Day 11: La Fortuna and Arenal

Day 11:

zip lining

kelsey's birthday

shopping

don juans

Happy birthday Kelsey!!

Our alarms went off bright and early this morning since we had to be at breakfast at 6:30 A.M. We all gathered our things, ate a delicious buffet breakfast at our new beautiful resort, and were off on what would be one of our most exciting adventures yet; zip lining through the rainforest. Our drive was quick and on the way Adrian gathered up our money. One we got there we signed our lives away. After signing we all slipped into our zip lining gear: harnesses, helmets, one normal glove, and a special brake glove (we all decided it was a money paw and had way to much fun with it). Many of us had butterflies flittering in our tummies (they felt like either blue morphos or monarchs). None of us (except Adrian) had done anything like this before so we had no idea what to expect. Adrian also made us promise that everyone would participate in the "tartan swing" that he refused to describe, which didn't ease our fears. We had six different tour guides along for the ride. At first this seemed like an overkill of leadership but soon we realized that they moved from post to post, making it faster for us to switch lines. this definitely came in handy since we were a bigger group. Once everyone was suited up we took some goofy pictures then headed towards a practice zip line. Here Manuel (our lead guide) explained the hand gestures to us including "stop" and "speed up". He also showed us how to get on and off the harness, how to use our break glove, and where to hold on. With all the instructions clear we climbed up the short steps to the practice line so that everyone could get a feel for what was to come. Though the break glove felt like it did little to slow us down and several of us bonked into the guide, we all passed the test with flying colors and it was time for the real deal.

We pilled into a rickety old truck that drove us to the first zip line of the day. We were excited that the truck took us up so far but we still had to climb up a few flights of stairs before reaching the start. This Ecoglide adventure consisted of thirteen zip lines of all different lengths, with the optional "tartan" surprise after the eighth. Our stomachs were still rumbling as we saw our guides go flying down this long stretch of wire through the trees. Knees shaking we one by one got helped lift ourselves up, attached on, and zipped away.

The views were amazing! Some were set directly in the center of the forest surrounded by trees and animals. Others were set where the trees open up and you could see giant field openings where farmers and townsfolk lived. As we zipped through the trees, at what felt like 40mph, you felt completely free. With the warm wind blowing in your hair and all you could hear was the sound of the zip line everything felt at peace…Until you quickly approached the end of the line and your break glove, again, didn't seem to slow you down you instantly felt a sense of fear as the only thing you would see was the giant tree in front of you. As the George of the Jungle song, "watch out for that tree" played in our heads we soon realized that the guides had ropes set up to break us so that no one splatted into the trees. As happy as we were to see that, it would have been nice to know before we through we were about to become bugs on a windshield. However, even after knowing we all still screamed when approaching the end of the line. Oh well.

After finishing the eighth zip line it quickly became apparent why the "tarzan swing" was optional. There, hanging up in the canopy level of the rainforest was a rope. As Arian got clipped into the harness we watched as they opened the gate and our beloved guide jumped, quickly followed by all of our screams in terror. Within seconds he appeared to us again, only this time on the opposite side swinging almost directly vertically in the air. As he swayed back for forth several times before slowing down we all stood there reconsidering our primes to participate. With a few brave souls volunteering to go first, the rest of us slowing began to reconsider passing this up. Though some nervous screams were belted out, fears of wetting our pants lingered, and tears were shed we all eventually strapped up and took the plunge (and yes we have videos of for you all of you to watch).

Back on our feet we felt this overwhelming sense of accomplishment. For most of us, this was something we never thought we would ever be willing to do, so the joy of conquering a fear was clear by the smiles on our faces. Back on the zip lines we continued our descent through the forest. The next few were longer than the ones before, giving some of us a chance to even attempt taking pictures midair.

As we reached the bottom we posed for several more pictures and embrued in hugs of joy. Zip lining through the rainforest was such a magical, once in a lifetime experience I know we will all carry with us and treasure for the rest of our lives.

