Location: Montserrat
This morning we awoke to finally see the island of Montserrat after yesterday’s passage and anchoring at night! We gathered, ate some delicious banana pancakes, and then swiftly packed sandwiches for our adventure on land before leaving. However, Annemarie gave a Marine Biology class on ecology and the relationships among marine life. Three dinghy rides later, we were all ready to explore Montserrat, thanks to local Mr. Daly driving us around and giving a thorough tour. Our first stop was a little stream of freshwater flowing down the mountain, which was a great relief on this scorching day. Next, we headed to the observatory, where we were able to have a great view of the volcano that erupted in 1995 and destroyed the old capital, Plymouth, leaving half the island covered in ash and deserted. Mr. Daly gave us some fascinating history of the disaster, and we also got some great photos. We stopped to grab snacks at a small grocery store, and as always, everyone stocked up on candy and salty snacks. The best part was when we drove to a house in ruins, seeing everything left and abandoned. Everything was covered in a thick layer of ash, and everyone examined the rooms and the various things left behind. The hotel nearby provided even more area to satisfy our curiosities. After checking out an old sugar mill, we took a long break for cold drinks and a breeze by the water. Back on the boat, we did some passage prep preparing for the morning, ate dinner, did a squeeze explaining our true spirit animal, and finished with a Student Leadership class discussing our definition of a leader. We have to get a great sleep tonight as our longest passage, three days, begins in the morning towards Grenada.