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Costa Rica Venture Log (2008-06-17--> 2008-07-06)
Leaders: Mollie and Jimbo Graves
Students: Peyton Aldrich, Saxon Bartsch, Nathan Brody, Sally Cann, Bess Colnon, Mary Padgett Hawkins, Noah Klebanoff, Austin Matthiessen, KJ Savio, Erin Sullivan, Michael Webb
Hola De Costa Rica!
The summer is finally upon us and Mollie and I are so excited to finally be here with everyone in Costa Rica. Arrival day, as they can be very tiresome, went better than I could have ever expected. Everyone arrived on time and more importantly they arrived with big excited smiles on their faces. After a few short hours of getting to know each other at the airport, we arrived at Mi Casita Hostel for our first nights stay. We filled our bellies with savory Costa Rican pizza and had a beautiful moon up beneath a starry sky. We went around the circle and told each other what we were most excited about. To Mollie's and my delight everyone's biggest concern was to have fun and make new friends. We are both in awe of how wonderfully this group has come together so quickly. This is going to be a fantastic summer and we are anxious to hit the road.
6/21/08 Update
Que Suete Tenemos!
(What luck we have!)
We left San Jose headed for Playa Uvita which is in the south western part of Costa Rica for our surfing lessons and the weather could not have been more perfect. As we wound our way through the Cordillera de Talamanca to the coast, we all gazed out the window and admired the pristineness of this beautiful country. We quickly learned that Michael and Peyton were going to be very helpful with their extensive knowledge of the country and the language. Likewise Nathan, Bess, Noah and Peyton being already experienced in the Moondance spirit were helping us all get our heart's racing for the experiences that were going to happen over these next couple of weeks.
El Shaman Tent Camp run by El Shaman, Marvin, he was tucked away in a lush tropical forest just 200 meters from the ocean in the Ballena National Park. We quickly got settled in and headed to the beach for our first surf lessons. Our instructors, Bo and Rick, were very helpful and within two hours everyone had stood up on the boards. As everyone was playing in the water, I looked over to my left and saw Erin hanging ten with the perfect stance, and as she noticed me in applause of her success she gave me two big thumbs up. Meanwhile, Noah, being an experienced surfer, impressed us all as he was able to get our past the break and ride some of the bigger waves. The night came quickly as the sun sets around 5:30. When we returned to camp, our spaghetti alfredo was being served which we quickly devoured from our hard day's work. That night we went to the beach for a beautiful moon-up about our heroes and mentors and what they meant to us while a giant full moon crept over our heads.
Our schedule was much the same for the following day. Wake up, eat, and surf. Nathan and Sally as our first leaders of the day rallied everyone up for a big breakfast before we headed our for the morning. We all had a chance to work with the instructors again and after a little more attention we all started popping up like pros. We took a break at mid day to rinse off, relax in the shade, and lunch on a typical Costa Rican casado (dish) of rice and beans, potatoes, and chicken with a small salad all washed down with some fresh mango juice. After lunch KJ led some of us in an ultimate frisbee match where we got to see his passion for sports diving and sliding for the frisbee. We had just a little more time in the afternoon for practice on the boards before we got to see what a rain storm was like in Costa Rica. We took shelter at the tent camp and stayed entertained with Mary Padgett's amazing energy and positive attitude. When the rain finally subsided, we had another amazing moon-up on the beach.
Our last day at the surf camp began early for one last surf session. We charged it for a couple of hours, but Saxon by far took the award for most spirited surfer. He stayed out for nearly two hours and got his fill of the waves. Back at camp pancakes and fresh papayas, pineapples, mangoes, apples, and bananas were awaiting us. After breakfast we went over how to pack a backpack, which helped everyone but Sally especially, whose pack was a foot over her head. We said goodbye to our Shaman and hit the road for our next adventure.
Trip Update 6-23-08
After a late night of screams from the boys room due to an unwanted spider rescued and relocated by Mollie, our Leaders of the Day, Erin and Peyton stepped it up and got everyone to the breakfast table for one last belly warming meal at Rafa's and we were able to hit the road by 5:30am. Bess sat shotgun with the window down, as she was not feeling so hot. She was a superstar pushing through the early morning and was able to sleep it off before meeting our unbelievable guide Freddy Fonseca in San Isidrio. Way to go Bess! What a positive inspiration for the group!
