June 7th-9th Dublin-London-JFK-SJU-STT Toni, Jessica, Teagan

On the seventh we were able to get our phones back at 9:30am and went to breakfast next door. Afterwards we finished packing and left for the airport. Unfortunately our first flight had a bit of a delay due to weather issues at our destination in England. When our first flight landed, there were problems with the plane getting to the gate which made us worry about missing our next flight. By the time we got off the plane the doors for the next flight were already closed and our plane was preparing to take off. We tried to rush but there was no use, we already missed it. We sat on the airport floor for four hours on our phones and played card games waiting to see when we could go home. After the long wait our teachers got us a flight from London to JFK early the next morning. The hotel were was very nice but we only stayed for a few hours.

The next day we woke up, ate breakfast at the hotel and went to the airport for our eight hour flight to New York. Upon arriving to we got to our hotel and had the rest of the day to relax. There were different groups that would be leaving New York the next morning for San Juan. One group had to leave at 2:30am to catch a flight at 5:30 while the the other group had to leave at 6:00am to catch an 8:30am flight. From Puerto Rico there were multiple groups that left for St.Thomas at different times. The separate groups arrived from 10:30am till 2:30pm.

Dublin City

Day 11: Thursday, June 6th, 2019

By: Drake and Kira

Today we visited the campus of Trinity. We did not see the book of Kells or Trinity’s famous library because to do so, you need an appointment. We did however, walk through the campus and admire the beauty of it. Then we went to the National Art Gallery, where we saw many famous works of art done by Picasso and Monet; and there was even a painting done by someone from St. Thomas! After the museum we went to lunch and then Ms. Truax and Ms. Ferguson surprised us with a city Viking Tour. Our tour guide was in character, portraying the irish viking spirit. On the tour we wore viking hats and roared like vikings, while learning interesting facts about the city. Once the tour ended, we had 3 hours of freetime which we spent on a shopping street in Dublin. In the evening, we went to Celtic nights, where we ate dinner and watched a show. We were served a three course meal and listened to Irish singers. Later in the night, dancers came on stage and began performing traditional Irish dances. Kamden and Adia even went on stage and performed an Irish dance with them.

Castles, castles, castles!

Day 10: Cork

By Jessica and Toni

This Morning we woke up at 5:30am in order to leave at 6 so that we could catch the bus that would take us to our tour bus. Our first stop was the Rock of Cashel which was the first castle we saw on our tour. The roof was missing from the building and there were tombs in a few of the sections within the castle. The next stop we took was the Blarney Castle and gardens here we were allowed to wander around the grounds for 2 hours, in the process a few of us got lost but nevertheless we walked around the castle and its gardens, and a few of us kissed the Blarney Stone. The legend has it that if you kiss the stone you will be able to talk yourself out of any situation (The gift of gab). Our final stop was the Cahir Castle, this castle was heavily armed and ready for an attach. This castle seemed to be the more modernized out of the ones we had seen. And finally we got back on the tour bus and rode back to the bus for 2 hours.

Cliffs of Moher

Day 9: Tuesday, June 4th

By Trevelle, Caroline E, and Anapia

Today we were supposed to wake up at 5:30 to get ready for 6:00, however some people’s alarms didn’t go off so we didn’t leave the Travelodge hotel until 6:15. In order to get to the bus station we had to walk for 30 minutes in the cold rain and battering wind. When we arrived at the bus stop we got seated and drove to our first destination which was the Barack Obama building. We stayed there for about 15 minutes and we were on our way again. Our second destination was a gas station. While there the bus fueled up while the passengers relieved themselves as well as purchased refreshments. Our third stop was the main tourist attraction known as the Cliffs of Moher. These cliffs stood to be 240 meters tall. While walking around the cliffs people had to be especially careful due to rainy weather causing slippery mud. Barriers were placed by the cliffs to ensure the safety of viewers. Inside of a gift shop near the cliffs there were many informational booklets which some of us found to be very interesting. After the Cliffs of Moher we rode the bus again and passed the smallest castle in Ireland known as the Leprechaun Castle. According to Irish beliefs the leprechaun king would reside there. Other leprechauns appeared from Fairy Trees. When spotted by farmers Fairy Trees would be surrounded by heavy stones to ensure that no one would interfere with them. According to the Irish beliefs meddling with these sacred trees would make the Leprechauns curse the person as well as there family. After driving for about 4 hours we finally reached back to the hotel at about 8:00 pm.

