Category: Caribbean

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!

Submitted by Mia Mazal 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 the last three weeks, I’ve been able to learn so much about Barbados through my placement. One of the main things I’ve noticed is the flexibility of the structure of each classroom. I was able to see and compare the differences in teaching styles among all the teachers. It showed me how much power teachers have to influence how the school day runs. For example, some teachers where better at gaining control of the students. It allowed for them to be able to do more activities with the children. On the other hand, some teachers struggled controlling the children. Therefore, a lot of time was wasted trying to gain control rather than learning. Observing the different teachers has made me curious about the daily structure of other classrooms. I hope to make the most of my last placement days next week.

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

Sunday January 20^th

Today, we had our ocean experience and I have to say, so far it has been my favorite day. We arrived at the boat company and boarded the boat. As we cruised along the water, we saw a double rainbow and watched the island fly by. When we arrived at Champagne Reef, where we would be snorkeling, we got a safety and instruction talk from our captain and then we were off! We had two guides in the water that were there to teach us about the reef and its inhabitants and answer any questions we might’ve had. A few of us deflated our vests just enough so that we could free dive down to the deeper parts of the reef and observe the aquatic life. It was absolutely stunning! The water was crystal clear and the perfect temperature for us to be in there for as long as we were. We then boarded the boat and headed back to the dock where we ate lunch and waited for our whale watching tour to begin. When it was our time, we boarded the ship with other groups and started our way miles off shore. Our crew taught us about all the whales and dolphins and other animals we might see. They also taught us about their migratory and breeding patterns while in Dominica. When we were just about five miles off shore we saw our first whale! It was a single sperm whale, but it was very large. We waited and watched it for a while before it disappeared into the ocean depths. We continued on until, we found two more sperm whales and then they did a deep dive. After a little while longer, we found another two sperm whales and we actually got close enough to get some amazing pictures of their tails during their dive. Over all, today was a dream come true for this environmental and marine science major!

Monday January 21^st

Today was MLK Jr Day and we didn’t have class so we went to Mero Beach again. It was so hot out, but we enjoyed the sun and swimming in the water.

We noticed that people are starting to accept us more and see us more as locals. As we’ve stayed here longer, people are treating us differently, they are charging us less, asking us questions about what we have done so far and they have stopped staring at us as if we were tourists.

Tuesday January 22^nd

Today, we took a van to Scotts Head and hiked up to the top. It was absolutely gorgeous weather so it was a breathtaking view. The wind was very strong, but it kept us cool on our hike. Scotts Head is a peninsula on the southern end of the island that has the Caribbean Ocean on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other side. We were shocked to see the differences between the coasts. The Atlantic side had rough water, rocky shores and loud noise from the waves pulling and pushing the rocks against each other. The Caribbean side was much calmer water, sand with small rocks and very peaceful. After Scotts Head, we went to the Sulfur Spring and waded through the water.

Wednesday January 23^rd

This morning we had a guest lecturer in class. Our lecturer taught us about many different topics such as Dominica’s conservation laws, the variety of wildlife, invasive species, flora and fauna, and protected areas on the island. It was a very long lecture, but we learned so much about the island.

Thursday January 24^th

Today’s lecture was absolutely amazing! We had two lecturers and their names were Machel Sulton & Jeanelle Brisbane. They work for the Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division and they went very in depth about the invasive species on the island. Jeanelle and Machel are iguana specialists and they actually brought two invasive green iguanas to class for us to hold and observe. Normally, when they catch these iguanas they measure and examine them for research purposes and then they are put down. One of the iguanas they had brought, had not been examined or measured yet, so Jeanelle allowed us to observe her and a few  of our group members as they completed the measurements. She measured the head and body length, she drew blood, determined it was female and took detailed photos of it. It was such a surreal experience and we all truly enjoyed it!

Later that night Machel and Jeanelle asked our group to come with them into the woods and catch Cuban Tree Frogs (another invasive species). Sadly I was sick, so I could not go, but the rest of our group enjoyed the experience and now we plan to go out another night to volunteer.

Friday January 25^th

Today we woke up prepared to hike up Morne Diablotin but when we arrived at the national park Professor Seraphin informed us that instead we would be doing Segment 11 of the Waitukubuli National Trail. The beginning of this hike was a flat trail through the very densely wooded mountain. The path had some fallen trees in our path that we had to climb over or under. There was also many birds, bugs and even snakes (which a few of us really did not enjoy). The trail seemed to sense that we were getting bored with how easy it was, because it was time for us to descend down the mountain. At first the decent was a slightly downhill but then it started to get muddy and steeper. There were a few minor injuries, but overall everyone was fine. We complained as we were climbing down, but the views were amazing and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

Saturday January 26^th

Today we were all exhausted from the hike, but we headed to the northern end of the island to visit Fort Shirley. Fort Shirley sits on a peninsula right outside the City of Portsmouth. We toured some of the old ruins like the barracks, the commandant quarters and more. Even though the buildings are ruins now, we could still tell just how impressive those buildings were. Our tour guide told us about how they are trying to restore the sites as much as possible, but they do not have enough funding, which is sad because it would be even more beautiful if the sites were restored.

One of my favorite parts of the day was looking out at the bay and  Portsmouth from the peninsula and seeing all the boats floating peacefully on the water. It was an absolutely gorgeous day.

Sunday January 27^th

This week has been extremely taxing on us and we were all exhausted so we all decided we would just relax today and do some work to get ready for spring semester. So, a few of us spent the day at the pool at Fort Young and the rest of us just spent the day at the hotel playing games and talking about our weeks.

 

 

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

On Thursday of this past week, we were mentally preparing for one of the hardest hikes of the trip, Morne Diablotins. Thursday night, we all volunteered to help out at a wildlife organization to remove an invasive species of Cuban tree frogs. While we were heading over, we mentioned to the driver that we were hiking Morne Diablotins in the morning. He told us that the trail still had not been cleared after Hurricane Maria so it was impassable. I was pretty disappointed to hear this because I was ready for the challenge and wanted to see the view from that mountain knowing I had accomplished it. We had to break the news to our professor and he figured out another hike that we could do which was significantly less challenging.

The next day we got up early to do this other hike. It started out fairly easy on a flat, well cleared trail. Later, as we continued, the trail got smaller with some fallen trees. At one point, we jumped over one of the tree trunks and there was an 8 foot python hanging out on the trail. It’s not something you really expect to see, but it was amazing to see it in its natural habitat. Shortly after that, a few of us towards the front of the group heard a scream in the back. One of the other students slipped as he was stepping over a log and impaled his hand on a stick. He was bleeding and we ran back to help him and one of the girls had a first aid kit and helped bandage him up. This was going to prove to be a challenge now as the trail was getting very steep with a lot of mud and he only had the use of one hand. I and one other student decided to stay back with him to guide him down.

The most challenging part came at one section of the trail where you needed to grab onto a rope to move down. It took a lot of team work and strategy between the other student and I to get ourselves down while helping him. We decided that I would stay above him to grab his arm and support him if he started falling, and she would determine the best path down for him to follow. It was both mentally and physically exhausting, because we had to do this for about an hour and a half. It’s one thing getting yourself down safely when you only have to worry about yourself, but when there’s another person to help it becomes so much more. We slowly, but successfully, got him through the rest of the trail. It was a tiring, yet rewarding experience, because I was able to make sure that he made it down safely because we are all here for each other.