We said "Adios" to Juan Carlos our sweet driver amigo and hopped into cabs for our journey into the rainforest with Freddie. The cabs could only take us so far before we were on our own with nothing but our legs, our backpacks, and Freddy, and of course some PB&Js. Mary Padgett's favorite food and though we made something special for ole Saxon, he dared his taste buds and somewhat enjoyed the American Favorite. This was something the group had been working on for days, so Saxon was really commended for his efforts...no more vegemite for Mr. Bartsch!
The hike was challenging but spectacular into the rainforest to the Fonseca’s house. We hiked for 3 hours through the lush green rainforest through mud, rivers, and pouring rain, but the group prevailed with high spirits and were welcomed by Mrs. Fonseca with hot pancakes and hot chocolate. What a treat!
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
We all slept like champions in our cozy beds tucked in our mosquito nets with the sounds of the 50m waterfall right outside our rooms. The Fonseca house is an open space with views of rapids and waterfalls tucked away in the middle of the rainforest. It's an environmental utopia.
After a filling breaky of fruit, pancakes, and of course...rice and beans, we strapped on our helmets and harnesses and headed to the Fonseca Family tree for a 60ft. climb. This tree is what the Fonseca's say started the idea of this magical place. Erin was the first to climb and easily made it to the top. The girl has mad climbing skills! Almost everyone made it to the top with the group's help. The climb was challenging and slippery, but definitely worth the effort. With Jimbo's support and guidance Mary Padgett made her way to the very top even though she thought she should stop midway. Way to go! Mary Padgett never gives up and always stays positive with a smile on her face, a great influence for our group. KJ was also stoked about his climb; so much so, he probably could have climbed it 10 more times.
After lunch Freddie took us on a walk around the property to show us some native plant species that are used for medicinal purposes. Freddy is full of knowledge and has some amazing stories. Michael's shoulder had been bothering him, so he put Freddie to the test. He took one of the plants, heated up a pan with the leaf in it to extract the medicinal oils, and applied it to his shoulder over night. Michael said the pain subsided and became a firm believer in Freddie's incredible knowledge.
We helped Rosa Fonseca with dinner and learned how to make tortillas. They were delicate and delicious, and Rosa commented that KJ, Mollie, and Erin had the best ones....Nathan tried very hard, but Rosa just laughed when it was his turn to cook his tortilla-like creation!
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
Today was a big day. Noah and Bess our awesome LOD's got us up early and after another Fonseca breaky we geared up for Repelling a 60ft waterfall. Some of us were a little nervous, but everyone did it and loved the challenge. Austin was first up as he seems to love a good thrill, and he spun down the slippery rock face with perfect agility. Sally and Saxon were especially fun to watch and cheer as they repelled since both mentioned a slight fear of heights. Way to challenge your fears Saxon and Sally. They were awesome and looked like pros! Once we all touched down safely, we helped Freddie with the gear and headed home for lunch.
After more yummy rice and beans, which nobody was getting tired of, we walked to the Fonseca's farm and choose 2 chickens for dinner. We were an integral part of our dinner preparation from beginning to end. We passed each chicken from person to person as we all gave our thanks and respect to the chicken. It was emotional and intense, but an important activity as we all eat meat (besides Mollie), and it is rare that we can connect so closely with it. Saxon, KJ, and Nathan were the main participants on the farm, and Mary Padgett and Sally were super involved when Rosa taught everyone how to clean bird. Mollie, the vegetarian, for 8 years tried to participate, but it was just a little too emotional. We learned a lot from this experience and were stoked to jump into the river before our last activity of the day...the sweat lodge.
The sweat lodge experience was a new one for all of us. It is a ritual that has been practiced for hundreds of years by indigenous peoples in Costa Rica and around the world. Before entering the small, hot, mud hut built inconspicuously into the earth, we bowed our heads to give our respect to this cleansing ritual which purpose is to inspire self-reflection and appreciation for the world and environment around us as well as release negativity and toxic thoughts and feelings within us. We entered the hut one by one and sat quietly for 10 minutes before exiting to rinse ourselves in the river. We repeated the sweat-rinse cycle three times and felt super relaxed and inspired upon the completion of the last rinse. What a great way to end the day!
