Arm Day: Vieques

Saturday started by meeting with our favorite folks from JAK Watersports, a local company run by husband and wife team, Carlos and Denise. We spent the morning snorkeling through some serious surf and paddle boarding.We saw a green turtle, an octopus, schools of Blue Tang and a big Eagle Ray! After all this activity, we are all developing some serious biceps! 

A more somber moment of the morning came when we paddled out to a small island and saw buoys that warned us not to approach the island because there were active bombs present. Our guides warned us we were not in danger, but it was a scary realization to understand the impact that the U.S. Navy’s bombing has on the island.

After a great lunch on the beach, we headed back to the “Trust” to meet with our favorite guy, Mark Martin. With the help of some local kids, we spent the afternoon handing out over 400 reusable grocery bags to locals. Last year’s Project Week group got the ball rolling with this project and now plastic bags are BANNED on the island!! It was great to connect with that project and understand how small actions can have a big impact.

Our day finished with a fantastic dinner at La Finca. Taco night! We spent the evening playing games, giggling, and discussing the impact this trip had in our lives. Caelin F. commented that, “her eyes were open now, and this trip changed the way I look at the world.” Many other students dittoed her sentiments and discussed the profound impact that the people of Vieques played in their lives. Mr. T and Ms. Barila became a little teary eyed watching this powerful transformation.

An Amazing Experience!

What an amazing day the Vieques travelers had today! The day began by returning to the museum to finish our project with our local friends Ardel, Gracie, Leonardo and Carlos. Using recycled satellites as our medium, we painted manatees, turtles, birds, and different symbols of island attractions (snorkeling, biking etc.) Our artwork will be hung in the Cieba Tree park, creating a friendly atmosphere to bring locals and tourists together.

After we finished painting the satellite dishes, we ate some lunch (home made chocolate chip cookies!) and then took off to the Wildlife Reserve. We were in awe of the natural beauty of the secluded lagoon. After a quick demonstration from local our guide, Gabo,  we hopped on the paddle boards and headed over to the red mangroves, which surround the bay. We had to lie down on our boards and use our hands as paddles to get through! It was a great experience, but some of us weren't so fond of the bugs! (right, Cece?) We then paddled to a beach where we parked our boards and snorkeled to a reef. There were many bright fish and a big stingray! After a tough paddle into the wind, we headed for Chastee’s restaurant for a big homemade meal of pig, rice, cole slaw and potato salad with banana bread for dessert! Many of the local friends we made throughout the week joined us for the feast! What a great day to be a Husky! :)

Lion Fish, Locals, and Art

The Vieques Project Week group started the day with Ardel, who is a local artist, activist and feminist BA on the island. We met with local teens to start an art project that will help build a community space near the Cieba tree. Our group painted images of local wildlife onto recycled satellite dishes to create one of the most unique parks in the world! While we worked hard to collaborate with the residents of Vieques, Ardel kept reminding us that this was “our park” too, which made us feel that we will have a life long connection to this incredible place.

After putting the finishing touches on our fused glass project with Sandra Reyes, we headed to Esperanza to meet with Mark Martin. Mark took half the group snorkeling and lion fish hunting, while the remaining group stayed on the beach to help pick up trash. Both groups had an opportunity to snorkel, but it was a powerful experience to improve such a beautiful location. Many locals commented on how great it was to see tourists contributing to the island, rather than just depleting it’s resources.

Biking, Glass Fusing, and Local History

Day two started early! We hit the road running with an adventurous 14.5 mile bike ride, which began at the historical Ceiva Tree. This tree is 300 years old and only blooms once every 5 or 10 years. The Ceiva Tree is known as the protector of the island. Many of the locals of Vieques feel that the Ceiva Tree contains incredible spiritual power and that it encapsulates human life. Its roots reach down to the underground, and its branches grow through the thirteen levels of Heaven. After meeting with our local guides from JAK Watersports, we visited the mangroves, the ruins of the sugar planation, and bunkers used to store ammunition for the US Navy. To finish off the bike ride, we saw a beautiful view of the ocean and part of the island.

After our hard work and exercise, we all needed some food to gear us up for some glass fusing. We ventured to see Sandra Reyes, a native artist, who talked to us about how important community tourism is in Vieques. Community tourism encourages visitors to spend their money locally to profit Puerto Rican artisans, instead of the huge manufacturing companies, like some in China. After our discussion, we learned how to create turtles, fish, sharks, sailboats, and starfish by blending recycled glass together. This provided an opportunity to understand the amount of work that goes into every piece of artwork!

With our creative juices flowing, we headed back to the Museum Fort Count Mirasol to learn about tomorrow’s art project with local teens. We finished this busy day with a quick dip in the clear blue ocean, cold showers, and a delicious dinner made by Beverley!

Day 1 in Paradise: Vieques, Puerto Rico

On our first day as a group in Vieques, we explored and learned about the history of Puerto Rico, specifically the island of Vieques, with Robert Rabin. Around 9 am we left our housing at La Finca and met up with Robert at the Museum Fort Count Mirasol. There, we talked and had lunch with Robert while he informed us about the historic bombings and events that occurred in the early 2000's. We also got an inside peak of the island's radio station on which the group will have a chance to be interviewed Monday morning. The group enjoyed connecting with a primary source from the island as our first experience of the trip.

