Rachel
French, Biology Major

Here's one simple thing that I've learned so far during our time here in Guadeloupe: it requires a certain amount of energy to visit a country and to be more than just a tourist on vacation. Working to interact with the culture and to speak the language can leave you pretty worn out at the end of the day, but it really is worth it. I am fully enjoying this opportunity to experience life in Guadeloupe. It may only be for three weeks, but I love getting to live here -- to drink my bowl of coffee in the morning, to greet the same shopkeepers on my way to school, to laugh over dinner with my host family and to speak French with new friends. I am blessed.

The other day, our Whitworth group and some friends from our language school had a new experience. We drove along the coast to the island of Basse Terre and met up with a local banana farmer who gave us a tour of his plantation. Jean-Claude grew at least six varieties of banana: some were plump and others were skinny, some were cultivated for their reddish color, some were designated for cooking -- I can't do them justice! My favorite part of the tour was getting to see and taste all of the other fruit that was growing around his plantation: passion fruit, coconut, starfruit, guavas and some with no name in English. He taught us that most every fruit grew in a variety of different colors and tastes. It was a beautiful tour.

Students at banana plantation.	Students at banana plantation.
Banana flower.	la Musée du Cacao.
Students learning about the history of cacao and its production at la Musée du Cacao.	Sugar cane fields and the mountains of Basse Terre. Sugar cane, and the rum made from it, are Guadeloupe's main products.

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