7
Location: Bri Bri
We woke up in our tree-house-like abode in the indigenous Bri Bri community and headed to a delicious breakfast, where we enjoyed the usual rice, beans, eggs, and a new fried bread; complete with a chocolate drink the Bri Bri make themselves. Roger taught us how to say “My name is” and “I am from” in Bri Bri, and told us more about the customs and traditions of the tribe. He then gave us a tour of the central area of the tribe’s land and told us all about the different plants. We tried bitter leaves that cure stomach problems, chewed on sweet sugar cane used to make Chicha (the indigenous alcoholic beverage of choice), and tried the pleasantly sour fruit around cacao seeds, and the bitter seeds inside. Roger continued the tour, teaching us more about the chocolate making process. We tasted the dried cacao beans, and then tried the beans once they had been roasted, and finally helped to grind them into cocoa butter, which we ate, spread on small, sweet bananas. Then we said goodbye to Roger and the other people of the indigenous tribe and took a boat back across the river to where Henri was faithfully waiting for us with his purple bus! We then drove to a restaurant and had a delicious meal while the waiters helped us practice our Spanish. Then it was time for the beach! We played in the waves, relaxed on the sand, and met some fun monkey friends. We grabbed ice cream on our way back to the bus and rode to the hotel where we made friends with some beautiful dogs and cats. We then took a dip in the pool, and a few of us found our new favorite show: Boy Bands!!! After dinner, we had some impromptu dance lessons taught by Evan and Zoe, and finally headed off to bed, excited for tomorrow’s long day of rafting!