Wow, so much to tell. Where to begin...
First of all, my words can only do so much. Please check out my friend Jason's blog at http://jckopp.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-03-12T22%3A47%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=2. His pictures are amazing and do a fantastic job of summing up the trip so far.
Well, we returned from our second field trip a couple of weeks ago. That field trip started with a 10 mile hike from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserved to Peñas Blancas, or as we call it, Eladio's. The hike was rough with a heavy pack on our backs but still beautiful. A cool swimming hole and lunch marked the halfway point. By the time we reached Eladio's, I think I had fallen at least a dozen times and made at least a few river crossings.
The trip was worth it. Eladio's is a small cabin tucked into the side of hill with a gorgeous view of the surrounding forest. Eladio owns it and has been hosting students groups for years. The living quarters were tight and we were without electricity. Each day we explored the forest and swam in the river. One day was Fungus Diversity day, so we spent the day collecting as much fungi as possible--my favorite was the fungus that attacks and grows out of insects (as seen in Planet Earth). After dinner each night, we hung out on the porch talking and laughing. Staying at Eladio's has been my favorite three days on this entire trip.
From Eladio's, it was another long hike to Poco Sol. The hike was again tough but beautiful. Arriving at the Bio station at Poco Sol was breathtaking. We first saw the glass-like lake, in which we were tempted to immediately jump, packs and all. If you looked above the lake, you could see the station hiding behind the trees. This station was luxurious, especially compared to what we had experienced. There were only a few people to each bathroom, the floors were wooden, and view from the hammock was phenomenal.
After Poco Sol, we headed a little farther east to reach Tirimbina. There, we stayed at a slightly less luxurious bio station, but comfy nonetheless. At Tirimbina, I took many nighthikes--night is the time to find the frogs and snakes. My favorite was the Red-Eyed Tree Frog, which is on almost every Costa Rican postcard. We spent one of the days touring a "sustainable" logging company and an "organic" pineapple plantation. Although the day was slightly depressing, we ended it well by sipping delicious piña coladas from pineapples. Yum.
Our next stop was La Selva, a famous biological station where much research has been conducted. This was probably the most populated place we have been, but it was still nice to have internet and laundry access.
We had finally reached the Caribbean Ocean when we arrived at Parismina. We stayed on a canal lined with crocodiles. Needless to say, we did little swimming. We did a lot of cruising the canals birdwatching. My favorite activity, however, was watching a Leatherback turtle lay eggs. The first night we went searching for the turtles, we failed after walking the beach from 9pm-1am. The following night, however, was a success! When we arrived at the beach at midnight, a HUGE Leatherback turtle had just arrived to the beach and begun the egg-laying process. This was an experience of a lifetime. Once the turtle started the process, she went into a trance until she covers up the hole an hour later. Although the turtle laid over 100 eggs, only a couple will survive to reproductive maturity—the dangers for baby turtles are immense.
Next stop was Bocas del Toro,—an island off the Caribbean coast of Panama. We had arrived to paradise. The white-sanded beaches were lined with palm trees. The water was warm and crystal-clear. We girls had our own huge house to ourselves. This was my first exposure to sorority-type living, and I really enjoyed it, although I don’t know if I could do it much longer than a week. At Bocas del Toro, we snorkeled, snorkeled, and snorkeled as part of Marine Diversity weekend. This was my ideal weekend. We saw all kinds of tropical fish, coral, anemones, and much more. Each day on our way back from snorkeling we were lucky enough to see dolphins! One night was devoted to our talent show. I have never laughed so hard. Some of the acts included a rap about everyone in the program, guitar solos, and skits. After the show, our professors surprised us with live music by a local band, so we spent the night dancing to reggae.
Panama was the last stop on our trip. It was hard for us all to believe that our last field trip was over. Next on our plates were our independent research project proposals—mine is looking at the difference of butterfly diversity among sun-grown coffee, shade-grown coffee, and the forest. After turning in our proposals, we headed off to our homestays where we are now.
The day I met my family, I was very nervous, but it only took a couple of days for me to become comfortable. I live with an older couple on a farm in Cañitas, which is about an hour walk away from Monteverde. The area is gorgeous. The view is of the surrounding hills and the Gulf of Nicoya off in the distance. My farm has coffee, banana, chickens, cows, avocado, berries, vegetables, flowers, and much more. Each morning I eat eggs from my chickens and coffee from my farm—about as local as I have ever eaten. I have my own room with a big bed. My parents are super nice and right next door is a friend from the program. This past weekend we went to a local festival where there was much dancing and horses.
So far I love my homestay. It certainly is a cultural experience, and I think my Spanish is greatly improving. My favorite part of it all is probably the beautiful farm on which I conduct my research. The other day, the farm hand showed me an open pasture with a huge tree, from it hanging a swing. He then told me to try the swing and held my butterfly net for me. It was the best, most happy swing of my life. It made me realize how much I have truly enjoyed my time in Costa Rica.
