Simply Denver

I love A terminal. B sucks, C is Ok. A rocks: Food, long walkways, Ben & Jerry's for dinner... Life is great.

One hour and we are on the plane home!! I'm so excited to see my dad, a hot shower, my bed, my cats etc... No stray dogs, cats, cows, or horses would be good to.

I'm going to miss Costa Rica, but I know I love the US more, and I know I want to live on Orcas and defiantly NOT San Jose.

- Mara

Why I'm exctied about going home

Wow! Where have the past two weeks ago gone??? Just two weeks ago we were leaving SEA/TAC and flying to Costa Rica. Now two weeks later I'm sitting with the rest of the group in Denver International Airport waiting for our 5:35 boarding call to SEA/TAC. A few days ago I had this feeling that I really did not want to leave sunny, warm Costa Rica and head back home to cold, windy, snowy Orcas Island. Now I am 110% ready to get back home. Why am I ready? Because I can not wait to: sleep in my own bed, take a HOT shower, see my dog, hang out of with friends that I have not seen in two weeks, talk to my dad, get ready for a Crew regatta this coming Sunday, get up for Crew practice in the mornings and row on Cascade Lake.
Seeing and being in all different situations over the past two weeks has made me really realize how lucky we are in the United States to have all the things we have. Having clean water and good food available are almost things that we do not even think about, it is just a given almost in the USA. Also having all the electronics and technology that we have in the USA is another blessing we take for granite. I am also very excited to be able to listen to my ipod and play Modern Warfare 3 after two weeks that I did not even think about them.
Liam

I'm sick.

I guess I picked a good time of the trip to get sick, rather than one of the days we hiked or worked at the school. We had to leave the hotel at 3:30 this morning, so that probably doesn't help. We have been in an airport or airplane for 14 hours already, and I am so ready to get home. I tried to call my parents this afternoon, but nobody answered their cell phones or home phone. This has been a lame blog post, but wish us luck on our 2.5 hour flight to Seattle!!

--Brynna

...And We're Waiting!

I'm an impatient person. I don't like waiting. That's a bummer, because that's all we've been doing today. Waiting for the plane to leave Costa Rica, then waiting for the plane to land in Denver, then waiting for the plane to leave Denver, and then on top of that we get to wait some more! But don't get me wrong, I don't mind the waiting this time. I'm just so excited to be going home! I'm looking forward to getting hugs from my family. And that's so worth all this waiting! :)
-Marissa

P.S.
Remember my last post, folks? About the baby sea turtles? Unfortunately, my dream didn't come to pass. We didn't even see an adult one. Oh well. Guess we'll have to go back!

Party Van Jokes

Throughout this trip we had driving a crazy amount of time. I can't tell you guys how many hours we spent driving but we got to know each other pretty well. We had two vans, one appropriately named the "Party Van", and the other one remains nameless. I was among Kellen Comrie, Thomas Thompson, Clara Smith, Staci Lindgren, Graye "Scrappy" Parnell, and Gabi as the founding fathers of this wonderful van.
Among the many hours of driving in the car we had told so many jokes that by the last day we had told most of the same jokes at least three times. Here are some of the most popular "Party Van" jokes...

Knock Knock
Who's there?
To
To who?
To whom

A polar bear walks into a bar and the bartender asks "Hey Mr. Polar Bear! What can I get for you?"
The polar bear responds, "ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, a root beer please"
The bartender then says "coming right up but why the long paws?"

We also had some actions where we would we just whisper Lion King characters names into each others ears and somehow it would turn out funny. Such as, Mufasa, Pumba, and Rafinki.

We also immatured ourselves into the classic, "guess what." "What?" "Chicken butt"

The majority of the cars rides were spent in tears of laughter from these jokes and many more but know that the party van is in another country we have to get new material for the upcoming trips.

Thanks,
Roo Smith

The last legs of the trip

The last day of the trip was pretty much all driving. We drove from Manwell Antonio back to San José. We stayed at a hotel right next to the airport and Thomas Liam and I spent the last few hours in Costa Rica watching tv. Well, trying to. Because there were very few English chanals available. After that we ate some dinner and went back to watch Americas best Dance Crew. ...interesting. Despite the fact that we had to haul ourselves out of bed at three in the morning to go to the airport, I slept rather well. The beds were the most comfortable beds on the entire trip. Besides the singles in Manzanillo.