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Today was the last full day at the Fonseca's, so everybody was soaking in as much of the scenery and culture as possible. We started our morning on a 30 minute trek to explore a banana plantation and collect some bananas for banana cheviche. Our bags were filled with bananas and we stopped at a nice spot near the river to rest. Later we returned and everyone began there summer reading. Bess read her 547 page book in a record two days and Noah's book Into the Wild has been a big hit. We then ventured down the trail to jump off rocks and swim the rapids under the supervision of Mollie, Jimbo, and Freddie of course. Noah and KJ both jumped off the rock over 20 times, and of course Mary Padgett loved floating down the river and kept us all entertained. Afterwards we hurried over to the zip line where Freddie's father Albino assisted us. We soared 60 feet over the river for a 23 second ride. Saxon gave his traditional yell as the rain came in. Nathan brought out the cards and taught everyone Kemps and Chinese Poker. Overall the Fonseca Family was a wonderful experience full of challenge, knowledge and fun.
Friday, June 27th, 2008
We woke up early this morning and started our hike out of the rainforest at 6am. The weather was perfect, cool with blue skies, and everyone was feeling strong. The hike only took about 2 hours and when we reached El Brujo Freddie treated all of us to a Costa Rican soda. We hopped in the cabs and headed out of the valley to the Rios Tropicales Operations Center in Siquierres. It was a long travel day, but we all needed the rest from wearing ourselves out with all of the awesome activities at the Fonsecas. We arrived at the Ops Center just before dinner and were surprised to be greeted by the other Moondance Crew. We were so excited to see each other and swap stories of our Moondance Adventures so far!
Stay tuned...
Mollie and Jimbo
Trip Update 6-28-08
Internet cafes are hard to come by in Costa Rica, but here is the latest news!
Activity: Community Service Project
After several hours on the windy Costa Rican highway, we made it to the small village of Santa Maria de Dota a few hours southwest of San Jose. We drove up the small mountain road where Rafa Parra, our host father, meet us with a huge smile and tons of excitement. Everybody fell in love with the place at first sight.
To help us all relax in this new place, Austin, Peyton, and Erin entertained us with a little karaoke of their choice 1980's hits. We were all impressed. But even more impressing was the chicken lasagna that the Parra's served us for dinner. After we filled our stomachs, we took a walk down to the town square and finished the day with a solid Moon-Up from Noah and Mary Padgett.
The next morning we actually slept in until 8:00 because our community service didn't start until 9:00. We were working at the local grade school alongside 12 and 13 year old Costa Rican students, and we all became fast friends. The school wanted to add a garden to the landscape, so we were helping with the construction of the retaining wall on the north side of the school. Nathan, Michael, KJ, and Noah quickly got their hands dirty mixing the cement and digging out the dirt to put in the wall. We were rotating between the walls and sanding the school desks for the students. Some of us moved through the sanding just hitting the big spots, but Saxon decided that he was going to perfectly sand one desk and make it spotless, and he did exactly that.
It was hard work but everybody was super excited about the opportunity to help the community. Afterwards, Rafa led us to a restaurant for a great reward of french fries and sodas. We relaxed for a bit to settle our stomachs and then made our way through the village up the hill to an amazing hike to a waterfall where Noah, KJ, and Jimbo went for a cold swim. As it started to rain we headed back for the Parra's place for a shower and a hot meal. We got to relax and talk with the family before bed. Just as the boys were getting all settled down they spotted a big spider on their wall and to their delight Mollie came to the rescue for both the spider and the boys.
The second day of community service was just as rewarding and exciting as the first as we completed our projects, met the Dean of the students, and gave our gifts to all the other students that helped us throughout the two days. Sally, Peyton, and Bess kept all the kids entertained with some of our American games and when we had to part ways they were all asking them to sign their backpacks. It was very heartwarming to see how quickly and nicely everybody came together.
We said our goodbyes and headed once again up the windy hills of the village to meet a truck to take us the trailhead. For the next 2 hours, we were surrounded by dense pristine rainforest that continued to amaze all of us. We worked our way around the jungle to visit two waterfalls the biggest and most impressive being the Vino Tinto, the Red Wine. This time only Austin and Jimbo braved the cold waterfall before hiking back out to the truck. We ended the night back at Rafa's tired and happy about a full day's work. Michael and Jimbo led the group in a thoughtful Moon-up about appreciation to end the service activity.
