ARLINGTON — Gus Abel and Geoffrey Root had never seen so many castles as they did during a recent trip to the British Isles.

There were so many stone structures that it was hard for them to keep them all straight.

The two Arlington boys recently took part in the People to People Ambassador program — an educational travel program that gives students, athletes, professionals and teachers a chance to travel the world and meet people.

Fourteen-year-old Abel, who is an incoming freshman at Arlington High School, and 13-year-old Root, who’s going into eighth grade at Haller Middle School, spent more than two weeks traveling through England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland as part of a group of 38 students.

The boys left for England on July 19 and returned Aug. 6.

“I didn’t really know what to expect, but our whole family was excited,” said Abel. “My grandmother was excited because she’s English.”

After a 10-hour plane trip, which included four hours waiting for a storm to pass through the section of the Atlantic Ocean that the flight was scheduled to go through, the group arrived in London.

Students got to see the London Eye and London Tower, and even met with Patrick Nichols, a former member of Parliament.

The group also visited Hereford in England, which sits on the River Wye northeast of London, where they were greeted by Councillor Anna Toon, the 629th mayor of the town.

Students then traveled to Scotland, where they not only toured Loch Ness, but were able to play golf at St. Andrews Golf Course.

“I’d swung a golf club, but I’d never played before,” Root said.

After they checked out Scotland, students made their way to Wales, where they visited the Big Pit National Coal Museum.

One of the more memorable experiences was rappelling down the 90-foot Ice Tower at Penrhyn Castle in northern Wales.

“That whole time, I was thinking that I was going to die,” Able joked. “When I got to the bottom, it was funny because I kept yelling up to the top that it’s OK to come down.”

The People to People program, launched by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956, gives students a chance to travel the world to foster international friendships. Student not only get to learn about the places they visit, but get a chance to talk with students from other cultures.

The two boys were selected to take part in the program after they were selected by former teachers.

For more information on the People to People program, visit www.peopletopeople.com.