Woke up to a rooster crowing and birds chirping about 6 in the morning. Their calls were very loud and combined with the wind which was whipping around, there was no way to sleep in. I got up and went to overlook the water. The waves were huge and the wind was just out of control. Only Brian was up at this time so the two of us sat down for breakfast. I was shocked to see OATMEAL on the menu!!! Of course I had to order it!! It was not Rondas that's for sure----but it tasted alright.I also has some fruit which was very good. I am really going to miss the pineapple and bananas here.
It was off to the Petrographs this morning. Petroglyphs are carvings which were made tens of thousands of years ago on rock. We walked through some grassy hills to find about 8-9 different pertroglyphs. While walking along we came upon a huge pig and also a black cow which had just given birth (maybe 2 minutes prior) to a baby cow/bull (didn't know which). This is gross but the mother still had the placenta coming out its behind. The baby was trying to stand and was stumbling to get up. The baby was nursing when we returned from our walk. Along our walk we also found mango and sour orange trees (Random fact-The orange color of oranges is something artificially added because real oranges are not actually orange).
The next stop was a Nicaraguan Coffee Plantation. They sort their first and second quality by size, the larger the bean the better the quality. This plantation was much smaller and did the same relative process--pick, de-shell, and dry. They also export their first quality and sell the second quality locally. Even though the people of Costa Rica and Nicaragua both seem more humble than U.S. citizens, money still talks therefore first quality coffee is sent to other countries for its monetary benefit. At the plantation, Carlos found an almond tree and cracked some of the shells open so we could try a natural almond. He would smash a rock on the shell and break it open for the seed. It was delicious--the seed was a bit more moist than a typical but but very tasty.
We were all ready for lunch after the tour and headed to another small, very home-like restaurant. I had another whole fish although this time it was much smaller and a lot less salty. It was not as good as Corn Islands fish but definitely much better than last nights dinner. I also has some salad, a few fried plantains, and a little rice. After lunch we went to a small park where we walked briefly around, waiting for our professor to go to the pharmacy. We discovered some turtles (tortugas in Spanish) in a pond at the center of the park. The water they were swimming was extremely filthy---Our guide shared that they keep them here for the benefit of people coming to look at them and don't think about the poor turtles. They are fed what people drop into the water (most of the time is crackers and cookies) which is not part of their diet and all of them had fungi all over their shells. It was very sad to see these animals suffering. Our guide said he had kidnapped some of the turtles in the middle of the night and set them free, but people always go and find more to put in there.
After the park we went to a watering hole. This one was unfortunately not a hot spring but rather a cool spring. Many of the students including me were already pretty cold and decided not to go in. The water were were told was filled with minerals and you emerge 10 years younger with healthier hair and skin, but I just couldn't get myself to get in the cold water. The watering hold seemed to be a place where families would come and hang out for the day. There was even a swing made out of a branch and string to swing into the watering hole. It was already cloudy and a little rainy when we arrived so we stayed for maybe 30-45 minutes and then headed back to the hotel. I interviewed the manager at our hotel and then went to dinner. I had a grilled 1/4 of a chicken with rice, french fries (freshly cut potatoes), and a few veggies.
After dinner, Carlos and I went right over to the hotel nearby and interview the owner there. I found out that his hotel chooses to use plastic bottles (most use glass bottles to save on waste) and then breaks them down and combines it with chicken wire to make walls for local's houses--what a neat contribution. After the interview it was time for bed. I was shocked at how late most owners/managers were at the hotels---most live very close or live at the hotel. I was more likely to catch a manager late at night than in the morning which was fairly unusual for me.
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