Team Taino is on the move! We arrived yesterday on this wonderful island and were immediately taken with its kind people, beautiful landscape and rich culture. Though we have only been here for two days, we have done and seen some amazing things.

 

Our first stop is the small, interesting town of Isabela. Nestled between Rincon on the west and Camuy on the East, Isabela is a costal town full of beautiful, lush greenery, coastal winds and quaint neighborhoods. Our first stop in Isabela was to the beach. Strolling the sands of shores that were surely used by the Taino and taking in the magnificent views was breathtaking.

Today was an experience that will not soon be forgotten. We took a drive to Utuado to visit the Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park. Opened in 1965, this pre-Columbian site was home to 12 Taino ball courts called "batays" in the Taino language. They were used for a number of events - funerals, weddings, baptism, games, trade, etc, The Caguana site is one of the major archeological site related to the Taino in Puerto Rico. Having seen these very ball courts in books and using the pictures as part of our past curriculum, we were in complete awe to be standing on the very site that a few years ago we didn't even know existed, much less thought we would be able to visit.

It would be remiss not to mention our travel there and back on winding roads that provided breath taking views of nature in all its glory. Joel strums a tune on his guitar as we wind down for the day. It is clear that our hearts are full, minds are expectant and hands are busy conjuring ways to translate this experience in ways that will leave as much of an impact on or school community as it did us. As we sit down to a meal prepared together and now shared together, we reflect on our experience and look forward to our next adventure only a few hours away. Stay tuned.