Happy spring

Happy spring! Although nothing has changed here, it's still 82 degrees everyday. I'm sure that sounds really nice in theory, but I miss seasons. I think being here makes me realize having seasons is really important, it gives people appreciation for nice weather and a chance to enjoy the spring time after winter. Nothing ever changes here, it's always the same.

A painting they have displayed at my school, pretty striking.

An apple at the beach

It's one of those Mondays that I woke up very tired, not wanting to come to work, but get out of bed and get to school by 7 just to find my teacher isnt there and now I have 3 hours of free time at the school until I have one class to teach.  But can't (or shouldn't) complain, especially since I only have a two day, 5 hour work week.  Becuase Thursday is Mi-Caréme, a day in the middle of lent where they revive the carnival and take the day off from work, school, and whatever they gave up for lent, I don't have classes.  So I'm going to Martinique from Wednesday to Sunday.  

This weekend was really nice. We hiked Chutes Moreau which was very beautiful and a great hike.  Sunday we did a Gwo'ka (the traditional dance here) workshop with Ronnie (or Wonnie, in creole) the cool rasta man that we did the Kalabas workshop with last month. He taught us some drum rythmes of the dance on the traditional drums, then we worked on some dance steps. Really a nice time.

Chutes Moreau

We had to cross the river 8 times during the hike. 

Last weekend, we went to Saute d'Acomat, which could be one of my favorite places so far. It's a really small waterfall in Pointe Noir that leads to a nice river with lots of big rocks.  At the bottome of the waterfall is a really deep pool of water so you can climb the waterfall and jump off.  Another girl and I climbed it and jumped off, it was so cool. We didn't go very high, but there were people jumping from the very top, it hqd to be about 50 or 60 feet high.  

Saut d'Acomat

Jaguar we saw on our hike...just kidding, it was at the zoo.

Amazing chocolate from the Maison cacao

Cool sky on the boulevard

Allée Dunamoir, a road off the highway lined with enormous plan trees. It used to be a road that lead to someone's plantation, now it is just a place people go to drive down, take wedding pictures at, and picnic. We had our potluck picnic here.

It's been awhile

I haven't written on this in a long time, notnecessarily because I haven't been doing anything, but because I have been doing things. That, and the fact it does get hard to so this on my phone then wait for three days for it to upload. I will be nice to have wifi again someday. Anyways, we started back to school Monday, kids are crazy as ever. Not sure if I mentioned their craziness before the Carnival break, but it was something I've never seen. Kids wearing the craziest outfits and hair, glitter everywhere. The class that is usually bad anyways was straight up out of a movie scene nuts. Parading around the classroom, putting in masks, yelling, basically everything except paying attention. Anyways, now there back to there normal level of crazy, so it's good.

The break was really nice but it's crazy how fast it went. Isaac came and visited from Saturday to Saturday giving me the chance to be a tour guide/translator, while getting the entire grand tour of the island again. And that's what we did, circumnavigate the island hitting every major spot, in one week.

A goat being shipped on a ferry ride from another island (don't worry, it's alive, just sleeping. I promise.)

My patate from a patisserie, basically it's a huge choco truffle wrapped in almond fondant. So amazing. But when I got it the lady was like are your hungry and I was like not really and she said well then you're going to want to share. She obviously didn't know the size if my stomach, because apart from a few bites I shared, I ate that whole thing. Although, I did have quite a belly ache. Well worth it.

Saut lézard

Mardi Gras carnival in Basse Terre, lots of fun

One day we went to Désirade, a 45 minute ferry ride (which was extremely rough on the way there, people were getting sick on the ride, I would have been next if it would have been any longer) away and rented a scooter. SO awesome. I will definitely have one of my own within 5 yrs (would have been sooner if it weren't for a certain parental insident after high school 😊) the island is beautiful, really different and we did some grey snorkeling.

Remnants after my landlord cut us soo many coconuts

Isaac eating bananas on his birthday

The awesome painting I got at the flea market in Moule on Sunday. I also got a Polaroid camera at the flea market the week before. Super cool.