Fun in the Sun

This morning was PERFECT!  We woke up and started our adventures right away.  We split into two groups and our group hit the water.  First up, sea kayaking.  For the most part, our novice kayakers were partnered with experienced folks, but as I had never kayaked but was a teacher, I was paired with another novice.  It took some rhythm and coordination and LOTS of communication, but we finally got the hang of it and followed our cluster of kayaks along the inland side of the coral reef.  We went ashore, grabbed our snorkeling gear, and headed down the beach for a bit of instruction.  While I was way more familiar and comfortable with this activity, there were several students who were a bit tenuous at first, but most quickly gained confidence, and the views were, as Renan put it, “…so cool!”  We saw red spiny sea urchins, parrot fish, and angel fish as well as TONS of coral and other fish I didn’t identify.  Finally, my group put on these “lovely” helmets and pedaled our bikes back to the hotel where we enjoyed a shower and a juvenile sloth in the wild.  A fabulous meal of chicken with cheese on an amazing sandwich roll was waiting for me when I was finally all cleaned up.  The meal was capped off with banana bread and a cake that was just delicious.

Currently, we are traveling to our jungle reserve accommodations for tonight.  We should arrive after a four hour drive.  Right now, everyone is catching up on a bit of sleep or watching the changing landscape as we go from the coastal flatlands to the more mountainous jungle.  Tonight, after dinner, will be our night hike.  It is amazing to me that we’ve only been traveling for 3 1/2 days.  It seems like a life-time of amazing experiences already.

Leslie