Hola! This is Owen and Grace from Finca la Anita, Costa Rica! Today started out with an always delicious breakfast consisting of fresh fruit, juice, omelets, and a new favorite: Fried cheese. Then we went to the deck to meet with Dr. Adrian Pinto to culture the fungus gardens from our colonies which we collected yesterday. We did this to try to grow the fungus or the parasitic fungus called Escovopsis in a lab setting. In addition, we did readings about diseases and microbes. Later, we met with our groups to finally decide what we wanted to test for our experiment. Los Vaqueros decided to use ash to confuse the ants to keep them from eating that crop. Las Hormigas de Fuego (Owen's group) is designing a plastic structure to coat with natural insect repellents from the forest as well as slippery oil to prevent the ants from climbing up this structure up the tree. Los Scientificos Locos are going to brew a tea containing auchiotillo leaves, which contain arsenic. Las Tortugas Moradas (Grace's "group") is using citronella in different forms to deter the ants from the Gmelina tree. We all designed our hypothesis, procedure, and materials list for each experiment and made a poster to present before dinner. After this, we went to lunch, pasta with meat sauce and the best pesto in the world. We also had juice, bread with more pesto, and salad. The dessert, of which many of us ate two, was a scoop of something (we never know what exactly it is we're eating) delicious atop a lemon leaf. The scoop was similar to cookie dough and was handmade here with fresh cocoa, coconut and other ingredients from La Anita. After this glorious meal, we met on the deck to begin our adventure in the forest. Carlos drove us in the trailer bed which was attached to a tractor. Javier and Freddy, our guides, quickly stopped us along the way when they sighted a very rare white hawk perched in a tree nearby. We looked through the scope and took pictures while Javier told us it was only the third time he had seen one perched in a tree in his eight years as a guide! After loading the trailer once again, we continued to a point where it was obvious the tractor could go no further. Here we dismounted and began the steep trek with our first downhill. At this point, it began to drizzle (as always!). The first part of the hike was mostly dry, and we stopped often to point out different insects while our fabulous guides filled our heads with knowledge and their expertise. Perhaps the coolest critter was the venomous Rainforest Hognosed Pit Viper. After an hour of muddy, slippery, downhills (picture a slip 'n slide covered in mud with 19 people trying to make their way down over leaves and roots in the rain). It was also raining heavily by now. As we finally slipped all the way to the river at the base of the valley, the sky opened and the heavens rained down on us with no end in sight. Deciding that we were already soaked, many of us decided to ditch the swimsuits and dive in clothes and all. We all enjoyed the water, the view, the rain, the people, and an experience so amazing no words can be used to describe it. After some time of swimming, raining, exploring, and slipping on rocks, one loud clap of thunder was all it took to bring us all back home to the bank of our muddy boots, soaking bags, and mushy socks. Then, we redressed in our forever-wet clothes (here Owen comments that his jacket is still wet and Grace mentions the wet socks hanging on the makeshift clothesline in her cabin). This was also the time when many a mumble was made about packing more pairs of tall socks. Brief moments of complaining behind us, we began the arduous task of making the climb back up through what had turned into a river of mud. We climbed for about 45 minutes, faster than the descent we might add, in soaking wet uniforms and boots filled to mid-calf with dirty water. At the breaks, which were few and far between it seemed, many of us took the time to empty the gallons and gallons and gallons of water that had begun to call our boots home. Finally, we made it back to Carlos and his tractor waiting to begin the journey back to La Anita. In case you were wondering, it was still pouring rain. On the ride back to the farm, as Carlos expertly maneuvered his precious cargo through the roots and puddles, we took the time to learn more from our guides as well as sing some Spanish songs. We arrived back safely, soaking wet, smiles on our faces, and not a complaint in sight. With only 45 minutes before our presentations, we all moved quickly to our cabins to wring out the clothes, boots, socks, bags, etc. and prepare for the rest of the day. It was around this time, when we experienced some of the most violent lightning and thunder combinations known to man. One of the strikes was so powerful, it set off the alarms on la Finca. After drying off as much as possible, we gave our presentations to the group as well as Adrian and Pablo to share our thoughts with the group. Next came dinner: kabobs, corn on the cob, peppers, salchichas, fresh juice (of course), and dessert which was ice cream perched atop a glorious piece of chocolate cake. After dinner, was our second hike of the day. We began our night hike with our beloved guides and right away they pointed out some insects to take note of. Throughout the trek, they shared their expertise about the critters we were seeing; preying mantis, grasshoppers, crickets, spiders ad other arachnids, walking sticks, a frog, a cicada, and many others we can't remember. Everyone commented on the diversity we were seeing; a cricket at home cannot possibly be related to a cricket here, can it?! After returning to the farm, everyone went to bed declaring today was the best adventure we have had! They all went happily to bed and Owen and Grace began the arduous task (more arduous than the hike) of this blog. Sixteen hours later, they finally joined their classmates in the cabins and went to bed!
Signing off for the night,
Nos Vemos!
Grace and Owen
Great blog posting. Thanks for the detail.
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