Bridge Puerto Rico 2010

Pictures!

2010-07-22T07:09:00.000-07:00

Check out the great new photos!

Amazing Adventures Continue!

2010-07-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

Since last Tuesday we have been filling our days by playing games with the local youth of Maimeyes, reflecting on a successful friendship camp, and eating tons of fresh fruit while enjoying the thrills of zip-lining and canyoneering. While at La Finca (aka Samnyasin), the students created and implemented an amazing friendship camp which included painting an awesome mural, playing a wide variety of both silly and educational games, and creating an elaborate scavenger hunt around the farm. The students really enjoyed getting to know the local youth, the strength of the bonds that they formed was evident on the last day when they had to say good bye. During the afternoons, we took full advantage of living on a farm with a beautiful river and volcanic soil. One afternoon we went down to the river to swim through an amazing gorge. On the way, the students discovered a series of paint rocks and soon were covered with intricate designs. Later in the week we harvested clay from the soil and went down to the river to coat ourselves in a cleansing purple layer of mud. We looked like members of the Blue Man Group if they had existed during the time of the dinosaurs.

On Friday we packed up and headed down a curvy road which leads to the heart of the Toro Negro rainforest, which brought cool air, fresh passion fruit and tons of bananas. The next morning we joined Raymond, our guide from ACAMPA, for an adventure upriver and later a zip-line tour through the canopy. When we first jumped into the river, we literally jumped into a 12 ft deep hole that was formed by the pounding of a beautiful waterfall. With our helmets on we all plunged in, attempting to reach the bottom and springing back up with huge smiles on our faces. Afterwards, it only got better as we were instructed to literally scale waterfalls. We climbed upriver learning firsthand about the local plant and animal life as we sampled various edible flowers and leaves and felt the river shrimp nipping at our toes. At the end of the river portion of our day, we roped up and rock climbed up a 30 ft waterfall, Travis put up a new route, impressing the local guides. After heading back to camp for an amazing lunch featuring local cuisine, we went into the forest for a windy and rainy zip-line adventure. Despite the inclement weather the student’s spirits were high as they flew through the air over waterfalls, while attempting 360’s. We returned to camp that afternoon tired but content with our incredible day of adventure.

After doing some service work in the morning, Sunday brought us along the southern coast, heading through Mayaguez, the epicenter of the Caribbean Olympics, all the way back to Tupi, our surf instructor’s, house. Monday brought clean laundry and our first day at the Boys and Girls Club of Aguadilla. Our students really enjoyed getting to know some of the Boys and Girls members and are excited to run activities for them throughout the week.

Student Notes: the students wrote blurbs for one another this week

Last week was spent running a camp for local kids at Samnyasin. Dylan always showed up with a positive attitude and, even though he did not speak Spanish, he was still the first volunteer to explain games and answer questions. After camp we went to Toro Negro Rain Forest for three days. He had a great time riding the zip-lines and, although it was freezing cold, he did not complain. Dylan also has many hidden talents; he is a talented chef and has crazy veggie chopping skills.

Emory put forth a lot of enthusiasm during the friendship camp at La Finca. Even thought it was tiring he was very patient with the kids, especially the littlest ones. He contributed a great deal to the planning and preparation of the group scavenger hunt. When we went zip-lining he wasn’t scared at all and enjoyed himself very much, even though it was freezing and raining. He was very gracious at dinner despite it just being macaroni and cheese which took very little effort to make. He was also very good-natured during the game of mafia. I appreciate having him on this trip because he has a good sense of fun and is generally helpful with whatever we do.

Emily is a great friend to everyone, always lending a hand to do you a favor or make you feel better. Although she sometimes gets nervous about certain activities, she always manages to conquer her fears and fully participate. She is always up for having fun, and is also a great friend for huddling up in sleeping bags to talk for a long time.

Jeremy’s willingness to participate makes him a positive role model for all. This, along with his seemingly infinite knowledge of facts and pure hilarity, makes him a priceless member of our group. You’ll always find him with a smile and a helping hand, even when he has an injured finger. During our first friendship camp you could always find Jeremy translating some Spanish, leading a game or just generally making himself useful. We would all be lost without our very own Jeremy Chimene-Weiss.

