Mangroves, Monkeys, and Memories (6/1 to 6/5)


6/1 to 6/5

From Friday 6/1 to Sunday 6/3, the entire UNH group went on an excursion to Manuel Antonio that was planned by the Institute coordinators. We stayed at Karahe, which was essentially a hotel, but not really (hard to explain). There were several small buildings located at various points up a very steep hill and had hotel-like rooms and amazing views. Across the street was the Karahe beach property, which included private beach access, a restaurante, and a pool. On Saturday, we went to the national park of Manuel Antonio, which is located just a few minutes south of Karahe, also on the beach. We were able to see sloths, monkeys, and crabs. We were also allowed to enjoy the beach on the edge of the park and take many photos. Afterward, we traveled north to visit a mangrove site. Those giving us a tour of the mangrove provided lunch and gave us the option of kayaking or taking a small tourist boat. I chose to kayak and enjoy the natural system on a more personal level. This was particularly fun for me as someone studying the environment and aquatic ecosystems. As we paddled through the slow moving mangrove streams, we saw many different species of birds and crabs. At one point, we stopped to watch monkeys gather food from the bank of the stream. It was nice to be in a kayak at the time because I was able to get really close to them and watch. On Sunday, many of us chose to pay extra so that we could go out on a catamaran for snorkeling. To our surprise, the catamaran also included a water slide, a platform to jump off of on the second floor, and kayaks. Yesterday, Monday, I completed my first Spanish exam, which I think went well. After school, I joined two other students not from UNH to teach an English class at the public library. We spent about two ours teaching and getting to know our students. Most of them were adults interested in improving their English for employment purposes. Some of the others were high-schoolers and there was one young boy about 8 years old. We plan to divide them up next week based on their skill levels. We also want to schedule an additional weekly class because we have the time to do so and the students seemed interested in that idea. Today, I went for another run, which went much better than my past runs here. I think I am still getting used to the humidity, heat, and likely the different pollen in this country. This week I have many assignments, so for the remainder of the day, I will be immersed in Spanish. 

Thanks for reading!

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