11
Location: Boruca and Terraba Reserves
Today we got to “sleep in” because breakfast was at 8 am. We ate eggs, rice, beans, and plantains. Next, we went into the forest to plant about 25 trees with two of the indigenous men. After this, we went back to our rooms to get ready to visit another indigenous tribe for the morning. As some of us returned to our room, we were “greeted” by a swarm of large spider-looking ants. Thankfully, while we were away for the morning, one of the indigenous men got them out of our room. Escaping the bugs and driving in Hugo’s magical bus was something that we all needed for a break from the bugs and scorpion scares.
We drove for about 40 minutes and then arrived at the next village. We talked about traditions, masks, rituals, and daily lifestyle with one of the men who we got to know. We walked down to the river behind their house and saw an indigenous ritual. Next, we went back to the house and ate lunch. We ate rice, beans, chicken, vegetables, fried plantains, and potatoes.
We got back to the first indigenous village where we have stayed the past day and had about an hour of free time before doing a chocolate tour. One of the indigenous men took us around the village and showed us how they make chocolate from cocoa trees. We ate the chocolate that we made in liquid form because they don’t make it in solid form here. It was very bitter, so we added milk and sugar to it, and it tasted kind of like hot chocolate. Then, we had another break for an hour and a half, and many of us went and bought string to make bracelets from one of the indigenous women. Dinner was plain pasta with meat and salad. We went back to our rooms after dinner and had the rest of the night to do whatever we want. Some of us finished the night with our favorite card games.