Sinika has had a terrific week. Her bright smile shines throughout the day and she brings a great sense of humor to the group. On Saturday she seemed to be a bit hesitant to climb through the jungle and scale the waterfalls. But, by the end of morning, Sinika was practically running up the waterfalls. We love having her as part of our group!

For the last week, Tia has been open to all of our activities. At camp, she helped out as much as she could. She painted for a full day even though she didn’t really want to. Tia took risks and surfed which she was both excited and nervous about. She was very nervous for the zip-lines. It was her first time and she did a great job trying something that was out of her comfort zone. Knowing that she was too scared to go on the zip line at camp – this was a great achievement. Tia has definitely been adventurous lately. It’s great to see her accept challenges.

Charlie has been an active leader since the beginning of the trip. His humor and leadership make Puerto Rico a lot more fun than it already is. He also lets people have what they want, for example in the rain forest when everyone wanted to climb the waterfall first, he volunteered to go last even though he really wanted to go first. I really like having Charlie on the trip with me because of his leadership, humor, lack of selfishness and a whole lot more.

Lili was very positive, adventurous and took initiative with the little kids in camp. Every time I saw her at camp, she had two young children at her arm and another begging Lili to give him her camera. She volunteered to be the scribe at almost all the camp planning sessions while simultaneously leading the meeting. During zip-lining (which was in freezing cold rain), Lili never let her positive attitude die and continuously laughed at the situation we were in. When we came to a small, natural pool of water in the river on our way to the final zip line, Lili was the first person to jump in the cold water and make her way to standing under a waterfall which gave her endless joy, a symptom of her happy attitude that day. When I went in the water and wanted to enjoy the waterfall, Lili moved out of the way to allow me access to the fall. Lili is always the first to suggest a game of presidents in times of boredom. Throughout the week, Lili has brought joy, a positive attitude, kindness and a sense of adventure to our group, making huge contributions to the camp and everyone’s overall experience of the trip.

I have only known her for a couple of weeks, but we have shared a lot of memories. Silvana is funny, crazy, gullible, but very smart (like when I need to know how to say something in Spanish). She knows how to lighten the mood and bring people together. She has the funniest faces and the craziest laugh. She knows how to make the kids who don’t want to participate at our camp want to with her positive attitude toward everything. When something bad happens, she just laughs. I’m going to miss her when we go home.

Farming, Surfing, Painting, and tons of fun!

2010-07-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

After leaving Vieques we headed across the northern coast to Utuado, where we are staying at a family owned organic farm, Samnyasin. We spent the first three days exploring the farm, picking fruit, planting flowers on the pathway to the gorgeous river and playing and leading activities for the local youth. We also went out into a neighboring community for a morning where we helped clean up the yard of an Elderly Community Center. On Friday, after enjoying three lovely days sleeping in beds and eating elaborate Puerto Rican cuisine, we piled in the van and made our way to Aguadilla for a weekend full of surfing with Tupi. Everyone stood up on the first day of surfing and was able to hone their skills over the two days. Tupi gave us all a safety talk about what to look for when you decided to rent a board and go surfing in the future. We have no doubt that everyone will be tearing it up on the northeast waves later this summer.

On Sunday, July 11 we watched the world cup at Tupi’s house, complete with musical instruments for cheering, snacks for half time and lots of high emotions. The group was basically split down the middle as to which team they were cheering for. After the game we drove back to Samnyasin, where we will be running our summer camp this week. Samnyasin has asked us to paint a mural on the wall of their yoga studio which faces the road. The students came up with an excellent environmentally themed design which follows the history of a piece of fruit, from the tree to the table to the compost to a new tree. They will be helping the local community youth paint the mural while also filling the mornings with plenty of fun group games! We are all very excited for the camp!