Pura Vida,
Jimbo, Mollie, and the gang
While we were camping at the Rios Operations Center, we had the luxury of waking up a little bit later. Our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners were all served to us buffet style by a wonderful Costa Rican crew that made us feel like home. Everybody seemed to really get down with the breakfasts. They served us omelets with ham, cheese, and chives, and topped it off with toast, cereal, fruit, and of course rice and beans. Cereal might have been the most popular item though as we had not had much the whole time. Noah kept politely using his Spanish with the cooks to see if he could get a couple more boxes out of them.
After a full breaky, we were told to be ready a little after ten to do our first river rafting section of the Rio Reventazon. We would be doing some class 3 rapids at first and some class 1 and 2 rapids towards the end. To get to the put in, we had to ride in the raft on the back of the truck for about 15 mins which was absolutely beautiful because there were two giant volcanoes, Turrialba and Irazu that we could see perfectly.
We got to the river and split up the group into two boats. Mary Padgett, Sally, Michael, Austin, Erin, and Jimbo were in one raft with Ray, our river guide. And in the other corner was Peyton, Bess, Saxon, Nathan, Noah, KJ and Mollie with Diego guiding. We started out the Reventazon just above a class 3 rapid which got us all soaked and excited for the rest to come. When we were between the rapids in slower water our guides gave us some time to jump in and swim which turned into some all out water warfare. Saxon at one point came barreling over to the other boat knocking Mary Padgett and Sally right into the water. Michael and Jimbo came to their rescue and then quickly had Saxon swimming again. Once the water started to pick up everyone was back in their boats. The two big class 3 rapids were called the Upper Bamboo and the Lower Bamboo. The river was wide so it wasn't super technical but it was super fast. With Sally screaming her way down and everyone paddling hard we made it through wet but all in the boat.
By the end everyone was used to the cold water and everybody was jumping in, even Michael, who doesn't really like to get wet. Nathan and Noah were constantly on the sneak attack to pull people in, and twice Diego, the river guide, somehow got everybody to fall in at the same time. The Reventazon took about 2 hours in all which was about 8 miles of river in a beautiful valley with gorgeous views at every bend. Ray, the other guide, was able to point out a sloth to Austin, Michael, Erin, Jimbo, Mary Padgett, and Sally, but Mary Padgett said she couldn't spot it. She says she can never spot the wildlife. To her credit it was really disguised in the tree and we were moving down river.
When we returned to the Operations Center, lunch was waiting. We ate and showered pretty quickly because Mollie and Jimbo wanted everyone to get a chance to go into the town nearby, Siquierres. We organized a few cabs to take us to the center of the town, which was very small and known by the soccer field in the middle. We had about 2 hours to walk around and do some real cultural immersion. Saxon, Michael, KJ and Noah made their way around the square to find a supermarket as they like to do for some food rations. Peyton and Bess walked around and made a few new friends with the locals, and just about everyone found their way to the Internet for some socializing. We returned for dinner, some card games, and an early night.
June 29th, 2008
We woke up leisurely again and had breakfast around 9:15 so that we could be ready around 10:15 for our two day stretch on the Rio Pacuare. The plan was to raft in to the Rios Lodge, spend the night, and then raft out the next day. We made it to the put in around 11:00 and got started on a really nice class 3 rapid to get us all cold and excited again. Bess said she liked how we always started on a good rapid. We kept same boats to keep our rhythm going. This first day was smaller rapids so we had a chance to do a little more swimming. We also stopped to jump off a rock and catch a couple of photos. Noah did a nice foot grab, Peyton did a perfect pencil, and Mollie let out a nice little scream. Around 1:30 we pulled over to the side of the river and the guides flipped over one of the boats and prepared lunch for us while the rest of us took a little hike up a river to a swimming hole. Bess and Nathan led a couple of us in a relay race, and KJ impressed us with his corkscrew abilities.
Having lunch on the river was an awesome treat. We had our choice of ham or turkey sandwiches topped with all the trimmings and even some fresh hearts of palm. We relaxed on the rocks, got some sun, and skipped a few rocks to pass the time. Austin made up a target game where we all tried to hit the same spot he hit. It is always fun making up new games. There were a few more rapids after lunch to get us wet again, but the big rapids were coming the next day.
We arrived to the Lodge and we were all blown away at how amazing it looked. We helped unload the gear from the boats and listened to Ray while he gave us the rules of the area. There were a few waterfalls to swim in, a bridge to cross and plenty of scenery to last for a week. The boys immediately went to case the place and the girls went to check out the sleeping arrangements, and we all reconvened for a 5:30 happy hour of fresh mango juice, chips, and bean dip. Dinner came a few hours later but it was well worth the wait. At first a few were bummed we weren't having burgers, but after they had a bite of the chicken stew that was prepared they were very quiet and satisfied. We had a great Moon Up about what character traits we value most and we heard some really awesome feeling from everybody. Michael came up with a really unique trait, tenacity, which we all thought suited, him perfectly. All in all it was another amazing day!
