The life in the forests!

Or in a bowl in a store!

Where we spent the nights!

Tortuguero National Park

Time for school. - a school visitation.

Notes from a Q & A session with the principal. 

High rate of literacy - 96%

Founded 17 years ago

2 special education teachers: behavioral issues and learning issues

Science, English, math, social studies, Spanish

Children have lunch at the school

Small school

Children in uniforms: blue skirt or pants and white shirt

Theme: child has to be happy; to have fun in school

Swimming every Friday. Chorus. Fence around the school so the animals don't come in. 

Trees planted which will attract the macaw ( to the fruit)

  

Budget provided by the government. Usually not enough. Staff and parents decide how it Is to be spent. 57,000 for the year, does not include salaries

95 students. By law must attend until 12 years of age. Start at the age of 4.   12 teachers. 3 classes In the morning and 3 in the afternoon. Basic subjects in the morning. 

Relationship with this school and this group?  In the summer. Teachers come down and teach in the summer. February to December is the school year. 

7-11 am morning session.      There is wifi. 

Must fix electrical issues first. Very expensive  to fix. Everything must be imported. 

Biggest problem- English teachers write bu t do not speak enough. 

This school goes until the 6th grade. 

Families depend on the big companies: pineapple, bananas. 

Tortuguero

We arrived at Tortuguero on Thursday - an island off the coast of Costa Rica (Caribbean side). Just in time for a night time adventure: a boat ride through the rivers of the Tortuguero National Park. It was pitch black which allowed us to see the most magnificent stars. You don't realize the extent of the light pollution of the north east until you are in the rain forest and the blackness of this part of the world at night. We motored in an open boat for three hours with our guide at the front of the boat looking for wildlife. He has this uncanny ability to find birds, crockadiles, caymans, spiders and bugs in the pitch black with one light. Just sitting in the boat and listening to the stillness and the sounds of the rainforest was magical. 

On Thursday we took a day time boat ride through other rivers and canals - a different perspective in the day time. Back in time for a local hike before lunch and then a boat ride into the town of Tortuguero. We visited the the Turtle Conservancy where we viewed a film about the transformation of the turtle industry from hunting to tourism Instead of the slaughter of these beautiful animals (for meat and shells) the turtles are now protected and the men who were once hunters are now guides. What a great story!

The town was charming and after a walking tour of the beach and town we found the Buddha Cafe - a perfect spot for pizza and drinks - and on the water!

Last night

Last evening we had a remarkable guest: Marvin Rockwell. He came to Costa Rica in 1951  - he drove!  He was from Alabama and had been incarcerated in 1948 after he refused to carry a rifle during WW II - he was and is a Quaker. He and his family decided to move to Costa Rica when they learned that Costa Rica no longer had an army. After many months of driving through Mexico and along what was available of the Pan-American Highway they arrived in Costa Rica - dirt roads or no roads. At one point, it took them one month to go 12 miles. They settled into an area that is now known as Monteverde. He started a cheese company (Monteverde Cheese Company) and adopted a little boy from Costa Rica. He later married and had two sons and adopted a little girl. Bill Adler, a gentleman from Colorado is making a documentary about Marvin and the founding of Monteverde. I forgot to mention: Marvin is 92 years old, an American citizen and speaks to many groups most nights of the week!

So many amazing adventures!

Let's just start with today:

Zip lining this morning - the most amazing experience. Fourteen stations - zip lining over the canopy and over the valley with a height of 450 ft and winds howling at 50 to 60 mph. Flying through the clouds. Simply amazing!  Pictures to follow. 

Friday. Let the adventure begin.

Boarded the bus this morning - heading to a coffee plantation. Jimmy (our wonderful tour director) shared with us many stories as we departed from San Jose. 

Many people and schools will use barbed wire and metal bars to protect their properties,because it can take 5-10 days for the police to arrive if there is a burglary. 

110 different species of bats. 

Costa Rica has no army. 

60% decrease in number o f frogs due to global warming. A fungus is attacking the skiin of the frog. 

Leaving the snow behind

Thursday morning:  At 2:50 AM my driveway was lit up like a carnival - the car service was here!  Bill was patiently waiting between the snowdrifts. Two more pick-ups and we were on our way to Logan. Bill was a gentleman; a former Boston University administrator who was retired and because he was a "morning person" drove the morning runs for a limo company. At 4 AM we were safely delivered to Logan Airport. We boarded our flight to Charlotte and by 11:30 we were departing Charlotte for San Jose, Costa Rica. Let the adventure begin!