Diamante Verde
We have 2 hours until we move on to our next activity, so here is our recap from Day 3 since we didn't have wifi in the cave last night...
Yesterday we had breakfast at La Fogata at 7:00 AM. We needed to have our luggage packed and stored at 6:55 AM because another Rustic group was coming through for the evening. We had the "typico" breakfast, plus pancakes and some Froot Loops. After refilling our water bottles and applying sunscreen, we departed around 7:40 AM for the cave. It's a 1 hour drive: we head north toward Dominical, then drive east (inland) up into the mountains. The entire drive feels like it is uphill and into the clouds.
From that elevation, the bus then wound down the mountain on a dirt road to meet up with Pacific Journeys, the family company that runs Diamante Verde. We met Diego & Abraham, brothers from a family of 18(!), and they would be our guides for the journey up. For the first time, I decided to start my timer to see exactly how long it would take our group to hike up. Our guides said it could take anywhere from 2.5 to 7 hours- depending on physical condition, weather, animal sightings, etc. It was VERY hot and humid and it took no time for most of us to be sweating more than usual.
Just after starting, Diego spotted a family of 4 howler monkeys. They did not respond to our calls :/ But it was a nice break to watch them eating and interacting above us in the trees. At another vista we watched a white hawk and vultures soar over the valley. And we were incredibly grateful to spot a toucan at one of the steep inclines, which provided a much needed break. We also had the chance to refill our water bottles from a nice, cold (clean) stream.
It took us just an hour and 4 minutes to reach the cave. We moved at an incredible pace. Now, when I tell you we only hiked 1 mile, it doesn't sound as impressive, but the path is straight up through the mud on these tiny little stairs. It was quite the feat.
We took a break at the garden, getting water, cookies, and our packs off of our backs. There are all kinds of fun plants in the garden- everything from your standard vegetables and herbs, to bananas, to limes that look like oranges that aren't ripe, to cacao. A few of the more unique items included the ginger shampoo plant, which looks like of like honeycomb and catches the rain water. It makes your hair smell so good and feel silky smooth. Another interesting plant was noni, which smells and tastes like curdled milk. The students could not be fooled into trying it; however, it is supposed to be very good for the immune system. The coolest thing was the "magical berries"- and that's the real name. We sampled a slice of lime that was very sour, then ate a berry. When we ate the lime again, it was so sweet and delicious. The magical berries make your entire mouth sweet and change your sense of taste.
Our group got a photo together from the garden, gathered some herbs for tea, then continued on our hike to the cave. Along the way, Diego showed us a green spotted eyelash pit viper that was hanging on the guide rope. Pit vipers have a triangular head, which is an easy way to quickly tell if a snake is venomous. We also stopped at a termite mound were Diego, Baz, and myself ate a few- great source of protein! It took us just 20 minutes to get to the cave from the garden, a grand total of 2 hours and 2 minutes (including time at the garden)- a new record!
At the cave we picked out our cots, then ate lunch: hearts of palm tacos with black beans, salsa, and chips. Then it was time for rappelling!
We received a rappelling lesson from Diego and got fitted for all of our gear. Each person needed a harness and helmet and we all hiked up to the top of the waterfall. When we rappel, we're on the rock surface for about 25 feet, then the next ~75 feet you sit in your harness and continue to lower yourself down. I went first with Kara so we could take photos of everyone. The girls all followed, then the boys, and then Mrs. Walsh with Christian and Olman. Everyone did so well! It was very slick and we were so high up. The last 6 people finished up in the clouds as the rain started to roll in. It was definitely a highlight for the entire group.
We changed into our swimsuits and made a 15 minute hike downstream (aka downhill) to a 600 foot waterfall. The clouds blocked the view when we first got there, so we went upstream to pond to swim for a little. By the time we were done, the clouds and fog cleared up for some pictures. We hiked back up the hill where they had tea and cookies waiting for us. Some students rinsed off, others just put on their dry clothes, then we played games like Kemps, Jenga, and dominoes until it was time for dinner. (Note: a LOT of the activities here are based on when we are going to eat again- we have a very hungry & healthy group!)
For dinner we had pasta and sauce, made with the fresh veggies and herbs from the garden. They also had salad and garlic bread. It started to get dark right as dinner was beginning... we had headlamps and flashlights out starting at 6 PM. We started a bonfire for a short meeting after dinner to talk about the trip so far and to plan for community service the next day.
One of the really cool things we talked about was "roses, thorns, and buds:" what is your favorite thing so far, what wasn't fun, and what are you looking forward to. Some of the roses from our group: soccer vs. the Ticos, swimming in the waterfall, swimming in the ocean, and rappelling. Some of the thorns: the hike up to the cave, being sweaty all the time, and getting out in the game "Assassin." And some of the buds: community service, whitewater rafting, and surfing. I thought Robby's bud was the most entertaining- going to bed that night. It was a very long, tiring day.
Just when we thought everyone would be going to bed by 7:30 PM, there was some commotion in the cave. We were startled by all kinds of creatures: swifts (birds that nest in the cave and are NOT bats), hooded basilisk lizards (they eat insects- not scary), and geckos (these have been at our hotels every night, but I guess they are scarier in caves). Once we finally settled in, we were ready to fall asleep to the sound of the waterfall...
I will post about our morning at the cave and our day today a little later... but a shower sounds so appealing right now. I think that all of the students are done now and I *might* be able to get some hot water. Pura vida!
