Day 2: Chocolate and Science Teams

Today we started our day by having a delicious breakfast of eggs and gallo pinto, a traditional Costa Rican breakfast food comprised of rice and beans. We also had watermelon and papaya locally grown in the town. We then hiked through the rain forest for the first time. When we got back we a little time off to relax and then at 9:45 we started our chocolate tour! We learned the process of making chocolate, the origins of the species of cacao that is used at this farm to make some of the finest chocolate in the world. We learned all about how this type of chocolate is much healthier than commercial companies because of the high cacao content and the healthy fats that comprise the bars. After this we enjoyed a lunch of fresh heart of palm salsa and locally made taro chips. After lunch we browsed the local market in town and had a walk through the community of Colonia la Libertad, where Finca la Anita is located. We visited the community park, basketball court and school. We returned to the lodge in time for our first science lesson, given by Professor Adrian Pinto and his assistant Miguel. We split into groups, which will be our research groups for the remainder of the trip, and conducted a quick experiment as practice for our final research projects. We learned some of the techniques that we will be using, such as bacteria cultivation in a nutrient agar. We had dinner of chicken, carrots, and potatoes and a wonderful dessert of caramelized plantain with ice cream and then returned to the classroom for another hour of preparation for our leaf cutter ant research.

Left is the Santa Maria volcano and to the right is Rincon de la Vieja.

 Tomorrow we will ride horses up Santa Maria volcano. This photo consists of three different types of climates; rain forest, dry forest and cloud forest, this is a bio-diverse area for sure!

Update by Ani A-H and Katherine Wetzel

Day 0, The trip!

During the layover in Miami/Ft Lauderdale we all did one last homework assignment.  The kids were great.  Obviously leaving campus at 2 AM was a bit tough, but by 9 were all into the adventure that awaited....

...but it waited a little longer.  It was almost 5 hours in the buses, a good time to catch up on some sleep

Finally, dawn in the rain forest.  What a way to wake up!

The walk to breakfast is not without its own beauty!