Category: Caribbean

Submitted by Lindsay Johnson on the 2020 winter session program in the Virgin Islands sponsored by the School of Nursing…

My group has finished our clinicals at Peeble’s Hospital, which was full of learning opportunities. As a student nurse, I enjoy having the ability to learn from a variety of individuals with different backgrounds and personalities. I appreciated the nurses on the medical-surgical floor, who made an effort to help us learn and give us opportunities to observe new and exciting experiences. Over the last two weeks, we have been able to bond with the nurses and staff, as we joined their small community.  Being surrounded by a welcoming group allowed each student to enjoy this experience more, and further value teamwork in the healthcare setting. Ultimately, differing personalities is something to celebrate, and I am happy to have had the opportunity to work with a group of girls with the desire to work hard each day and remain positive in the face of challenges.

Submitted by Michael Rechsteiner on the 2020 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…

On Monday, January 20 I embarked on one of the most famous hikes in Dominica, the trail to the Boiling Lake. The hike was lengthy and took six hours in total, but it was so amazing and new to me that the distance did not phase me. The hike began with about an hour of trail through the rain forest. Then, as we approached the active volcano, the trail became volcanic rock and running hot sulfur streams. I had never been around a volcano, and I was fascinated that environments like this exist on Earth. The smell of the sulfur throughout the hike was tough to bare, but once we reached the Boiling Lake, I knew it was worth it. The bubbles being released in the middle of the lake were huge, and really made me ponder the strength behind the volcano we were standing and hiking on.

Submitted by Austin Gray on the 2020 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…

Today was easily the most anticipated day of our trip: the hike to Boiling Lake.

Throughout our first two weeks here, we were constantly told by locals and tour guides that the Boiling Lake hike was a challenging and strenuous hike. Upon researching it for myself, many of the reviews said the same, even from avid hikers! For context, the Boiling Lake is a flooded fumarole – an opening in the Earth’s crust that emits fumes and gases. This fumarole sits on top of a magma chamber, from which gases escape. Rainfall and surrounding streams replenish the lake, which is heated to boiling point as the water seeps down into the chamber.

This hike was unlike anything I’ve ever done. I’ve done plenty of hiking back in the United States, but never before have I climbed through the rainforest and up mountains to cross through sulfur springs and hot pools, only to see direct evidence of Earth’s natural processes. So often, we learn about these concepts only from textbooks and in classes. Today, I was able to experience some of those concepts first-hand, and I’m still unable to fully process how magnificent it was.

Submitted by Lindsay Johnson on the 2020 winter session program in the Virgin Islands sponsored by the School of Nursing…

An exciting new adventure has begun in my home for two weeks – Tortola. We began this journey with an all-day sail to Norman and Peter Island, in which we were able to snorkel at Treasure Point and see beautiful schools of fish among the caves, as well as swim with the turtles.  Throughout the day, the captain and his crew member talked about the history of the islands, especially the pirates that once coveted the lands and sea. It is known that if brave enough, snorkelers can swim through one of the dark caves and to a secret beach at the end. Although none of us did this, we enjoyed the sunshine before beginning our clinical work on Monday.

Throughout our stay in Tortola, we are completing our clinical rotations at Peeble’s Hospital, which is the main public hospital in the British Virgin Islands.  I have been placed on the medical-surgical unit, which is a 20-bed unit that cares for a variety of patients.  My first week has already been filled with many experiences, including caring for patients with varying medical diagnoses such as strokes, heart failure, and GI bleeds.  Additionally, I have had to adjust to the daily routine of the unit and become accustomed to documenting on paper, rather than computer.  Compared to my clinical experiences in Delaware, it has been shocking to witness the differences in health care between institutions. I feel grateful to be able to live in a country where healthcare resources are abundantly available to me so that I can provide the best care possible to my patients.

 

Submitted by Austin Gray on the 2020 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…

Mabrika is the Kalinago word for “welcome,” which is certainly how we felt upon arriving at the Kalinago people’s territory this past Saturday!

We’ve been in Dominica for almost two weeks now. Saturday morning’s adventures consisted of driving the width of the country and exploring the land of those who were the first to arrive. They are known as the Kalinago people, but also by a variety of other names – one of which being the Caribs, from which the word Caribbean is derived. While on our tour to see some of their structures, it was quite interesting to see how they live. It is an indigenous settlement, so it didn’t deviate much from what I was expecting, with traditional forms of housing and traditional uses of tools for everyday activities such as hunting, gathering food, cooking, and others. However, after Hurricane Maria devastated the island about two and a half years ago, many buildings had to be rebuilt and modernized so as to withstand future storms. Fortunately, the traditions and culture still remain and will continue to be passed on to the next generations.

