Recent Explorations

Now to get you guys caught up on my recent explorations. In the past few weeks I have been to the beautiful, Manuel Antonio. I stayed ate a hotel right on the beach. They joy in being so close was being able to see the sun rise and set right outside my window, as well as star gaze. I have never seen the sky so clear in all my life. I lay under a blanket of stars, enjoying conversation with the locals. Most of them speak English, but were very eager to assist me in speaking Spanish, which I loved. I was able to go to a National park and see Sloths and many monkeys. The Monotiti is the most common. They are small, black and white monkeys who will steal your things, so do not leave them unattended. While on the beach I had my first encounter with a raccoon. They were attempting to steal something out of a fellow group member’s bag. I had the most fun when we had free time because I spent it with the locals. I learned so much about the land and Latin culture by speaking with those who lived in the area and made many friends. We discussed things ranging from living conditions to politics and my mind was completely taken away by how much they knew about the U.S. and how little we knew about their politics. I enjoyed learning.  What took me by surprise was what they called me, morena (color of skin-brown). However, here it is known to be a good thing. I could not help, but compare to the racial outlook in the United States. I fell in love with the people and the vibe of being in this beautiful place. As Sunday rolled around I did everything I could not to leave, but the reality was that I had school Monday morning. Going back is a must.