Hike

On Sunday, we woke up early to go on a hike with people who work with Carrie and a few other Peace Corps Volunteers. Carrie's office is in a business space called the Reliable Adventures Jamaica. It is a tour company that works with Sandal's Whitehouse and takes tourists into the local mountains to experience nature and learn about the history of the island. We started at around 8 o'clock on a road near a village called retirement. Wolde and Dacita were our guides and they were very knowledgeable about all of the plants and animals along the trail. We stopped at a farm along the way and bought soursop and bananas. When we reached the peak, or zenith, we were treated to a great view of the coast and hills. Wolde continued to express how lucky we were to see the most beautiful place in the world. We started our hike down and Dacita went into the history of the island. We learned about the Taina Natives, Christopher Columbus, the British, Slaves, Maroons, and the current political parties. It was a very informative hike and was a great experience.

When we returned to Scott and Carrie's house for lunch. All eight of us on the hike came back. Dacita made a soursop juice that was incredible and Carrie and Scott made a bean salad that we put on homemade tortillas. It was a delicious lunch, especially after our long hike. After the meal Wolde and Dacita left, but Kelly and Matt, the other peace corps volunteers, stayed for a while. We went down to the water and Marie and I tried to snorkel. The water was cloudy so we returned to shore. We threw rocks into the water for a dog that lives in the yard, and then we went back to the house. The six of us sat around reading, talking and enjoying each others company.