Jeremy looked like a pro on his surf board. He learned to stand up quickly and was hanging ten in no time. He is doing a great job communicating with the local kids and his enthusiasm during the activities is contagious. He has been helping everyone with their Spanish and we all love his crushable hat.

Dylan has really been stepping it up this week. He has always been ready to lend an extra hand, whether packing the van, doing dishes, grabbing something from another room, or having a lexicon knife for the peanut butter in a pinch. He had a great time surfing, by the second day he was out in the big waves.

Charlie is a ball of positive energy; he keeps us laughing and amazes us with his knowledge of Man vs. Food. Charlie’s enthusiasm for surfing was contagious—despite being sore, he kept going with a huge smile on his face. He has been busting out his Spanish skills with the local youth, and stepping up to explain games or get people more involved.

Emory had a great first day surfing. He was carving across the waves by the second session and sitting on his board looking for waves as if he was a pro. Emory had a great time getting to know the local youth and leading them in exciting games of capture the flag and octopus tag. He is excited to learn more Spanish so that he can communicate better with the local youth.

Emily can surf! Despite being really nervous about being in the ocean with waves and a surf board, she stood up on basically every wave. By the second day she relaxed a little bit and began to be more independent, catching waves by herself. Emily has been really great about making the local youth, who are a bit nervous, feel more comfortable. She seeks them out and really gets to know them and encourages them to get involved.

Tia has been enjoying getting to share her knowledge of tropical Caribbean cuisine. She harvested a huge jackfruit that the group is excited to devour and she has been helping out a lot in the kitchen, preparing amazing meals! Tia was consistently standing up by the end of her first surf session, balancing on her board like a seasoned surfer girl.

Lili was really excited to try surfing for a second time. On her first day she was able to get right up, and she stuck it out through the first session of the second day when she was struggling to get back up. By the end of the second day she was back to popping right up and riding the waves. We’re pretty sure that Lili is still riding the emotional high of watching España win the Copa Mundial!

Sinika is really excited to be eating all of the amazing food at the farm. She had a smile on her face the whole time she was surfing. The first day she was able to get up a few times, but by the end of the second days she had stood up on 7 waves! She has also discovered that she loves doing dishes and is now an enthusiastic member of the cleanup crew.

Silvana helped design the mural that we are painting at the farm with the local youth. She created an excellent sketch of the design and has done a great job helping to make the drawings come alive. She has been really excited about getting to use her Spanish with the local youth and has already made a handful of friends. She did a great job surfing, and after only a few pushes by Tupi, our surf instructor, she was paddling to catch her own waves with her very strong swimmer’s arms.

Photos!

2010-07-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

We have posted new photos from Puerto Rico! And a blog update is coming soon...

San Juan to Vieques to La Finca...!

2010-07-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

Group Update:

The group trickled into the San Juan airport all day Thursday. Once the group was together, we headed to the hotel for an authentic meal and some orientation games. We spent our first full day exploring Old San Juan and getting to know one another. We finished it off with a wonderful dinner of spaghetti, prepared by the group.

We spent the next three days on Vieques, kayaking in the BioBay (bioluminescent bay), snorkeling off the coast and learning about the history of the island at Fort Conde. We had a great 4^th of July barbeque and played an awesome game of bolf (like golf, but you dig your own holes in the sand and try to throw the ball into the holes instead of hitting it with a club, the scoring is the same).

On July 6^th, we took a ferry back to the mainland and drove to La Finca, it is so beautiful here! We are in the middle of the rainforest, surrounded by clear rivers and lots of fruit trees. On Wednesday, we played with community kids and our group did a fantastic job of teaching new games to everyone! Despite the language barrier, they spent hours playing together and had a great time. We are excited to get to meet more of them and looking forward to surfing this weekend.

Student Blurbs:

Silvana really enjoyed snorkeling, she learned a lot about the fish she saw by asking Abe, our guide, many questions of Abe. On the 4^th of July she helped prepare an excellent BBQ feast. If she were an animal she would be a bulldog or a butterfly.

Dylan was the first leader of the day and did a great job leading evening meeting. Despite having already spent time on Vieques, he has been really positive and really enjoyed his second visit to the Bio Bay. If he were an animal he would be a sea turtle.

