Fun Day!

By Olivia Todd
Off for a morning trek


Today was our first day off, and the iLEAD Jamaica students have been looking forward to being able to spend the whole day to relax or do some sightseeing. The majority of the group went for our regular early morning walk into the local town to see if there were any farmers surrounding us for us to get some more insight on their practices. Following that, half of the group decided to stay back and hang by the pool while the other half of the student group wanted to spend some more time in Ocho Rios. So we got together and planned a fun day ahead of us. We have been looking forward to going to Dunn’s River ever since we read the blog posts of students from previous years and made sure to put that on our to-do list. When we finally got there, the view was surreal. We had a picnic lunch (prepared by the fantastic staff at Geddes Estate) by the waterfalls and then we were able to hop in the ocean. Those who were feeling daring enough sat on the waterfall. This was a fantastic experience, and I highly would suggest it to those in the future iLEAD Jamaica trips.

Sitting on the waterfalls

 One of the students had never left Canada before, so they were eager to see what dolphins looked like and had been begging all week to go to Dolphin Cove. Hannah and I had been on a boat ride the previous day and saw the dolphins from that, so we explained that this was a much more inexpensive and convenient option. It influenced the team to go on that boat ride again. We headed towards the beach where Hannah and I approached our favourite lifeguard to get the same deal we were able to get yesterday. The boat was glass-bottom boat, which made us able to see all the fantastic creatures below us. The captain also was blaring dancehall music, which made it even that much more fun and exciting for all of those who participated. Once we got out of the boat ride, three students (including myself) went tubing behind a speedboat on the ocean. I didn’t realize how salty the water was until it was shooting at my face for 10 minutes straight, but I had a breathtaking experience and enjoyed every second of it!


Jerk chicken, steamed fish, bammy, festival,  and breadfruit.

Just when we thought our day was over, we returned to the Estate to find that the staff had organized a Jamaican style cookout party for us. We tried all sorts of new foods including: festivals, stuffed fish, jerk chicken, roasted breadfruit, potato pudding, and much more. There was a DJ blaring music under a massive tent, and there was a bottle of champagne at every table. This was such an exceptional experience and truly made everyone feel like family, as we were all dancing together and having the time of our lives. Our host, Sarah Lucas, even sang us some personal songs at the end of the evening, which made the perfect ending to a fun day.
Dancing with our host, Sarah. 

Sarah ended the evening with a rendition of the Righteous Brothers' "You've lost that loving feeling."


Olivia Todd is a 2nd year student in the Bachelor of Social Work program at Nipissing University. Olivia is working with Team Organic Farming for this expedition.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Organic Farming and School Visit

Image
By Astrid Songmene Asking Mr. Scott (RADA) a few questions Wednesday started off with a wonderful breakfast consisting of fresh fruits, plantain and cereal. At 11:30 am we had the honour of welcoming guests to the Geddes Great House. They were two representatives from the Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA), Mr. Sheldon Scott and his colleague. We spent the morning having an open discussion about organic farming and potential strategic marketing options to create an acceptance of such farming techniques and selling these methods within the Jamaican community. This guided conversation with these experts was important for the project development for the organic farming/social marketing team. It helped in justifying the research we had done so far and gave us new ideas for establishing social marketing methods that matched with the current agricultural industry in Jamaica.  After the discussion we had lunch, which consisted o...
Read more

Hahom!

Image
By Mariah Jackett "Hahom" means "thank you" to the  Taíno . Goodbyes are never easy. We left Jamaica yesterday and I think I can speak for all of us when I say that part of us is going to be left behind there. Nicholas, a staff member at the Estate, was nice enough to offer us pieces of sugar cane for our trip to the airport, which many of us ate on the bus. Spectacular views on the highway to the airport This week has been nothing short of amazing with countless opportunities to learn and experience the diverse culture of Jamaica. From going to visit the primary school and witnessing the differences in the education system, to going out of our comfort zones exploring caves in a foreign country, to even learning about the Taíno, the  Indigenous peoples of Jamaica - everything has been a learning experience. The children at Bamboo Primary School were wonderful to meet. Taíno  symbols The meeting we had with the farmers this week gave...
Read more

Church Service and Taino Heritage Park

Image
By Hannah Turcotte Sunday morning began with a few of us doing some yoga at the top of the hill, looking out onto the mountains. After breakfast, we went to a nearby church to join in on a service. The pastor gave us a warm welcome and we enjoyed the lively music and singing. At the end of the service, the pastor called us up to the front where the whole church prayed for us and wished us well. This was an incredible moment because it demonstrates the hospitality and kindness that the Jamaican people have towards everyone.  I got to feed a donkey banana leaves at the Taino Heritage Park Next, we drove to Taino Heritage Park. The Taino were the Indigenous peoples of Jamaica, and the camp reenacts their way of life. We started off our time here by giving thanks to the sun, moon, water, and trees - central components of Taino culture. Then we enjoyed some traditional food served on a banana leaf, including smoked chicken and cassava bread. We then toured the camp, play...
Read more