This morning we left at 6 am to head to the other island, Basse Terre, for a hike to the top of the volcano, La Soufrière. It was about an hour and a half drive from Ste-Anne, until we arrived in the parking lot at the volcano's base and met our guide, named Jean-Pierre, who amazed us by scaling the steep rocky slopes with bare feet - he said he feels closer to nature when he walks on the earth with his feet bare.
The guide explained things about the mountain and the plant life throughout the hike. The hike was very hard. The ascent took about an hour and a half, through wind and rain, and our morale was low. After summitting, we returned to the base of the mountain for a snack of local juices and bread with pate and other spreads. It was pretty chilly even at the bottom of the mountain, so to boost our spirits, we went to a beach near Trois Rivieres which has black volcanic sand that is very fine and gets into everything you are wearing!
We attacked the waves and had a very good time. After this, we went across the street to a restaurant for lunch, then back in Ste-Anne, we did WLS leadership activities for an hour and then returned to our families. In the evening, we went to the lighted beach in Ste-Anne with Christophe and Jennifer and to have crepes and play cards for a few hours then went back to our houses to sleep.
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It looks like you are all ready to head home...we are too. It is always great to visit other cultures to appreciate the differences around the world and to appreciate home and all of the comforts we have in America.
ReplyDeleteI Hope you all consider the experience worthwhile...I will be anxious/interested to hear each person's perspective. I want all of you students, parents and Jennifer to know how much I appreciate your willingness to partake of this adventure...one I hope is the provenance of one more option for you amazing French Immersion students. I went to St Barths yesterday which is more Euro than St. Martin and whenever I explained to someone what one of my children was doing, he/she said what a great gift to give your child, that being the gift of language. In Eugene it is easy for one to forget how this will, or at least can, open your world to various opportunities.
Safe travels to you. You are champions in my eyes!!!
Love,
Cindy
Cheers to an amazing weekend. You have packed so many terrific and memorable experiences into one week, can you believe it? Please remember to thank everyone for including you in such a meaningful way and hosting you. Jennifer deserves all your kind words and thank you for leading you through this journey so remember to let her know how much this experience meant to you. See you at the airport tomorrow night. Please travel safely and have fun on your last day. Cheers to a great adventure. aa
ReplyDeleteWow what an incredible experience all of you have had. You have experienced the diversity of cultures and language in such a huge way, all in one week. Be proud of what you have accomplished and be sure to thank your host families and the wonderful teachers who accompanied you on this amazing journey. We are all very excited to see you in Portland!
ReplyDeleteKaren
I will be so happy to see you, yet sad for you. I know it is hard to leave such a wonderful adventure. See you soon,
ReplyDeleteMarty