Traveling to Dublin

Day 8: Monday, June 3rd

By: Caroline E, Tiffy & Ju’Neece

Today was a very early travel day. Everyone had to be packed and ready to go by 4am. We rented a bus from our hostel to take us to the airport. We got everyone checked in and through security with only a few hiccups. While waiting to board the plane most of the group got either a smoothie or a coffee drink from Joe and The Juice, a local shake shop. In our attempt to board the plane, we found at that many people’s carry-ons did not fit the required measurements to go in the overhead compartments of this plane. This led to half of our group (10 people) having to check thiers bags for $50 each. This was an unexpected expense on our trip. Our flight was about 2 hours long. Once landing in Ireland, we had to go through an immigration line which took over 2 hours, due to some unusual circumstances (AKA Trump). By the time we were out of the airport, everyone was extremely tired. Thankfully, we had an amazing coach driver who waited for us and then took us straight to our hotel. Everyone relaxed at the hotel for a bit before the majority of the group decided to walk out into the city for dinner while the others decided to stay back and continue resting. Those who went out to dinner ate at a traditional Irish Pub named after Napper Tandy an Irish Patriot. We took turns reading about him on the back of the menu after we all placed our phones on the waiters tray, to be placed on another table. After eating dinner we headed back to the hotel where everyone rested up for our next big day.

Last day in Iceland :(

Day 6: Sunday, June 2, 2019.

By Marissa, Adia, Chantel, Kamden, and Teagan

Today we got to sleep in! We left the hostel at about 12:45 and went to eat lunch across the street at Aktu Taktu (a fast food restaurant). We then walked over to the Escape Room. There were three groups: a group of 8 in “Hollywood”, a group of 6 in “The Mafia”, and another group of 6 in “The Scientist.” The Hollywood group started off with 4 people locked on the other side of a fence from the other 4. It took place during 1957 and our goal was to meet Marilyn Monroe. “The Mafia” group broke into the godfather’s house in order to steal the Madonna painting and it was probably the hardest one. “The Scientist” was very fun and intriguing. The group was looking for the cure to cancer that a mad scientist left in his room before he died. The group was successful and had the fastest time. The group had completed the room in 47 minutes with 13 minutes left to spare and won the competition between groups, with the most punt of clues used. After the Escape rooms, we walked about 30 minutes to the mall where we spent 2 hours shopping and then ate dinner at the food court.

The Golden Circle

Saturday, June 1st Golden Circle
Caroline, Jessica, Toni, Ju’Neece, Tiffany

Today, we were told to wake up at 8 am and to be downstairs and ready by 9 am in order to get on the bus that would be picking us up. Everyone made their own sandwiches and ate breakfast at the hostel before we left. We had fresh fruits, toast, oatmeal, yogurt, juices, and cereal for breakfast. There were three stops on the Golden Circle tour. These stops included the continental divide, Gullfoss waterfall, and geysers. During the trip to each stop, our tour guide gave us historical information about the places we passed and random interesting facts about Iceland in general. For example, that there are over 300 types of moss, 32 active volcanoes, and 60,000 female sheep. At the first stop, we walked around looking at the continental divide, and the rocks and lake surrounding it. At the waterfall many of us went to the different levels of the waterfalls and took pictures. The water was so powerful that you didn’t have to be right next to the fall to feel mist. At the geysers, we found that the first geysers on the path were just bubbling up and didn’t have any large explosions. The second area on the path had a larger geyser that erupted every 4 to 7 minutes. Some of us were able to capture photos and even record some of the eruptions. After the geysers we had an hour and a half trip back to our hostel. Once we got back we slept, relaxed and/or played games. For dinner, we went to a new part of the city and after that some of us tried to go listen to a live icelandic band at the hostel, however, by time we arrived the concert was over. We then went to sleep to rest up for the next day.