Even though Sinika was scared about jelly fish and swimming in the ocean, she jumped right in to the Bio Bay and snorkeling. She really enjoyed getting to see all the colorful fish and coral. At Fort Conde she was really eager to help and worked hard, helping to set up a new Simon Bolivar entrance exhibit. If she were an animal she would be a koala.

Emily has been swimming in the ocean daily and really enjoying herself even though she was nervous about it at first. When we went snorkeling she learned how to dive to the bottom and came up with a huge smile each time. If she were an animal she would be a flying elephant.

Jeremy is 100% positive all the time, the group is convinced his glass is spring fed which is why it’s continuously full. Jeremy has really enjoyed kayaking, swimming in the Bio Bay and generally just enjoying the warm water, especially during morning water aerobics. If he were an animal he would be a mosquito.

Tia has been making friends with everyone, reaching out to make sure everyone feels included. She really enjoyed the Bio Bay and snorkeling, and she helped cook an amazing 4^th of July BBQ feast. If she were an animal she would be a bear.

Charlie has been keeping smiles on our faces and laughter coming out of our mouths daily. He was really fascinated by all the fans and coral while snorkeling and has been really helpful when it comes to cleaning up. If he were an animal he would be a liger.

Lili has been laughing 84.7% of the day every day and her positive attitude is contagious. She is really enjoying playing group games and had an amazing time snorkeling and swimming in the Bio Bay. If she were an animal she would be a dolphin.

Emory has been reaching out to everyone, really throwing himself into the group experience. He is eager to use his Spanish and was really excited that his hand glowed even after he took it out of the water at the Bio Bay. If he were an animal he would be a sloth.

LOTS OF NEW PICTURES, CHECK IT OUT!

And They're Off...!

2010-07-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

At exactly noon today, Travis, Jeremy, Silvana, Sinika, Dylan, Emory, and Lili took off from Logan airport. They headed to sunny Puerto Rico where they will meet up with the rest of their group: Leah, Emily, Tia, and Charlie. We just received word that the group has landed safely and are headed to baggage claim as I write this.

The weather in San Juan is currently 88 degrees and sunny - beautiful!

After all the students arrive in Puerto Rico, the group will head to the Oceana Beach Inn in San Juan to get settled in. This is where they will be staying tonight and tomorrow night while getting to know each other, doing orientation activities, and exploring Old San Juan.

Leader Letter

2010-06-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Queridos participantes de Bridge Puerto Rico 2010,

¡Buenas días! We hope that this letter finds you finishing up your school work, brushing up on your Spanish and getting excited for an amazing summer filled with new friends and exciting adventures. By deciding to come on Bridge Puerto Rico you have already decided to make this summer a memorable one.

On Bridge Puerto Rico, we will spend the month of July enjoying all of the wonderful adventures that this beautiful island has to offer while also having the opportunity to experience its culture by creating and running our own friendship camp and through daily interactions with locals. Whether you are leading an activity for a group of young children, kayaking on the biobay or flying across the canopy on a zipline, we are confident that you will be challenged to grow and learn about yourself and others all while enjoying the summer of your life.

We are unbelievably excited to meet you and to learn all about you, but until the trip begins here is a little information about us.

Combined, we have 5 years of experience working at Windsor Mountain International base camp. Travis has worked in the Cabins as the Living Unit Coordinator and on the Waterfront Staff. Leah spent a summer working in the Tent Unit as the Community Service counselor. This past summer, we worked together in the Wilderness Tripping Department, leading three day trips around New England. We enjoyed working together so much that we decided to lead together again this summer. We both attended Windsor Mountain as campers (during different sessions) and since we were campers, we have both always wanted to lead a Bridge Trip. We are so excited this summer to finally have that opportunity. We can’t wait to share the experience with you!