Lat that morning, we flew out. It was about 5 or 6 when we left the ground. I sat next some ladies in the plain and we chatted for a good portion of the flight.

I did not get nautiouse this time! Despite my lack of sleep.

And now I'm sitting in my favorite airport in Denver waiting for the six our lay-over to be over. But, I"m enjoying myself none the less.

Sweet Home Alabama...Er Orcas

Everybody says it is easy to wake up in the morning, but they did not specify when. Me; not a morning person, likes to sleep in, night owl, enjoys her sleep. Now, mornings are great because that means its a new day. But...when you are not at home it doesn't work so well; you get cranky, yell at people, and cry for your mom...well at least some do. The first flight was a sizzling 5 1/2 hours. Arriving at the Denver airport was a relief to all except my stomach; when you eat at McDonald's after a two year diet from the fast food it does not agree with a body who is spoiled at home with her mom's cooking and her dad's gourmet yumminess. After a delightful Ben & Jerry's ice cream run, I got into contact with my father who just got back from a couple hours in the doctor's office and a red eye boat. I am now enjoying a comfortable carpet in the airport and playing Lucky with Mr. Claus and Staci.
Bonvoyage Costa Rica, Aloha Orcas Island.

-Sierra

Knee deep in the ocean (journal entry 3/8/12)

The tide rushed in ans out and the waves crashed against the sandy shore, making a strong yet peaceful ocean. All peace was long forgotten in the water as a soccer ball broke through the tide and more than one pair of legs pursued it. The air was full of shouts and laughter as the players continued to kick at the ball and each other, ignoring the salty water that pulsed around their toes, occasionally retreating into the sea then rushing forward again begging for the athletes attention. The Costa Rican sand was kicked up and a million footprints from the same people littered the large span of beach. The 4 tall sticks used as goal posts never faltered as they were stuck deep in the sand. The natives and orcas locals worked together to defeat peers, the Costa Ricans the Washingtonians never meet called their friends and everyone jumpped in. Spanish and English mixed and flowed together in harmony.

By: Kelly Rose Ptero

Almost home!

We are all counting down the hours until the painfully early, 3am wake-up call to leave for the airport. It's amazing to think that these two weeks have already passed, but we are all so happy with what incredible experiences we have had.
Yesterday was such a wonderful day. We got to wake up at an incredible 8am and left in the vans to the ultimate tourist adventure. We took a nature walk with a guide and ended up seing a myriad of plant and animal life. We saw Jesus Christ lizards, monkeys, and my personal favorite, sloths. Our guide was so knowledgable and could spot even the tiniest creatures far, far away.
We got to spend a lot of the day on the beautiful beach there, which was so lovely. We ignored the "Peligro: Cocodriles - No Banarse" sign and dove right in the clear, warm, blue water. Most of us were not too responsible with sunscreen however, so we all resemble the long-lost human kin of Larry the Cucumber's favorite fruit friend. We are in pain, but happy to have some color other than the typically blinding, morbidly pale Washington complexion.
We are staying in a beautiful place tonight, and are about to sit down to dinner!
Hasta pronto! Thank you for your prayers, we all appreciate you.
Love love love,
Clarabeth

