Zip line

Today was the highly anticipated zip line tour.  Unfortunately it was pouring rain.  Students and Ms. Kaneda suited up in their harnesses and helmets for the adventure.  After a safety explanation, they climbed the tower of stairs to clip onto the cable that led them through the canopy tour of 11 platforms.  At first they thought the rain was going to be a problem but in the end they thought it made it more fun and faster. Overall everyone came back soaking wet but super excited from their adventure. (Thanks to Jen Rowan and her GoPro for photos)

After a change of clothes, we boarded the bus for Monteverde.  The roads were rough and windy but our driver Josė negotiated them with ease.  Along the way, we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant. Then it was back on the bumpy road to the hotel in Monteverde.  En route, we saw a a family of howler monkeys climbing a tree.  (Thanks Lindley for the amazing photo)

 

After settling into the hotel and of course accessing wi-fi, we made a brief stop in town for snacks and souvenirs.

Then it was back to the hotel restaurant for dinner.

¡Hasta luego!

Maleku + Baldi hot springs

After breakfast at the hotel, we got on the bus to go to the Maleku Reserve. Our guide, Elias gave us the history of the Malekus and the measures they take to preserve their culture and the environment.  As with all our tours, students have been able to understand the presentations in Spanish and even learned a few words in Maleku Jaíka. Elias gave us a tour of the rain forest and instructed us on various plants and how they are used for health or medicinal purposes.  During the tour we got to see a few howler monkeys.  Thank goodness for bug spray because we also encountered loads of mosquitos!  After the tour, they prepared lunch for us and then a Maleku traditional ceremony.  The ceremony was followed by a brief presentation in Maleku Jaíka then translated into Spanish about the philosophy of the tribe that we are all united as one family and there are no differences and that we are all the same in our hearts.

Then we got back in the bus for Baldi hot springs which are naturally heated by the local volcano, Arenal which we can see from our hotel.  The hot springs have multiple pools and water slides that students can enjoy.  Many students watched the Costa Rica vs. Greece World Cup match from the various pools.  Everyone was elated when Costa Rica won in penalty kicks!

Then we went to the restaurant at the hot springs for an all you can eat buffet.  We stopped in the town of La Fortuna for some souvenir and snack shopping.  Now students are hanging out at the pool or playing pool at the hotel.

Kapi kapi (hello, goodbye, etc. in Maleku Jaíka)

Man vs. wild

Today students left their host stays bright and early for more adventures.  We boarded the bus for Bosque Eterno de los Niños near the town of La Fortuna.  On the way we stopped for soccer jerseys in preparation for tomorrow's Costa Rica world cup match and souvenirs of their stay here.

After a couple hours, we arrived at the rain forest where we planted saplings to help combat erosion.  It was a unique cultural experience to navigate the slippery and at times steep trail to a hilltop to plant our baby trees.  

On the way back, we got lucky and saw a sloth posing for us.

After the rain forest, we headed to Eco-Finca Don Juan an eco-farm that provided us with a delicious lunch 60% of which came from the farm.  

After lunch, we got a tour of the farm by our guide/teacher, Jack Daniel.  He told the students about various plants and fruits in the farm and their health benefits.  He also explained how they extract methane gas for energy use in the community.  We got to taste maringo juice as well as sugar cane juice that students helped extract. 

No we are at La Pradera Hotel in La Fortuna where we will be for the next two nights.  Students are enjoying some pool time after a sticky, muddy day before our dinner later.

¡Pura vida!

You can check out the map Ms. Kaneda made to follow our travels. Costa Rica

Poás volcano

Today after breakfast with the host families we travelled to Parque Nacional Volcan Poás, about an hour away. It is an active volcán but it's last major eruption was in the 1950s.  It's situated in a cloud forest and is a national park. Of Costa Rica's 200 plus volcanos, Poás is one of its 7 active ones.

On the way back, we stopped at a local shop selling strawberries and other treats we snacked on during the ride home.  Students went back to their host families for lunch before returning to El Rancho for our last class.  In each class, students prepared a final presentation for the group after receiving certificates for completing the Spanish course.

Tomorrow will be an early morning as students leave their host families and we travel to the town of La Fortuna.

Buenas noches.