If you can believe it, this adventure began and ended all before 10:00 A.M. With our adrenaline still rushing through us, we climbed back on the bus and headed to the hotel. We were planning to go out to lunch and shopping in the La Fortuna town around noon, so we had some relaxing time before the rest our of day began. A handful of us sat poolside, soaked in the rays, and sipped on deliciously sweet pineapple drinks. The rest of the girls used their free time to relax, catch up on journaling, and just enjoy the free time. As noon approached though we all headed to our rooms to get ready for the day. We knew that we would be going to the organic farm differently after shopping so we needed to dress accordingly.

Once in town the group divided into serval smaller groups as we parted for lunch. Some went for some American comfort food, others stuck with our new Costa Rican carvings, and the rest dabbled in a mixture of other things. While some groups decided to save their money for less touristy prices elsewhere, others went to town swiping cards and counting out cash. Once everyone was done with what they were doing we returned to the bus and drove to Don Juan's organic farm.

At Don Juan's they pride themselves on organic, sustainable farming. Once there, we were greeted by our guide Christian. Even though he spoke limited English (requiring Patty, Dory, and Adrian to translate) his over the top animated personality had all of us interested and entertained. He took us on tour of the farm showing us different local fruits, explaining how they plants their crops in shapers as opposed to rows (triangles or circles), and introducing us to their chickens, cows, and pigs. Everyone had different opportunities to get hands on with all the stations we visited whether it be by tasting the fruits cut straight from the trees, pulling roots, or plucking veggies for dinner.

As it stated to rain we dipped into the shed where we got a chance to grind sugar cane into a sugar-water drink. Cranking wheels and pulling the stalk through the grinder had everyone laughing and anxious to try the tasty beverage. After pouring our drinks into shots glasses to rose to our feet, cheered to life, love, and the beautiful Costa Rica and took it down. We also got to experience sugar cane sticks (chewed like a candy, but not swallowed) as we experienced with other drink concoctions.

Feeling hungry after the long afternoon on the farm we went into the main house to help prepare dinner. There we broke into two groups: those that helped chop veggies for salad and side dishes, and those that helped create tortillas. As the meals cooked we blasted some traditional Costa Rican music and danced. The rain was now pouring down harder than we had ever seen causing everyone to get wet yet no one cared. In that moment, dancing around the kitchen together to the sound of the rain we were a family, and everything felt right.

To no one's surprise, all the excitement worked up quite the appetite and we some moved over to the table for a feast. After eating we all shared in the responsibility of clearing the table and cleaning the dishes. Due to the rain we had to leave a little early (we needed to cross the river and with all the rain we needed to make sure we got there while it was still safe). It was sad to leave the people at Don Juan's but it was time for us to go. Once back at the hotel everyone returned to their hotel rooms to try to relax after such an eventful day.

It sometimes amazes us how much we get to experience in one day. We are so lucky to have people like Adrian and Mo in our lives to make days like this possible for us.

Love from all in Costa Rica,

Pura Vida!

Day 10: Veragua School and White Water Rafting!

Day 10:

After a rough evening, a good night sleep was all we needed to wake up refreshed for another day of learning. We met for breakfast where the guides mentioned how bad they felt about the ant attack the night before. Their never failing desire to make sure we have a good time made us realize how truly insignificant a few ant bites are. Breakfast was short and sweet; we said our goodbyes and headed back to our bus with a lot of new knowledge and a positive outlook for the rest of the day.

Today was full of bus rides and new adventures. We left the rainforest accompanied by Marco and Andres and drove for about twenty minutes before stopping  at the Veragua Elementary school for a visit. We were greeted with a poem (spoken in english), and a special dance. The children were very serious about their presentation and we all cheered for them as it ended. After their dance for us, we decided to teach them a well known American song/dance. THE HOKEY POKEY! The children had big smiles as we put our right foot in, and took our right foot out and by the time we were shaking it all about everyone was laughing and singing along. When all of the songs and dance performances finished we gave the school our gifts we had put together consisting of different school supplies. They were so excited to receive gifts from us we all felt like Santa on Christmas morning. Sadly, the time to leave quickly approached and soon enough we were back on the bus headed for our next adventure.

Two hours hours of driving later, we reached our destination. The bus rolled to a stop, and all of our mouths dropped as we saw the white water rafts and the gorgeous tour guides they came with. We hopped off the bus and followed our guide, Walter, to a private outlook over the river where he had set up a make-your-own taco station. The was once again, delicious. We stuffed our bellies and then climbed back into the bus to drive up the river for thirty minutes before we could float back down. At the site of the rafts, our hearts started pounding when the guides handed us oars, tightened our life vests, and snapped on our purple and white helmets. We were split into two groups, one group had four girls plus Adrian, and group two had the rest.