After spending some time with Robert, we met up with another local, Mark Martin. Mark works at the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust. He taught us about the different organisms and complex nature of the bio-luminescent bay and how it works since we will be crossing it off our schedule tonight. We will spend a few hours this evening in transparent kayaks looking over and exploring the luminous dinoflagellates. We have an early start tomorrow with a 14 1/2 mile bike ride.

Gearing up for a life changing trip to Puerto Rico!

10 days until sunshine, sea turtles and boatloads of experiential learning! The Vieques Project Week group has been busy packing, researching this beautiful island, and buying bug spray. We are eager to work with locals and understand the culture and history of one of the most unique places in the world. 

Vieques, HERE WE COME!

Vieques Final Day: A Trip Ends, But A Journey Begins

Project Week comes to an official end tomorrow because one week is seven days... not five. Although it is easier to stay a full week on an island in the tropics, that doesn't change the facts. And today didn't get any less interesting. It may have been one of the best. Kayaking and snorkeling made for a beautiful and vacation like experience...

However, this trip was not just a vacation, like most of you may be thinking. This trip, for us, was life changing. And we mean that. We have spent the whole week showing and telling you about the amazingly cool stuff we have done, but we haven't told you about the effect it has had. One cannot enjoy the true meaning of life without going outside their boundaries. 

Becoming a global citizen has made all of us better in unique ways; it has given us perspective, helped us make connections, and created shared experiences with friends that will last a lifetime. 

All of us learned that the most important thing in life, above all else, is passion. Everyone either is or has the ability to be passionate about something. What you decide to do with that is up to you. 

To quote our song of the trip, "I want you to know that it's our time." Our group, the students at New Hampton, the students here in Vieques, this generation, needs to wake up. We control what lies ahead and results will come sooner than we expect. And it doesn't take a trip to Vieques to realize that. It just takes hope. We would encourage everyone to not just get caught up in the things that society may want you to be, but rather get yourself caught up in what you want to be. 

Signing out from paradise. Have a good spring break everyone!

Vieques Day 4: The NHS Pirates of the Caribbean

Day 4 of Vieques and for some reason the 80 and above degree weather doesn't seem to get old. Maybe it's because New Hampshire is exhibiting cold temperatures and on and off blizzard warnings? Not quite sure. But once again, today was rad...

We woke up around 7:00 and set out for a paddle boarding trip through a bay called Puerto Ferro. We were led by three tour guides: Gabo, Louis and Jack Sparrow (David)...

They directed us through an area of red mangrove trees, known for its arching roots that rise above the water level. Our tour guides educated us on the importance of mangroves and how it is a primary basis for ecosystems such as the one we see in Vieques. We also got to spread a bunch of mud from the water on our faces. It was an effective sunblock and mosquito repellent, but the initial stink smelled something like the back of a rhinoceros cage at the zoo. So when your kids wipe mud on their face (and make sure it's mud), they are just trying to exfoliate their skin or protect themselves from the sun and insects like mosquitoes, gnats, and parents. The paddle boarding trip ended with a trip to a hidden beach that was very beautiful and secluded...

We learned a lot from the three guides and were very appreciative of them. The second half of our day was spent at La Finca learning about their eco-friendly way of life. Led by a woman named Mary, we walked around the grounds and saw lots of different ways in which we ourselves could be helping the environment and also in ways that we wish to accomplish in the future sometime. We hope to bring our knowledge of being green back to New Hampton, the green and white!

Vieques Day Three: Exercising Both Body and Mind, There's A Certain Someone We Wanna Find

Honestly, today might be too gnarly to write about. This blog post probably won't do it justice. Our day started out with another 6:45 morning wake-up call. However, this time we had a long and taxing bike ride ahead of us. Three leaders from JAK Water Sports led us through the Rain Forest (no cafe), and all of us felt like some sort of movie had to have been shot here because, I mean, just look for yourself...

Our main leader, Angie, was very knowledgeable and informative about the island's wildlife and modern day issues. On our way down the path, we saw horses, dogs, cats, birds, crabs, geckos, King Kong, and even a George of the Jungle sighting. She brought us to the mangroves, an entire ecosystem filled with all kinds of animals, especially mosquitoes that had a taste for people who enjoy living free or dying... 

Then we made our way up through the hills and got to a great place to take a photo. There was no sunshine, but thank God we had Mr. T because the back of his neck gave us the perfect lighting for the photo...

Unfortunately, the most difficult part of the ride was the end, where we had to bike up what seemed to be a mountain, if not exactly, close to the size of Mount Everest. But according to Mr. Beaulieu and some other guy named Sir Isaac Newton, what goes up must come down. Therefore, we sped down the mountain at a very fast pace. Although the natural roller coaster was exhilarating, what made it even more thrilling was the fact that we had to dodge piles of horse manure on the way down. For those who failed to dodge all of the piles, this was where they washed off...