Staci's view of Manuel Antonio

Yesterday we got to sleep in a little bit, then we got ready to go on our Nature walk. The girls hotel was very nice and welcoming. I thought it was strange that the guys were staying at a different hotel, but truefully, it was kind of nice to have a small break from the guys. Once we got to the park we officially got to meet our guide. His name was Pablo and he was from Canada. We found out that he was born in Costa Rica but he lived in Canada. I was so excited about our nature walk, and at the very beginning we saw two frogs. One was called a Red Eyed Tree Frog and the other was a Gladiator. Pablo decided to go down a side trail to see a bird. I'm not sure about the name of the bird, but it was very beautiful. It had dark feathers on it's back and a red belly. Further down that trail was a approximately sixth month old sloth. It was so adorable! It was surprising that it was only about 4 feet away from the ground. We got to see it awake because Pablo started whistling to get it to move it's head. We were able to get so close to it. I never expected for sloths to be so cute. As we went down farther we got to see a toucan and two harons. When we got down to the beach, we got to see a huge group of 'cappachino' monkies playing on the edge of the beach. It was sad becasue one of them was in a tree and got pushed off and pulled out of the tree. We kept watching them for approximately another ten minutes, then took a small beach break. Once we got to the end of the trail, we started back to meet up with the other part of our group. For the next maube 2 and a half hours swimming at the beach. We then had church on the beach. I loved church that day because it made me realize how often God is there, even when you don't notice Him there. It was really that I never noticed Him there, but I just didn't really pay attention to much he really does for us. This trip has not only helped me to realize how much God has helped me through my life, but also how well you can get to know someone just by taking a few minutes to talk to them. I've become friends with all of these people that are here with us, and am so glad that I took the chance to talk to them. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by people who are so kind and thoughtful!

The end of the trip

We are finally in San Jose! We leave the hotel early in the morning tomorrow, around 3. A few people are bravely swimming in the frigid pool water, while others soak in American television after two weeks. Pray for us, that we'll be well rested when we have to get up!

--Brynna

Thomas lane Thompson

Welll yesterday we had a pretty sweet time on our tour we had a really funny guide he was costa Rican Canadian kellens new best friend we learned that sloths are natures druggy and got to see a younger one from two feet away it was ausome after that we walked to the beach and saw a ton of white face monkeys and went swimming I got pretty Krispy and that's about it.

A day at the beach

Yesterday was the hottest day so far on this trip. My friends and I spent just about all day swimming in the ocean and the pool. The pool was almost colder than the ocean. It was so nice. I have never felt such nice water in the ocean to swim in before. It was almost too hot.

Boogie boarding was probably the best. The waves had such power and thrill to them, it was almost impossible to get out. However, our boogie boards were pretty beat up and some of them were broken bent pointing down so they just drove your face into the sand if you weren't pulling up on it as hard as you can every moment.
But my favorite part was catching the wave just before it began to break going into it and jumping off the wave and going about 2-3 ft I. The air before crashing down back in the warm water with a tremendouse slpash.

I got sunburn.



Kellen

Saint Patrick's Day

This morning was a great one. I woke up to the door slamming by my roommate Kellen Comrie at around 7:00 AM. It was hard to get out of bed but I managed and walked out to meet Kellen and Thomas Thompson at the beach. It was beautiful, the small amount of people, the sun already shining so early in the morning, and the vast space all around.
It was so magical to see the beach that empty but also so pristine. After the beach stroll, we had breakfast and went off on our walk through the Manual Antonio National Park. We saw things such as baby sloths, rare frogs, bats, Jesus Lizards, tucans, and monkeys. We had a couple instances where we were only feet away from the white-faced Cappuchino monkeys. After the official tour was over we headed to the beach to play in the water.
The water was so warm and, at times, almost to hot underneath the beating rays of the sun. I ended up being effected harshly by the sun as did many other kids within the group. After playing on the beach we had a Saturday service where we talked about how God worked through us during the trip. After that we had lunch where Clara and I had an idea to tell the resturaunt that it is Mr. Fox's birthday (it's not) and we all shared a good laugh and some free ice cream. A couple of us walked back on the beach to the hotel and saw hang gliders, jet skiers and horseback riders. Then we all relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.
I had a great experience bodysurfing and boogie boarding at the beach during the sunset. That same beach that, 12 hours before, was blooming and was now wilting waiting for another day.
~Roo Smith

22 lobsters

What a wonderful beach!!!!! We went on a great 2 hour nature hike. We saw lots of animals;frogs, dragonflies, sloths, tucan, hawk, monkeys, iguanas, bats, and spiders. Just as a warning on iguanas: they are very loud on a metal roof right above your head, knocking, scratching, etc. I speak from experience. At the end of the long walk, we arrived in heaven. A beach with little waves, warm water, warm sand, and sun. You know it was good: mom and Ms. Dawn staying in for a long time. Getting out, all of us don't really notice our redness. Worship on the beach, just a little. Lunch, ahh!! We are all at least pink, and I know my skin is really red. Sean is josh....