After a short, yet comical, safety briefing it was finally time to board our rafts. Like instructed, we squeezed our feet tightly into the straps to help from falling out. With giddy grins and butterfly-filled bellies we were off. This river's rapids is ranked a 3 on a scale of 5 (very different from the Salt River tubing many of us are used to). The water felt cool and refreshing as we paddled down the beginning of the river.  It was not long before we hit our first rapid, which to our surprise was one of the toughest. Our guides yelled to "Get down!", but since we were not comfortable with the terms some of us forgot causing Patty to have the terrifying experience of falling out of her raft. Luckily, she was quickly pulled back in and through a little shaken up, continued the tour.

Halfway through our float down the river, we pulled our rafts onto shore for a quick break where our guides cut up fresh pineapple that was quickly devoured. We all laughed as Adrian told us to jump off of the small cliff we were standing on, but we soon found out that he was not kidding. Without hesitation, he and another guide walked us about 50 feet away and one by one we jumped off of the rocks and splashed into the water. As we stood there is shock and scared to join we reached down for our inner "Pura Vida" and decided we were going to do it too. The feeling was exhilarating! We all jumped off the cliff twice floating down to where the guides were waiting to help pull us back to land.

After our break was over we loaded back into the rafts and continued for another hour down the river. There were a handful of rapids we passed along the way, each one making us scream and laugh harder than the one before. On our final turn, we shouted out for Mo who was waiting where we had eaten lunch, camera in hand trying to take pictures. She excitedly smiled back and snapped away before meeting us at the end. We all jumped off our of rafts feeling as if we were on cloud nine. Our day had been amazing, and it felt good to have a day of adventure.

We said our "thank yous" and goodbyes before returning to our bus again, sad to leave our new friends. We are now headed to La Fortuna and not expecting to arrive for another couple of hours. Dinner will be waiting as we arrive, but for now we are all resting our sore and tired bodies from our long day of fun in the sun!

Love from all in Costa Rica!

Pura Vida!

Day 9: Veragua Rainforest

Day 9: Veragua Rainforest

Buenos Dias! We began our day with the pleasure of having our second "late" breakfast (9AM). We are headed to the Veragua Rainforest for a full day of learning and fun activities.

We piled onto the bus and got comfy in our seats. Normally, some of us like to take naps on long bus rides, but today was much different. Adrian and Gabriel asked if we would like some musica, which all of us quickly replied with a loud "SI!". Adrian mentioned that he had some songs up his sleeve that we would love, and to our surprise, we were all singing and dancing in our seats within seconds. First the YMCA (we loved watching Sierra do the entire dance, unlike the rest of us only spelling the letters..Abby spelling it backwards), then the Macarana (a goodie, but it gets old fast), and he also mixed in some Spice Girls and old Ricky Martin that had our wheels turning double time to remember all of the lyrics. We have decided that if being a guide ever bores Adrian, he has a promising career as a DJ.

As our bus rolled to a stop so did our singing as we were greeted with the flashy smile of our Veragua Rainforest guide, Marco. We stuck our hands out and got the first of our many wristbands slapped on. Then we were given a short time to put our bags in our dorm room style bedrooms and got ready to have lunch. We met up right outside of our new dorms and headed toward the rainforest cafeteria where we formed a buffet style line and fueled up for the rest of our day of jam packed activities.

We allowed ourselves a few minutes to digest our delicious food before climbing on the tram that took us to another section of the rainforest. The view was absolutely breathtaking as we slowing coasted from the canopy level down to the forest floor. Marco helped us climb out of our tiny boxcar tram and we started our hike towards the waterfall. The hike wasn't long but there were many steps to climb up and down which quickly caused us to drip in sweat. On the way, we learned about a gigantic buttress that has huge roots growing above the soil, and we also spotted a few red, poisonous, but very tiny, frogs. Once we arrived at the waterfall we were were all in awe and took many individual and group pictures before heading off in the other direction. Marco showed us many more plants, animals, and insects during our walk. There is always a time for learning a moment on this trip.

