Believe it or not, much of the group was stirring before 6 AM. The sun rises so early here and, as dark as it was last night, it was bright early in the morning. Light was pouring into the cave. Many of us tried to sleep a little more, but it was difficult when you felt sticky and your cot wasn't the most comfortable bed out there...
We all had to get used to the creatures from the night before and we were sharing our stories. It definitely smelled like a skunk- I had convinced myself that our group smelled that bad, but it was, in fact a skunk, our guides confirmed it. We heard bats all through the night and many of us saw cave crickets. It was rustic but beautiful- perfect.
Breakfast was at 7, then we made the hike back to the bus. The visibility was too poor for a hike to another waterfall. With the higher elevation, the clouds and fog just hang in the air during rainy season. We didn't know for sure if it was 1) safe and 2) worth the trip if you couldn't see anything. Also, the traffic back to Turrialba would be terrible if we waited too long to get out of there. A 4 hour bus ride has the potential to take 7 1/2 hours if you leave too late.
The hike back down went by MUCH faster. Some of us with older knees (i.e. me) took our sweet old time going down, with frequent stops to admire the view. The path was very soggy and muddy from the rain the night before, making for some muddy students and a lot of laughter. At the bottom, we put our flip flops back on and boarded the bus- which smelled AWFUL. Wet shoes, sweaty clothes, ice cold showers without soap the night before- we were quite the group.
Jorge kept the A/C going for us so we could cool down and it wouldn't smell as bad. This then led to a stinky bus filled with children wrapped up in stinky sweatshirts or towels to try to keep warm. We're basically a disaster at this point, but made it to a cafeteria to stop for lunch. We thought it would be nice to get off the bus where it was warm again- nope! We were at an even higher elevation and it was very, very chilly (chilly for Costa Rica- we quickly forget how cold Ohio can be). We were well-fed, bought some more snacks, then continued our journey...
There are no interstates or tollways in this entire country. It's all two lane roads and it winds around national parks and biological preserves- it doesn't go through them. You go up and down mountains- one section of the road was actually called "Peak of Death" because it winds, it's narrow, and it is typically foggy. We also got into a "Costa Rican traffic jam," stuck behind a truck with at least 12 horses in it. It wasn't a trailer- a normal flat-bed truck with some wooden slats on the sides and ends. You can't pass it on a road like what we were on, so you end up following it, slowly, for 30 minutes before you have the opportunity to pass.
One of the cool places we went through, which was also a bit of a traffic problem, was Cartago. I was there 4 years ago, so I don't remember much of the details, and I don't have wifi for Google right now, so just bear with me... Cartago is kind of between San Jose and Turrialba. For some reason, I think because of a miracle, it is a Catholic pilgrimage site. Ticos from all corners of Costa Rica will WALK to Cartago during a holy week. There are ruins from one church in the town square and there is also a beautiful "new" (200 years old?) church just a few blocks away. There were people everywhere! No church service going on, but on a Sunday afternoon, people were at the town square and all around the plaza in front of the church. The church is gorgeous inside- a stark contrast to the community around it- but unfortunately, time wouldn't allow for a stop.
In the hour between Cartago and Turrialba, there were tons of greenhouses and fields planted right into the side of the mountains. The sugar cane, coffee plants, and banana trees were easy to spot. But a lot of the plants had a black netting over the top of them. It almost looked like they were growing flowers to ship out. I'll have to look it up later- just acres upon acres covered with netting or tarp...
The students were counting down the kilometers to Turrialba, doing a very poor job of converting it into miles... they were driving each other (and their chaperones) a little crazy. But we finally made another turn around the mountain and saw the city in the valley. We didn't go right through the middle of the city, so I'm looking forward to the students' reaction on Tuesday. We headed back up into the mountains a little bit, then onto another dirt road. At the very end of it, we arrived at Mau's family's vacation house. His family still lives in Turrialba, but they purchased the land several years back so they could get out of the city. On the trip 4 years ago, the group came up here for a cookout right after they bought it. None of it was finished, the pool didn't have water, but it had the potential to be a great hangout. It is AWESOME. The downstairs has a family room, just completed kitchen, two rooms with bunkbeds for the guides and the boys, and a bathroom. The upstairs has one large bedroom with plenty of bunkbeds for the girls, a bathroom, and incredible outdoor patio, complete with hammocks and a pool table. The pool is finished and their is an outdoor kitchen. Edguardo said that a few of the Rustic Pathways groups will use the house over the summer. It is in a nice, quiet area above the city with just enough amenities from home.
Boys and girls quickly split up to their rooms and the girls were the first ones to race to the pool... and back out. It isn't heated. After some rain, it feels very "refreshing." The boys, however, had a very competitive game of water polo going, which was a lot of fun.
We had dinner at 6. I don't know if we realize how spoiled we are to have such a nice private house to stay in AND we don't have to cook dinner- a restaurant from in town came up to cater it. They will prepare our breakfast tomorrow as well.
All of the students are currently lounging in hammocks or playing pool. I'm trying to catch up on the blogging from the last two days and trying to get to bed early! Tomorrow will be a grueling day- we will raft the entire day on the Pacuare River! Physically challenging and in the sun all day- should be exciting!
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