Day 9:
Rainforest Day #4

5/11 Diary

Today was a free day, so we all did various activities, drawing, tree climbing, horseback riding, and swimming. Luckily no one fell off a horse or out of the tree. For the first time since we've been here, it actually rained during the day in the rainforest! It was a good heavy downpour, and we enjoyed the smell of fresh rain, especially since it was a nice break from the stinky cow pie smell that wafts up from the pasture. Little did we know, the rain would only enhance the stench around dinnertime.

Staci and Jamie accompanied Joe into town today for the Internet upload. The offroad ride was really bumpy, according to Staci. The man at the store had a pet squirrel named Inky. What kind of Costa Rican has a pet squirrel?! They also saw a cute kinkajou, which is Jamie's new favorite mammal, ousting the sloth (much to Staci's dismay). The houses on the way were all wooden with tin roofs and were up on stilts. All of the people were very friendly and waved. Just like in Michigan, they were troubled by road construction on the drive. However, the Costa Rican method of road repair differed, as they just were dumping dirt in the already muddy road. Sadly, the only reason they usually repair roads in this area is for logging.

A bunch of us spent the afternoon at the lodge drawing mostly collected specimens and scenery. We ended our drawing session with a bizarre game of "Snort." In this game, you have to snort at the person next to you and they aren't allowed to laugh. Carrie let out a snort that not only scared us, but frightened the dogs away too. Heather won the Cutest Snort award, and Staci nearly suffocated laughing. Emilia, however, was declared the uncontested snorting champion.

Brian and his amazing ninja reflexes caught a baby basilisk, which is now hanging out in his shower. Jackie found a rather large scorpion in her boot, and Amanda caught a live crayfish quite accidentally in her boot while she was still wearing it. Heather learned a local cure for her stomach ache, trying unripe guava peel, which she claimed tasted good, like Aspirin with a twist of lime. Later, we all starved until dinner, which was a little late because the lodge was low on food supply. Tony, one of the staff, had to drive to town to get more, in the dark, and we suspect he may have gotten lost. As for tonight, we hope to continue our Hearts tournament and get to bed early to rest for our big hike tomorrow.

 

Daily car ride to Baninito for computer phone connection - you have to cross the Baninito river 3 times! (there are no bridges)

 

Mrs. Katakowski, Farley Hill Elementary

1) Have you climbed any trees yet?

Yes, we climbed a 100 foot tree using harnesses and ropes. It was very exciting! We could see for miles!

2) Have you found any new species of animals yet?

It is very rare to discover a new species. Basically only very specialized and dedicated scientists get that honor, unless you are a very lucky person.

3) Have you seen any interesting fish in the stream?

We have seen lots of minnows and tad-poles. We also saw a basilisk lizards running on the water, frogs in the river, crabs and freshwater shrimp!

 

Mrs. Rogers, Pinckney Elementary

Questions for Costa Rica Team:

1)What kind of food are you eating? Sarah F

Sarah, we eat lots of different foods. For breakfast, fresh fruits, (watermelon, papaya, pineapple), scrambled eggs, rice and beans, toast, granola cereal, coffee, and fruit juices. For lunch, usually rice and beans everyday, served with a side of plantains (a fruit that looks like a fat banana but tastes different). For dinner we've had a variety of dishes, rice with either chicken, marlin (a big fish), beef, ham, or another type of meat, fried cheese, a salad of some type, fresh juice, and desserts (cake with milk, bananas in sauce, etc.) It's all pretty good, except for the plantains! (Professor Trumpey likes the plantains)

2)How are you going to look at the canopy in the rain forest? Mollie H. and Meghan M.

Mollie and Meghan, we rope climbed to the top of a really tall tree and overlooked the canopy, plus we can use binoculars to see it.

3)Are you having fun?

Of course we're having fun!! This is one of the best experiences of our lives and the rain forest is an amazing place. Hopefully you will get to see it someday!!