional value of chocolate, as it was recommended as a supplement during fasting. However, the Spanish aristocracy was not pleased that the sick could enjoy the rich chocolate drinks and, like the Aztec emperors before them, took great pleasure in their privilege of being able to consume newly-sweetened, sugarcane-based, rich beverages.

Chocolate in Spain

When it was finally seen as a food item in the 19th century, courtesy of the culinary expertise of Englishman Joseph Fry, pieces of chocolate gradually began to spread. Chocolate in Spain, however, is still best known in the liquid forms churros y chocolate and chocolate caliente. Tasting the taste of Spanish chocolate remains a popular tourist activity. Had the Spanish colonists not accidentally discovered chocolate more than 5 centuries ago, this delectable product might have remained a Latin American secret forever.

A Spectacular Festival in Spain

Of the numerous festivals and celebrations for which Spain is famous, the Santa Tecla Festival, which floods the streets of Tarragona, in Catalonia, with music and dance towards the end of September, is perhaps among the best. Taking place just an hour away from the cosmopolitan and cultural hub of Barcelona, and often considered a slightly smaller scale version of the main Fiesta Mayor, the Fiesta de Santa Tecla lines Tarragona's streets with 'human towers', music, and dances by mythical characters in procession, with Devils, Giants, Dragons and a Bull for folkloric allusion. The peak of the festivities involves an impressive fireworks display along the beach at nightfall. Last year's festival saw over 80,000 visitors each day descend upon the streets of Tarragona.

The Santa Tecla festival tradition began in 1321, when the relic of the arm of Saint Thecla, who was a Christian belonging to an early Christian community established by Saint Paul, arrived in Tarragona. She is patron saint of Tarragona, and is known within Tarragona as Santa Tecla. These cultural and historical foundations to the celebrations are partly responsible for the festival having been deemed a festa tradicional d'interès nacional (traditional festival of national interest). One of the most prominent and interesting aspects of the festival is the tradition of the 'castell' or human tower; these towers are constructed entirely of people standing on top of one another, and are structured and performed by colles costelleres (teams) in the Fountain Square. The Castell is usually made up of either 4 or 5 levels, and is completed when the final piece in the human tower, or the enxaneta, clambers to the top putting one hand in the air, in a gesture called the fer l'aleta signalling the completion of tower. When these human structures begin moving, they are known as the pilars caminant, and are raised up into the Cathedral square, to face the crowds and begin their 650 meter journey, aiming to keep together as a human tower, all the way down to the Ajuntament at Plaça de la Font.

Since the 19th Century, an integral part of the festival has been its main procession, brought to life by its characters, ranging from biblical figures such as Prophets, Christ and the Apostles, through to the Female Dragon Vibria, the Saint Roc Dragon, a Mule, an Eagle, a Lion and the monster Cucafera, which has, since the Middle Ages, represented evil. The Cucafera at the modern day Santa Tecla does not seem quite so saturnine however, spewing sweets from its mouth and naturally proving popular with younger visitors. This year, the Fiestas de Santa Tecla ran from the 15th to the 23rd September, with the 22nd and the 23rd being the most action-packed days of the celebrations, providing a perfect family oriented alternative, or addition, to the Festa Major, with this year's fireworks bringing the celebrations to a close on the evening of the 23rd on Fragata Beach. On the 22nd there was a plethora of traditional musicians, with the Procesion del brazo de Santa Tecla taking place the following day. The second day of the festival typically kicks off with the traditional children's parade, during which children scatter throughout the streets, performing with papier mache beasts and giants starting at 7am.

Each year, the Santa Tecla brings the entire city to life. Along with the closing fireworks, the sign usually on show next to the statue of Roger de Lluria, ablaze, which reads Long Live Santa Tecla, or in Catalan, Visca Santa Tecla confirms the festival's importance as part of the community's identity, and on a wider scale, as an embodiment of Catalan culture and tradition.