Due to the "wonderful" storm that decided to coincidentally hit us on the 16th, our trip was cut short two days. Despite that, we managed to pack in a lot of culturally-stimulating activities that went above and beyond our expectations. Some of the activities included: watching sea turtles lay eggs at 1 AM, swimming Discovery Channel-style in caves, "liming" (aka: partying/chilling) with the locals, soaking up the hot Trinidadian sun in Maracas Bay while gourging on Bake n' Shark (a local cuisine of fried shark prepared between fried bread), and enjoying the tropical ecosystems of a rainforest.
The beginning of the trip resembled a middle school dance where the girls team and the boys team were always apart. As time progressed and bonding grew stronger, the two teams merged beautifully to form friendships which revolved around fun, volleyball, fascinations and curiosities of the host country, Mari's natural ability to woo the local men thanks to her pink genie pants, possible fears of being kidnapped and held for ransom (hmm..questionable), dancing, singing loudly in what we liked to call our "party van," long drives which always seem to take at LEAST 45 minutes to our various destinations, and pancakes at 3 in the morning. The awkwardness felt in the beginning definitely disappeared by the end of our exciting journey to the lovely island of Trinidad.
The local people were so welcoming and friendly it seemed unreal! They invited us into their lives, homes, and hearts. We were able to take part in, not so much the "tourist" aspect of Trinidad, but the TRUE Trinidad experience. Looking back at the hundreds of pictures taken during the 5 days we were there, I think it is safe to say that everyone had a blast! We've all expressed the desire to one day return to Trinidad while also hoping that the national teams will someday be able to experience what America has to offer, as well.