After our walk through the rainforest, Marco guided us through three different exhibits: reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies. The reptile exhibit consisted of medium sized cages that could be found at the zoo. They contained different lizards or snakes not only local to Costa Rica, but also currently living in the Veragua rainforest. He then talked about their habitats, diet, sleeping patterns, and size. Next was the amphibian exhibit. Most frogs and toads are nocturnal therefore, the exhibit turns the lights off during the day and turns them on at night in order to show the frog's activity to visitors. The second room of the frog exhibit was replicated to look like their natural habitat. This area contained three poisonous frogs species but we only spotted two: the green and black poison dart frog, and the strawberry poison dart frog (We could not find the tiger stripped species..it was hiding).

Last, but definitely not least, we visited the butterfly garden. It was magical. There were many species of butterflies all living in the same natural-looking habitat. We were even able to meet a few experts (Andres and Julio). They taught us about butterflies, the different stages of their life cycles, and the farm which they purchase the chrysalis. After learning about them we received the opportunity to release the newly hatched butterflies. As we held these new creature in our hands we walked back into the garden and threw them into the air. As their wings spread wide, showing their beautiful colors, we stood under them in awe of their majestic beauty.

Before dinner, we had three minutes to freshen up and grab anything we needed for our night walk. Once again we waited in line for our delicious dinner. Our plates full of rice, beef, and salad were quickly licked clean. Dinner was over in a blink of an eye, so we grabbed our rain gear and cameras, and huddled behind Andres to be protected from what came next. Any girl could agree that a night time insect walk does not sound like a good time, but we pumped ourselves up, and headed into the darkness. Our guides were fascinated every time we found an insect or a snake, which made it easier for us to enjoy the walk as well. Although the walk was interesting at first, it quickly turned for the worse. We quickly realized we were standing on top of an ant hill and we were not invited. As the expression "ants in your pants" became a reality (as well as shoes, shirts, and unmentionables). Our emotions and moods instantly went south as everyone began doing a new version of harlem shake as we tried our best to remove these critters. Things got so bad for some people that they made a b-line for the bathroom, ripping off their clothes in an attempt to stop the biting. Once everyone was free the morale was significantly lower and everyone just wanted to get into the showers. However we tried to stick through the bites and stings and listened the last few pieces of information about the trapping lights used to attract the bugs. Mo even spotted the black and white owl, which she hadn't ever seen before (we named him Dumbledore) so the night didn't totally "bite".

Now were off to the showers, and bed. We wish we could spend more time here, but we have another full day ahead of us tomorrow.

Love from all in Costa Rica!

Pura Vida!

Day 8: Bri Bri

Day 8: Bri bri

Happy birthday Liz!

Today, we woke up and had breakfast at the community area overlooking the pool and spa; and of course it was another amazing meal. Fresh pineapple and watermelon, pancakes and scrambled eggs and bread all pilled on our plates and filled our bellies. Yum!

After surviving the food coma we put ourselves in, we packed our backpacks and took the hour long bus ride to the town of Bri Bri which is home to the indigenous Bri Bri people. When our bus stopped however we were not at Bri brbi We all grabbed a life jacket and walked down to a fast flowing river to a motorized canoe that was going to take us across that bumpy stream. That canoe was NOT at all stable as we were walking and sitting down causing most of us to either cling to our live vests or each other. Finally, we stabilized and the motor purred as it struggled against the current to get us to the other side.

When we got off, an old school bus was waiting for us. We piled in the the none air-conditioned sauna where we were sweating so much the 10-15 minute wait began to feel like hours. As more local people made it across the river they then joined us on the bus and we were soon off. Though the breeze felt amazing, the rickety old school bus racing down and up hills with the bus door flying open and slamming closed left most of us opened jawed and nails deep in the seat in from of us.

Once at our stop we happily exited the bus and were greeted by our Bri Bri trail guide, Ivan, who then took the lead on. The trail was very muddy and we put our best efforts forward in attempts to not fall as we were slipping and sliding along. We quickly came to a river that came up to our hips and we gripped tightly to each other's hands so we didn't lose our balance and fall. Once we got across we continued our uphill hike until we came to our next river which was also waist high and with a faster current. Our hike continued and we finally came to Bri Bri.

