Map of Saint Lucia

We have traveled from Vieux Fort (South) to Castries (West) and Castries to Soufriere (South of Castries) and back.

Pictures from Soufriere - waterfall, Sulphur Springs, Beacon restuarant, etc.

Day 5 - Soufriere, Saint Lucia

Day 5 (December 5, 2013) Another amazing – but long – day! The internet went out last night, makes for a stressful evening when trying to communicate with friends, family, and the boyfriend back home. The other students were also unable to research for the project they are going to complete while on the island; very, very stressful evening. Thankful the internet has been working since our return from our adventure today. Firstly, we met Lisa at the Health Ministry, and then traveled by van to Soufriere, about an hour and a half journey by extremely winding roads. It was at bit nauseating at times, but the views of the island were fantastic, such lush, green hillsides. The Caribbean Sea is mesmerizing – waters so blue. Cannot wait to go to the beach! It’s such a tease to see the sea while driving and not get to experience it. I would like to come back to the states with some color  When we arrived in Soufriere, we went to the local hospital. We met two of Lisa’s staff, Francillia and Nisa; Lisa’s staff were educating the patients about the 6 food groups and healthy eating, as well as the importance of daily exercise. After the staff spoke, each of us took a turn talking with the patients about a designated topic. Amelia spoke about Dengue Fever; Ursula spoke about exercise and physical activity; Lekei spoke about diabetes; and I spoke about water safety. I talked about how people can get very ill from drinking contaminated water; also, the two ways to purify water to drink: heat and sunlight. The locals were very attentive and asked questions. It was a great experience, interacting with the patients. After visiting the hospital we walked to the old Health Ministry office, attempting to pick up items but we could not get it. We then got back in the van and the driver took us to lunch at Beacon; the restaurant was built on the hill before driving down into Soufriere, the building is very colorful and fully open, exposing the exquisite view of the Pitons. The Pitons are two very distinct mountains along the coast. Lisa had her wedding reception at the restaurant so she negotiated a flat rate for our meal – plus we got a “better” desert than the rest of the customers. Our meal was buffet style; I had rice with carrots, coleslaw, salad, roasted potatoes, and breaded fish. The meal, like the others, was delicious. We enjoyed golden apple juice and had vanilla ice cream and cheesecake (my favorite) for dessert. It rained on and off during lunch but the coolness was refreshing. After lunch the driver drove us to a waterfall and botanical garden. We dipped our toes in the water – it was freezing – and walked through the gardens looking at the various flowers and fruit trees. We then went to the Sulphur Springs – the smell was so strong, but the sight was worth it. The stream rises from the springs and the water flows down to an area where it has cooled down enough you can get in. The sulphur water is supposed to be therapeutic. After visiting the springs we headed back into Soufriere to drop off Lisa’s staff and headed back to Castries. We stopped at a few bakeries along the way, and also at our driver’s house. He has an amazing view of Castries – can see the cruise ships that pull into the harbor. The roads are very, very narrow; the islands drainage system is open 2 feet by 2 feet troughs along the roads. On our way back to the Health Ministry, the front left wheel went off the road and got stuck in the drain. Thankfully, a few locals stopped to help push the vehicle’s tire out of the trough. It was quite the experience and a great ending to another amazing day. Once we made it back to the Health Ministry we took a taxi to our residence for the week. The internet was working but has stopped once again. We may be heading to a café so the others can research for their project and finish up homework. To end, we really have got the royal treatment while on the island. Our drivers and Dr. Hansen’s connections have been so helpful and accommodating. Providing trusty taxi service and bargaining with the drivers. I am so thankful to Dr. Hansen and her contacts for making this trip memorable so far. Tomorrow we are going to the local market in the morning to shop for souvenirs and then to lunch with Lisa. After lunch, we will be traveling with Lisa to watch her give a presentation. Friday night (tomorrow), Lisa is going to take us to experience the Saint Lucian night life and may spend the night with us – sleepover! Expecting another fantastic day on the island; hopefully, the internet keeps working. I’m exhausted. Peace, love, Saint Lucia. Things to know about Saint Lucia: • The Caribbean Sea borders the island on the West, and the Atlantic Ocean borders the island on the East. • Ground provisions (one of the six food groups) include: yams, sweet potato, dasheens, the more starchy vegetables, whereas, the vegetable food group includes: carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.

Pictures - visiting the schools in Castries.

