Here are pics from July 3rd--this day we completed a reforestation project. Jorge said he'd check on the trees we planted in a year or two and let us know their progress. If all goes as planned, the Great Green Macaw will be feeding on the fruits of the planted trees!
We went zip lining at Sky Trek where we took a sky tram over the rooftop of the rainforest. It was amazing. The views of Arenal and Arenal Lake are absolutely breathtaking! Sorry no pictures! I was a wimp and didn't want to break my mother-in-law's camera!
After planting trees and zip lining, we went to our lodgement for the next two nights, which is Lodge de Volcan! We are literally at the foot of Arenal and we've gotten the chance to see and hear its activity! We are so lucky. 75% of the time Arenal is covered by clouds and visitors can't see it.
Yesterday was my birthday and the kids and the teachers and Meredith were great. They special ordered me a birthday cake (complete with candles). How thoughtful. This truly was one of the best birthdays I've ever had.
Ms. A
    Last night was our first night at the Lomas del Volcan resort. Our cabins sit at the foot of the Arenal volcano. We watched the volcano erupt and saw the lava through the darkness. It was unreal! This is a hotel I truly will never forget. Here's a picture of it erupting this morning, too!
This morning, we went to a local farm and helped out in the cheese-making process. We all got to milk the cows ourselves! Later, we went for a hike to a local waterfall. It was like a hidden paradise! On our way, we tasted a plant that indigineous people used to use for a natural anistetic. It made out tongues numb! We also saw a tarantula, a poison dart frog, hummingbird, turkey vulture, and different types of fungi.
After our hike, we went to a pineapple plantation and learned about the harvesting process of this delicious fruit! We (of course!) got to try some straight from the plantation! It was so sweet! We also learned that when we go to the store, we shouldn't pick out the yellow pineapples because those have already started to ferment. Go for a green pineapple that is hard with leaves that are still strong. Those will taste the best!
Tonight, we will experience natural hot springs! Look for my next post!! :) -Amy
We had a truly amazing day yesterday. Giving back to the community in the morning and releasing some serious energy on the zipline (Proof is Kiara's face! Haha!)
July 3rd Giving Back to the Rainforest & Experiencing Volcanic Eruptions All In One Day! Today, we checked out of the Tirimbina Nature Preserve Lodge and drove to take part in a reforestation project with a local rainforest conservation learning center. We took on the heat with out shovels and seedlings of the trees the green macaw is dependent upon. The green macaw is endangered and, without our help, expected to become extinct within two generations. We helped to plant these trees in an area where they can grow and continue to sustain the green macaw population. With combined efforts, we planted 200 trees! It was very rewarding to give back to the environment by completing this project. In the afternoon, we drove to the Arenal Volcano. We rode zip lines above the rainforest canopy, witnessing amazing sights one could only dream of! It was an invigorating experience! We checked into our hotel at the foot of the Arenal Volcano! We are staying in cozy cabins with a spectacular view of the volcano. We even were lucky enough to see it erupt! It was incredible! The black smoke from the volcano caused a rain cloud to evaporate, helping to clear the skies back to blue! We know you won’t believe it, so check out our pictures! (Theyre coming soon, but the internet won't load them right now- Ill try again in the am!)
Today was absolutely one of the best! It started with a leisurely morning and breakfast, and since we didn't have to be on the bus until 8:45, we got to catch some of the Brazil/Netherlands game. Elena and I were sure that Brazil was going to stomp the Netherlands after we saw the first goal scored, but to our dismay Jorge told us later that Brazil lost 2-1, what a surprising victory for the Netherlands! Anyway, back to the trip. I don't have pictures from this morning because we did mostly water activities, but we started first with kayaking and it was great. We've been so lucky with weather and the conditions for kayaking were perfect. It was probably our favorite activity of the day. However, our kayak trip wasn't long. We made our way to the other side of the beach where we met up with the other half of our group and we prepared to snorkel. There were some cool fish out there--I can only identify one, the Angel fish. In the distance we could see a storm rolling in, and we had to high tail it out of there on our beach cruisers back to the resort where we had rented all of our equipment. We were able to get showers and play a few games of pool before we had an excellent lunch. Everyone had their choice of a great sandwich--chicken, beef, vegetarian, or fish. And we all agreed that each sandwich was delicious. What is so amazing about the hotels and restaurants where we've been staying and dining is that most are out door and we get to eat surrounded by lush, green plants and we can hear the Howler monkeys in the distance.
After lunch we had to pack up our gear and take off for a 4 hour bus drive to Tirimbina, We are headed inland to Arenal. Tirimbina is an eco-friendly lodge north of Limon. Jorge talked to us about the agriculture and exports of Costa Rica. We now know that bananas are the #1 export followed closely behind by pineapples. Did you know that the pineapple is ripe as soon as you pick it and that it's perfectly fine to eat a pineapple that is green--it's actually better Jorge says. He also says to refrigerate your pineapples, I never knew that!
Tonight we had an excellent dinner and then headed out to the rainforest, guided by Christian, to check out the rainforest that is practically in our backyard! Our group saw Leaf Cutter ants, mating Walking Sticks, spiders, an Emerald Basilisk, the Dink frog, and some people swear they saw an armadillo, but I didn't :(! Christian told us that pumas and other large, wild mammals make their homes in the rainforest, but their keen sense of smell and hearing alert them to our presence so we definitely didn't see any.
We're now in bed and getting some shut eye. We need it because tomorrow we trek further inland to Arenal and we'll participate in a reforestation project and then go ZIP LINING!
Can't wait to update you guys about tomorrow and I promise I'll have more pics!
Ms. A
    
Day 3 - July 2, 2010 After a good nights rest, we arrived at the Almond and Coral Resort. From here, we rode bicycles to a nearby beach. We snorkeled the coral reefs and saw some awesome fish! Erique shared, “This is just beautiful.” We traded transportation methods for our journey back to the resort and rode two-person kayaks. As we were paddling, the seas began to swell and we all ended up flipping over! It sure was a good thing we had out life jackets! It was surely an adventure! We had lunch at the resort in a small restaurant set in the middle of the jungle. As we ate, we could hear the howler monkeys calling each other! After a four hour drive, we arrived at our jungle lodge in Heredia. Tonight we went on a rainforest walk and experienced the rainforest at night! Luckily for us, 65% of the animals in the rainforest are nocturnal, so we were able to spot a lot! We saw dink frogs, emerald basilisks, spiders, termites, an armadillo, and much more!!
 What a day! We started bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 8am. First stop - Kayaking, biking, and snorkeling. Kayaking was an absolute blast,we tackled the waves head on. We managed to dry off with a bike ride along the coast line and through the lush Costa Rican landscape.
The day ended with an entertaining and enlightening night-walk through the jungle, complete with flashlights, suspension bridges, lizards, giant bugs, and other creatures of the night.
It was a fantastic day had by all - lots of smiling faces and lots of stories to tell!
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Programs Details
| Duration |
8 days |
| When |
June 29 - July 6, 2010 |
| Focus |
Ecology/Conservation
Biology
Geology/Volcanology |
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