Crazy First Fieldtrip

What I'm doing: This weekend we had the wildest fieldtrip ever. Everything that could possibly go wrong, did. But it was an amazing adventure that brought together the group. :) We met at the school at 8am on Saturday morning. I managed to pack everything in my backpack, which is really surprising if you knew that I have the hardest time EVER packing lightly! We drove in two vans that were supposed to bring us to the gate of the biological reserve where we would then drop our stuff off in a truck and walk 6 miles to the station. However, the drivers refused to drive us all the way to the gate because they did not want to get their tires dirty. Here is a picture of us at the place they dropped us off. We are smiling because we do not know how horrible the next few hours were going to be...

We started walking. Our teacher told us it was around 11 kilometers to get to the biological station where we were going to spend the night. 7 kilometers to the gate (which we were supposed to be driven to) and then another 5 kilometers to get to the station from the gate. This was not normal walking though, it was up a mountain. We walked for so long with all of our backbacks and duffle bags. Not very many people brought much water. Mariah, Chandler and I brought up the rear of the group. We were so tired and exhausted. We finally made it to the gate, and there was no truck... So we kept walking. I honestly did not think I could make it much longer. We all were literally soaked in sweat. Then...I heard a truck coming to get us! I have NEVER been so happy and grateful in my entire life. Here is a picture of Chandler, Kristin and I in the back of the truck.

We got to the biological station and ate lunch. Our meals there consisted of rice, beans, and tang. We slept in bunks. We walked to the river and our teacher talked about the nature around us. We were going to hike to the waterfall on Saturday, but it was too late by the time we finally reached the station.

It rained a lot on Saturday afternoon and evening. We sat around inside talking and bonding. We watched the rain and the river from the station. Saturday night we went to a bug screen. There were two different types of lights that attract bugs. We got to see lots of different insects. The cook, Hugo, caught several scorpions that he showed us. We also had to check our beds for cockroaches. My favorite thing we saw was fireflies though! I have never seen them in the jungle before, or seen them anywhere actually. It was magical.

Sunday morning we woke up bright and early. Only two people showered, so we were all looking and smelling REALLY good. After breakfast we walked to the waterfall. It was 2 kilometers away, and took us around an hour to get there. We had to cross the river 14 times going one direction. We all had boots on, but mine were the short kind. It was easier to walk with water in them, though. They did not hurt as much. :) Here is a picture of part of the river we crossed. We would all hold hands and help one another.

We got to the waterfall which was absolutely beautiful! We were all sweaty, so the cold water felt very nice. Some people jumped off the rocks into the water, but it seemed a little dangerous for me. Here is a group picture. I love the people I am with here in Costa Rica. We are the best group. :)

We walked back to the station (crossing the river 14 more times), and packed up our things. A very nice worker at the biological station offered to drive us back to the place the vans were going to pick us up. 17 people total were in the truck. I was luckily in the cab part, I did not want to be in the very back. We started driving when all of a sudden we heard a funny sound...

Yes, we had a flat tire. What are the odd of that happening?! Jose ran back to the station and got the few parts we needed to fix the tire. We played a few games while we waited for him to run back. Once the car was fixed we continued driving. Here is a picture of a mudslide that happened along the road as a result from the earthquake.

We also got to see a few snakes sleeping along the side of the road. I felt safe looking at them since we were in a truck.

We made it back to San Ramon, and needless to say I am still very tired and sore a day later! What did I learn from this trip? Two things:

• Nothing in life ever goes perfectly.
• You can get by with A LOT of help from your friends. :)

I can only imagine what will happen on our next fieldtrips...
Con mucho amor.