Location: Charlestown, Nevis
To begin the day, the students of Iles et Ailes awoke to the usual playing of “Bikini Bottom Day,” and everyone slowly but surely made our way upstairs to kick off an action-packed day on Nevis. Breakfast was served around 8:00, which entailed a selection of cereal, including Cinnamon Toast Crunch (courtesy of Adnan), Fruity Pebbles, and Chex. While the dishy pit began washing, the majority took a brief visit back to our cabins to prepare for our respective activities. Z and Dasha got off to an early start, leaving for horseback riding at 8:30, while those who chose to bike and kayak stayed back at the boat until our 9:30 pickup. Adnan, Sloane, Pete, Derrick, and I opted to bike the trip around Nevis’s perimeter and met up with Reggie (pictured) to get bikes and a counselor from Different Drummer, Claire. Around the same time, Carson, Zoe, and Jack boarded their kayaks, while Z and Dasha got assigned their horses and began trotting towards the beach. On the biking end of things, we enjoyed some beautiful beach views, as well as seeing monkeys, goats, and more. However, our fun quickly turned around at the discovery of Sloane’s flat tire.
We took a pit stop at a local gas station while we waited for a taxi and did some light snacking. Upon the taxi’s arrival, both Pete and Sloane decided to head back, while the rest of us made the decision to keep pushing. The rest of the biking that day may go down in history as one of the most miserable moments in all of our lives, with a specific mention of the non-stop 6-kilometer straight uphill. When asked how he would describe our misery, one biker answered, “There’s no way to describe that, bro.” Many passersby inquired about our well-being, seeing if we needed help or water, all of which we declined, and after a gruesome 16 miles, we all came out stronger! To cool off after activities, both Minerva boats had some beach time, where my fellow bikers and I heard stories of the other activities. The kayakers told us about the races they had (Carson and Zoe would like to highlight that they won), and the horseback riders shared some of the things they saw on their long beach trot. The dinghies picked us up, and everyone had the privilege of taking freshwater showers back at the boat. We headed over to Sunshine Barbecue back on the beach, and with everyone in their best outfits, lots of great food and photoshoots entailed. To end the night back on Iles et Ailes, Carson prepared brownies for everyone, and with full hearts and stomachs, everyone settled in for the night!
P.S. I miss you a lot. Mom and Dad love you! 😁❤️