I never really realized how much of an influence European settlers had on creating the Americas. The Middle Passage brought Africans to the New World to be sold as slaves, and while I knew the Caribbean region was also involved in the slave trade, I seldom noticed the extent to which the actions of these European settlers affected the lives of those that first lived on the islands. When we think of the colonization of the Americas, we only really think about the exploitation of North America, i.e. the white Europeans displacing the indigenous people of the continent. However, their actions also relate to the slave trade, as it was the Europeans who forcibly brought Africans to North America and the Caribbean, thus displacing those such as the Kalinago. Thankfully, the terrain of Dominica made it difficult to entirely wipe out the indigenous population, which is the reason for their continued existence on the island to this day.

Submitted by Michael Rechsteiner on the 2020 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…

I quickly observed why Dominica is referred to as the “nature island”, the winding roads that lead to Roseau (the capital) showcase the intense topography of Dominica and the beautiful rain forests that cover the many volcanoes. We have been exposed to the beauty of the island on multiple occasions already on this program. Of course, the beaches and the Caribbean Sea have been breath-taking to see and a blast to enjoy. However, the thing that truly amazed me was the density of the rain forest that we were able to experience firsthand on our hikes. I  felt as though I was walking through the setting from the Jurassic Park movies. The hiking paths here would hardly pass as a path in the United States, here they are extreme in the fact that there are very steep parts that you have to climb or slide to continue, parts that require you to jump on rocks to cross a river, and parts that aren’t very cleared of bush at all. Being immersed in that environment was truly something that I had never experienced, and I can’t wait to scale the many more rain forest covered volcanoes on our future hikes.

 

Submitted by Victoria Blankenship on the 2020 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…

This week we went to the Kalinago Territory to see the native people of Dominica. We learned about how they were put on a reservation and how they used to live. They have a modern lifestyle now much different than the one they used to live. We also went on a hike to the Emerald Pool and swam in it. We also visited Scott’s Head which was a beautiful beach. We snorkeled and saw so many fish. We  could walk up this trail to the top of Scott’s Head and see the whole side of the island.

Submitted by Catherine Carr on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Martinique sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

We finished off our first week in Martinique with a hike in the Caravelle Peninsula. We started the hike by learning about the old sugar plantation which used to be there, and how some owners of plantations were gifted the land for their service during war. The hike took us through the nature reserve. We hiked up to the top of the hill where the lighthouse which is the tallest lighthouse of France sits, and learned more about the surrounding peninsula. On a clear day, our tour guides said that you can see Mt. Pelée and even the island of Dominica. We hiked to a different section of the island which houses the mangroves that are a type of trees which grow in very shallow water and can protect the coastlines from erosion. These mangroves also give shelter for fish to hide from predators. Our group then hiked around the mangroves to enjoy some time on the beach before taking our hike back up to the old sugar plantation. We’ve spent the week getting adjusted to life in Martinique with our host families and getting settled in classes. We are all looking forward to the rest of our program and discovering more things about Martinique.

Submitted by Cassiana Desir on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Martinique sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

In just the couple of days I’ve been in Martinique, I have seen so many beautiful sites. Even when I’m not out with my group, there is beauty within the houses. I didn’t think I would be able to deal with such a rapid pace change. I went from waking up in my own bed in Delaware, to waking up in Schoelcher and having to speak French to get through the day.

One of the most amazing and beautiful parts of Martinique is the history. We have already seen quite a few historical sites and have more to see. I personally enjoyed seeing the Maison de Josephine and then, her statue which was decapitated and covered in a Pan-African flag.

Submitted by Angela Yu on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Martinique sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…

My first week in Martinique has been a big adjustment, but also one of the greatest experiences of my life. When I first arrived, the housing was very different than what I was used to. The house is not enclosed like in the United States, for example, the dining room is outside. There were many customs that I quickly realized were not like back home, such as little to no snacking between meals, sleeping with a mosquito net, etc. It was hard the first day adjusting, but it was only because I have never traveled this far before. It was very easy adjusting after that because my host family was so welcoming.

My favorite tradition so far has been the celebration of the festival of Epiphany. The tradition is a traditional French holiday in which they celebrate the arrival of the three kings who visited baby Jesus. We ate a cake called King’s cake in English and la galette des rois in French. There is a small figure baked into the cake and whoever gets the piece is the king for that night. Sadly, I did not get to be king but nonetheless, I have having an amazing time learning about Martinique.