Today our group got to meet with Alex from Mother of Corals and learn about how they are trying to restore coral reefs in this area. After his presentation, he took us snorkeling to see the coral regrowth process up close. At the Basti school center today, we got to play soccer and kickball with the kids since we had such good weather.
At our discussion tonight, our group recapped our trip highlights as we only have one more day on this island. This trip was so much more than what I expected. The community here at Bastimentos was way more welcoming than I anticipated. There was an immediate connection when we arrived at the school last Monday. The kids were so welcoming the first day I only felt out of place for like 15 minutes before I was comfortable because they were just so welcoming. The kids were unbelievably grateful and excited for us to be there. They would come and greet us every day and say hi all the time even when they just see you walking around town. I also felt you really got to explore the community. For example, we got to go to a farm called La Loma and actually learn how fresh their fruit is. We even got to go as deep as exploring their coral reef and seeing them restore it. All in all, this trip was an amazing experience and if you can come, you will not regret it.