We headed north to Dominical to meet our instructors from Dominical Surf School. They had 7 guides again today, so plenty of one-on-one time for each student. The waves weren't as intense this morning, which made it great for catching easy waves at regular intervals. The group looked even better on Day 2 of surfing and they even got some great footage on their Go Pros this morning. Mikala was back out there with her waterproof bandage, having the time of her life :)
However... we had yet ANOTHER split chin today. Ryan took it like a champ and while the rest of the group stopped for groceries, he went with Mrs. Wooden & Eva to see the doctor. Six stitches this time, but it was decided that this group definitely needs football chin straps for surfing! We're used to the typical board rash, scrapes, and bruises, but two days of surfing and two split chins is some kind of record.
Because we went to surf so early in the morning, we had about 2 hours of free time before lunch. We used this time at the grocery store to get trail mix and granola bars for tomorrow's hike, then came back to the hotel for another crazy game of Marco Polo. It is great to hear all the laughter and the students getting along so well. From pool games to card games to riddles on the bus: all of them are having fun and entertaining one another. This doesn't mean that we don't get requests for WiFi passwords every day; however, they are doing well enjoying one another's company and making the most of the beautiful scenery and amazing activities around them. Can you imagine being totally off the grid for 10 days? What a breath of fresh air!
We had porkchops, potatoes, and salad with Arnold Palmers for another filling lunch. There was another Rustic group at the restaurant- they just arrived today for the surf & service trip. It was interesting to see another group's dynamic and we were all a little quieter because of our guests.
After lunch, we headed back to Senderos Mau for the last time. Students dug a hole for a septic tank, continued erecting walls, applied stucco to the outside of buildings, put plaster up inside, and mixed cement. Everyone was ready to help out today because they were familiar with their jobs. Groups were even bragging about who the "Plaster Masters" were or who was part of the "Goon Squad;" they took great pride in their work. The students were also more connected with the residents and many of the children stopped being shy and came over to play or even help out with the work. We took a group picture, then came back to the hotel for showers before dinner.
Dinner was fantastic because it was carb-loading for tomorrow's hike: spaghetti and garlic bread with salad. Several students went for seconds and even thirds- it's a hungry crew! We were treated to fruit for dessert; the watermelon was a familiar sight, but we had the opportunity to try new things. Many students had starfruit and guanabana for the first time. The texture of the guanabana is a little different (most described it as slimy), but it tasted so good that Katie was trying to figure out how to smuggle seeds back into the country... they were very upset that it's not more readily available in the States.
After dinner, we met to recap our community service at Senderos Mau. We were asked to describe our different tasks from the last two days, then discussed questions like "How will this help short term/long term?" "Was the project different from what you expected?" "How did you connect with the residents?" and "How did you perspective/outlook change?" Some of the answers drew laughter, but I hope that overall the students understood the importance of what they did and come home with a greater appreciation for what they have. We didn't just dig a hole in the ground: they need a septic tank in the community to keep everyone healthy and to keep the water supply clean. We didn't just throw plaster on the wall: it seals the surface so the elements won't destroy the houses we worked so hard to construct. Reed gave an incredible answer about humility tonight. When asked about a change in perspective, he discussed how initially one might pity this community or think that they could become dependent on assistance. However, as he got to know the people there, they all worked together to help each other out. They are very happy and hard working. I can't do his answer justice, but I thought he did a wonderful job sharing how he felt after the last two days.
Everyone is now packing for tomorrow. We will have breakfast at 7 AM, then drive about 2 hours to Diamante Verde. The Cave is located on private property, so we'll wind through on back roads, then get to our trailhead. It is about a 3 mile hike up the mountain. They estimated anywhere between 1.5 to 3 hours to make it up (past experience: it will be closest to 3 hours). We'll eat lunch, rappel down the waterfall, then eat dinner. It gets dark early, so we'll use our flashlights and headlamps to play cards until bedtime. After that, we hike back down and take the bus back to Uvita.
We will NOT have WiFi at the Cave. Or outlets. It is RUSTIC. However, we do have bathrooms and a full kitchen- no worries! At the earliest, I will have the next blog post up in 48 hours. Pura vida!
P.S. This post had to be finished/partially retyped 20 minutes later due to screaming boys- a bug of some sort was in one of the boys' rooms and I have never heard such screams! The cave crickets tomorrow night should make things interesting... ;)
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