Mara

Costa Rican Farming

3-17-2012
Everytime we drive along the countryside here in Costa Rica I am blown away by the farmers down here. The hills and fields can range from flat to more than 45 degrees uphill. I just do not understand how they are able to put in all those fence posts, put up the barb wire, walk and plant things on hills so steep and many more things. I also observed how very few ponds and streams that farmers had access to use. They have to rely on the rain to insure the plants live or have pipes and pumps that I could not see. You could also tell the difference on how much farmers were making by the fence posts. The more money making farmers had either nice cement posts or painted wood posts compared to the sticks the poorer farmers were using as fence posts.
My hat is off to the farmers down here and their farming ways.
Liam

The day of the sunburns

I usually don't get sunburnt, but today I am fairly fried, as is everyone else. As Thomas put it, "I went from moon-white to hot pink." We had a hike on the Sloth Trail with a guide, and it was fun even though it was really hot out. We saw a couple toucans, Jesus Christ lizards, capuchin monkeys, a gladiator frog, iguanas, and a lot of sloths. We even got to see a young one from a foot away! We swam at one of the beaches there, and the water was bathtub-warm and more salty than the Carribean side of the country. After lunch at a delicious Italian restaurant where I got a panini, we went back to the pool and the beach next to the boys' hotel. Several of us used the boogey boards from the hotel until the sun went down.

--Brynna

Yearning for Home

In such a beautiful place as Costa Rica, you would not think that going home would even cross your mind. Come to think of it, even the adults are aching to get back to their loved ones. But Mr. Fox told us something interesting last night; he said that while we are here in this breathtaking land, we should enjoy every minute of it instead of wanting home where we always are. That impacted me a little bit; I know that two years ago the feeling was the same, that i wanted my family to hold me again even if I was gone for two weeks. But being able to bond with friends that I have not gotten the time to get to know is a pretty awesome experience. School does not allow us to communicate deeply 24/7 like a mission trip does. That is why I came, and that is why I have the will power to stick it out till the end and finish with a warm hug from my loving father.

-Sierra

Warm water!!!!

I know I loved Hawaii, but this place beat it by a long shot. Huge, warm water, slides, pools, hot springs, restaurants, it was to good to describe. I will try and go back there if I ever come to Costa Rica again. I don't know the name of the place, but that doesn't really matter to me. The memories are what count. I hope you are having fun in the snow and rain back home.... :)

-Mara 

Staci's Zip lining adventure

Yesterday was a very adrenaline filled day. We got though the rough roads to get to our cabins in Monteverde the night before. And Yesterday we went on a hike in the rainforest. This was a very interesting experience for me. I am terrified of heights and we were going across a very, very high bridge. Not only was the height terrifying, but then some of the guys were bouncing up and down on it,making the feeling worse.as I ied to go further, my asthma started to act up and possibly a little bit of anxiety. I started having a very hard time breathing, so I went back to wait for the rest of the group. Next, we were going zip lining. About three quarters of us went zip lining, the other part went on a coffee tour. I was so scared to go zip lining, especially when they started suiting me up in the harness. We went through the instructions, then they sent us on our way. The first part was not really scary at all. It had six lines connecting to each other by the platforms. Once I got through all six of the small ones, I thought we were done, but nope. Haha. We then started the really long ones, which I was very scared to go on. These all led to platforms but the lines were way longer than the others. After the regular zip lining, the lines led to a line called the superman. The superman is when you are on a line, laying down like superman. Then they push you down the line and you're looking over the tops of the trees. Then at the end of that line we are asked if we want to do the Tarzan Swin, another line. I, not really thinking about it, say I will. I wait for every one else to got on the 120 foot drop Swin, then hear my name being chanted. I get across the bridge and get hooked up. At first the hides couldn't get the gate open, and I said maybe that's a sign that I shouldn't go down.the guide looked at me, smiled, told metro bend my knees, and then I was dropping the 120 feet leading into the swing. It was the wort feeling I have every felt in my life. Sure it gave me a huge adrenaline rush, but I was horrified. When I reached the ground, I couldn't really talk because I was afraid of puking. The guide asked me why I was shaking so much, and I told him that I was scared of heights. Then he looked at me, laughed, and asked why I was doing this. I couldn't answer. We then headed back, went to dinner, and fell asleep. All in all, it was a great and scary day.

