13
Location: Hiking near Lares
The group woke up to hot tea brought to their tents. We then had a little while to pack/get ready for breakfast after a delicious breakfast consisting of oatmeal, bread, french toast, eggs, and tea, the people who decided to continue the trek started off on the path. The first part was a little rough because everyone was trying to get use to their day-pack or trying to get use to the pace. Halfway through the first hour, everyone had set their pace and were enjoying the breathtaking views. After a few hours of hiking mostly uphill, the group arrived to lunch. We played games while we waited for lunch to be ready. The games really helped us bond and be happy as a group. We ate a wonderful lunch next to a river and had a delightful view. Again after lunch, we played more games until we were ready to leave for the second part of the day. I must say that the second part of the hike was much easier than the first part of the hike. Also, we ended up taking a lot less breaks. The views throughout were just spectacular. After a bit, we arrived at our campsite. We were in a valley in the mountains, and when looking around everything was beautiful. After claiming our tents and unpacking, we were called for tea time. We all ate our share of jam and crackers and enjoyed our hot chocolate since it was now a bit cold. We then continued to play games until dinner time, and more bonding occurred within the group. Dinner was once again wonderful. Camping food is probably the best food ever, so props to our chef. After our meeting, we went outside to get ready for bed but soon realized we were quite literally in a cloud. We all just sat there for a while, being in awe of the magnificence of nature. Being in a cloud was probably one of the best experiences of my life. After some clouds passed through, the stars came out. The sky was so clear that we could even see the Milky Way. Another wonderful experience for all of us. Finally everyone headed to bed. Despite everyone being nervous about the first day of the hike, we had a successful day. But I mean, with Bridget and Dan as our supporters, it wasn’t hard to have a successful day of hiking. Overall, the first day was challenging but fun; the views were indescribable and we all came even closer as a group.