Another week has come and gone, and we have much to report!
Last Sunday, we had an enjoyable and informative trip to the Kalinago Territory. We were given an overview of the history of the Kalinago and a guided visit to the Kalinago Barana Aute, a site with reconstructions of traditional Kalinago houses and tools. We also admired the traditional basket weaving that local people were doing on site. Afterward, we cooled off at nearby Emerald Pool before heading back to Bense.
We started off our second week of work with a few different projects. Some people spent Monday morning picking up trash from two nearby beaches. Another group started painting the house of Emma Charles, a longtime friend of Putney. This project lasted through most of the week. Other projects during the week included constructing a foundation for a new bus stop in the area, as well as cutting weeds and planting hibiscus and palm along the road to Chaudiere Pool. In addition, on Friday a group of students went to nearby Calibishie to begin painting another person’s house. Overall, the projects were enjoyable and gave the students the opportunity to get to know a lot of people in the community.
In addition to the service work, we snuck in a few different activities. We visited the beautiful Red Rocks near Calibishie, a peninsula made of clay resembling Mars. We also sent a small group of students to a local bakery to shadow the baker and help bake bread and cakes.
The weekend after our second work week was our big weekend excursion. We went to the Roseau Valley, near Dominica’s capital, Roseau, and went snorkeling on Friday afternoon at Champagne Reef. We saw various corals and fish, and afterward we met up with a pod of dolphins, who put on quite a show, leaping out of the water after our boat. The next day we hiked to Boiling Lake, a volcanic lake filled with hot, sulphuric water fed by hot springs. It was a long and challenging hike, taking about seven hours. There were many streams to cross and rocks and cliffs to climb up. However, the scenery made it well worth the trip, and everybody was proud to finish up. On Sunday, we returned to Bense, and later that afternoon a local woman, Theresa, showed us how to make crafts. We learned how to make “roses” out of banana leaves, which is a tricky but meditative art.
It’s sad to think that we have only one week to go, but we are excited to be gearing up for our summer fun camp, in which we do activities with local children, including reading, arts and crafts, and various games. We’ll have much to report on in our next blog!
Liv & David