Clara

Que buenas noches a todos!
We just got back from Baldi Hot Springs, the most beautifully relaxing man-made palace of goodness that one could find on this sweet planet. There are dozens of pools, waterfalls, and saunas, and enough watersides to satisfy Kelly's permanant passion for adrenaline. It was wonderful. And they even had a chocolate fountain at the dinner buffet, so if that doesn't make a dirty mission-trip kid weep of joy, I don't know what will.
We have been driving a lot lately. Today was about four hours, which wasn't too bad. Save for the fact that Thomas insisted on having his shoes off, it was fairly enjoyable. Graye and Roo told knock knock jokes, which were mildly funny, but Staci's contagious laugh made them that much more hilarious. Everybody on this trip is completely enjoyable. It's lovely.
Yesterday we got to go to Monteverde, which is where Roo, my mom, and I lived last year for a semester. It was so neat to go back. We visited the school and saw some old friends and played a quick game of soccer. It's still the exact same little town with magical plants and enchanting forests and beautiful smiles. It is also the home land of one Miss Adri Salazar, and she was greatly missed. We got to visit her family's orchid garden yesterday, thanks to her parents, and it was wonderful. Miss Siria and Mr. Salazar were so kind and happy to host us. We felt so loved, and we are all full of hugs from them that we need to bring back to Adri.
I hope everyone is enjoying the snow and I look forward to seeing you all very soon!
Love, Clarabeth

Enough

We've had enough.  We're ready for you to come home. We've had enough of quiet.  Enough of being without your smiles and questions.  Enough of eating alone.  Enough of you not being at hot lunch.  Enough of waiting for your next blog.  Enough of worrying about you being safe.  Enough of the wind and rain and wondering about your weather.  Enough of wondering if I'll be able to hear Effie with my new aids.  So...we'll be ready for you.  You know how Americans are-we may not show it, but we'll be glad to see your pictures, hear your stories, and to have you part of our moments.
Until we meet again,

raw

Ziplining with the Pros

Such an exhilarating experience it was.
The zipline in Monteverde was by far the most exciting thing; the cable runs called the Superman and Tarzan were the best. The superman was the farthest cable over a huge span of lush greenery and the Tarzan cable was an adrenaline rush as you dropped 120 feet swinging. We leave Monteverde today and I must say I will miss it, by far this town was the most gorgeous of them all. My parents would have loved to come and share these events with me. I miss them lots and I am looking forward to going back and reuniting after a long 2 weeks of service and bonding.

-Sierra

The Tarzan Swing

The last challenge after some insane zip-lining was the Tarzan Swing. It was half a supention bridge over a valley. I walked out on to the spindly contraption suspended by nothing but two wires spanning the valley about 3 quarters of a miler long. The platform was blowing in the the strong wind and it felt like I was walking on a ship in a storm. I walked up to the gate where they drop you and saw the ground about 100 ft below. They strapped me on to a rope that was tied to the cables holding up the bridge. There was a gate that closed the gap where you get pushed off and they asked me to lean over the gate and hold on to the rope I front of my face. They counted to three and they opened the gate. I fell. And fell. And my eyes went blurry because of the weightlessness. Then I started to swing like Tarzan. It was the biggest and the most fun swing I have ever been on. But it was scary. Because I hate feeling weightless.




Kellen


Please ignore all il grammar and spelling.

Thomas blog

Well I don't know what to say...... Xcept costa Ricas amazing! Ive grown closer with god and have bigger bonds with my friends. I've made some aus one friends and seen a lot of amazing things it's great here Kay godda go bye sincerely Thomas

Canoe Trip

Yesterday, we went on a canoe trip on the river. Traveling through tiny canals we traveled into the heart of the jungle. We saw caymans, iguanas, birds, and best of all the monkeys. While in a canal, we saw two colorful monkeys swinging around. They flung poop at us almost hitting Peter. The other monkey excreted his fecal matter and it fell 100yards hitting the water making a huge splash. Then both the monkeys jumped 20ft to another tree. It was a rad experience. I also want to make a shout out to my bro Merrick and Teddy coe.

