Mission: Complete

Fifteen more minutes before a late breakfast here at Hotel Rosa de America in Alajuela, Barrio San Jose. The kids are up and about, and there is a tanning party going on outside on the lawn, with all the girls in thier swim suits, backs on the grass and iPods playing. I can't help but smile and think "typical!" They will be heading to the beach tomorrow, whats a little early prep tanning huh? Its also my last full day with West Coast Connections and my group of 16 kids. Bittersweet goodbye!

We'll be heading out to a Cafe Britt tour and doing dinner and kareoke later this evening. I might have to get up there and sing again! Can't wait to see what songs all the kids pick.

Right now I have no idea what I'll be doing tomorrow, or how I am getting to Monteverde, if I am still going to Monteverde. All in good time. By the end of the day....

Yesterday we finished work in La Carpio, and also wrapped up the service portion of the tour. We delivered and built six bunk beds in the neighborhood, and listened to some of the local women (mostly Nicas) spak about thier lives. Its so humbling to visit there...the extremes in which people live, and the awareness of how much I have. Some families of 5 live in an apartment the size of my room back home, and soon I'll be moving into a three bedroom house with a full kitchen and bath. I have nothing to complain about! Its healthy to be reminded of that, especially in our very material world.

In the afternoon we did the Sarapiqui river tour, and saw monkeys, crocodiles, lizards, iguanas, snake birds, scarlet macaws and poison frogs. Crazy two hours on a boat!! I got to close to the crocodiles for comfort, but I got a good picture! We even had howler monkeys howling at us, since Johnny, our guide, is fluent in howler-monkey : ) I love it!

Its starting to feel like this adventure really is coming to a close, with the departure of West Coast. I think its been a success under my watch.