Day 7: Last Full Day in Jamaica

Our last full day in Jamaica started off with sunbathing and swimming before breakfast. For breakfast we had a traditional Jamaican breakfast that included a bread similar to fried dumplings called Johnny cakes, with callaloo, a vegetable that resembles spinach but has a thicker stem. For someone like me who can’t handle spice very well, the callaloo had a surprising kick to it. We also had the staple sliced fried plantain. 

View from the pool as storm clouds roll in

After breakfast we watched storm clouds move across the sky dramatically and it rained as we we started our workday at the large dining room table. Linda lead a discussion going over the week and all we had seen and experienced. We then moved on to the proposal, discussing what we now thought of it, and then compared the ideas we had coming into the project to the new insights we gained by actually being on-site and seeing Camp Millbrooks for ourselves. We took a quick lunch break and then divided into smaller groups to discuss ideas for our proposal and everything Linda had touched upon. 

Fruit of the cerasee vine

As a biology student, my part in the project is slightly different from the other students, and so I left the others and took the opportunity to take pictures of the many medicinal plants on the property. Unfortunately, I did not finish this as I got sidetracked taking pictures of the many fruit trees and plants that are very different from what we have at home.

I stopped taking pictures of plants as the sun started setting and I tried to capture the sunset instead, while Dan, Steve and I were in a discussion with Richard. This gave us an opportunity to reflect on the week with Richard and ask any last minute questions we may have had. Later, dinner was served buffet style with baked chicken, stewed beef, mixed veggies and another staple, rice and peas. Many of us went up for seconds, tired and hungry after a long day of work in the fresh air! After dinner Emily and Olivia went with Natalya and Joan to visit a home for pregnant teenage girls, while the rest of us gathered outside and enjoyed our last night in this beautiful place.

View of a cloudy sunset from Millbrooks Resort

- Written by Skye Duncan Stephens