Melisa Gurkan ’19 and Selena Martineau ’19 describe a busy day in Eleuthera, with their favorite stop being the “Island Farm” run by the family of current DA student, Sim Bethel ’20.
The Deerfield Clan Takes On Eleuthera (Day 3…)
7:30am wake up; Deerfield students are revitalized with their extra precious hour of sleep. They rock n’ roll to breakfast where their appetites allow them to conquer large quantities of food. “WAM” (Water Appreciation Moment) and the clan jumps into the van. Off they go… First they make their way to the One Eleuthera Foundation / Center for Training and Innovation where they continue to fill their brains with knowledge concerning sustainable tourism and how to maintain strong partnerships with locals – as well as face the challenges of funding, education, and government ID.
Off to the next stop, seeming to be most peoples’ favorite – the Island Farm – run by the family of Sim Bethel (DA ’20). His dad gives the DA clan a tour of the challenges and rewards of farming in the Bahamas: “Hurricanes are frequent; in the past 12 years, I’ve had to recommence the farming process five times,” explained Mr. Bethel. After hanging out in the sun for a while, the students are treated with copious amounts of pizza, vegetables, and COCONUTS!
Bellies filled, faces smiling, water bottles filled, WAM! The students move onto the Pineapple Fields. Contrary to what these students originally thought, this stop was not a field of pineapples, but a resort focusing on employing Bahamians and contributing to the local economy through sustainable practices. Thoughts whizzing through their heads with a new outlook on tourism, the students head to their penultimate destination… the PINK SAND BEACH!
Fascinated by the ruins of an old Club Med devastated by a disastrous hurricane, the students ventured through the skeletal remains of the weathered resort and found paradise beyond the manmade remains overturned by the power of mother nature. Struck by the beauty of the PINK SAND BEACH, the clan finally puts their bathing suits to the day’s use and rushes to the teal blue water.
Heading to their last destination, they buckle up and blast “Ridin’ Through The Town” through the windows with wind rushing through their beachy waves. Exhaustion hitting their bodies, the students slurp their broccoli soup, regaining their lost energy from the day.
They make their way over to the Octagon, where they sit down for a relaxing documentary called Life and Debt, after which the students are invited to discuss the effects of tourism on the locals of Caribbean islands. Noticing the worn out faces, the documentary is ended early and the students go out to enjoy the starry night and hit the bunks for a peaceful dream-filled slumber.