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Location: Hotel Los Quetzales, The Basilica, and The Host Famlies
Today we woke up early to go on a hike in a Costa Rican cloud forest to see the elusive Quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala. The hike took roughly two hours, and despite the fact that we could not find the bird, it was cool to see the forest. After eating lunch, we left the hotel and headed to the Basilica of Cartago, where we saw people crawling on their hands and knees as part of a pilgrimage to repent their sins and ask for health. After the basilica, we drove to a town called Piedades where we met our host families. In the beginning, it was awkward and weird to be living in another person’s home. But as the night progressed, we started to feel more and more comfortable. Today was an interesting day!