Mark began his day with a run--sin reloj--as recommended by our host mom, Clara. The run went without incident. Today's Dog Report: Dana had a bit of a scuffle with her home stay dog, whom she has now named Suarez (the reader would have to be following the World Cup to get the reference), but seems no worse for the experience.
On the more happy end of the canine spectrum, the Ecolodge's mascot, Goldie, finally gave birth to 4 pups last night. We've been monitoring this situation closely since our arrival and the entire team is breathing sighs of relief and joy. She chose a very safe location under a construction pile, so we may not get any clear views before we leave. At the morning round table, we shared stories of personal growth in language acquisition and connections with our host families. Mark and I (Jerry) received a surprise visitor at Clara and Walter's house: Manfred who had spent 2.5 months on the Big Island in...Pahoa! He must have felt at home, at least flora-wise. When we think of our language issues, we would be wise to consider the plight of poor Manfred, struggling to make his way through the anthurium business with no English. We discussed the differences in home stay experiences. There appears to be a range of comfort, etc. even among our three families.
We tossed around some great ideas this morning regarding middle school and upper school possibilities. I have written detailed accounts of these discussions, but my editors have insisted that I purge these reports. These reports will be furnished upon request.
Therefore, we move on to the rafting trip. The rafting company is a short walk from the lodge. Davis, another Davis, was our river guide. Daena made note that Davis and other Costa Ricans have nice teeth, and I translated this for him. Our most "trepid" rafter, Kristin, began the voyage in the most "stable" seat, the back. By the end of the trip, she was up in front, taking on the rapids face first. How did she get there? Part of the fun was jumping off the raft and swimming freely during calm sections. Happily for Daena, this was a cayman-free activity. However, we spotted our first howler monkeys, which was very satisfying. After seeing spider monkeys yesterday, we have only capuchins left to complete the Costa Rica monkey card. Speaking of wildlife, there is a hummingbird (hamburger) nest behind Jennifer's room. This wildlife fact is reported by Kristin, who has certainly earned several outdoor badges for her work today.
Post script: The Dog Report redux. Dana and Daena held back one important event--not wanting to leave Daena out, el perro de la casa left a gift on her bed. One nip and one gift later, they still plan on returning tonight. Some people just can't take a hint.
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