A small price to pay for such a gorgeous beach that immediately followed. And I know what most of you are thinking. And the answer is yes, we did find Patrick Star, best friend to Spongebob (whose house we found yesterday), in the water. He looked like this...

The bike ride was eventful, to say the least. Our group came back to La Finca, our home, and regrouped. Then shortly after, we were on our way to El Fortin Conde de Mirasol, the museum, to see our friend Bob (different than cartoon sponge). Bob had set up a panel for us consisting of adults from the island who were active in the development of it post naval occupation...

These great and powerful people gave us an important and more modern perspective on the issues in Vieques. To quote one, "The young generation needs to wake up, and stay awake." Raising awareness about the issues in Vieques caused by the U.S. Navy's occupation is the start of the new and improved paradise. Our mission with the bags is a small step in that direction, but certainly an important one. The panel lasted about an hour and then we went out for one last time. We visited some of the local shops owned by Vieques natives rather than ones owned by foreigners, which is a way of helping out the island's economy (something we learned from the panel). After all of the day's goals had been accomplished, one was left. However, this, the most important: to find Waldo. But the real one, not some fake like the ones in those books. Turns out he had been hiding at a little restaurant called the Belly Button in Vieques, Puerto Rico. 

And little did any of us know, he was a master chef. He also told us to tell you that he enjoys being asked "How's Waldo?" every now and then...

Vieques Day Two: True Connection and Blue Perfection

What's happening everybody? Wow, Day Two in Vieques was wild. Waking up at 6:45 sharp, all of us listened to a man named Andy (I think he may be related to Siri from the iPhone) and meditated. This was the perfect way to calm ourselves before our very busy day. After breakfast, we headed down to the local market and got some fresh fruit and veggies for later. And apparently Spongebob's realtor lives in Vieques because there were plenty of houses for sale just like his...

 Next, we were off to the El Fortin Conde de Mirasol, a museum on a cliff overlooking the ocean...

Although the view was distracting, we learned a lot at this museum from our friend Bob. Bob gave us 4,000 years of Vieques history in 10 minutes. An impressive feat, especially from a Boston-born man. However, his knowledge was very useful in understanding our purpose on the island. 

The U.S. Navy's bombing practice on the island has made half of it useless. There are still undetonated bombs laying around a restricted part of the island and in the water around it. This practice stopped in 2003. The restricted area is not heavily guarded, however, so this causes issues. People who don't know about them can get hurt if they draw too close. Bob says that, if immediate action is not taken, fatalities are inevitable. Not only did the U.S. Navy's occupation cause serious and dangerous damage to half of the island, but it has been concluded by scientists that the bombing practice has increased the cancer rate here by 30%. A very scary thing especially on an island of around 10,000 people. Bob's talk was eye-opening. After listening to him, we ate a quick lunch and visited a few historical places on the island. One of them was an area with sacred rocks...

Our group determined rather large rocks definitely were sacred because the rest of our day was blessed. We drove down to the beach and had a blast there. Please be advised: the following picture may cause serious headaches (to people surrounded by snow) due to extreme, envious infuriation...

The beach was great, but what followed was the highlight of most of our days. We met up with some of the local youth here on the island. Our expectations were meeting some kids that only spoke spanish and having a very awkward time with them. The complete opposite happened. The kids we met spoke great english and we all connected with them in different ways. We ended up spending most of our day with them, surpassing the time given to us. It was an awesome feeling to make friends with people from a different background. 

Mr. Little's spiderman web doesn't just extend through New Hampton, but now Vieques!

Vieques Day One: Three Feet Of Sunshine!

Greetings from Vieques! Our day started at 3:30 this morning with a bus ride to Boston. Our group had to haul twelve boxes full of reusable grocery bags around Logan Airport, but the granola balls from Mrs. Joslin gave us that extra push. Our flight ended up landing early, so we were in San Juan around noon and were immediately appreciative of the warm weather. We got our boxes and brought them onto our next flight. This one not so big...

It only sat nine people, so we had to take two trips to get everyone to the island. Although things got a little rowdy when we found out that Gracie was flying the plane...

But nonetheless, all of our boxes and ourselves are safe in Vieques enjoying the warm weather, but more importantly the warm friendship! On our way to La Finca, the eco-retreat, we got to see some of the island's wildlife: geckos, tarantulas, horses, and some very schweet-looking stray dogs. Mr. T and Mrs. Joslin's Gatsby-esque driving skills got us to our destination in no time and gave us more time to relax. We scoured the grounds, becoming familiar with our new home for the week, and later sat down and broke bread as a New Hampton community always does. 

Our plans for the week will have your jaws dropping and we look forward to sharing our experience with all of you and representing NHS well! 

Global Citizenship and Ecotourism in the Caribbean

After 60+ years of US Naval occupation, how can the people of Vieques and engaged global citizens create a sustainable future for the island? 

Fourteen Huskies will travel to Vieques, a small island off the coast of Puerto Rico, to explore this Essential Question and have, what we hope will be, an eye-opening and even life-changing experience.

Introducing our team...