Location: Charlestown, Nevis
I woke up today at 6:30, which was amazing because I got to catch a beautiful sunrise. I woke up everyone at 7 which was actually pretty fun and amusing. We started breakfast off with some scrambled eggs and bacon, which tasted amazing. After cleanup, we broke up into two groups, certified and not certified. The new divers went diving while the rest of us went to class, here we learned about how to write scientific papers. After that, the groups switched assignments. During that time, Nick taught me how to properly “whip” a line. This is basically a way of cleaning up the end of a rope and making it look pretty, for lack of a better word.
I tied a white thread around the end of the line multiple times, then made two vertical lines before tying it off. After that, we had lunch of pad thai noodles and went to shore! Nevis is so beautiful. We rode the dinghy ashore and were dropped on the pier. The first thing I saw walking down the dock was a big “Welcome to Nevis” sign painted on a building. We decided to walk towards all the stores and just explore the area. We went to the grocery store, where, people got some miscellaneous items like chocolate, brown sugar, and snacks. Then, we entered some clothing shops. Talking to the locals is honestly such a wonderful experience. They asked us if we were sailors, and we, told them we were going to be sailing for 80 days. Everyone couldn’t believe it! Everyone seemed very surprised to hear that bit of information. We also visited a small hot spring off the side of the street where the water gets heated up from the volcano. The water was super hot! After that, we saw a herd of wild goats walking the street. After, we turned around and headed back towards the main entrance area in Nevis. People ordered ice cream and smoothies and we ,just relaxed. Next, we went to the nearby beach to hang out. We looked at shells, and some people went swimming too. Around 5:50, we headed back to the main pier to be picked up. As we waited, we watched the sun start to set, as well as looking for cool fish. I saw a lionfish and, unfortunately a dead moray eel. As we rode the dinghy back, Nick did some donuts in the water, which had everyone laughing and yelling. After we had a dinner of lentil soup and pita bread. We also have a Seamanship test about using a VHF properly after-meal cleanup. Today has really been one of the best so far. It’s crazy to think that just in the span of 10 days, I’ve been to 2 countries already. I’ve seen and learned so much, and the trip isn’t even halfway over yet. Quick shout out to my family and friends at school who helped get me to where I am today. I love you all and miss you so, so much.