In Spring 2022, a Lafayette student posted all their adventures in South Caicos. When I saw the eagle rays, sharks, octopuses, and other marine critters on their page, I knew that I had to go to this program. The study abroad office was very supportive but emphasized that the program was academically intensive. In response, I scoffed…How hard could it be? Boy, oh boy. The weeks following Conch FEX were a roller coaster. Exams, quizzes, projects, unloading the Lew, diving courses, documents for Lafayette, and socializing were stressful. In all honesty, we had reached a point of utter despair. I couldn’t wait for Spring Break to come…and here it was.
For the first part of our break, we would participate in Mega FEX. This two-day adventure would take place in North Caicos, Middle Caicos, and Providenciales. At 6:45 am on Saturday, March 16th, we packed our luggage onto the trucks and headed to the ferry. We threw our luggage onto the ferry and headed to North Caicos. At North, we loaded our luggage onto the big, yellow school bus and rode to Naqqi’s house. Naqqi is a knowledgeable local who has been teaching about the historical, cultural, and social aspects of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) for years. At his house, we dropped off our gear and continued our journey to Middle Caicos. En route, we played many games and Naqqi pointed out historical ruins. In Middle Caicos, we went into the Conch Bar Caves. These caves are significantly important in TCI as it was used for collecting bat guano for manure.
The caves were so cool. It was interesting to see the creation of caves firsthand. Drip by drip, water fell on the floor and created a little hill. In a few years, it would become even bigger than it is now. The caves are also famous for their three bat species, one of which is endemic to the TCI. We would look up into the crevices to see the cute bats. Naqqi said that we should keep our mouths closed while looking up… they tend to relieve themselves whenever they please. While my mouth was closed, my forearm got a gift of urine. Why must it always be me?
Following our tour in the caves, we headed over to Mudjin Harbor for a reset break. This place was truly amazing. The sites are bound to wow you. We sat, ate, swam, and explored the area. Turkey and cheese sandwiches never tasted so good after a long day.
After our break, we headed over to Wade Green’s plantation. We got a tour of the place and its history. One interesting part of the tour was the mislabeling of PhD students from abroad. They embedded tiles into the ruins based on their interpretation of the plantation setup without consulting the local scholars. I guess they made these assumptions based on slavery in the United States. This emphasizes the issue that local narratives and expertise are vital in cultural longevity as well as legislative policies. In my opinion, the TCI government should have demanded that these PhD students consult their very own scholars, but I digress.
It wasn’t until 8:00 pm that we returned to Naqqi’s backyard. There, we ate dinner and ended the night with smores and bonfire games. The mosquitoes and sandflies that night WERE no joke. They tore into our ankles, arms, and face. No one was safe in the tents either.
At 6:45 am on Sunday, March 17th, we broke down our tents and packed our luggage. This was a great battle, especially with an abundance of sandflies everywhere. They typically come out during dusk, and they were out for blood…literally. If you ever go to a tropical place, bring baby oil with you. Sandflies will become trapped in the oil, and you will leave unscathed. Despite the constant biting, we had an inspiring debriefing on our first day of Mega FEX. Naqqi also brought out his cute pygmy boa for us to see (it’s so cute).
Following our debriefing, we went back to the ferry and headed to Providenciales. There, we met David Bowen. As the current Director of Culture, he shared a lot about the historical and cultural aspects of TCI. We spent some time singing many songs with tons of instruments. This guy is truly talented. My favorite was the song about going into the bush when you’re feeling ill because nature is healing. It was an amazing, interactive performance. Though it was tiring, Mega FEX was a great experience.
Overwhelming options
After leaving Bowen’s yoga studio, we headed to the local supermarket for Airbnb grocery shopping. Let me preface this by saying South Caicos is approximately eight sq. miles, with about five local shops. I had a weekly routine of school, gym, Carla’s, and quick runs for snacks. I was adjusted to a slow-paced island lifestyle. Providenciales is 37 sq. miles with the largest influx of tourists annually compared to all of TCI. My peers and I were extremely overwhelmed walking into this supermarket. Why did we need so many brands for the same product? Did I need the spring rolls because they were on sale? Should I buy a gallon of water or a case of water bottles? These thoughts ran through my mind as I ventured through the store.
This program has shown me that I don’t need everything I see. One of each relevant product was essential to a simple life (i.e. shampoo, conditioner, soap, perfume). It felt so freeing not to have to worry about keeping up with trends. I was already satisfied with little and this experience showed me that I can thrive with even less.