Latino Language, Pedagogy and Culture Immersion Institute in Puerto Rico

7/29/09

Yesterday afternoon/evening, we visited our first playa. It was much different than I expected. The beach was not as white sand, clear water as I thought. The water however, was blue and very smooth and warm. There were wild dogs everywhere, sleeping and congregating closest to the people grilling. After being in the water for five minutes, I realized there was a small coral reef close by. I had not brought my snorkeling gear to Puerto Rico, but I would highly recommend it. Luckily, a small little shop right off the beach had goggles for sale. For three dollars, I bought a pair and went out on to the reef. To my surprise, there were thousands of black sea urchins in all sizes. It was slightly scary because I definitely did not want to touch them, but very interesting to see. There were not many fish, but the ones I did see were very colorful and tropical.

Today after Spanish class, we went to the Museum de Hostos. After developing knots in my stomach from the twists and turns of going up a huge mountain, we arrived at our destination. The sights of the drive were beautiful. Big huge patches of bamboo in the thick of a forest, with many little creeks passing through. Had the ride been smooth, I probably would have been able to take pictures.

The museum was a modern building, settled on the top of one of the mountains. As we entered, we were greeted by the wonderful feeling of air conditioning and paintings filled with color and meaning. After learning about the life of Eugenio Maria de Hostos, we had an open forum about any questions we had about Puerto Rico. It was interesting to learn about the islands current situations. After our hunger for answers about the government and public education system was fulfilled, we walked around the museum. It was very small, but well presented. The view from the back of the museum was incredible. You were able to see the valleys and mountains, and the little houses that you are not quite sure how they got there. Eugenio was a Puerto Rican (born in Mayaguez) educator, philosopher, intellectual, lawyer, sociologist, and independence advocate. He was widely known in the Caribbean and Latin America. The art in the museum was based on his ideas and beliefs. His passion for what is right in this world was an inspiration to many people throughout history, including myself.

Every day has been an adventure. From the food, to the trips, to the Spanish classes, to going to our new favorite bar across the street for Internet, I feel so lucky to be here and have the opportunity to experience this. I have been looking forward to tomorrow all week and want to be well rested. It is time to dream up another adventure far away and as they say here, buenos noches!