As we came up the hill are eyes landed on an open field with different size huts surrounding the outskirts. As we made our way past the children playing soccer we were greeted by the principal of the school in his home area, which was made of all chonta wood and dried palm leaves. Their layout of the room was so that when you entered you walk directly into a large living space with benches surrounding the walls. Behind the large living space were two more rooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. We were given a warm corn drink with a different taste than we had experienced before, almost like chunky, warm, corn water.

We then we met another man who wanted us to see his house, so again we hiked. This was a very steep hike, uphill, on red, slippery mud. After a rigorous twenty minutes and 5 girls falling on their bottoms requiring Gabriel's rescue, the view was incredible and completely worth it. His house was on top the mountain, looking over all the forest. He told us about his life and what he does daily. Though he could remember details about building his house, the amount of children he had left him stumped and us laughing. After visiting for a bit, we hiked back down the very slippery mud where a few of us fell some more. Along the way, the Bri Bri man told us about how they use different plants for remedies and healing cures. We were served lunch in a leaf presentation when we got back! There was chicken, rice and beans, and heart of palm. After lunch we visited their community center and their spiritual hut area. As it began to rain we decided it was time to hike back.  We stopped at the first river we planned to cross, but Adrain had something better planned. Instead of walking across it we walked up the river a little ways and floated down. it was like a natural water slide which had us laughing very hard. We ended up doing it three more times! Then we continued on, back to the speedy fast bus and unsteady canoe. Once on our bus again were given plastic bags so we didn't get our bus seats wet, unfortunately they didn't do anything to help the river smell emanating from us. When we got back to the hotel we showered and were ready for dinner. We had dinner in the community room again where we celebrated Liz's birthday with a lasagna dinner and chocolate cake. Some of the girls went out on the town to celebrate while others stayed behind to rest. Today was such an amazing day!

Love from all in Costa Rica,

Pura Vida!

Day 7: Beach Day at Cauhita

Day 7: Beach day

After another long night of turtles we once again got the chance to sleep in a little bit. Once awake we enjoyed our last meal with the people of Estacion las Tortugas, packed our bags, and began what would be one of the most relaxing days we have had here. After a two hour drive we arrived at a local super market where Adrian loaded up grocery carts full of materials for us to have a picnic. We then took these goodies and headed to the national park beach where we would be spending the rest of the day.

Arriving at the beach didn't seem real to us. We had the whole beach to ourselves giving it the allusion of being on a private island. As Adrian, Mo, and Gabriel prepared for lunch, all t he girls ran into the ocean. The water was like nothing we had experienced before. it was so clear that you could see small fish swim past your toes and the temperature was so warm and enjoyable. After a few hours of rolling around on the beach looking like rotisserie chickens as we tried to get a tan, and then splashing in the water we had worked up such  appetite that the sounds of "lunch is ready" was music to our ears. As you walked over to our picnic table we gasped at the gorgeous spread Adrian, Mo, and Gabriel had prepared for us. They had completely gone all out. Using leaves as serving dishes and other fancy table decorations, the presentation would have had Martha Stewart proud. After devouring all that delicious food, we resumed our positions on the beach for about another hour, then we brushed ourselves off and headed back to the bus.

We drove to to our next hotel, The Goddess Resort and Spa, where we felt as if we left the study abroad program and entered our honeymoon, for this hotel was not only beautiful, but romantic. As we settled in for our romantic evening together everyone showered and fancied up as we were about to hit the town. Seeing everyone all girly again gave us hope for a less muddy future. As we got into town we were told we could venture off in smaller groups or all eat together. Not surprisingly, we chose to eat together because we are now no longer classmates, but family (plus we were on our honeymoon and it would just be sad to split up). After several plates of quesadillas, nachos, and fajitas our bellies were full and we were ready to return back to our gorgeous suites. 

As we now settle into bed we are so grateful for our day of rest but excited to get back to the grind tomorrow!

Love from all in Costa Rica,

Pura Vida!

Day 6: Turtles, take two.

Good morning!  Believe it or not we actually got a chance to sleep in this morning. Due to our late night turtle watching we were rewarded by a 9AM breakfast as opposed to the usual 7AM breakfast that left half of us feeling like we re going to fall asleep and end up face first right into our rice and beans. After taking turns setting up and taking down the dishes, we gathered up our journals and school supplies and piled into a classroom to learn more about the sea turtles. 

