In my haste to finish that last blog post, I forgot some of the most important parts of that last day of the first field trip. After that potentially peligroso location, we were brought to yet another beach. One problem: the bus couldn’t make it there on the roads. So, we got loaded onto a cattle truck that was possibly used for smuggling immigrants (what kind of cattle truck has black tarp with church benches on the inside?) to take us the last 15 kilometers to the beach.
When we got there, our professors managed to outdo themselves yet again. They yanked a huge cooler from an unknown location, threw beers at us, and told us to go watch the sunset while drifting in the water. It was an amazing experience, one that I will never forget. See the picture so that I can instill jealousy in you.
After we left the beach, we headed straight for a nearby restaurant. I loved that meal, and not just because of the ceviches. Después de la cena, regresamos al campo para singing and guitar playing around 50 lanterns. Needless to say, it was an amazing way to end our field trip.
Anyways, the paradise that was the first two weeks had to end sometime. The next day, we hopped on our bus and headed to the town that my program is named for, Montverde. The climate that we’ve experienced in Monteverde was a welcome break from the humid, hot lowlands. It actually gets kind of cold here; I think it got to 55 degrees Fahrenheit once. It was pretty awful, I don’t know what I would do if I had to experience snow this early in the year.
Since Monteverde is classified as a cloud forest, we’ve run into interesting problems such as having to stop class because a cloud floated through the window. Also, we’re constantly distracted by animals like these.
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| Glass wing! |
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| I am going to be so bored by New England wildlife. |
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| Giant moth, nothing to see here. |
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| Look at that badass. |
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| There were animals in MV, but my camera sucks. |
Regardless, once we arrived at the biological research station, (or as the Ticos call it, La Estacíon) we all got thrown into our rooms and given a day of rest. It was also here where a reoccurring trend began. Due to the logistics of trying to house six boys, we are constantly given the best accommodations. This started here, where we were placed into the “Bro-Mansion”, which is basically two rooms thrown 20 meters from the station on the top of the hill. While each guys’ room had six beds for three to share, all of the girls had to deal with a 1:1 girl to bed ratio. How unfortunate for them.
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The first week of Monteverde was difficult. While the first field trip was free of work with deadlines, we had been accumulating a huge amount of knowledge from our daily lectures and constant species reports. When we returned to Monteverde, all of this science hit us in full force. We had lab practicals, midterms, essays, and the other staples of scientific academia. Nevertheless, just like all other difficult times, they eventually do pass, and we made sure to celebrate. Our bar of choice in Monteverde (actually Santa Elena, but whatever) is one called Mata de Caña. In addition to being within walking distance of the station and having 1000 Colone drinks, it’s also the favorite venue for a band called Chanchos de Monte. Our professor, Alan Masters, is, of course, the lead member of this band. Sure, he’s a difficult and strict teacher, but once class is over, he really opens up and lets loose.
Mata de Caña has been great to us, fostering many memorable events. They hosted us on Halloween, gave us cheap drinks, is the location of a certain photo taken by Jake of a pair of people, tolerated the drunkenness of several people, and dozens of other unforgettable occurrences. Needless to say, I will not be thrilled by the legal drinking age of 21 when I head back stateside.
While life in Monteverde may not have been as exciting as our first field trip, it was certainly not boring or monotonous. In addition to our continuing biology classes, we also started out four-hour long Spanish class marathons. While four hours may seem arduous, they certainly were not. After taking placement tests, we were all divided up into our appropriate classes. My class of four people has been great and our teacher was enthusiastic and knows what she’s doing. Monteverde was certainly not only classes and going to bars though. We went on numerous hikes, went to the local butterfly jardín, witnessed the Independence day parade, and went horseback riding (a first time for me!) See the following photos for greatness.
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| Meet Walker. |
OK, well with this blog post I am slightly more caught up. In fact, I’ve gotten to right before our second field trip started, so I’m only one month behind now! Pura vida y paz, mops.