June 30th, 2008
We woke as the rain was just starting to calm down. That meant good news for us because that meant the river would be up and running faster today. The breakfast was everything: eggs, pancakes with syrup, ham, fruit, and juice. It was a good start to the day. Ray got us all together after we finished cleaning our dishes and told us we would be zip lining before we hit the river. There were 4 platforms this time and it was right in the middle of the trees. The runs went really fast and at the bottom everyone wanted to go for round two. The river was calling us though.
It took a half hour to get all the boats geared up and in the water for our last rafting session. Again we kept boats the same because now we were all in paddling really well together. This stretch of river was going to be the hardest so we needed all our attention today. There were about 5 class 4 rapids on this section which kept everybody's spirits high. It was on the second rapid that Mary Padgett had a chance to test her river swimming skills. We were coming around to the left and we pinned up on a rock when our raft started to flip. To save it everyone had to jump to the high side but Michael, Jimbo and Sally all did the complete opposite. It took a minute to correct, but no before Mary Padgett hit the water and started swimming. It seemed like a long time, but in reality it was just a few seconds before we had her back in the boat. It was amazing and Mary Padgett did spectacularly! It was definitely the most exciting part of the river adventure. Erin had an amazing view of all of this as she was right in the back right corner of the raft. She was able to give us perfect detail of the events during all the commotion which kept us laughing all the way down the river.
The river was unbelievably fun and by the end of it we were all whipped out. Once we got on the bus for our return trip to the Ops Center, everyone shut their eyes and passed out for a few relaxing minutes. We got back and had lunch waiting for us which to no surprise was a generous portion of chicken and rice. We spent the rest of the day relaxing, playing cards, and cleaning up before our next travel day. The River Rafting experience was definitely one of the highlights of the trip and everybody was full of excitement from all the fun
Trip Update 7-3-08
Our Leaders of the Day, Austin and Mary Padgett, let us sleep in a little late this morning....8:30am!!! We had omelets, toast, and rice and beans before heading out of Cairo for our last big activity with The Ecological Project International. The bus ride was about 2 hours and we stopped for lunch in a small town along the way. Chicken Fried Rice for Austin, with no beans! He ate his whole plate with a grin from ear to ear!
We met our EPI guide, Rebecca, at the small 8 person motorboats that were waiting to take us to the Ecology Project International Reserve in Tortuguero. There was a sloth just hanging out in a tree nearby which was awesome to see! He was so active for a sloth, climbing and eating leaves. It was amazing! The boat ride was such a neat way to experience Costa Rica's wildlife. We rode through small canals for about 30 minutes with lush rainforest all around and Howler Monkeys in the trees. When we reached EPI we were greeted by Spider Monkeys jumping from tree to tree and we were excited to reunite with the coast line. Costa Rica has the most beautiful beaches! Rebecca gave us an interesting introduction to the Reserve and the research assistants that we would be working with. The purpose of patrols on the beach is to look for nests, hatchlings, and nesting females and record the findings so we can analyze if the sea turtle population in the area is rising or falling. Though it is illegal to kill sea turtles in Costa Rica, there are still poachers that kill turtles for their meat and their eggs. Luckily we are just assisting with the research, as there are guards to watch out for poachers.
We started our patrols at 7:30pm. The first group to walk the 6 miles was KJ, Sally, Bess, and Michael. The second patrol started at 10:00pm with Jimbo, Saxon, Nathan, and Erin and the late shift from 12:00am - 4:00am was Mollie, Peyton, Mary Padgett, Noah, and Austin. The shifts were fun and challenging, but as our night vision improved we all spotted nesting tracks. Though we desperately wanted to see green and leatherback turtle, it seemed as if they had taken the night off.
