Sorry I haven't had a chance to update the blog in a few days. We've been up in the rain forest and as you can imagine, internet usage is relatively scarce. So, I'll synopsize the last few days for you. In a phrase, its been: pura vida (pure life). Its an expression heard all over Costa Rica - "ticos" (Costa Ricans) say this whenever everything is a-o.k.
Friday - travel day, tree planting and cloud forest hike
Our day began bright and early, on the bus by 7 am to be exact. We had a few hours of travel ahead of us as we traversed from Lake Arenal to Monteverde, the heart of the Costa Rican rain forest. We arrived in the hotel in Monteverde at about noon, had a light lunch, and headed off to our next adventure - tree planting.
At an ecological center we were each given a tree sapling, (see photos) and given instructions. We were to walk about a 1-2 mile up a hill, find an already dug hole and insert our sapling. We were told that within a few years our sapling will have grown into a full tree. The trees, lined together will serve as a natural wind break for the elementary school that is also on the premises.
Of course the ever present rain was with us. As we climbed the hill one formula ran through my mind (muddy track, one hand carrying a sapling, fifty laughing teenagers equals recipe for disaster. If one slips, we all go down. Did anyone say ¨domino effect¨?). But to my great relief we all made it safe and sound. And with smiles on our faces to boot as we had a moment to reflect on the ecological contribution.
No comments:
Post a Comment