Yesterday we had breakfast at La Fogata at 7:00 AM. We needed to have our luggage packed and stored at 6:55 AM because another Rustic group was coming through for the evening. We had the "typico" breakfast, plus pancakes and some Froot Loops. After refilling our water bottles and applying sunscreen, we departed around 7:40 AM for the cave. It's a 1 hour drive: we head north toward Dominical, then drive east (inland) up into the mountains. The entire drive feels like it is uphill and into the clouds.
From that elevation, the bus then wound down the mountain on a dirt road to meet up with Pacific Journeys, the family company that runs Diamante Verde. We met Diego & Abraham, brothers from a family of 18(!), and they would be our guides for the journey up. For the first time, I decided to start my timer to see exactly how long it would take our group to hike up. Our guides said it could take anywhere from 2.5 to 7 hours- depending on physical condition, weather, animal sightings, etc. It was VERY hot and humid and it took no time for most of us to be sweating more than usual.
Just after starting, Diego spotted a family of 4 howler monkeys. They did not respond to our calls :/ But it was a nice break to watch them eating and interacting above us in the trees. At another vista we watched a white hawk and vultures soar over the valley. And we were incredibly grateful to spot a toucan at one of the steep inclines, which provided a much needed break. We also had the chance to refill our water bottles from a nice, cold (clean) stream.
It took us just an hour and 4 minutes to reach the cave. We moved at an incredible pace. Now, when I tell you we only hiked 1 mile, it doesn't sound as impressive, but the path is straight up through the mud on these tiny little stairs. It was quite the feat.
We took a break at the garden, getting water, cookies, and our packs off of our backs. There are all kinds of fun plants in the garden- everything from your standard vegetables and herbs, to bananas, to limes that look like oranges that aren't ripe, to cacao. A few of the more unique items included the ginger shampoo plant, which looks like of like honeycomb and catches the rain water. It makes your hair smell so good and feel silky smooth. Another interesting plant was noni, which smells and tastes like curdled milk. The students could not be fooled into trying it; however, it is supposed to be very good for the immune system. The coolest thing was the "magical berries"- and that's the real name. We sampled a slice of lime that was very sour, then ate a berry. When we ate the lime again, it was so sweet and delicious. The magical berries make your entire mouth sweet and change your sense of taste.
Our group got a photo together from the garden, gathered some herbs for tea, then continued on our hike to the cave. Along the way, Diego showed us a green spotted eyelash pit viper that was hanging on the guide rope. Pit vipers have a triangular head, which is an easy way to quickly tell if a snake is venomous. We also stopped at a termite mound were Diego, Baz, and myself ate a few- great source of protein! It took us just 20 minutes to get to the cave from the garden, a grand total of 2 hours and 2 minutes (including time at the garden)- a new record!
At the cave we picked out our cots, then ate lunch: hearts of palm tacos with black beans, salsa, and chips. Then it was time for rappelling!
We received a rappelling lesson from Diego and got fitted for all of our gear. Each person needed a harness and helmet and we all hiked up to the top of the waterfall. When we rappel, we're on the rock surface for about 25 feet, then the next ~75 feet you sit in your harness and continue to lower yourself down. I went first with Kara so we could take photos of everyone. The girls all followed, then the boys, and then Mrs. Walsh with Christian and Olman. Everyone did so well! It was very slick and we were so high up. The last 6 people finished up in the clouds as the rain started to roll in. It was definitely a highlight for the entire group.
We changed into our swimsuits and made a 15 minute hike downstream (aka downhill) to a 600 foot waterfall. The clouds blocked the view when we first got there, so we went upstream to pond to swim for a little. By the time we were done, the clouds and fog cleared up for some pictures. We hiked back up the hill where they had tea and cookies waiting for us. Some students rinsed off, others just put on their dry clothes, then we played games like Kemps, Jenga, and dominoes until it was time for dinner. (Note: a LOT of the activities here are based on when we are going to eat again- we have a very hungry & healthy group!)
For dinner we had pasta and sauce, made with the fresh veggies and herbs from the garden. They also had salad and garlic bread. It started to get dark right as dinner was beginning... we had headlamps and flashlights out starting at 6 PM. We started a bonfire for a short meeting after dinner to talk about the trip so far and to plan for community service the next day.
One of the really cool things we talked about was "roses, thorns, and buds:" what is your favorite thing so far, what wasn't fun, and what are you looking forward to. Some of the roses from our group: soccer vs. the Ticos, swimming in the waterfall, swimming in the ocean, and rappelling. Some of the thorns: the hike up to the cave, being sweaty all the time, and getting out in the game "Assassin." And some of the buds: community service, whitewater rafting, and surfing. I thought Robby's bud was the most entertaining- going to bed that night. It was a very long, tiring day.
Just when we thought everyone would be going to bed by 7:30 PM, there was some commotion in the cave. We were startled by all kinds of creatures: swifts (birds that nest in the cave and are NOT bats), hooded basilisk lizards (they eat insects- not scary), and geckos (these have been at our hotels every night, but I guess they are scarier in caves). Once we finally settled in, we were ready to fall asleep to the sound of the waterfall...
I will post about our morning at the cave and our day today a little later... but a shower sounds so appealing right now. I think that all of the students are done now and I *might* be able to get some hot water. Pura vida!
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