Day 4 - Visiting the schools in Castries

Day 4 (December 4th, 2013) Another amazing day on the island! Beautiful day – partly cloudy with a nice breeze, not as muggy as the previous days have been. First, WE HAD HOT WATER! Tonight was the first night I’ve taken a shower and had hot water. It felt amazing. The guesthouse where we stayed the first night was repairing their water heater and this house’s hot water uses solar panels; it had been rainy and cloudy the previous days, therefore, the water did not get hot. So very thankful for hot water. Back to the beginning, we headed to the Health Ministry early this morning to meet with Lisa, Mary Anna, and Melva (Mary Anna and Melva are Lisa’s staff). Amelia, Dr. Hansen, and I went with Mary Anna and Ursula and Lekei went with Melva. Our day with Mary Anna was amazing; she is such a fabulous women. We walked the city of Castries and visited four preschools. The first preschool we visited was Servé’s Early Childhood Education Centre; the preschool coordinator was very passionate about the health of her students. I received very important information to be included in the capstone project. Processed foods and boxed fruit juices are popular choices of parents; these foods may be easy to prepare, store, access, however, they are not nutritious. After we spoke to the preschool coordinator, we watched Mary Anna give her presentation; she discussed the 6 food groups with the students – staples, fruits, vegetables, food from animals, fats & oils, and legumes & nut. The children were asked to name food from each group; Mary Anna is a fabulous teacher. After her lesson, the children sang “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” for us and a song about vegetables. The children are adorable; I am glad I was able to take pictures. After leaving Servé’s, we went to Nica’s Early Development Centre. The preschool coordinator was very helpful at this preschool as well. Herself and her staff were also very passionate about their student’s health; the same problems were seen here, an increase in processed food and boxed juice. It is a shame the country is having these problems; Saint Lucia has an abundance of local fruits and vegetables including grapefruit, oranges, five finger, watermelon, banana, guava, lettuce, cucumbers, golden apple, dasheens, sweet potato, tomatoes, etc. Local foods should be utilized since they are readily available and much healthier. Our eating habits are trickling down to Saint Lucia, impacting their culture and society in a negative way. Anyways, continuing with our day, we left Nica’s and went to Alphabet-Land. The preschool coordinator was amazing – she takes her students on field trips and invites the neighboring preschools to join. The curriculum is based on the month; since it is December, the students do activities involving the holiday season –coloring, songs, etc. The last school we visited was Paddington Fun House Preschool Education Centre; we spoke to a teacher here but did not spend much time as the children were napping. I learned a great deal visiting the preschools and visiting with the coordinators and teachers that will be helpful with my capstone project – I only mentioned a few as to not bore my readers  We went back to Mary Anna’s office after visiting the 4 sites to have lunch. Mary Anna cooked us an amazing meal – chicken with spices; Chinese cabbage, pumpkin, & okra salad; plantains; sweet potato and dasheens. The meal was delicious. She also made us fresh grapefruit juice. I love the fresh squeezed juice. We had learned previously that Mary Anna makes her own wine. She was willing to share and we taste tested in her office after lunch. The first wine was made from jahmon grapes; these grapes grow in trees and only bear fruit once a year, around Christmastime. The wine had an interesting taste; Dr. Hansen, an experienced wine drinker, loved the flavor. I am more found of sweet wine and this wine had a different taste, not dry or bitter, just different. The second wine we tasted was made with guava, cherries, and golden apple. This wine was delicious! So sweet and flavorful. After lunch and wine tasting, we walked back to the Health Ministry to meet the rest of our group. We stopped at a local supermarket before we returned to the house. We debriefed about our trips and retreated to our rooms to relax and do homework; I showered – with HOT water!! The owners of the house were downstairs retrieving coconuts from their tree. Amelia and I tried fresh coconut water, fresh coconut jelly, and dried coconut (like the shredded coconut we use for baking). Coconut water is delicious. The jelly, not so much; Rianna the daughter of the owners was eating the jelly coconut jelly with a spoon; she’s adorable. I enjoyed the dried coconut – yum! After our coconut experience, we had supper; Amelia and I had turkey sandwiches loaded with fresh, local veggies. The internet has been out for a while tonight so hopefully I can post tonight or in the morning, with pictures! Tomorrow we are traveling to Soufriere with Lisa from the Health Ministry; we will be visiting a health center and presenting to the locals. My topic is water safety. I need to write my 5 minute speech so I need to wrap this up. Thank you all for reading; it was another wonderful day on the island. Peace, love, Saint Lucia. My Capstone Project – During my time in Saint Lucia I will be visiting with the preschool coordinators and teachers and discussing physical activity and nutrition. When I return home, I will create educational materials that will be distributed to the preschools by the Health Ministry to aid in educating the parents and students about proper physical activity and nutrition. Things to know about Saint Lucia: • Students in preschools call their teachers “Auntie” • All students wear a uniform to school – preschool, primary & secondary schools • The preschools are either government or privately owned

Pictures!

Pictures - enjoy!