Puerto Rico, day two!

We began the day with a 6:30 wake up call. Have you ever seen 36 thirteen- and fourteen-year olds jump out of bed and report to breakfast bright and chipper and ready to go? Neither have we. But, actually, with minimal prodding, they were up and fed and applying sunblock as we departed our hotel lobby for a day-long adventure in Ponce.

By 8:15 we were on the road and out of the city of San Juan and into the beautiful, green, mountainous countryside. We made a quick stop at El Monumente Al Jiearito, a folk hero memorial statue of a firefighter and his wife and child. Back on the bus and a few minutes past plantain forests, we arrived at Tibes. Through a Spanish- speaking guide, we learned about this historical place and its people. The Tibes Museum was small but incredible and included ceramics, tools, artwork, and even a human skeleton unearthed on the site. Did you know that members of the Taino tribe often chose to be buried alive alongside their spouse (a decision made after indulging in a mind-altering substance derived from the Agave plant) in a traditional and highly spiritual ceremony? We viewed the Taino housing, a dugout canoe, ball courts, and even saw some petroglyphs.

In addition to learning about the history of the region, we learned about the natural environment. Our guide showed us many trees (mango, tamarind) and plants (agave) and taught us about their medicinal qualities. Some were used to treat diabetes, infertility, memory-loss and other illnesses and ailments. (I’ll be serving my children a puree of mango mixed with milk and honey upon our return to assist them in remembering to clean their bedrooms.) We saw two large green iguanas, about a dozen lizards, and many, many tarantula holes, but, alas, no tarantulas.

Afterwards, we were back on the bus and off to a restaurant in the lovely town of Ponce. We feasted on rice and beans, fried plantains, sweet plantains, and, in the words of our server, “pollo, cow, or bifsteak.”

After lunch, we had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with Salvatore at the Ponce Museum of History. Your children will never forget him and the way he made the history of Ponce and Puerto Rico come alive. Salvatore was miraculously able to hold everyone’s attention with his dramatic flair. He gave us a rich lesson on the island’s history spanning from its earliest origins -- Puerto Rico was originally named “Boriquen” which means “Land of the Sun,” or “House of the Highest God” -- to the current political debate regarding statehood (Puerto Rico’s governor is pro-statehood but approximately half of the country advocates for status quo).

Your children were truly amazing and were awarded for their herculean attention spans with some King’s Cream ice cream in the Ponce town square.

Our next stop – “la playa!” Quickly changing into bathing suits, they were thrilled to get to the beach. It was just what they needed after the late afternoon heat and long day of learning. Unfortunately, after 20 minutes or so of cooling off in the water, several students stepped on sea urchins (non-poisonous, but painful) and had stung or splintered feet. A make-shift infirmary was quickly established beachside and about 7 brave children were treated on the spot. You would have been proud of their resilience, fortitude and calm. It was, we are sure, an experience that will provide them with a great “battle story” from the trip. Brian stepped up as not only lifeguard but “carrier of the one with the most splinters from the beach all the way back to the bus.” We hope his back feels okay tomorrow. . .

We’re now almost back to the hotel where we will change and go to dinner, have our daily debriefing/Spanish lesson, and write in journals. Last night, the kids were respectful of the boundaries we set around hotel safety and bedtimes, and, while they didn’t actually go to sleep as early as we would have liked, they did stay in their rooms and were relatively quiet. Many today are paying the price for staying up late last night (after waking up early for our flight) and we think that by tonight, they will choose to actually sleep earlier. We’ll see!

More tomorrow. . . Dana