Saturday, June 3rd

Today we started our day by waking up bright and early. At breakfast we were served Costa Rican coffee with local eggs and a delicious plate of rice and pinto beans. As usual we were also provided a freshly squeezed juice made from an exotic Costa Rican fruit. After breakfast we all hopped in the trucks and drove less than an hour to hike and swim in cold and hot springs. Although the hikes were difficult, the view in the cloud forest along with the greetings from many new insects and animals made the trip very worth it. We did not know what to expect but everyone was very eager to try something new. So, we hopped in the cold spring and the hot springs then had a packed lunch of juice, chips, cookies, and a warm ham and cheese sandwich. After we ate lunch we ventured back home to take part in a cacao tour led by Pablo, the owner of the farm we are staying on. He taught us all about the three main cacao beans and their differences, the history of chocolate and cacao plants, and even let us try some of the dark chocolate that was made on the farm. Once the tour was over and we had enough chocolate, we had free time before dinner.A few of the girls walked down the road to the Pulperia, the small store that sells candy and drinks. Dinner consisted of tortilla chips, cheese, tomatoes, chicken, and beef, for tacos. After dinner, we all sat around and talked about the days to come and the things we have accomplished this week. We finished and presented our final projects yesterday, which lifted a small weight off our chest. As interesting as it was to collect data about the leaf cutter ants and create experiments, it was also nice to complete them so that we could fully relax today before we leave in the morning for the dry forest. - Karina Pezzi