July 2nd, 2008
Today was a beautiful day! We woke up to a family of White-faced Capuchin Monkeys enjoying their breakfast in the trees right outside of our windows. It was sunny and breezy all day on the beach and though we were all tired from our late night of patrols we had plenty of times to relax and enjoy each other's company. We had a morning activity with our EPI leader Rebecca to discuss our patrols and learn more about sea turtles. We paired off and each presented a little information on the 7 different species of Sea Turtles. Mary Padgett and Bess got super creative and rapped a little song to talk about the Hawksbill Turtle and we all laughed hysterically. It was a fantastic little creation! Nathan and Sally acted out a skit for the Kemp's Ridley Turtle and Noah and Michael drew a small comic to explain about the Leatherback Turtles. All of the presentations were fun and we were definitely impressed with Erin and Peyton's drawing abilities!
After lunch we were excited to hear that a nest of baby leatherbacks was hatching so we grabbed our cameras and ran to the beach. It was so cool to see the little turtles crawling out of their nests and make their way to the ocean. After we changed our shoes and headed down the beach to the river mouth. Our guide Rebecca taught us about the effect of banana plantations on sea turtles, and then we returned to moon-up. Nathan and KJ chose a wonderful topic of: “If you could take only one object if your house was burning down”. Later we all rested to prepare for our late shifts, and were anxious to find turtles on the beach. It was another night of finding sea turtle tracks, but no turtles were spotted. Everyone was tired and excited to go to bed, because tomorrow we were going to excavate a turtle’s nest!
July 3rd, 2008
We woke up to cloudy skies and a little rain shower, but the group stayed positive as we headed in the rain forest for a nature hike. Rebecca led us down the trail, as we learned about different trees and plants that people use in their daily lives. Like always, KJ was attacked by mosquitoes and we went back to rest from the long night patrols. It was a cozy morning with the rain falling lightly on our tin roof. Those of us not sleeping were playing cards, reading, or drawing our own renditions of sea turtles. Erin made a really beautiful drawing of a Verde (Green) sea turtle that she put a lot of time into. Noah started a new book, and Michael finished one of the three he had started for summer reading.
While we were relaxing, Howler Monkeys started screeching from the trees right next to our camp ground. Mollie was extremely amused and got everybody to go outside and see them eating and being playful. It was an entire family of Howlers swinging their way through the trees eating all the leaves they could get their hands on, and we all got great photos of them hanging upside down. Afterwards, we trekked down the beach to excavate a turtle’s nest. Mollie, Jimbo, Bess, and Nathan began to dig up sand from the nest to uncover the eggs that would be remaining. We did this to make the appropriate notes of how many turtles were in the nest, how many lived, and how many didn't and why. We rescued 7 turtles and let them venture into the sea and begin their long 90+ years on earth. Then we collected all the eggs and learned more interesting information about the hatching of the sea turtles. Sally and Peyton stepped up and opened all the un-hatched egg to discover the different stages of development while in the shell. The rest of us enjoyed playing on the beach.
Moon-up began before dinner, and the Leaders of the Day, Noah and Peyton, chose a topic about the differences between home and Costa Rica. Mary Padgett explained how she appreciated both cultures and would be sad to leave Costa Rica in a few days and also excited to get home to enjoy the ease of life in America. All of us will take a part of Costa Rica back to the states with us, and hopefully we will have left some of our culture and knowledge behind. The 7:30 shift departed (Nathan, Saxon, Erin, Jimbo) and carried on a conversation about our childhood stories and favorite memories. The 10:00 o'clock patrol (Michael, Noah, Austin, Mollie) found baby turtles and helped them find their way to the sea. The last group (Bess, Sally, Mary Padgett, and Peyton) also found tracks in the sand, but again no mama sea turtles were found. Our experience at the EPI Center was great. We learned a handful about sea turtles and other wildlife and their role in the environment. Now we will head back to San Jose for 4th of July to relax and enjoy the town. Peace!
Trip Update 7-4-08
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!
Today was a travel day for us. We had breakfast at EPI and had another sunny day for our motorboat excursion out of the Reserve. Noah spotted 3 crocodiles in the canal. They were incredible and we had been dying to see them, since we had heard they were in the area. The Research Assistants were shocked as this was the first sighting for them! Good eyes Noah!
We arrived back at Mi Casa hostel and as a celebration of America's Independence we were patrons of some all-American establishments....SUBWAY and BURGER KING! Everyone was so excited to have a little bit of home and a break from the Costa Rican favorite rice and beans!
Tomorrow is our last full day in Costa Rica and we plan on making it the BEST day yet!
We hope that you all enjoyed your own celebration for the 4th of July with fireworks and barbecue.
HAPPY 4th!
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