Stami's excitement was instantly contagious and everyone's eyes and attention were drawn to her. Through a PowerPoint presentation, pamphlets, and specimen samples she went into detailed descriptions about their habitat, eating habits, and population problems- both natural and human causes. According to Stami, out of the three turtles found in Costa Rica (the Leatherback, the Green, and the Hawksbill) all are on the verge of extinction. This being so, turtle preservation places such as Estacion las Tortugas are essential in keeping the species alive. Their efforts include turtles patrols (like the ones we assisted in) where in different groups 3 kilometers of land are patrolled from 8PM-12AM and 11PM-3AM to protect the breading turtles from poachers. Being that the turtles are at such a risk, any interference with them is a federal offense that is strongly enforced. it was explained to us that these poaches hunt down the eggs and sell them. They are often used in bars and used raw as a shot, which is considered to be a natural aphrodisiac. The eggs aren't the only thing in danger from these poachers though. Sometimes the whole turtle is stolen from the beach and used for meat or their shell is used for jewelry. 

Once class was dismissed we filled out of the classroom and had recess (free time). Some people took naps trying to recover from the long night while the rest of us laid beachside in hammocks in-between palm trees taking in the day. As the waves crashed upon the coast and the light, warm breeze blew our hammocks, we couldn't help but feel at complete peace. For those select moments, all the heat, humidity, and mosquitos seemed irrelevant and we just existed in the world around us.  Some us of took a quick walk to explore the local forest.  We picked up a few coconuts and had the opportunity to taste the coconut water and eat some of the coconut meat!









Later in the afternoon we did a service project with the volunteers of the turtle research station.  We worked to help prepare a new nursery area for the turtle eggs.

Before dinner we headed out in boats to explore the surrounding area to see what wildlife we could spot.  We were thrilled to be moving on the water as it kept the mosquitos at bay!  Our water adventure turned up a wealth of animal life.

Around 5:30 we were informed that a batch of hatchings had emerged from their nests and were to be set free into the ocean. As smiles filled our faces and we clenched onto our camera we filled into the work station to watch one of the workers put the small little turtles into a crate to transport them to the beach. As we gathered behind here like anxious children peering into a toy store window we followed her out to the beach snapping as many pictures as we could. Once we got to what she described as the perfect place to release them, she tuned the crate over and the race to the sea began. The little turtles move their arms and legs with such force and strength it was almost hard to believe they had just  been born mere hours ago.  The stronger turtles reached the wet sand first and headed towards the surf.  Other, lagging behind, continued to work 

                                                                                                     their front and back fins making progress that had to tire them out.  We cheered, encouraged them and followed slowly as they made there way through the drier sand to the more moist beach.  Eventually, they were all swept up by the rolling surf.....off they went on their journey of survival.  For some, the journey would be short for they would end up as dinner for some of their predators.  Others, would make it to the deeper seas to only lose their life to a predator.  Only one in a thousand hatchlings makes it to adulthood.  Our efforts were increasing those odds.

When dinner rolled around that night we were all surprised (and slightly overly excited) to find that they had created a dish of spaghetti and garlic bread for us! As our mouths watered with anticipation, we realized they must have over heard our conversations about missing some home favorites. Once again the kindness of these Costa Ricans blew our minds and touched our hearts. After everyone went back for seconds (and even some for thirds) we wrapped up dinner and suited up for our final turtle patrol.

We met in the dining hall at 7:45 for our final turtle patrol.  Half way through our walk, with no turtles yet spotted, we were feeling slighting discouraged. Then, like an act of fate, our guide noticed little tracks leading from one of the nest towards the ocean; and sure enough after shining the infrared upon the sand we saw little turtles making their journey towards the sea. As we tried to hold back our squeals of excitement, the guides went to work scooping one up to take back to camp for data measurements. As we briefly head away from our patrol posts and back to the facility to measure the baby we all took turns holding him/her in our hands (turtle gender is determined later in life depending on what temperature the turtle choses to live in). As we each took turns we couldn't help but feel overwhelming senses of joy. This little creature that squirmed in our hands was only there due to the efforts of these people who sacrificed their lives so that these turtles could have a chance at life too

As the evening came to an end, we returned to our bunks, crawled under our mosquito nets and reminisced about all we had the opportunity to be a part of that day. Watching observing and experiencing the awesomeness of nature forces you to reflect on your role in the world. In our busy lives full of schedules, bills, and obligations we forget how small we actually our in this world. The bigger picture became clear for us today though, and it was beautiful.

