Location: St. Kitts
Today was a new land adventure for all crew and students. We started the day with a 6:45 wake-up time so that we could pack lunches and bags for the day on land. After departing from Ocean Star on Exy and Irv (the two dinghies), everyone got together onshore and shuttled over to Fort Brimstone. On the way, we passed through town, and our driver told us the history and pointed out landmarks that were a key part of the town. When we were almost to the fort, we slowed down past a guy holding two small monkeys on his shoulders and signing to us that it was $5 for pictures and to play with the monkeys. Most everyone didn’t want to play with them, but a select few of us had an absolute blast playing and taking pictures with these baby monkeys (they even had tiny diapers!!). After playing with the monkeys, we stopped on the side of the road and started walking up the very steep trail that went up to Fort Brimstone. Along the way, we stopped at two different landmarks, a lime kiln and a well that had water from a natural spring but is now dry 🙁
Once we got to Fort Brimstone, we all split up and took loads of pictures in front of different landmarks and important areas that have a lot of history behind them, and discussed between our individual groups what the fort was used for and why it was built. When we got to the Gun Deck, it was a truly amazing sight to see. There was a volcano on the next island over (dormant, of course), the mountains were stunningly beautiful, the city below was bustling with traffic, and the boats were either docked or moved onto land for hurricane prep. Fun fact: they dig holes for the boats so they don’t move or get blown away in strong winds.
After Fort Brimstone, we walked back down the road, not the trail, back to the van, and shuttled back to the docks. From there, we all split into groups of two or three and walked around the shopping area for about 3 hours, which was very fun, getting to spend time with friends and just look around at cool stuff in different shops. Around 4, we met back at the docks and headed back to the boat after a long day of hiking and shopping.
Once we arrived back at the boat, we got about an hour of relaxation time, then showers, and then dinner. Now, we’re all cleaning up the boat and getting ready for class tonight 🙂
Pictured: Kennedy and the baby monkeys; Steffen and the monkeys; Eli enjoying the view; Miranda savoring the sights; the bus ride home; Ridge and Kennedy at Fort Brimstone; Jill at the fort.