-peace love and happiness=Graye p.

Things we take for granted

This experience has really opened our eyes to how many things we take for granted in the United States. For example:
-toilets that can handle toilet paper, so we don't have to throw them in a separate trash can
-good roofing that doesn't amplify the sound of the rain
-way less stray dogs and cats
-more safety on the roads
-better law enforcement
-more variety within supermarkets
-food safety regulations, eggs are refrigerated
-the pristine campus of OCS
-good, clean water
-easy accessibility to everything
-the overall wealth
-not having to put bars on your home's windows

--Brynna

Jokes and stuff by kellen

Hey! You guys wan't to hear some jokes and riddles? Eh?

>post below>

Traveling Happy

As we all drive through the different scenic outlooks and the small little towns of Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo and Limón I notice a lot of one thing. Happiness.
Even though I was sitting inside a bus full of people and everything flew by the windows I could catch glimpses of the "happy" people. The local Costa Ricans would like at us and eyes were drawn to us because of our skin but if we were unnoticed there was a point of view that was different from most that I experienced. There was one great instant of happiness that I viewed from the outside looking in on our trip through Limón.
I'm sitting in the hot bus beginning to develop this "game" on how many seemingly happy circumstances in the rundown towns. When passing through the town of Limón I saw an example that had struck me during this game. There was a local man that I saw walking on a pair of crutches. He was old, worn out, his skin resembling the appearance of leather after a lifetime in the sun. I looked at him trying to figure out why he was on crutches when it struck me. He didn't have any right leg. I immedietely felt sorry for him and how hard is life must be, but as the car slowed allowing busy cars to pass by us I started listening to the leg less man and his coversation with the bus driver. The driver asked him how he was doing, the leg less man responding with an enthusiastic "Pura Vida mae!" Which, in a nutshell, is the national way of saying, "Dude, I'm doing awesome."
This was a great lesson to me on what really makes us happy in our lives in the states. Do I really need a TV? Do I need shirts to be overflowing my drawers probably never to be worn again? Do I need to use the Internet daily for my personal use?
I don't know what you would've answered to those questions but I asked them around the town of Tortugero, to locals, to myself and came up with a conclusion that a local shop owner and I came to after bonding over music. The more things you have, great, but how you can use those things in God's glory to help create happiness is what really matters.

Stormy night

You guys have snow and rain and wind storms, we have a big storm rolling in right now. The wind is really high, making everything fly around. The only good thing about this storm is things will dry. Maybe. It is constantly raining, off and on, off and on. Me, Maria, and Mr. Roosma got caught by the rain walking on the beach. We miss you all!!!

-Mara
Ps- we have met three guys named Roberto so far dad.....

The Green Turtle

The sun had long set, and the night was black. The sand was cool between my toes as my friends and I walked the dark beach. It was 11:00 PM. The only light we had was Alejandro's flashlight, a couple of meters up the beach from where we were walking. Our expectations were high. I know I for one had been excited about this night since the day I found out about it, weeks ago! Suddenly, I heard Alejandro's voice call out over the sound of the crashing waves. "Look! Come quickly!" We hustled over to him. Through the light of the flashlight, I could see tiny outlines of what looked like small turtles! I bent down and sure enough, I saw three baby turtles making their way, clumsily, towards the furious water's edge! At that moment I felt that my life was complete. We stood and continued to watch them for a half hour. They were so tiny and so perfect. I wished I could take them home with me. My friends and I named them, said a prayer that they would continue to be safe, and walked back to our hotel. It was just perfect! That's all I can say. A perfect ending to a perfect day!
Except that it hasn't happened yet. That's how I imagine it in my head.. I can only hope that that's how the night will play out! Unfortunately we still have a few hours to wait. Now we're Off to dinner! :)
Marissa