Love from all in Costa Rica,

Pura Vida! 

Day 5: Estacion las Tortugas

Today was a bittersweet day. We had to say goodbyes to our new friends and family at Monserrat, but we were ready to experience more of Costa Rica.  Thank you Montserrat, Margherita, Favio, Blanca,  Alejando, Wendy and Lucia!

Once our goodbyes ended, we reunited with Gabriel and started our journey towards Estacion las Tortugas where we will be helping to protect leatherback sea turtle eggs and hatchlings from poachers and other natural dangers. 

Some of us managed to take short naps on the bus, but it was hard because the road is very bumpy (and as you know, Gabriel drives like a maniac). After a two and half hour ride, we had the pleasure of meeting Adrian's mom, Senora Nila. We picked up her up on the way to a local restaurant that Adrian frequently visits. Lunch was delicious! We had the option of eating chicken, fried fish, pork chops, or beef…nonetheless our plates were licked clean and we even had dessert!  Our ice cream dessert was very yummy.

After lunch we dropped off Adrian's mom and briefly met his beloved dogs. We were now off to our first school visit, and to our surprise it was the school Adrian attended as a child.   This is a small school on the Caribbean Coast.  The school is home to about fifty students.  The students range in age preschoolers to eighth grade.   The school has large windows that face the street and the wire mess covering the windows allows the breeze to blow through freely, when there is a breeze.

Right as we came off the bus, the students greeted us at the front gate by grabbing our hands and walking us around the school to give us  tour.  Some of our girls played a quick game of soccer with the students.  Soccer is the football of Central America and the game of choice.  Everyone puts their blood, sweat and tears into this game regardless.  At first we were hesitant to play thinking we might hurt one of the kids but we quickly learned we were the ones who needed to be concerned for our own well being.  The kids threw themselves into the game and played fast and furious.

The game went back and forth with the ball flying in all directions.   One side finally scored a goal and the competition bar was raised.   Finally the game ended as a tie with both sides scoring a goal.  

After the game we headed back to the classroom in order to be introduced and present the students and school with our gifts. 

It was very heart warming to watch their faces light up at the sight of gum, crayons, glue sticks, and toys. 

To conclude our short visit, we took group pictures, and said our "see you laters". It was time for us to continue our voyage to the Caribbean coast. To give you an idea of the Costa Rican roads, our trip took over four hours and it was only sixty miles.

 


Before our bus trip ended, we passed through banana and pineapple plantations.   As we passed by the banana plantation, Gabriel made a quick stop.   We piled off the bus and followed Adrian into the banana field.  Adrian explained that the banana tree is a female but has both male and female flowers.  The female flowers turns into the bananas with the male flower turning into the shell around the bananas.

The blue bags are placed around the developing banana's to protect them from blemishes.  All grade 1 banana's, no blemishes, are exported.  Any banana with a blemish is considered a 2nd or a 3rd.  A 2nd banana has a brown spot or something that does not change the 

taste or quality but appearance.  This is sold in Costa 
Rica.   Grade 3 bananas are made into baby food.   These 3rd category bananas might have a bruise that is seen on the banana's meat.  This can be removed and made into the pureed baby food.

All banana trees have three trunks because they are three generational trees.  One trunk is the baby, which is the newest trunk.  One trunk is the mama and the last trunk is the grandma.   After three generations the entire banana field is cut down, removed and new baby banana plants replace the entire field.

The mama trunk carries the banana's.

The pineapple fields we passed covered much of the land on both sides of the road for miles.  Pineapples are from the bromeliaceae family.  These plants are plant every which way and not in rows.  The pineapple grows at the crown of the plant, possibly flowering in 20 - 24 months and fruiting in the following six months.  The pineapple plant produces a pineapple once every four years.  The pineapple plant is short, stocky stem with tough, waxy leaves.  Costa Rica and Hawaii provide the world with most of its pineapples.

