Excursion Day Reflection from Ashley Carrithers

We have been so busy! Yesterday was Labor Day here, which means we got the day off teaching! Although we all missed our students, a day off was much needed.  We began the day by sleeping in a bit, and heading out to Placencia! We took the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi (a boat) down the river to get our snorkeling gear, and then got on our hour long boat ride to the island.

The island was about the size of half of a football field…and it was so beautiful! The day started out with an overcast, but by the time we had gotten to the island the sun had begun peeking through the clouds and we could tell it was going to be a beautiful, sun-shiny day! While some of us were a little scared of the ocean and its creatures, we all chose to go snorkeling. We saw barracudas, “Dory” fish, and all different types of coral! This was one of the coolest things I have ever done! At this time, the sun was completely out and we were reminded to reapply our sunscreen and drink lots of water!

We were also given the opportunity to snorkel in the deeper water to see rays and sharks! Again, most of us were pretty nervous (especially myself), but most of us faced our fears and jumped in with the sharks! It was such an awesome experience, and we saw many sharks, rays, and other fish!

During the boat ride back, most of us began to realize how burnt we were (AKA Dr. Pentecost was right about the sun—oops!) However, we strongly pushed aside the fact that our skin was on fire in order to help the local economy (shop)! The shops of Placencia were so fun and colorful, and had the best gelato! We ate a delicious dinner there at Tipsy Tuna, and hopped back on the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi. While the sun took a lot out of us, we had a great and much needed day for fun and new experience.  However, I’m pretty sure most of us are so ready to return to our students on Monday.                                            Ashley Carrithers