Van Adventure Day to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Day 4: Thursday, May 31st, 2019 Kira, Drake, Devon, Devonte, Trevelle, Caroline G

This morning Ms. Ferguson and Ms. Truax rented two vans so we could take a road trip to three different locations on the West end of the island. 

The drive was 2 hours long so we made stops along the way where we could pick up snacks and stretch our legs. The first location they brought us to was outside a small town. It was a beautiful waterfall named Grundarfjaroarbær with two main falls and trails surrounding it. There was a bridge that you could cross to see over the waterfall, which was a great place to take pictures. 

The second location was the black sand beach named Snæfellsnes. Upon arrival Kamden was disappointed that the “black sand” was actually just rocks. However, the scenery around us was breath taking. A group of students climbed to the top of a hill and got amazing panoramic pictures of the view. 

After the black sand beach we stopped at the national park in hope of seeing puffins. Half the group split up to go zip-lining while the others stayed by the cars and did their own thing. 

During the drive back home we saw a beautiful sunset and arrived home at 11:30pm.

The Blue Lagoon

Day 3: Wednesday, May 30th, 2019
Marissa, Adia, Chantel, Kamden, and Teagan.

This morning we woke up at 6:30 to go to breakfast. At breakfast we were served bread, eggs, a variety of jams, cheeses, and juices. Soon after, we got on a bus to the spectacular Blue Lagoon. The bus-ride was about 45 minutes; as we traveled, we witnessed very different sceneries than what we were used to seeing. There were endless miles of rocks with moss on them for the entire ride. When we arrived at the Lagoon, we were very surprised by the modernized facility. After we got settled, we began to get dressed in our bathing gear and headed out into the hot spring. The lagoon consisted of nourishing minerals that were said to keep our skin youthful. We were also treated with a complimentary silica mud masks and drinks. During the time spent at the lagoon, we made new friends, made amazing memories and took unforgettable pictures with each other. Our bond continued to grow as we explored new places with one another. We had so much fun, we spent about 5 hours in and around the lagoon. After our AWESOME time at the Blue Lagoon, we traveled to “The Tails of Iceland” which was a museum of 14 clips (4mins each) showing the perspectives of fellow Icelanders and visitors on their personal experiences in Iceland. During the tour of the museum we were given mini snacks and hot beverages. After a small period of free time, we went to a local eatery to try traditional Icelandic cuisines. The menu consisted of lamb, vegan soup, fish and potatoes. After dinner we went back to the hostel and discussed our plans for the next day.

Getting settled in

Day 2: Wednesday, May 29th 2019
Caroline, Jessica, Ju’Neece, Tiffy & Toni

We landed in Iceland around 8:00am local time. We went through customs, which was a lot easier and quicker than customs in the US. We loaded onto a Gray Line bus that took us into the city of Reykjavik. From there we got into two smaller vans that took us to the hostel. We took some time to unwind in the main common area, then we put out belongings in our rooms and headed for lunch. We had lunch at Hlemmur Square, a place similar to a food court but a little more sophisticated. Many people branched out and tried foods they normally wouldn’t have at home. After lunch we walked back to the hostel and relaxed, slept and played card games. It was a good opportunity for the group to spend time together. Everyone walked around town and some people explored some shops, buying things like European chocolate and sunglasses. More games were played and Dominos was served for dinner. We are looking forward to going to the Blue Lagoon tomorrow.