Back on the bus we headed down the road to the docking station where we will pick up the boat that will take us to Las Tortugas - TURTLES!!!!!

Our bus reached the dock and we quickly pile off.   We begin removing our luggage and carrying them to the boat.  Our short boat ride takes us through a small canal surrounded by rainforest and leads us to our new home, which will be so for the next two nights.  We were embraced by humidity, tasted by mosquitos, and welcomed by the people.   Our travel to our island was a new adventure.   The breeze cooled us off and kept the mosquitos at bay.  The sounds of the jungle reminded us of the Rainforest Cafe minus the elephants!.   We jetted over the brackish water which are home to caiman and crocodiles.  The trees were alive with birds from tips of the trees to the forest floor.  Basilisk and lizards roams the branching that hung over the waters.......

Soon we arrived at the shore that would start our short journey to camp.  Once in camp we were assigned rooms and quickly dropped off our belongings.   After settling in, we had a quick orientation of the camp and learned the 'do's and don'ts" of island life.   We were introduced to the camp staff and greeted by  Stami, the lead turtle researcher.

Soon, it was time to eat again!  Dinner was in the main dining area which was a family style set up.   Each of our rooms was assigned a meal duty of either set up or clean up.   The first group set up dinner by setting the table and placing food on the two tables that would be ours.   Our group has really bonded so we were not short on conversation!

After dinner the excitement begin to grow as we prepared for our first sea turtle patrol which started at 8 pm. The eleven of us were split into two groups, each group patrolled a different part of the beach: Group 2 patrolled stations 0 - 15 and Group 1 patrolled 16 - 25.   Group 1 headed out first since they had to walk down to station 16.  Five minutes behind, Group 2 headed out for their patrol.


Group 1 had been walking less than ten minutes when we
were lucky enough to spot a sea turtle already on the beach preparing to lay her eggs.  It was pitch black outside, the moon shine was covered by a dense layer of clouds.   The moon was waning since full moon was only three nights prior.  The waning moon could have allowed us a nice moon glow to see where we were walking.   Instead, the darkness made it was very difficult to see the turtle.  Once we got closer and as our eyes adjusted to the darkness, we were all able to make out the turtles outline and were amazed at her size. We waited for Group 2 to catch up to us since this turtle was at station 6 which was in their territory.  That group stayed behind to help the turtle deliver her eggs and in relocating the turtle's eggs closer to the hatchery to prevent poachers from stealing the eggs. All of this involved waiting for the turtle to finish cleaning the area preparing it for egg laying, digging her hole (about 70 cm deep), and enter into a trance where she begins laying her eggs (80-100 fertile eggs and 15 - 20 infertile eggs). Right before she started laying her eggs, our guide held a plastic bag in the turtle's hole  and under her tail in order for us to safely relocate the eggs. This whole process can take up to an hour and a half. Once all of the eggs were in the bag, we measured her shell's length and width (length was 162 cm or over five feet  and the width was 70 cm and the weight is close to 900 pounds), and checked to see if she was tagged (if not, they tag her). Another guide dug a similar hole farther from the shoreline to protect the eggs from poachers. We laid flat on the sandy ground and carefully placed each egg deep into the replicated nest. For the rest of the remaining hours of duty, we patrolled the beach in case more sea turtles came. 

Group 2, had the joy of helping hatchlings find their way to the sea.  The hatchlings were digging their way up and out of the sand and our job was to see them safely to the oceans edge.  We do not carry them all the way to the ocean as the struggle to dig up and out and to practice moving on the sand develops strength for their swim and survival.  Group 1 did not help in relocating the first turtle's eggs since they had already moved down to their station location, however they did come along another opportunity 30 minutes before their shift ended and worked on yet a second turtle.  They repeated the entire process described above with their turtle which lasted till about 1 am. 

This was all of our first experience with sea turtles and to have two turtles on our first night was amazing.  This is the end of the Leatherback turtle birthing season.   We will never be able to explain how amazing the process is and how blessed we are to have aided in helping to preserve leatherback sea turtles. We hope our efforts will make a difference and we hope our description made you feel as if you were there a well.

Love from all in Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!