Hello this will be necessity a short entry. We had a full day in our excursion to Volcán Rincón de la Vieja, and we didn’t return until 5:45 for an immediate supper. The generator at the station failed immediately at the end of a post supper orientation on the upcoming homestays in Atenas.
Briefly about the excursion today: The site offered a greener, more foliated forest, cooler and windier conditions, many strangler figs, a wild boar sighting (and smelling), toucanets, a climb up the middle of a strangler fig, fumaroles, boiling mudpots and more. The reason why the course offers athletic credit became obvious to all. While we came home tired, everyone stood up well. We’ve modified the schedule slightly tomorrow, to ease up a little before our trip to Atenas the next day. Nevertheless we will have some field exercises in the morning, and a lecture/discussion from a major researcher here in the late afternoon we will have a picnic supper at place in the with a spectacular sunset. This will be followed immediately by a much anticipated night hike lead by Johann, a Park employee whom the students enjoyed for our orientation walk on Thursday morning. This will supplant the initially planned trip to Playa (beach) Naranjo, but the logistics and current road conditions make this unfeasible.
There is plenty to say and show you, but it’s past time to turn out the lights and go to bed. More will follow tomorrow.
Steve