Day 4 - APRODEC Day #1

We started the day with a big breakfast spread made by Ms. Alferi, Sabrina, Isa, Izzy and Aria. We had eggs, bacon, avocado, oranges, yogurt, and toast. Then we all got ready and headed to APRODEC (Alianza Pro Desarrollo Económico de Ceiba), wearing our matching Puerto Rico shirts. We drove to Ceiba, which is Southeast to an area that we haven’t been to yet. We first went through gates because it is a military area, and then drove up a steep and windy road to the APRODEC building. As soon as we stepped out of the van, we could see a beautiful view of the whole military area, including lots of greenery and the ocean with boats heading towards a port. Then we went inside, met Nani who would be working with us, and introduced ourselves. We first shared what we knew about Puerto Rico so far, and then learned more from Nani about the work that APRODEC does. We learned how the APRODEC building is not at all connected to water or power systems, so they do their best to preserve all their resources. Nani also stressed the importance of seeing one another's perspective, working as a community, and continually working toward a goal even with slow progress. The work that they are doing and the progress they have made in creating a community space was so impressive to learn about.

    After the tour we had free time and got to explore the area more. A lot of the group sat outside where we could see an amazing view of the whole base and had a meaningful conversation with Nani about our experiences at Watkinson. Some people also explored the second and third floors, which haven’t been renovated yet. Once lunch was set out, Justino blew a conch shell and said the menu in Taino. Then we had lunch which included Mofongo, chicken, salad, and tamarind juice. 

    After the conversation, we began our tour of the different floors of the building. First, we walked around the main level which is the only part that is fully restored. This level had two dorms, each with many three level bunk beds, bathrooms, other individual bedroom, and a horse museum exhibit. Then we put on masks and hard hats and continued our exploration to the lower levels of the building. These 3 levels were in the worst condition, so it was interesting to wonder about what the rooms used to look like when they were in use. These floors had a war room with glass windows that would have been a meeting area, and 2 rooms with reinforced steel doors that still have not been able to be opened. There were also a lot of hanging wires, fallen insulation, and aerosoft balls from a JROTC group. 


    After lunch, we all put on our work gloves and got geared up with lots of gardening tools. We were given the task of clearing out shrubs and small trees from an area in front of the building. Within 45 minutes, we had already cleared more than half the area by cutting with clippers and machetes, raking, and putting it all into a pile. Half an hour later, we had the whole area clear. 
  

  Having finished our service work, we got picked up and headed back to Casa Coral. We had free time, and many of us played volleyball and went swimming in the river. Then some people relaxed at home while other walked around and explored the town for the first time. Then we all had dinner, which was leftover Chinese food and homemade chicken quesadillas. Then we all got ready for kayaking at the bioluminescent bay! 
    

Once we got our life jackets and got into pairs, we went out on the water. The group had a total of 30 people, and we made a single file line and each followed the kayak in front. We first went through a mangrove, which at times was completely dark and we steered the kayaks using the red light on the kayak ahead. Throughout the 2.5 mile route, at times we would see the bioluminescence in the water. Since it was only at 25%, it appeared as dots of blue light in the water, not as whole sections of lit up water, but it was still incredible. When we got to the Bay Area we lined up with our kayaks and one of our guides did a short presentation about bioluminescence and the stars. He used a cool laser flashlight to point out constellations like the Big Dipper, Orion, North Star, Little Dipper, and Pleiades star cluster. Kelsey answered correctly that you can tell a star from a planet because stars sparkle, and Levey called out the name for the orange star in Orion as Beetlejuice. Here we all all put our hands in the water and could see the water light up. We then headed back, which was a little easier because it was low tide. Then we drove back to Casa Coral and went to bed. See you all tomorrow for another great day!

- Aria and Izzy