Staci's Experience in Costa Rica

While we traveled to Costa Rica, I still couldn't believe that we were actually going. It seemed so surreal. The plane rides were good, not much turbulance but there was some. Once we got to Manzanillo, the humidity was incredibly intense. I realized it was going to be hard to deal with because of my asthma, but I got used to it. We settled I our rooms and then went to the beach. The beaches here are amazing. The water is warm and the waves are huge. We would go swimming everyday after our hard days of work at the school. We worked at the school Tuesday through Friday. The kids were adorable and so much fun to be around. After working for about five or six hours, then did activities with the kids. It was also nice to be able to talk to the people we were staying with. Their names were Mommi, Dennis, China, Edline, Natalie, Yail, Aquil, and Blaze. On Friday after we worked with the school and said goodbye, we went on a hike in the jungle. I loved the hike because we got to see a lot of different parts of the beach, and also got to see several animals and plants. There was so much mud, and any hills, which was also a fun experience. I think my favorite part of the hike was when Roo lost his shoe in a mud hole. I jumped right in and dug through it to find it. O Saturday some people went snorkeling, others tanned, and others swam. Saturday was a very fun but sad day because the next morning we left to go to Tortuguero. Over all I have learned so much of this culture and how to live in a place like this. I hope we gave a good impression on the people we met while there. I know they have inspired me lot. I realized while staying with Mommi and Dennis that we don't laugh nearly as much as we should. Every time I saw them, they are laughing and smiling about something. It's amazing how satisfied they can be, when so many people in our group were complaining about something most of the time. I really hope that the kids in our group can get a good experience from this trip and understand that they should be greatful for what they have. This is such a wonderful opportunity and I'm glad I am able to be in the beautiful place!

Big turtle

Tortuguero means big male turtle. It was worth the travel to get here! We traveled several hours by van, over dirt roads to get to the boat launch. Then an hour boat ride. Kinda like trying to get to Orcas! This whole place is built for the tourists to experience the Wet Tropical Rain Forest. As opposed to the Moist Tropical Rain Forest like it was in Manzanillo. Moist means only 6 meters of rain a year. Wet means over 8 meters! It has poured rain every hour since we arrived. It is warm rain and inbetween it is really nice.

This is a photo of our lounge area.

Cheers,

Ron Claus

Nostalgia in Paradise

This is such a fun trip; the birds sing every morning, the wind blows and the rain pours, the sun peaks through the clouds once in a while. We all miss Manzanillo already but we are quickly acclamating to Tortuguero even though we will only be here for two nights. Our morning canoeing trip was refreshing and wet as the sky opened and closed every 30 minutes. Our night walk was scary and intriguing at the same time as we saw spiders, frogs, and a couple of snakes. So far, the trip has been a blast and we are looking forward to the next week!

-Sierra

Pura vida!!!

This is the slogan for the place we are in, which is Tortuguero. We just got here yesterday, and have had a wet blast so far. There are no roads to get here, only planes and river boats. We took a boat for forty five minutes, and arrived in a little town. The town has winding streets and is really confusing to me. The little hotel is nice, almost just like the one in Manzinillo. we are right on the beach, which is really nice. It is raining all the time, but at least it's warm. We took a night jungle hike last night, which was REALLY muddy and wet, but interesting to. We saw lots of spiders, frogs, and one snake. At six this morning we were moving out to go canoeing on the intricate web of rivers. We saw lots of cammons, which are in the alligator family, monkeys, lizards, birds, butterflys, etc. it was wet, but a lot of fun. Now it is raining once again. Pura Vida!!!! (pure life)

Canoeing!

At six this morning, we left to the river for a canoe trip with Alejandro and two other guides. It took three and a half hours, and it went through the local national park. We saw many lizards, iguanas, and monkeys! It was exciting, and we have a few hours to relax now before lunch and some schoolwork with Mr. Claus. Tonight is the night hike on the beach from 10 to 12, and I really hope we'll get to see some sea turtles!

--Brynna

SUCCESS

I experienced success!  I lost the password for this blog and for several days endeavored to prove I belong to this blog.  Google gave up first.  Finally I received a simple email with few instructions.  Now the Costa Rica travelers can blog to all of their fans and followers.  I can't wait to see what they write.  Stay tuned.

htbh