Category: Caribbean

Submitted by Erin Sudol on the 2019 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the Department of Hospitality Business Management…

As this program comes to an end, I have been reflecting on my interactions with the local people. The people here are very friendly and open to speaking with tourists. While walking down the street, strangers will greet me and ask how I am. When I go out, I have many conversations with locals of all ages and backgrounds. They are excited to share their culture with me and also want to learn about my culture. I have learned that the Bajan people prioritize enjoying life and family. Many are less worried about advancing in their career, but rather, if they enjoy their career. I have talked to many locals who work on boats and the beach. They tell me that everyday is amazing, and they can’t imagine having an office job. Americans highly prioritize having a good career and making a lot of money. I found this to be a big difference between the two cultures.

Submitted by Sara Dooley on the 2019 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…

Monday January 28^th

We had a short class today where we just reviewed our material and went over our plans for the rest of the week. After class, we decided to go to Mero Beach again. At the beach, we relaxed, explored the rocks, swam and played a few games of volleyball. We had many of the locals come up to us and talk to us and continue conversations we had with them the last time. It felt good to be recognized and treated as locals. The vendors are also giving us what they call the “locals prices” as opposed to the “tourist prices”.

Tuesday January 29^th

Today was by far the most difficult day we have had so far. Today ,we hiked to the Boiling Lake and it took exactly seven hours! It was a very hard hike. There were lots of ups and downs, but the views from the tops of the mountains were breath-taking. We stopped occasionally for water breaks and to take pictures in all the really cool spots. The weather didn’t necessarily like us today, it was raining on and off the whole hike which made the trail even more muddy. There were some points where it was more of a climb than a hike, but they were actually quite fun. We had to use a rope to climb down a mini waterfall and climb up some rocks and those parts felt more like climbing than hiking. When we finally reached the Boiling Lake, I couldn’t actually see anything, it was so cloudy out and the lake was producing so much steam you could barely see the water unless the wind blew. But it was very beautiful when the wind blew the clouds away! I myself got injured not long after leaving the Boiling Lake and with the help of our guide Columbo I got up the toughest part and then I pushed through the rest of the hike! The second half of the hike seemed to go much faster because we had a better sense of where we were and how much time we had left. I have to say I knew this hike was going to be hard, but looking back on it I’m not sure if it was harder or easier than I thought it would be.

My injury is doing much better and has not stopped me from completing any other excursions!

Wednesday January 30^th

Today we were all absolutely EXHAUSTED so we decided to relax and catch up on some work. Then later that night, we all got dressed up and we went to the Cultural Extravaganza. Here, we got to see an art gallery filled with multiple styles of art all done by one artist. Then, we got to eat and watch a group of Kalinago people and some locals perform traditional dances and sing. It was amazing to be able to witness those parts of their culture and to get to interact with them. They were very welcoming and answered any questions we had.

Thursday Jan 31^st – Friday Feb 1st

We have spent these few days souvenir shopping and going on some excursions to a few different waterfalls. They were gorgeous despite us having to hike through the rain to get to all of them.

I think we finally are starting to realize that we are leaving in less than a week and we are not excited considering back home is having “The Polar Vortex” and our everyday weather for the past month has been 75-80 degrees.

Saturday Feb 2^nd -Sunday Feb 3^rd

This weekend, we really did not do much. On Saturday, we just kind of relaxed and did more shopping. And that night, we went out for a really nice dinner and the food was delicious, I had shrimp Alfredo. On Sunday, our group spilt up. A few of us went to the Fort Young Hotel and got a day pass for their pool and we relaxed by the pool all day. The rest of the group stayed back at our hotel, did some homework and then went out and did some exploring of Roseau. A few people stayed at the Fort Young to watch the Super Bowl, but the rest of us stayed at our hotel and watched.

We know these next few days are going to be so bittersweet. 🙁

Submitted by Erin Sudol on the 2019 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the Department of Hospitality Business Management…

During this program, we must complete a fifty hour field placement. My placement is at Lawrence T. Gay Memorial School. It is a primary school and I am working with six- to seven-year old children. I visit three different classrooms to observe the teaching styles, lesson plans, and how the children interact with one another. This school has similarities and differences to the schools in America. The children receive more breaks such as snack time and longer recess. They have more freedom and are allowed to roam around without hall passes or traveling in a line. Corporal punishment is sometimes used by the teachers. The children are very bright and more advanced here. They are also very kind and willing to share with me and their fellow classmates. They sometimes misbehave and have trouble focusing, but that is universal with all children. Every morning, they pray and sing church songs. They have religious classes and God is talked about frequently. I am very much enjoying my time with these students.

