1/15/00

As the plane came around the island I saw an island mountainous and covered in rain forest. It seemed untouched by civilization and pristine as can be. After arriving at a small airport, we began our voyage to Springfield Plantation, our home for the next week. It was odd because people drive on the left side of the road and the roads aren't very wide. Along the drive you could see thick rain forest, extremely small homes, cows, and goats here and there. We got to the plantation just in time to unpack and see the sun set over the Caribbean. I had been anticipating this trip the whole school year and it is finally here. I think and hope that this will be a week that I will always remember.

1/21/00

Today we went on one of the toughest hikes I have ever been on. It was a total of twelve miles up and down mountains. My ears even popped as I was changing elevations. The terrain was rougher as I got closer to the Boiling Lake. The trail consisted of rocks, logs, mud, and leaves. As we got near the lake, the smell of sulfur was in the air. This was from pours in the ground releasing heat from under the Earth's crust. Just before the lake was the Valley of Desolation, which consisted of numerous steaming streams and gray mud. As I reached the lake, a cloud of steam was visible over the body of water. But as the wind moved the steam, I was able to see the boiling to the surface. It was amazing. It is hard to believe a lake is in the middle of a jungle and it is boiling. I then left the lake to go back to where we had put the van. The worst was yet to come, a part of the hike up to the lake was steeply down hill and I would have to hike back up it. With minimal trouble I made it and the rest of the hike was a breeze. In fact, the whole class made it and we were all extremely proud of ourselves. This was one day that I will never forget.