2nd Day

Monday

We met at 6AM to have breakfast and take off on the bus over the mountains to Las Cruces.  The trip is supposed to take until 4PM.  We  had a really good thickened pineapple juice with breakfast and a typical Costa Rican (Tico) breakfast of rice and beans, sour cream, eggs, and Maduro (sweet fried plantain).  I met some of the other students this morning like Austin, Secily and Jonathan.   The trip was gorgeous as we rolled up into the cloud forest and I discussed the different ecosystem zones we were transitioning through with the students near me on the bus.  We visited a very unique ecosystem  (very rare) called the paramo, which is a high altitude alpine tropical “tundra-like” environment.  Essentially thinner soils with waxy-leaved plants and cooler-weather species like blueberry.  We also found and ate blackberries with the help of Margaret.  The dry environment with few trees or stunted trees and shrubs was fascinating and we all wanted to stay much longer discussing the plants we were finding and how different this system was from the lowland or pre-montane systems we have worked in.   Finally got to Las Cruces almost in the dark but made it to dinner and cabins in time!  No connection to internet so I couldn’t post my blog yet. Missing my little girl especially since I didn’t get to say good night to her since my internet was down in our cabin – cabina GUACO!