The following post features student writing.
¡Hola amigos!
On Wednesday we all left our hearts behind in Biolley after our final goodbyes along with the end of our despedida party. Many of us became emotional over the departure, making the bus ride to La Cusinga very somber. We all felt like we were leaving a new life and home behind us, especially after taking the rough rock road back to the highway for the final time. After a three-hour bus ride, we arrived here in La Cusinga, and settled into our cabins with a spectacular view overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We then ate a Tico lunch and walked to a natural swimming hole nearby the hotel and splashed around, which was tons of fun.
Cheesing at the watering hole!
We spent a relaxing afternoon finding our zen in a beginner yoga class in the hotel’s circular yoga/meditation studio. It was a lot more challenging than expected and quite funny but we did leave feeling greatly relaxed.
After that, we had a dinner of chow mein, red snapper, potatoes, salad, veggies, and panacotta for dessert. Then most of the group presented their independent projects to the group, which gave us a new perspective on some specific aspects of Biolley. We all fell asleep quickly in our comfy beds to the sweet glow of WiFi and the distant cry of howler monkeys.
Thursday we woke up and went to breakfast (fruit, eggs, rice and beans) and then hopped on a bus to our activity — stand-up paddle boarding! It was a new experience for a lot of us gliding through the mangroves. We saw lots of wildlife, like herons and other birds, tiger crabs, spiders, a snake, grasshoppers, and some other not so thrilling insects/animals. The water conditions weren’t rough but the mangrove trees and their long roots presented obstacles for turning and stopping. Dylan and Alia fell off their paddle boards! It was a really hard three-hour upper-body workout!
We came back starved after our adventure and devoured lunch (carne de res, fettuccini with pesto, rice and beans, salad, etc.). We then were all so exhausted that we took a group nap that accidentally stretched to almost three hours! After waking up from the much needed rest, we showered, ate dinner, and presented the remaining independent projects. Tomorrow, we are headed to San Jose for the final leg of our trip.
Sadly, Charlie’s Angels is coming to an end faster than expected!
Abrazos y besos,
Maya y Victoria