Submitted by Andrew Evans on the 2019 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…

On Tuesday of this past week, the hike that everyone had feared became a reality. It was time to conquer the Boiling Lake hike, a hike that we were told would take us  a minimum of six hours to complete. We were told that the hike would be harder than usual because the trail still had not been fully restored after Hurricane Maria. I personally was more excited than I was scared for this hike, as I had done some challenging hikes before in Yosemite, but this hike would surely test my abilities.

The trail started out pretty mild and immediately it started raining, but honestly it would not be a hike in Dominica without a little rain. As we continued, everyone started to feel comfortable with the hike until we reached what our guide called phase two. This was basically an hour straight of climbing a steep incline until we got to the mountain peak outside of what they call the Valley of Desolation. We took a nice long break before we began the descent into the valley. The descent was not too bad, but all I could think about was the fact that whatever parts we go down we, have to climb back up. Once, we first got a glimpse of the valley, it was absolutely breath-taking as you could see steam erupting from the ground.

Now it was time to start phase three of the hike, the final stretch to get to the Boiling Lake. Walking through the valley was amazing as you could feel the heat from the steam all around you, and the different colors of the rocks from the sulfur and other mineral deposits was beautiful. We cleared the valley and the last feat was about 30 minutes of incline until we arrived at the Boiling Lake. It was unimpressive at first as you could only see a wall of steam, but minutes later a gust of wind cleared the steam and you could see the roaring bubbling of the lake down below. Just seeing the raw power of the lake made up for the whole hike in an instant. There was only one challenge left now, getting back knowing how far we had come.

 

Submitted by Melissa Rosales on the 2019 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the Department of Hospitality Business Management…

Exploring Harrison’s Cave in Barbados was a very fun experience. I was able to take a tram through the cave which is named after Thomas Harrison, who owned a lot of land in Barbados in the 1700s. The challenging cave network was not conquered until the 1970s, when a Danish engineer and cave adventurer Ole Sorensen, along with 2 Barbadians (Tony Mason and Allison Thornhill) rediscovered and mapped Harrison’s cave. After 1974, the government of Barbados started developing the cave as a national attraction, so they excavated shafts and tunnels that would be able to accommodate trams full of tourists. Harrison’s Cave was not open for the public until 1981. The cave is massive, and the temperature of the cave is around 74 degrees Fahrenheit. The cave is considered active because it carries water and the stalagmites are constantly (though slowly) growing. This experience was very fun and informative, as I was able to compare the sizes of stalagmites and stalactites and see what the small ones had turn into after a few thousand years.

 

Submitted by Mallory Davis on the 2019 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…

On Monday, this week, we finally were able to hike the infamous “Boiling Lake/ Valley of Desolation” trail. We had heard from many locals that this hike was more of a climb and is the most difficult hike on the island. After hearing all of this, our group was quite nervous to begin. Of course, right when we arrived at the beginning of the trail, it began to pour rain, making the rocks and steps very slippery. The first two hours was basic in that we were climbing stairs the whole time. Once we got to a river, which the locals call the “breakfast river”, we became aware that the next hour would mostly be climbing on slippery rocks. This was extremely tedious because we had to watch everywhere we placed our feet and had to use our upper body to pull us back onto rocks to ensure we didn’t fall. The next milestone was when we arrived to the “Valley of Desolation”. This valley is named this because of the steam that spouts through the surface of the land and the small pools that have boiling water in them from the volcanic activity of the island. We met some other people who stopped to rest here and began to boil eggs and eat them; a tradition of the locals who say if you eat one of the boiled eggs, you will live forever.

After stopping to rest and have a snack for about 15 minutes and going on hour three, it was time to continue our last hour journey to the Boiling Lake. After about another hour of climbing up and down more slippery rocks and over huge roots from trees, we finally made it to the Boiling Lake. While the rain was still pouring down on us and the steam from the lake was covering the area, we were still able to see small glimpses of the lake when a strong gust of wind would blow away the steam. This boiling lake is the second largest in the world and was an amazing site to see. After resting there for a short 30 minutes, it was time to turn around and head back the same way we came. Surprisingly, the most tedious part about the trip back was the last hour of hiking through pouring rain, seeing all the same scenery, and not knowing when or if you would get back to the starting line. All in all, the hike took about seven hours to complete. Even though many of us were already starting to feel the burn and we were totally beat, we all felt very accomplished to be able to complete a hike that most locals don’t even try.

