Day 1 - Arrival

Arrival – Day 1 (December 1st) This trip is already something I will never forget – and it’s only day 1! I met another student, Amelia and Dr. Hansen at the airport in DSM. We departed DSM at 6 am (yuck) & arrived in Atlanta around 9 am; our flight departed for Saint Lucia at 9:50 am. The flight had already boarded when we arrived at the gate – thank goodness for plane trains! Once arriving in Saint Lucia, we waited and waited and waited in line at customs. After finally getting through all the lines, Amelia and I were waiting outside the airport for our other group members (Lekei & Ursula) – supposed to be finding our driver – when he found us by asking, “Are you girls from Iowa?” Two little white girls looking lost – yup we’re from Iowa. We loaded into the van and our driver, Cuthy, took us to our hotel, a gorgeous coral building, with traditional island character. We napped (go figure right) and showered before dinner. We were invited to Cuthy’s home to enjoy a delicious meal. Cuthy’s home, also called Cuthy’s Hideaway, was equipped with a bar and an Iowa Cubs flag and an Iowa Hawkeyes flag – I think I was meant to come here! We were all starved; the plane ran out of $10 turkey sandwiches, boooo. The food was authentic Caribbean cuisine – BBQ chicken, fish, lobster, mashed potatoes, rice & beans, plantains, breadfruit balls, dasheens, beans and carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, avocadoes (I’m obsessed now – so delicious). We had rum punch to drink, my new favorite. I love rum! Two glasses was plenty, any more and I’d be on the floor – sounds like a lot of my nights drinking ha! Strawberry ice cream and Jell-O was for dessert. During the meal we talked with the Taiwan medical students about their trip; they had been there for 2 weeks and were leaving Thursday. After the meal, Cuthy showed us how to dance. We danced and danced to calypso music; such fun! He is such a hard-working man; I don't know where he gets his energy. Cuthy is a runner; he has gold, silver, and bronze medals from running – 100, 200, 400 meters races. After a long day of traveling and enjoying ourselves at Cuthy’s Hideaway, we headed back to our hotel. Tomorrow’s plan is to go to the hospital and then to Castries, the capital city, where we will be spending the majority of our trip. Hope you enjoyed this – I cannot wait for the rest of the trip. It’s only just beginning. Peace, love, Saint Lucia. Things to know about Saint Lucia: • They drive on the opposite side of the road– the steering wheel is on the right (opposite) side of the car. • There are dogs EVERYWHERE – friendly, and the locals take care of them. • The people are very, very friendly & welcoming. • Sounds like a summer night – crickets chirping, dogs barking. • Hot & humid – no point in doing my hair, bun for weeks. • Do not drink the tap water!