Surf's up!
Today was our first full day in Uvita and what a day it was. We are all feeling a little wear and tear from the community service, the surfing, and the nonstop schedule, but everyone is in good spirits.
Mrs. Walsh and I were the first ones up again and had at least a cup of coffee before the girls started rolling in for breakfast. It is so nice to just sit and relax in La Fogata, watching the hummingbirds come in for their breakfast as well. And the coffee here is so good that it's nice to have a little time to enjoy it. The girls always get to breakfast early to check in on the wifi, followed by the boys shortly after. But they've been pretty good about the rules for "family dinner" and not checking them during the meal.
We ate at 7 AM, then rolled out at 7:45. Our first stop of the day was Parque Nacional Marino Ballena, also known as Marino Ballena National Park, also known as my second home. We checked in with the ranger on duty, but we were chaperoned by three local dogs that followed us past the "no pets allowed" sign and stayed with us until we were swimming. They did, however, swim in the creek that was labeled with a crocodile warning- we avoided it.
Our arrival at 8 was perfect timing for the low tide. The whale's tail formation at Bahia Ballena is only visible during low tide. The sand bar is exposed and you can walk all the way out on it to the rocks and reef. There are two rangers that patrol the area to keep people from getting stuck out there as the tide rolls in. We took a few group photos, then continued our walk all the way out to the rocks. We set our stuff down and explored the coast first. I showed them how to catch sand dollars (real live ones) and Gianna was a total pro! She had at least five in her hand in no time. We watched the little crabs and snails burrow into the sand, then put our flip flops back on to explore the tide pools. When the high tide rolls out, it leaves behind large pools of water where the rocks had been submerged. These areas are teeming with life and act as their own mini-ecosystems (science nerd, I know). We made all sorts of cool discoveries: Zach found an octopus, two different cowfish were sighted (blue with black spots and red), crabs galore, snails, starfish, shrimp, and small fish. Everyone became a marine biologist.
We started to get hot and we couldn't swim so close to the reef and the rocks, so we headed back toward the park entrance and swam for about an hour before our surfing lessons in Dominical.
Dominical is about 20 minutes north of where we are staying. We reapplied sunscreen, got out our rash guards, and started our surf lesson a little after 11. Poor Sadie didn't have hers, so she was stuck wearing my size tall large rash guard... but don't worry- she rocked the look. Henry was the main surf instructor and remembered me from previous trips. (That's one of the coolest things about leading these trips- everyone is so friendly and they don't forget you, even if you haven't been here for 2 years.) They do an AWESOME job because they had enough instructors for a 2:1 student to instructor ratio. This means more opportunities for our students to ask questions, more opportunities for guidance, and more opportunities to get up on the board! Mrs. Walsh and I worked VERY hard to get good photos of everyone! In the first hour EVERYONE got up on their surfboard! We already knew this was a talented group, but they continue to impress us with their athleticism.
We took a break after the first hour for water, for fresh mango and pineapple, and for reapplying sunscreen. Some of us did better jobs at reapplying than others, myself included. There are more than a few of us with rosy cheeks and we will be even more annoying with the reminders tomorrow to reapply. The tide was continuing to come in, so we hustled back out there to get another hour of surfing in. I was out there with the waterproof camera trying to get the best shots possible and got mowed over by Robby- it was my own fault. He was doing 180s and 360s, so I was trying to get too close. I can't believe he's only been surfing once before!
When our lesson was over, we stayed in Dominical for a late lunch at Phat Noodle. We had options of curry (no one got that- too close to the Finals), pineapple rice with chicken or pork, teriyaki noodles with chicken, pork, or chickpeas, or chicken skewers. Not only was the presentation beautiful- it was delicious. We were also fortunate enough to catch the end of the Portugal-Spain World Cup game and see Ronaldo's final goal!
After the drive back to the hotel, we had just 30 minutes before community service. Many chose to take advantage of the wifi during this time, others washed clothes or read. We went back to the community center for another afternoon of demolition work. This afternoon was better because it wasn't raining, which meant many of us could work outside. Those with safety glasses and masks continued work inside; the ones that didn't have them went outside to take down plaster and to clear off the sidewalk. It was hot and dusty yet again and several of us had blisters that needed to be attended to. However, the entire group continued to be busy bees- no complaints and always looking to find something to do. Our MVP from community service yesterday was Eliza and today our project manager, Eddie, selected Nick as the MVP.
We had a little bit of time to clean up before dinner at La Fogata- tonight we had pasta, salad, and pineapple juice (the fresh juice has been a hit at every meal). After dinner, we had a group discussion about community service and the trip overall. It was very interesting to hear how perspectives have changed and the comparisons between community service here and at home. I encourage you to ask the students about their experience when they get home- you would be really proud of what they have to say. We also heard from Olman and Christian about what it means to them as Ticos to see our students working so hard. Personally, I had most of these students in class before we left for the trip and I knew how wonderful they are and what kind of work ethic they have; however, I am overcome with emotion when I see how well they work together and how driven they are when it the effort is to help others. Maybe I just have a little plaster in my eyes still :')
About an hour left until lights out. I think most are congregated at La Fogata again- they love communicating with all of you back home. Once I get pictures added to the blog, I think I'll be ready for bed! The sun and humidity and work takes a lot out of you- and I didn't even surf today!
Tomorrow's plan is to do community service in the morning and surf in the afternoon. I can't believe that we're over halfway done with the trip... time flies when you're in your favorite place in the world!
