Hello,
We are in Houston airport. It is clear and sunny here. At this point our flight is on time. We will let folks know if anything changes. In the meantime below is the student blog about Friday's adventures, as we were unable to get our laptop on the internet at Tobacco Caye as we were limited to phone access only. All the students are happy and eager to see their families.
-Best,
Kelley
We are in Houston airport. It is clear and sunny here. At this point our flight is on time. We will let folks know if anything changes. In the meantime below is the student blog about Friday's adventures, as we were unable to get our laptop on the internet at Tobacco Caye as we were limited to phone access only. All the students are happy and eager to see their families.
-Best,
Kelley
Friday March 18, 2016
Today we woke up as normal, beginning
our last day at Maya Center. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast that satisfied
everyone’s growling, morning stomachs. Following breakfast, we traveled to the
St. Jude’s School to say our final goodbyes to the students we have all grown
to adore. After drying our tears, we visited the Women’s Co-Op and browsed the
colorful shelves for gifts to bring back home. Many students including
Charlotte, Philip, Lena, Veronica, and Elizabeth bought pocket knives to use
them as they wish… (however, they are currently in the very capable hands of
the chaperones).
We then boarded the bus saying
goodbye to the Maya Center and the Nu’uk Chiel Lodge and began driving to the
coastal town of Dangriga. Upon arriving in Dangriga, we loaded our numerous and
heavy belongings onto a compact, sturdy boat. As we pulled away from the dock,
some of us began to feel anxiety about our boat being sea-worthy and whether or
not some of us could handle the ride. These included Rowan, Grace, and
Nicholas. Once the boat picked up speed, the waves began to encircle us in a
cape of water. The bow of the boat lifted up, only to bounce about as our boat
,“glided calmly”, across the ocean.
After about thirty-minutes of riding across the turquoise water we gazed
upon the sandy white shores of paradise.
The boat slowed down and we looked
below the sides to find a hidden world. There were so many colorful fish and
the water was crystal clear. We stepped off the boat, unloaded our gear, and
unpacked in our rooms. Veronica’s bag once again exploded onto Elizabeth’s bed.
We had a half-hour or so to relax, and we decided to strike up a game of
volleyball. Sidney, Chloe, and Emma were strong team-players, displaying their
knowledge of the game. Following the exciting match, we enjoyed a familiar
lunch of spaghetti and meatballs. We stuffed our faces and then took a walking
tour of the island. We met up with Matil, our island guide and she showed us
around the, “pile of sand.” Then we prepared for our first snorkeling
adventure.
Matil showed us a slideshow that was
meant to educate us on the dangers we may encounter while on the reef. Promptly
after Matil nearly scared us half to death, we strapped on our life vests,
slipped on our flippers, and jumped into the water. From the edge of the dock
none of us could see the expansive and intricate network of coral reefs and
marine ecosystems beneath the surface. But once we were covered in the
refreshing, salty water, everything revealed itself to us. We ran through
several drills to prepare us for any accidents that may occur before starting.
Everyone valiantly succeeded in
passing the assessments and we started swimming. The current seemed to be
working with us as the sea grass below swayed gently. There were so many
colorful and spirited fish swimming all around the large structures of coral.
Emma exclaimed, “I have seen Dory twice already!” Our dive seemed to be magical,
yet we were tired and ready for dinner after. We completed a reflection about
our trip and then the anxiously awaited dinner bell echoed through the palm
trees and we all rushed to enjoy a scrumptious meal.
After dinner, the teachers came up with
the idea to put on a singing talent show for all us students to take part in. There
were three teams, The Fluffer Nutty butter cups, The Yaw-yeeh and The Dreams
Machine. The teams fought long and hard to see who were the true champions by
picking song names out of a hat and performing them on a makeshift stage in
from of the other teams and the three instructors. Some highlights were: The
Hanging Tree, Hey Mickey, and Love is an open door. The finale was an amazing
sing off with Uptown Funk and Low. We sang our hearts and then proceeded with
ANCHOR to finish off our long day. We look forward to tomorrow!
- Grace and Veronica (Leaders of the
Day)
