What's The Matter What's the matter with kids today? Instead of anxiously waiting for their day to end, Edgecomb Eddy Elementary School's fourth through sixth graders are completely entranced by Ryan Nesbitt as he describes his recent six-month tour through South America. (Photo Barbara Martin)

How do you keep a room full of fourth through sixth graders quiet, interested and excited for nearly two hours at the end of a sunny, spring school day? Tell them a great story! And that is just what Ryan Nesbitt did on Friday at the Edgecomb Eddy School!

Nesbitt recently returned from a six-month trip touring the east coast of South America in March. He was born in Wiscasset, where his parents, Robert and Barbara Nesbitt still live, and graduated from Duke University in 2005, with a degree in mechanical engineering.

"I always wanted to have an adventure," Nesbitt said, and he decided to join the ranks of many graduates who choose to see the world before entering the next stage of life when responsibilities and their rewards usually limit mobility.

However, Nesbitt's travel plans did not fit the cookie cutter concept of post college adventures. It didn't take long for listeners to learn that Nesbitt's travel itinerary centered on connecting with the cultures of people in different parts of the world and often finding ways to help meet some of their needs while there.

Nesbitt plotted a trip that began in Colombia in October of 2007 and ended in Chile in March of 2008. "I didn't want to just go to all the tourist spots," Nesbitt said. "I traveled to different areas and spent time getting to know the people."

He planned to carry everything he would need for the entire trip in his backpack. For a group of typical American school children, trying to imagine how to fit the essentials of life for six months into something that they could carry was the first of many eye-opening moments that Nesbitt would facilitate that day. Living life virtually unplugged in the 21 st century was hard for the group to imagine.

He shared his story and slides as he described his route. Pictures of his travel through the Amazon area were startling.

"There are no roads in this area and all travel is by boat," he said. He explained that the boats only travel through the region every few weeks, and villagers have to wait to send out or receive produce and other necessities.

Several photos were viewed showing residents waiting along paths that led from the jungle to the river's edge. "When the boat arrives, everyone comes down to join in on the excitement," he said.

Pictures of the boat bore no resemblance to a Carnival line ship that some present might have imagined.

Students groaned as Nesbitt described sailing conditions. "Goats, pigs, chickens and other animals were on the lower level," Nesbitt said. "Passengers were on the top deck and had to sleep in hammocks. As more people came aboard, the hammocks got closer and closer until there was no room between each person." And travelers had to manage without the luxury of a bathroom or showering facilities.

Dining on the boat made students appreciate even the worst school lunch ever imagined.

"The crew put together some type of mush three times a day," Nesbitt continued. "I had forgotten to bring bowls so they offered a communal plastic container that was washed in dirty water kept near the engine for the next person without a bowl to use."

Although teachers were on hand to be sure that the students were good listeners, Nesbitt had clearly captured his audience by this time. The only help needed was to keep their enthusiasm in check.

Nesbitt continued to guide the group down the coast of South America along his travel route. He spent time working with the international aid organization, Hands on Disaster Relief, in an area of Peru that had been hit by a strong earthquake last year.

"Many people still have not been given a tent to live in months after the quake," Nesbitt said. "Most of the homes in the town were made of adobe which crumbles easily." He explained they are re-building with concrete blocks.

"One church was having a service during the quake and 150 people were inside - only two were rescued," he added.

Because of Nesbitt's background in engineering, he worked with the group to build a basic water filtration system. At the time of his visit, the only water source was the nearby river that was used for all purposes.

Next, Nesbitt treated the students with a tour through one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the abandoned city of Machu Picchu.

Built by the Incas over five hundred years ago, the city remains an engineering marvel with its terraced gardens and elaborate irrigation systems. Nesbitt fielded questions from classes about its history almost as well as a Red Sox outfielder during the playoffs.

He explained that the city was re-discovered by an explorer from Yale in the early 1900s, and that no one is exactly sure why the people left their lovely city. He wowed the crowd by explaining that it is located almost twice as high above sea level as Mount Katahdin.

Continuing down the coast, Nesbitt visited the highest lake in the world, Lake Titicaca, located on the border of Bolivia and Peru at over 12,000 feet above sea level. He described the choice of one of the indigenous cultures in the region to build their village on a floating island on the lake. Pictures showed that the island, huts and boats are built by the villagers from reeds that grow by the edge of the lake.

"Do they ever get flooded?" one student asked. Nesbitt explained that the island just rises and falls with the water level. Enquiring minds in the crowd were a novice lecturer's dream, as students waived their hands to ask question after question.

"What was your favorite part of the trip?" another student asked. Nesbitt explained that he enjoyed it all but found the beauty of Patagonia and Chile breathtaking. His pictures backed his choice as everyone marveled at the high mountain peaks, glaciers crumbling into clear lakes and endless vistas.

Many students wanted to know how the people who lived in the different areas felt about having a foreigner visit. "They were very friendly and welcoming," Nesbitt said. "We never talked about politics."

Nesbitt explained that he was leaving the following day to travel to Nigeria. He will be working as a volunteer with the Clinton Foundation to help write a grant to further their work fighting HIV/AIDS. Students were silent as they learned that most people living in the area do not live beyond their early forties, the age of many parents, because of this disease.

He left the classes with an invitation to follow his trip on his blog and send questions and comments, promising to return to talk about his experiences in the fall.

And, believe it or not, teachers, the students appeared to end their day with reluctance as they left the classroom with an expanded view of their world to catch their buses back to Maine.