Pura vida!
Mrs. Walsh and I were the first ones up again and had at least a cup of coffee before the girls started rolling in for breakfast. It is so nice to just sit and relax in La Fogata, watching the hummingbirds come in for their breakfast as well. And the coffee here is so good that it's nice to have a little time to enjoy it. The girls always get to breakfast early to check in on the wifi, followed by the boys shortly after. But they've been pretty good about the rules for "family dinner" and not checking them during the meal.
We ate at 7 AM, then rolled out at 7:45. Our first stop of the day was Parque Nacional Marino Ballena, also known as Marino Ballena National Park, also known as my second home. We checked in with the ranger on duty, but we were chaperoned by three local dogs that followed us past the "no pets allowed" sign and stayed with us until we were swimming. They did, however, swim in the creek that was labeled with a crocodile warning- we avoided it.
Our arrival at 8 was perfect timing for the low tide. The whale's tail formation at Bahia Ballena is only visible during low tide. The sand bar is exposed and you can walk all the way out on it to the rocks and reef. There are two rangers that patrol the area to keep people from getting stuck out there as the tide rolls in. We took a few group photos, then continued our walk all the way out to the rocks. We set our stuff down and explored the coast first. I showed them how to catch sand dollars (real live ones) and Gianna was a total pro! She had at least five in her hand in no time. We watched the little crabs and snails burrow into the sand, then put our flip flops back on to explore the tide pools. When the high tide rolls out, it leaves behind large pools of water where the rocks had been submerged. These areas are teeming with life and act as their own mini-ecosystems (science nerd, I know). We made all sorts of cool discoveries: Zach found an octopus, two different cowfish were sighted (blue with black spots and red), crabs galore, snails, starfish, shrimp, and small fish. Everyone became a marine biologist.
We started to get hot and we couldn't swim so close to the reef and the rocks, so we headed back toward the park entrance and swam for about an hour before our surfing lessons in Dominical.
Dominical is about 20 minutes north of where we are staying. We reapplied sunscreen, got out our rash guards, and started our surf lesson a little after 11. Poor Sadie didn't have hers, so she was stuck wearing my size tall large rash guard... but don't worry- she rocked the look. Henry was the main surf instructor and remembered me from previous trips. (That's one of the coolest things about leading these trips- everyone is so friendly and they don't forget you, even if you haven't been here for 2 years.) They do an AWESOME job because they had enough instructors for a 2:1 student to instructor ratio. This means more opportunities for our students to ask questions, more opportunities for guidance, and more opportunities to get up on the board! Mrs. Walsh and I worked VERY hard to get good photos of everyone! In the first hour EVERYONE got up on their surfboard! We already knew this was a talented group, but they continue to impress us with their athleticism.
We took a break after the first hour for water, for fresh mango and pineapple, and for reapplying sunscreen. Some of us did better jobs at reapplying than others, myself included. There are more than a few of us with rosy cheeks and we will be even more annoying with the reminders tomorrow to reapply. The tide was continuing to come in, so we hustled back out there to get another hour of surfing in. I was out there with the waterproof camera trying to get the best shots possible and got mowed over by Robby- it was my own fault. He was doing 180s and 360s, so I was trying to get too close. I can't believe he's only been surfing once before!
When our lesson was over, we stayed in Dominical for a late lunch at Phat Noodle. We had options of curry (no one got that- too close to the Finals), pineapple rice with chicken or pork, teriyaki noodles with chicken, pork, or chickpeas, or chicken skewers. Not only was the presentation beautiful- it was delicious. We were also fortunate enough to catch the end of the Portugal-Spain World Cup game and see Ronaldo's final goal!
After the drive back to the hotel, we had just 30 minutes before community service. Many chose to take advantage of the wifi during this time, others washed clothes or read. We went back to the community center for another afternoon of demolition work. This afternoon was better because it wasn't raining, which meant many of us could work outside. Those with safety glasses and masks continued work inside; the ones that didn't have them went outside to take down plaster and to clear off the sidewalk. It was hot and dusty yet again and several of us had blisters that needed to be attended to. However, the entire group continued to be busy bees- no complaints and always looking to find something to do. Our MVP from community service yesterday was Eliza and today our project manager, Eddie, selected Nick as the MVP.
We had a little bit of time to clean up before dinner at La Fogata- tonight we had pasta, salad, and pineapple juice (the fresh juice has been a hit at every meal). After dinner, we had a group discussion about community service and the trip overall. It was very interesting to hear how perspectives have changed and the comparisons between community service here and at home. I encourage you to ask the students about their experience when they get home- you would be really proud of what they have to say. We also heard from Olman and Christian about what it means to them as Ticos to see our students working so hard. Personally, I had most of these students in class before we left for the trip and I knew how wonderful they are and what kind of work ethic they have; however, I am overcome with emotion when I see how well they work together and how driven they are when it the effort is to help others. Maybe I just have a little plaster in my eyes still :')
About an hour left until lights out. I think most are congregated at La Fogata again- they love communicating with all of you back home. Once I get pictures added to the blog, I think I'll be ready for bed! The sun and humidity and work takes a lot out of you- and I didn't even surf today!
Tomorrow's plan is to do community service in the morning and surf in the afternoon. I can't believe that we're over halfway done with the trip... time flies when you're in your favorite place in the world!
Pura vida!
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