Costa Rica: Food, Forest, Fire

Waking up to Patrick's snoring or a charlie horse is not the perfect way to begin a day. The day would soon Become amazing. We started by meeting Mr. Dolman and a few others for an optional hike to test out our boots. Waking up at 5:30 was not as challenging as it would be it Seems Because the Sun rises before 5:00 pm. We Began our hike into the jungle and soon Realized That would be esta trip the experience of a lifetime. The trees and other plants are bright green and a beautiful stream yielded many waterfalls. The sight Seemed fake, like it Belonged in a zoo or movie. It was too perfect to be real. 

Then we prepared for breakfast at 7:30 am. We had delicious eggs, rice and beans, amazing papaya juice, fresh papaya, watermelon and the best ever We had tasted. There was locally grown coffee Past Which was also delicious. 

Then we HAD freetime Which was filled with a hike into the forest, a trip into town, or just relaxing and getting to know the people from Lexington Catholic. 

After esta we had a tour of the farm and a lesson on how to make chocolate. We Learned About the different types of cacoa. Finca La Anita grows only Criollo, the highest quality but Least productive strain. Then we got a chance to taste the most amazing chocolate we ever tasted unavailable. This was made with only cacoa chocolate, sugar, and vanilla. It was dark chocolate but was not bitter at all. There was 72% cacoa chocolate, Which was crumbly and delicious, and 80% chocolate, Which was much creamier and Equally as tasty. Then We Took a tour around the farm Entire Where we sucked on cacoa seeds, Which tasted like lemon and mango, and Learned About the process of growing the plant cacoa. 

We then ate lunch which was heart of palm salsa; beef, which tasted like spaghetti-o's; rice; beans; and vegetables. This was all truly amazing.

Right after lunch, we took about an hour break to relax and talk with each other. Many people went back to their dorms or cabins. 

After this little break we were taken on a tour through the town. We stopped at a house where the family made their own ice cream and we had the option to buy either coconut or chocolate ice cream. It was in a bag rather than on a cone. After this little stop we went to the town park where there were basketbal and soccer goals where we were told that many people hang arond. We moved on to see the police station, school, gathering area, and church. About two-hundred people live in the town as a whole. Towards the end of this tour, we stopped at asmall shop that they call the mall. Here many people purchased drink to quinch or thirsts on the hot day. After our littlestop we headed back to the farm. 

When we got back to the farm, we met our professor Mr. Pinto. We went to the classrom and introduced ourselves and said a quality that will help others remember you. From there we split up into eight groups of four, and we talked about the scientific method. Then we split into our groups and went to perform an experiment on bacterial growth. Groups swabbed places where they believed bacteria would grow and thrive the most, and from there we put them into petri dishes and in an incubator and we are awaitng results. 

After we were finished with these experiments we had dinner at 6:00 PM.For dinner we ate grilled chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes. After dinner we had a a break until 7:30. When this break was up we came back to the class room. Awaitng us in the room were two queen bullet ants and a massive hercules beetle. Immidiately we disposed of the bullet ants and set the beetle free. We continued on and watched three films. One on the leaf cutter ants, their colonies, and their backeria. Another was on different types of frogs and how deforestation, climate change, and parasites are kiling them off. The last film was on a fungus that invades ants and grows to their brain. It droves them crazy and makes them almost zombie-like. They climb high up into trees, attach to a branch and die. After death, the fungus sprouts frm their head and grows out to spread itself to other ants. After these films we were dismissed for the night. 

Pura Vida

By: Matt Watson and Eric Brian