We are in our last week here in Dominica, it's sad to say.
This past weekend was spent in Roseau, the capital of this tiny island nation. Students had the opportunity to go out to dinner on Friday night and then walk around town on Saturday morning. We checked out the outdoor market where vendors from all over Dominica come to sell many different types of produce. We also had the opportunity to go to the part of the market that sells souvenirs, so many students loaded up on things to bring back for friends and family.
On Saturday we headed over to Trafalgar Falls. It was quite the adventure for many of us to figure out how to scale the large boulders in order to arrive at the base of the waterfall for a swim. Eventually, everyone made it to the top and definitely felt a sense of accomplishment for finding the way. The water was freezing, but refreshing! After swimming in the cold water, it was a delight to hike back and sit in the hot sulfur pools nearby. Locals say that the water has healing capabilities, and it felt great to relax our bodies in the natural hot tubs.
Saturday night brought us to the Bense Youth Group "Talent Extravaganza" down in Anse Sol Dat. What an AWESOME cultural event! One musically talented student, Sev, got up and played two of his own songs. All the Putney students sang along while the crowd cheered him on. Everyone especially enjoyed the performance by the band that our local friends, Karel, Speedy, and KJB, are in. Later in the night, we even got a chance to have some dance challenges against locals, including our cook, Glenda! It was a late night, but everyone went to bed in a great mood.
We've all been working hard to finish our projects. At the suggestion of the students, we even had Sunday morning as a work day! It's been wonderful to see that our group is motivated to continue with the community service. This week we are finishing the mural on the water tank and putting up the signs throughout the community to show key places. Everything is looking FANTASTIC and community members are commenting on the great job that we've been doing!
We look forward to our final beautiful days here in Bense. Everyone continues to enjoy the projects we're finishing up, the trips to beaches and rivers, and most of all, the local culture and the warmth which we experience on a daily basis.
- Aryn and Michael
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Aryn Fleegler and Michael Kavalus
This website is visited by the family and friends of participants in Putney Student Travel's Community Service program in Bense, Dominica to check in on the progress of the group.
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Local Time in Bense, Dominica
Flight Itinerary
American Airlines
June 28: AA1635 JFK/SJU 8:00 A - 11:55 A
June 28: AA5062 SJU/DOM 12:35 P - 2:28 P
July 25: AA5113 DOM/SJU 2:22 P - 4:15 P
July 25: AA586 SJU/EWR 5:50 P - 9:55 P
June 28: AA1635 JFK/SJU 8:00 A - 11:55 A
June 28: AA5062 SJU/DOM 12:35 P - 2:28 P
July 25: AA5113 DOM/SJU 2:22 P - 4:15 P
July 25: AA586 SJU/EWR 5:50 P - 9:55 P
Trip Leaders
Aryn Fleegler and Michael Kavalus
ARYN FLEEGLER
Colgate University, B.A., Sociology; New York State Elementary Education Certification. During college, Aryn was a Resident Advisor, a member of a sorority, and rowed on the crew team. Her love of travel began during a semester abroad in Stockholm, Sweden. Aryn's travels have included trips to the Middle East, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Mozambique. After graduation from Colgate, Aryn joined the Peace Corps and moved to South Africa as a school and community resource volunteer, serving and residing in a remote Limpopo Province village. While there, she started the Limpopo Holiday basketball camp, was active in community discussions about HIV/Aids, and demo taught in her village's school. Upon completion of 2 years of Peace Corps service, Aryn stayed in South Africa, relocating to Pretoria, to teach a diverse group of 4th and 5th graders at an international school. In the fall, Aryn will be attending the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where she will be a M.S.Ed candidate. Aside from foreign adventure travel, Aryn enjoys hiking, reading, sewing, and dancing. Although this is her first summer as a leader, she has been a Putney participant in the past, attending Excel at Williams College when she was in high school.
MICHAEL KAVALUS
Bucknell University, B.A., Psychology, Minors in Philosophy & Religion. Michael caught the travel bug at seventeen when he backpacked through Europe for five weeks with a friend. He has studied in Spain and the Virgin Islands, surfed in Hawaii and Mexico, and done philanthropy work in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Upon graduating from Bucknell, Michael took a job teaching inner-city students in south central Los Angeles. Following a year in education, Michael moved to New York City to pursue another of his passions-acting and film. He has become very involved with Water in New York-a non-profit initiative that serves to bring clean water and sanitation to impoverished areas in Africa, India, and Bangladesh. Michael enjoys surfing, reading the New York Times, live music, yoga, black and white photography, and soccer.