We have been in Costa Rica now for 2 full weeks. We spent a few hours this morning hiking in the Santa Elena Natural Reserve. The Y-Challenge trail was absolutely beautiful. The reserve is on the continental divide and we were specifically on the Caribbean Side. It was amazing how the weather changed while we were there….the sun actually came out and we all rushed to get pictures of the blue sky (it’s been raining since Monday here)! There was a nice breeze there as well! We saw lots of hummingbirds and a few other species of birds…and lots of flora and fauna! I saw a walking stick like I have never seen before and a species of birds that our guide said we don’t see very often..unfortunately, I forgot what it was! The reserve is maintained by the St Elena High School in an effort to teach ecological conservation and preservation and about biodiversity. We talked a lot about the plants growing on trees….the regeneration of the forest, etc! Like a hands on laboratory…I hope the students know how lucky they are to have such a wonderful lab! The weather had cleared in Monte Verde as well! I am amazed at how quickly everything dried up and the dust on the road appeared!
Spanish class was a hoot! We worked on verbs and vocabulary and played a fruit and vegetable BINGO game! We talked about hobbies, future business ventures, the gasoline issue in CR …just to name a few! I know that my understanding of the language is improving, as I can usually figure out what the instructor is saying…plus I can communicate back! What a wonderful feeling!
Emily and I took the night hike in Sainta Elena (I think I’ve spelled that differently every time I write it). It was about a 2 hour hike thru a dense forest outside of town and was led by a local tour guide. We saw several CR raccoons, CR porcupines, and was able to coax a tarantula from her habitat! I know it was a female, because there are no male tarantulas in la casa…because the females kill the males after the first date! She was a lovely creature, but I was glad to see her go home! We saw a lot of “cutter ants” as well…always working 24/7!! Emily and I had dinner at the “tree house” (literally a restaurant built around a HUGE tree). I had a wonderful seafood soup and blackberry drink. We took a taxi home….which was uneventful! Learning the directions helped!
That is the end of day 15….and our first week in Monte Verde!
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