Water Day!

Today is always a trip favorite: Water day! A true test of our students’ ability to plan their packing and outfits for multiple cycles of wet and dry, this adventure risks sunburns and soggy bus seats for guaranteed good stories. 

The day started with a kayak on Lake Arenal. As we moved from the buses to our kayaks, a short warning shower quickly turned in to a torrential downpour and our students were soaked before they even set foot in the water. Shivering and questioning their decisions, our students paired up and paddled out. Thankfully, exercise and sporadic sunshine warmed our flotilla quickly until our largest concerns were splashing and out-paddling our friends. We even lucked in to a spectacular, unobstructed view of the peak of Volcán Arenal!

After the kayak, we made our way to the restaurant and farm of Don Juan, a retired elementary teacher who turned his passion for farming and cooking in to simple, but successful restaurant  our students enjoyed the best meal of our trip to date, enjoying traditional Costa Rican fair that included hibiscus flower tea, guava root, yuca, tilapia, and chicken. All ingredients were sourced from within meters of our tables and everyone left full.

From Don Juan’s, we made our way to the beautiful Catarata Fortuna. A short, but steep hike brought us to one of the most beautiful sights in Costa Rica and a chance to swim in its stream. Large fish, cold temperatures, and what I will call “water fatigue” kept some of our students out of the stream, but everyone enjoyed the remarkable scenery and time in the jungle… but maybe not the short, steep hike back to the buses.

We are currently wrapping our day at the Baldi Hot Springs. This large, popular spa and hotel is the fanciest spot we will visit during our visit, boasting 13 landscaped pools that are naturally fed by a hot spring. Our students enjoyed exploring the grounds and, after a quick change in to dry clothes, will have dinner at the restaurant here.

Tomorrow we will make a quick stop in the town of La Fortuna before taking the long, windy road to Monteverde and its famous cloud forest.

The kids have been WONDERFUL today and will certainly sleep well tonight.