Sloths in the Forest!
Dear Families,
Today was mostly a day of rest, recovery, and reflection for our sloths. After yesterday's long and busy schedule, it was a relief, at least for a time, to gather with friends on an air conditioned bus for a few hours. We drove west from the Arenal volcano, towards the Pacific Ocean, which involved a journey into the rolling hills and elevation of central western Costa Rica.
Surprisingly, as many students noted, the ecology of green verdant hills dotted with trees reminded all of us of Northern California. We passed through agricultural fields, and later into dairy farm acreages with herds of grazing Jersey cows -- these are not industrial dairy operations. James and Jake made up a funny (mostly to them) joke of cows as "jaguars," such that as we passed hillsides of cows, one or the other would call out "jaguars!" It became a running joke. To the back of the bus, students joined in conversation with some new friend groups, as we have been asking them for the last two nights to lean into rooming with students outside their typical friend groups. Card playing has become a point of connection among students, and we have seen games of Crazy Eights, gin, and "popcorn," among others.
For lunch, we stopped in the town of Monteverde for a delicious lunch in a treetop restaurant -- as in, the restaurant structure was built around and into the trunk and branches of a large tree. It was a delicious meal and warmup for our hike through the Cloud Forest. Since 1992, a local technical high school has paired with an ecological NGO to build trails and plant trees in the jungle forests above Monteverde. Students hiked the 5km trail as our guides, Sergio and Frank, pointed out various birds native to Costa Rica, as well as frog eggs (which look like bubbles) and iridescent insects and beetles. After the heat of the last two days, climbing through the Cloud Forest, not unlike Sea Cliff in June, was a welcome respite.
Afterwards, we climbed the last few kilometers to our home for two days, the family-owned refugio, Rancho Makena, which is built into the hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is a beautiful rustic home, connected to horseback riding trails, and with a suspension bridge connecting the reception area from a main wing of rooms. With the fog and wind, it has a special ethereal feel, and it will be our home until Friday morning.
Tonight, Jake, James, Sam G., Sam J., Ally, Sophie, Aadi, Luke, and John took advantage of the inn's pool table, while Rachel, Kimya, Sophia, Ashley, Sabina, Michelle, and Angelina played cards. As a group, we sang Happy Birthday to Ms. Gruber, whose birthday is today, and sent the video to her via text. Our group of sloths is growing closer as we move past the halfway point of our trip.
Tomorrow is a generous 7:15 wakeup and 8:30 departure for a local Monteverde coffee co-op. There, students will learn about the local coffee trade and make their own lunch by hand. Good times ahead!
With only one activity, and a desire for some downtime, we had no journalers today. We have been ahead of our pace, and so Ally, Riya, Sam G., and Saahil are set to write. Until tomorrow!
Today was mostly a day of rest, recovery, and reflection for our sloths. After yesterday's long and busy schedule, it was a relief, at least for a time, to gather with friends on an air conditioned bus for a few hours. We drove west from the Arenal volcano, towards the Pacific Ocean, which involved a journey into the rolling hills and elevation of central western Costa Rica.
Surprisingly, as many students noted, the ecology of green verdant hills dotted with trees reminded all of us of Northern California. We passed through agricultural fields, and later into dairy farm acreages with herds of grazing Jersey cows -- these are not industrial dairy operations. James and Jake made up a funny (mostly to them) joke of cows as "jaguars," such that as we passed hillsides of cows, one or the other would call out "jaguars!" It became a running joke. To the back of the bus, students joined in conversation with some new friend groups, as we have been asking them for the last two nights to lean into rooming with students outside their typical friend groups. Card playing has become a point of connection among students, and we have seen games of Crazy Eights, gin, and "popcorn," among others.
For lunch, we stopped in the town of Monteverde for a delicious lunch in a treetop restaurant -- as in, the restaurant structure was built around and into the trunk and branches of a large tree. It was a delicious meal and warmup for our hike through the Cloud Forest. Since 1992, a local technical high school has paired with an ecological NGO to build trails and plant trees in the jungle forests above Monteverde. Students hiked the 5km trail as our guides, Sergio and Frank, pointed out various birds native to Costa Rica, as well as frog eggs (which look like bubbles) and iridescent insects and beetles. After the heat of the last two days, climbing through the Cloud Forest, not unlike Sea Cliff in June, was a welcome respite.
Afterwards, we climbed the last few kilometers to our home for two days, the family-owned refugio, Rancho Makena, which is built into the hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is a beautiful rustic home, connected to horseback riding trails, and with a suspension bridge connecting the reception area from a main wing of rooms. With the fog and wind, it has a special ethereal feel, and it will be our home until Friday morning.
Tonight, Jake, James, Sam G., Sam J., Ally, Sophie, Aadi, Luke, and John took advantage of the inn's pool table, while Rachel, Kimya, Sophia, Ashley, Sabina, Michelle, and Angelina played cards. As a group, we sang Happy Birthday to Ms. Gruber, whose birthday is today, and sent the video to her via text. Our group of sloths is growing closer as we move past the halfway point of our trip.
Tomorrow is a generous 7:15 wakeup and 8:30 departure for a local Monteverde coffee co-op. There, students will learn about the local coffee trade and make their own lunch by hand. Good times ahead!
With only one activity, and a desire for some downtime, we had no journalers today. We have been ahead of our pace, and so Ally, Riya, Sam G., and Saahil are set to write. Until tomorrow!
Lovely pictures !! -- Adityas mom
ReplyDeleteBreathtaking views! Thank you Ms. B!
ReplyDelete