Submitted by Rachel King on the 2019 winter session program in Dominica sponsored by the Department of Geography…

Tuesday January 29th, 2019 – Boiling Lake

Long, daunting, slippery, mud, rain, are all words that describe the trek to Boiling Lake. It took us seven hours to make it to and from the Boiling Lake. It rained on us the entire time. I’ve never been more soaked before, it seemed as if I had jumped into a pool or the ocean for as much water that my clothes absorbed. Between scaling slippery rocks, to using rocks to heave ourselves up and down, to just climbing up step after step, my body was numb; my calves were burning and my thighs were on fire. On the way there, we would stop every hour or so for a quick reprieve so we broke up the hike into three phases.

First stop was at the Breakfast River, where everyone’s shoes, if they weren’t already wet, became completely drenched by walking/wading across the small riverbed. We all sat down on the rocks, stretched our legs, and consumed some snacks. Fifteen minutes later, we resume our march. We’re going up, up to the peak of a mountain; the amount of steps we climbed up is uncountable, they never seemed to stop. At some point, we all knew how high we were because we were walking in a cloud, no matter where you looked there was white surrounding us. But when we reached the summit, even with the cloud cover, there was a stunning view. All around rose other mountains and we could see down below from where we came from.

Now we make our way down to the Valley of Desolation. It’s called this because nothing grows there due to the volcanic nature of the island. Sulfur covers a lot of the ground and the small river that flows through is hot and at some points boiling. It reeks of eggs and sulfur in the air, but we’re all intrigued by the colors from the riverside to the sheer cliff side closing us in. Next, all we have left is to get to the Boiling Lake, another hour later and we finally arrive. It was a lot to take in when we first got to see it, between hiking for three hours in the rain and then being able to witness the second largest boiling lake in the world, a lot of us didn’t know what to think.

The hike back was brutal. Everyone was already tired and it still was raining. Three weeks ago we were all strangers, but on that hike, we became whatever anyone in the group needed, we relied on one another, through the slips, the complaints, the “Oh, I remember this part”, the cramped muscles, and the smell in the car ride back to the hotel. It was one of the most physically and mentally challenging events I’ve participated in, but I wouldn’t trade our adventure for anything else.

Submitted by Jilliana Carille on the 2019 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the Department of Hospitality Business Management…

The sunset in Barbados was a view that I could never get tired of seeing. Every single time, my friends and I went to the beach, I would be sureto stay until 6 o’clock pm in order to watch the sunset, and return home afterwards. When I would watch the sun slowly move below the horizon, I always told myself that I was living in the present. Of course, some days, I would fill my camera roll up with pictures of the same sunset, but other days, it was better to see it with only my eyes. Pictures could not do the sunset any justice for its beauty. I would say to myself and to others, “Put your phone down and just take a look at where you are right now.” It was something that always reminded me of how lucky I was to be a part of this study abroad program – to be able to visit beautiful Barbados, to learn about daily life here, the culture, and for an incredible service learning placement experience.

 

Submitted by Erin Sudol on the 2019 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the Department of Hospitality Business Management…

During my second week here, I learned more about the island, people, and the culture. We went on an excursion to watch a performance called the Celebration of Rhythm. The performance used singing and dancing to tell the history of Barbados. The performers played traditional instruments and were passionate about Barbados. This experience made me feel immersed in the culture. The music they listen to and the way they dance has roots in their history. It is influenced by Africa and Britain due to the British colonization and enslaved people brought from Africa. Certain instruments, melodies, and dances have been combined from both countries to make Caribbean music. Caribbean culture is unique, and the people are proud of their country.

Submitted by Ciara Calabrese on the 2019 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the Department of Hospitality Business Management…

This picture was taken inside “Animal Flower Cave”. This cave is located on the most northern part of Barbados, in the parish of St. Lucy. The view of the blue ocean, from the inside of the dark cave, was absolutely breathtaking. Paper straws are used across the island to reduce plastic waste and to protect their sea turtles. It is amazing how eco-friendly Bajans are and how much they care for the environment surrounding them!