Guest Post by Kaitlyn - Middle School Field Trip

Last Thursday, I got to go with my class to Lae on the Middle School Field trip.

We drove about 3 hours to get there.

 When we got there, we got to go see the Crocodile Farm where they raise crocodiles for their skins.  They have about 35,000 crocodiles there and we got to see their eggs.  We also got to hold a baby crocodile.  When I held it, I thought it felt like a bag of jello covered in scales.

 The next factory we got to see was the Gala factory.  They made ice cream, popsicles, ice cream cones, a type of koolaid and baking powder.  They had a huge freezer where they had huge cylinders of ice cream, and there was one machine that made ice cream bars.  When we were there, they were making tubs of mint chip, and chocolate covered coffee ice cream bars.  At the end of the tour, they gave ice cream bars out to everyone.  When we were leaving, they handed out two more entire boxes of ice cream bars to take with us.

Sporting some awesome (?) head coverings

Baking Powder???  Seems like that doesn't quite fit with the frozen/dessert theme!

Somehow, "Pure Sugar" is considered a selling point!

 

We stayed at the SIL Guesthouse in Lae, were we were able to go swimming at least twice every day.  I stayed in a room with all of my friends.  All 5 of us 8th grade girls got to stay together. 

 

The next day we got to the Rainforest Habitat where I got to hold a snake.  We saw lots of birds and animals that are native to PNG.

 

Checking out some wildlife.  Notice one of the snakes the kids got to carry around with them...

Fascinated by a crocodile or cassowary or something!

A wood carving for sale....Gotta love the crocodile eating someone part!

After that, we took tours of the Lae Biscuit Factory and also the Coca Cola factory, where they make all different kinds of sodas.  They were very interesting.  At the Coke factory they gave out tons of free sodas! I drank 3 different ones!

Middle school girls with their chaparones/parents/teachers

The whole gang (minus Matt, who was taking the picture)

On Saturday, we drove back to Ukarumpa and got home a little after 1pm.

It was an awesome trip and I'm so glad I got to go!

**side note from Mom:  Just 2 days after the 40-ish 7th and 8th graders and chaperones got back, the whole town of Lae was closed down due to civil unrest!  We're so thankful that the kids had a great time and got back safely before all the craziness erupted! :)