Day 4: Jayuya
With a quick breakfast and morning chat, we were out the door on our next adventure - the town of Jayuya. Jayuya is in central Puerto Rico and is no less beautiful than Utuado and Isabella. Jayuya is named after the Taino cacique, or chief, that governed the area in Pre-Columbian times and it is known for its deep admiration of Taíno heritage.
We were on a mission today to see two things: The Museo del Cemí and La Piedra Escrita. The museum is a one-of-a-kind structure built to resemble a cemí, the physical representation of Taíno deities. What a site to behold! It was as beautiful on the outside as it was on the inside. Inside there was art and artifacts that gave a glimpse into the daily life of the Taino. Cemis, necklaces, Hachas (hatchets), pottery, petroglyphs and more.
What was more interesting was the Tienda Artesanal (gift shop) on the site. Not so much for all the wonderful gifts, resources and art inside but the wonderful, unexpected connection we made. Travis Neff, a filmmaker from Miami was sitting outside the gift shop. After saying hello and beginning a conversation we learned that Travis was at the end of a 5 year journey of creating a docu-drama about the indigenous people of the Caribbean entitled Full Circle. His inspiration was a book about the Taino in the Bahamas by Sandra Riley entitled "The Lucayans". We talked more and he informed us that there would be a two day festival called the 9th Annual Taino Gathering by the Council of the Sacred Fire this weekend! He and Ms. Riley would be in attendance and he urged us to attend. What a treasure to find out about! We'll be making the journey back to Jayuya on Sunday to take in all the gathering has for us!
Our second stop was La Piedra Escrita - translated "written stone". This huge stone was in the middle of Río Saliente and had lots of authentic carved Taino petroglyphs on it. The line drawings represent animals and other natural phenomena closely related to the taínos’ daily life. This wasn't the only cool thing about the stone though. It was perfect for jumping off of! Joel (the only one of us brave enough to do it) had an amazing dive!
As we sat in the river, on rocks, and walked the area we all appreciated what an amazing experience this was. To be standing at the place where these ancient writings were first made, to be standing in waters that once rushed over the feet of the Taino, to be surrounded by the beauty that they too must have taken in...what a blessing.
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.
We were on a mission today to see two things: The Museo del Cemí and La Piedra Escrita. The museum is a one-of-a-kind structure built to resemble a cemí, the physical representation of Taíno deities. What a site to behold! It was as beautiful on the outside as it was on the inside. Inside there was art and artifacts that gave a glimpse into the daily life of the Taino. Cemis, necklaces, Hachas (hatchets), pottery, petroglyphs and more.
What was more interesting was the Tienda Artesanal (gift shop) on the site. Not so much for all the wonderful gifts, resources and art inside but the wonderful, unexpected connection we made. Travis Neff, a filmmaker from Miami was sitting outside the gift shop. After saying hello and beginning a conversation we learned that Travis was at the end of a 5 year journey of creating a docu-drama about the indigenous people of the Caribbean entitled Full Circle. His inspiration was a book about the Taino in the Bahamas by Sandra Riley entitled "The Lucayans". We talked more and he informed us that there would be a two day festival called the 9th Annual Taino Gathering by the Council of the Sacred Fire this weekend! He and Ms. Riley would be in attendance and he urged us to attend. What a treasure to find out about! We'll be making the journey back to Jayuya on Sunday to take in all the gathering has for us!
Our second stop was La Piedra Escrita - translated "written stone". This huge stone was in the middle of Río Saliente and had lots of authentic carved Taino petroglyphs on it. The line drawings represent animals and other natural phenomena closely related to the taínos’ daily life. This wasn't the only cool thing about the stone though. It was perfect for jumping off of! Joel (the only one of us brave enough to do it) had an amazing dive!