My name is Leah and I grew up in Easton, Massachusetts, but when I was around your age I moved to Providence, Rhode Island to finish Middle School and High School. I attended college at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts where I studied Social Anthropology with a focus on Political Ecology. Basically I am interested in studying how certain groups of people or cultures interact with, use and understand their natural environments. Since college this has translated into my being really interested in the ideas of “local” and “organic” and has led me to start my own urban gardening project, therefore I am really excited that on Bridge Puerto Rico we are going to have an opportunity to work in an organic garden.

When I am not in my garden, in my free time I can be found rock climbing, backpacking, going on long runs or chasing down a Frisbee during an Ultimate Frisbee match. When the weather keeps me inside I love watching movies, curling up with a book or keeping my hands occupied with my latest knitting project. Since January, I have seen a lot of rainy weather as I was assistant teaching at a bilingual school in Monteverde, Costa Rica which is located in a cloud forest, which means there are two seasons: the rainy season and the even rainier season. Luckily the rain didn’t prevent me from getting to explore all of the amazing hiking throughout the various cloud forest reserves and when I needed some sun I went to the beach for the weekend, where I tried to learn to surf.

I am super excited to be leading Bridge Puerto Rico. I can’t wait to meet all of you, help you with your Spanish and explore this beautiful island with you!

My name is Travis and I grew up in Miami, Florida and Redding, Connecticut. I graduated from Bard College where I majored in fine art photography, hopefully we’ll get to spend time taking amazing photography during our time in Puerto Rico. I spent this past winter in Vancouver, Canada working for NBC’s Today Show for the 2010 Winter Olympics. During the show I worked as an assistant cameraman and was able to be a part of some amazing gold medal interviews. Once the games ended, I headed off to India and Thailand for three months trekking through the Himalayas and rock climbing in the jungles of Thailand. I recently returned to United States for another amazing summer at Windsor Mountain.

When I am not rock climbing or following around snowboarders as their photographer, I usually find myself working on community based service projects. During my time at Bard College, I was project leader for a project that worked very closely with a neighborhood in New Orleans. During my time with the project I was able to help start a summer camp, as well as year long tutoring programs in the local elementary school. Besides working in New Orleans, I have spent a lot of time in Central and South America working on community service projects.

I am really excited to be part of the Bridge Puerto Rico experience. I look forward to meeting all of you, creating an unforgettable adventure, and having an amazing and fun time along the way.

If you have time, it would be great if you could come up with a list on why Puerto Rico is different then the 50 States of America. You can use any means to generate this list, dinner table discussions, books, teachers, or even the Internet. Hopefully we will all have a lot to share and learn about Puerto Rico during the first days of the trip.

As your leaders we will be there to support you and make sure that the trip is safe and fun, however as a group we will also need each one of you to support one another. Each of you will have the chance to lead the group and contribute to our collective experience in meaningful ways. We ask that you come prepared to participate, engage your minds, and ask questions. Active participation is key on a trip of this nature and we guarantee that the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.

If you have any questions about the trip, we will be up at camp and would love to hear from you. We can’t tell you how excited we are to meet you!

Sincerely,
Leah and Travis

Welcome!

2010-06-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Windsor Mountain Student Travel Bridge Puerto Rico Blog!

This is the place to find updates on your children, relatives, friends, who are traveling to Puerto Rico on our program this summer. We will be posting stories, personal anecdotes, and pictures throughout the trip. Important information, such as the times and dates the students will be calling home and their mail stop information will also be posted on the blog at a later date.

We expect to post a minimum of one new blog update per week. We certainly hope to post more, but internet access varies throughout Puerto Rico.

The current update:
Angus and Neesa are settled into base camp in Windsor, New Hampshire. We are working hard to finalize trip plans and prepare for staff orientation. The Student Travel Staff have already begun arriving and formal orientation will begin on the 20th. As the people and emails roll in, the overwhelming feeling is one of excitement - we can't wait for the trips to begin!

Families, remember, between June 21-28, Leah and Travis will be calling all of you to introduce themselves, go over packing lists, trip details, and answer all your questions.

So this is the blog! If you have any questions about it or there is something you would like to see posted, please let Neesa know: Neesa@WindsorMountain.org.