127

We spent the day today on Basse Terre (the main island of Guadeloupe) at the Grand Marche (the farmers market there) and on the beach!  On the way home we thought it would be fun to stop at some fresh water basins in the middle of the forest - they were really pretty and it would be a good chance for those of us who didn't have a shower day to rinse off all the sand and ocean water.  Turns out the water contained an amoeba that could give us meningitis.  Luckily it's a very slim chance and it is extremely unlikely that any of us will get it...yogo!  (y.o.g.o.  The theme of our trip.  You Only Gwada Once)

Le Grand Marche 

Swimming in contaminated water! (Before we knew it contained amoeba...)

126

Worksites, internships (learn how to make the traditional Salako hats), beach, and crepes from the Friday night crepe truck!

Loriya and Alex off to work in the medicinal garden with their machetes!

Making the Salako hats.

I wish I could say I made this hat...but I didn't.  But this is what a finished
Salako hat looks like!  (Normally it rests lower on your head, but
considering I had a high bun, it couldn't do that haha.)

125

At the beginning of the week we bought way too much bread and it has been getting staler and staler and today we decided we could not handle it anymore.  So to get rid of the rest of the bread without feeling bad about just throwing it all out, I suggested making bread boats and racing them in the pond!  Given that bread doesn't race very well...or even go any sort of distance, we modified the plans to see whose boat can outlast the turtles the longest!

At worksites.  Meet the crew - Alex, Olivia...

... Grant, Anna, Andreea, and Mary!

Andreea and me with our bread boat!

124

Happy 4th of July!  After worksites and siesta, we celebrated by spending the rest of the evening a la plage (at the beach)!  We invited the community and enjoyed eating classic American food, swimming, and having a bonfire.

Olivia and Me

Olivia, Alison, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia

123

After worksites today we split into groups to go to stages (or in English, internships).  My group got to go fishing with a local fisherman and his son!  It wasn't just throw out your line and see if you get one; this was fishing with nets and traps, which was very cool!  I got to help a lot throwing the net out and pulling in the traps (which is no easy task...they are surprisingly heavy!!)  Some of the other stages that I get to do later are making the traditional Salako hats, making coco sorbet, and learning some traditional Guadeloupe dances.  I love all the opportunities we have to really immerse ourselves in the language and the culture of Terre-de-Bas!

Jeff, Anna, Alison, and Loriya 

122

Worksites, soccer with the locals, eating Floups, and learning the history of Guadeloupe.  Every day I have been learning more and more French, more and more about the culture, and have been loving it here more and more!  Whenever people see each other here they always say "bonjour" or "bonsoir" (depending on the time of day).  I love the feeling of community that saying hello to everyone you see brings and I love being a part of that!

Goats and chickens are everywhere here!  My counselor helped us try to catch one, but said we had to wait until
no locals were around...them seeing us trying to catch a goat would be like us seeing foreigners trying to catch a squirrel!

Floupin' it up at the pond.

121

Today we took a ferry to Terre-de-Haut (a neighboring island) and spent the day at the beach there!  I love Caribbean beaches...beautiful, clear, warm, blue water and green trees and hills surrounding us everywhere.  In the evening we went to a party in the town and hung out and talked with some more of the locals!  I love getting to know the people here.  Everyone is so friendly and kind.  They love talking and playing with us and I love becoming friends with them!

Olivia, Taylor, Sophia, and Mary