Horsin' Around

Dear Readers,

Today is Wednesday, June 15th. As you may have already read, last night we stayed at the Ecolodge. The Ecolodge was an entirely different setting to have stayed in than our bunks at the Casona-- the rooms were, of course, a little smaller and the top bunks with smaller ladders, but the room's atmosphere was entirely leisurely. The metal roof made pleasant drumming noises in the early morning as it rained as custom of the tropical wet rainforest, and the crisp air that seeped through the wooden windows filled the air with a refreshing feel. After awaking, we all made our way down to the open air veranda, where we were greeted with a breakfast of eggs with heart of palm, rice and beans, tortillas, homemade sour cream, and pineapple, with the complement of Mora juice. The Mora juice was akin to blackberries. After experiencing several breakfasts with rice and beans along with the use of heart of palm, breakfast became a little more meaningful as the particular foods revealed subtly the special culture of Costa Rica. Even the pineapples reflected Costa Rica in taste, as the pineapples were succulent, sweet, and saturated with juices.

After a satisfying breakfast, we geared up for a day of horseback riding along the side of the volcano, Rincon de la Vieja. We then bid the generous owner of the Ecolodge, Oscar, a heartfelt goodbye, gifted him with a special Stevenson t-shirt, and loaded into the cars (18 students and 6 adults for 3 cars- only the brightest amateur biologists could achieve such a feat :D) to travel down to a "dude ranch". The coral-colored buildings consisted of horse and cattle stables beside a quaint mountainside restaurant, and we were greeted warmly by the farmers who owned the establishment. The view was absolutely breathtaking- we took many pictures of towering mountains shrouded in fog, lush rolling hills, and a pristine lake. After a brief period of sightseeing, we headed to the stables to meet our horses.

Unfortunately, Bayle and Karl could not join us for horseriding due to allergies, but they enjoyed the local scenery at the restaurant throughout the morning. Each person was paired with a horse; Mr. Carlson received an especially assertive brown steed, while Diana bonded with an energetic beige horse she lated dubbed "Spirit". Two of the Costa Rican men joined us to at as guides, and we rode to the hilly pastures to track down a herd of grazing cattle.

The horses were very cooperative and obedient, and often knew better trails than their riders, which was extremely helpful since the majority of us weren't experienced horse riders. Some of us had troubles adjusting to traveling uphill and downhill on horses, which involved strategic leaning, but everyone quickly caught on. With Dr. Klemens in the lead, we trotted around the mountainside in search of the cattle. At first we couldn't find the herd in the expected feeding area, but once we did we had to drive them down the mountain back to their pens by the ranch. A few of the cows were very interested in breaking the lines and charging away, and we took up the task of keeping errant cattle in line. The two farmers taught us how to "hai" them back into a group, though some of us had to kick stragglers into the pack.

When we returned to the ranch, Bayle and Karl joined us to learn how to lasso cows. We had to maneuver around the cowpies and suspicious puddles to loop twine ropes around escaping cows' necks. Delaney had an epic chase for a particularly willful mottled cow. Mr. Carlson suited up with the container of insecticide, looking like a superhero with a jetpack, and helped hosed down the cattle, removing ticks. Each one of us was able to successfully lasso a cow. After the lassoing, we all went back for another round of horseback riding, where we herded the cattle back into the pastures and ventured into the tropical forest.

Riding horses into the wet, slippery forest was a scary experience, but with the trained horses and capable guides, we knew we were perfectly safe. The trail was muddy and uneven, but the intrepid horses took us safely through the trees and into a valley, where we were able to see the volcano in the distance, surrounded by a mosaic of exotic trees. The beautiful sight was a great reward for a hard travel through the forest.

However, our journey was not yet over, as we had to return to the rainforest in order to get back to the ranch. Here the terrain became tricky- sections of the trail were flooded by water and obstructed by logs, and horses and riders worked hard together to travel safely. At one steep drop, Emily's horse had halted and stalled, seeming to refuse to move on. However, the horse realized a better, less steep trail through the dense forest, and although Emily was whacked by multiple branches, the two made it through the obstacle smoothly. Monica's horse and Ms. I's horse were similarly intelligent, and Delaney's horse even watched out for the other horses. These horses were so smart!

We finally reached the ranch after two hours of riding and said goodbye to the horses. We then had a hearty lunch of noodles, pork, rice, and beans. The accompanying juice was fantastic- a raspberry and blackberry mix from heaven. After the delicious meal, the biologists-turned-cowgirls/boys loaded back into the cars to drive back to the ACG.

The rest of the day was relaxing and uneventful. We washed up and did laundry, made friendship bracelets, and tortured each other with mind games (Johhny Whoop, anyone?). The evening has arrived as we write now, and the local nightlife are serenading us nature's lullaby. Dr. Klemens has taken up his guitar and is singing us Spanish songs about women who break your hearts, which is a sure sign that it is time for bed.

Good night from Costa Rica! Pura vida!

Courtney C. and Emily L.

P.S.

There was a HUGE...I mean H-U-G-E Boa constrictor not far from our bunkhouse. Don't worry, all 18 kids are still here. Has anyone seen Dr. Wood?