-

 Monday June13th, 2022

Day 2- El Morro tour and Basura Cero NGO 

Hola compadres: 


¡Bienvenidos al blog! The trip begins!!!

We departed from our rooms today at 7:53 a.m. for breakfast, and promptly proceeded to the breakfast station. However, we were supposed to eat breakfast from 7:45-8:30 a.m., but we will refuse to let a predisposition for tardiness define ourselves. After munching on a scrumptious morning meal characterized by orange juice and eggs, we discussed the overall itinerary. 

Today, we prioritized three Sustainable Development Goals in particular: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions; Decent Work & Economic Growth; and Climate Action. All of our work on this trip will bear some relation to these critical goals, and subsequent blogs will elaborate on how our activities promoted these goals in the context of Puerto Rico. We hope you enjoy reading these blogs as much as we enjoy writing them! :) 

After breakfast, we embarked on a walking tour of Old San Juan, touring the city's most famous landmarks, including La Perla and the second-oldest church in the Western hemisphere, which held the remains of Juan Ponce de Leon. We also visited El Morro, and with the help of an audio tour, we explored the ruins of the old fort, imagining we lived the lives of the hardened (and much shorter, judging by the low ceilings) Spanish soldiers that once manned the walls.

El Morro

Towards the end of the day, we visited Basura Cero, a company dedicated to creating a more sustainable waste management system in Puerto Rico. We learned that action is required now: all of Puerto Rico's landfills are scheduled to overflow in the next year. But designing a new solution will take the political capital, expertise and power that Puerto Rico currently lacks.

Although the overeager tourists from massive cruise ships robbed of us our dinner reservations, we managed to secure a few spaces in a Mexican and Caribbean restaurant to sate our appetite. Then, we stopped by the CVS next door and snagged a few helados (an absolutely delightful taste of home!).

We look forward to another day of learning and fun, as we travelers (not tourists, of course) depart on the next stage of our journey. 

¡Hasta mañana!










Comments

  1. Ms. KennyJune 14, 2022 at 5:22 AM

    What a great cultural and historical learning experience! Enjoy your time in Puerto Rico, and keep writing these wonderful blog posts. I look forward to reading more and to hearing about your travels when you return to school in August!

    ReplyDelete
  2. RcaragherJune 14, 2022 at 7:50 AM

    What a great first full day- so much covered in terms of issues facing Puerto Rico (and the globe) as well as implementing the key travel trait- be flexible. Speaking of being open, looks like the Poly-Hotchkiss group is off to a strong start. I write from Kazakhstan and Tuesday has ended for me... and is just beginning for you. Have a great second full day of seeing and learning in San Juan and beyond.

    ReplyDelete
  3. La Srta. DiederichJune 14, 2022 at 8:09 AM

    ¡Qué alegría verlos en Puerto Rico! I am so delighted to read about your curiosity, new connections and pure enjoyment of this unique experience.

    ReplyDelete
  4. C MarkoJune 14, 2022 at 8:28 AM

    Wow! You all have had a busy start to your week. Looking forward to hearing all about what Tuesday brings and how the Sustainable Development Goals outlined continue to play a part in your days!

    ReplyDelete
  5. J. BrackerJune 14, 2022 at 10:00 AM

    Thanks for the update and it sounds like you are settling in quite nicely!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
 6/15/22     ¡Hola com padres !      Today was day four of our trip, and it was a lot of fun! We started out the day pretty early (6:30) and met up for breakfast, then got into the bus for a two and a half hour trek to our hike to Fuerte Caprón. Fuerte Caprón was an old Spanish fort used to keep watch over the bay against pirates. It was a hot day, but the group made it up very quickly and took some great pictures. Some group members saw different species of Puerto Rican birds, and everyone got to see a big iguana! It was also a nice opportunity to bond with the Hotchkiss kids and take in the natural beauty and historical significance of this reserve in Puerto Rico.           After Fuerte Caprón, we went to the city of Ponce, which is unique since it is one of the few areas in Puerto Rico that is not only a city, but a municipality on its own as well. We stood in the main square in front of a statue of Pedro Albizu Campos, a powerful figure in Puerto Rican independence movement, and ta
Read more
-
Image
Sunday, June 12th  Day 1 Arriving in Puerto Rico and Old San Juan Today was mostly a travel day. After arriving in San Juan at about noon we met our guides from Envoys, Ben, Angie and Malu at the airport. They brought snacks and fruit for everyone and we spent some time getting to know each other and learning about the logistics of the day as we waited for other schools to arrive. Then, we drove to our hotel and immediately after, we went to have lunch at Cafe Juanes, a little quaint place within walking distance from the hotel in Old San Juan. Many of us ordered the traditional dish Mofongo and it proved to be a hit. After lunch we all went to get paletas,  and sat to enjoy them at one of the town squares overlooking the marina. We also took a walking tour of Old San Juan after getting some rest at the hotel followed by refreshing showers. We walked to dinner and there we met our peers from The Hotchkiss School. Everyone is getting along great and we're all looking forward to new
Read more