Day 9 Blog (January 17) - Imaar

We woke up to delightful breakfast of eggs, mixed fruit, and toast. After we ate up, we loaded up our luggage into the bus and headed for our last field experience in Costa Rica. We went to a wild life refuge about 45 minutes away where we met some of the residents! Most of the animals that were being kept at the sanctuaries were ones who had been confiscated from homes as result of the 2014 law passed where wildlife can not be held as pets in Costa Rica. The remaining pets were those who were left behind as young creatures in the wild without the care of parents. Without parents in the wild an infants chance of survival drops drastically to the point where it is not safe for them anymore. So the sanctuary brings them in and cares for them. We also had a presentation from one of the veterinarians at the sanctuary where she told us about the cases they had for sea turtles. From swallowing fish hooks to losing a fin in a propeller of a boat, the turtles were left vulnerable. So, the veterinarians did surgeries and rehabilitation until the turtles were ready to be released into the wild. We as a group found the presentation and experience inspirational. 

After the presentation and tour we ate lunch where we had rice, beans, eggs, salad, and tamarind juice. We said our goodbyes to Rodrigo, one of the interns, and to Felipe, one of the guides, and sadly hopped on the bus for our 4 hour bus ride to the hotel where we will be staying the night. Half way through the bus ride we made a bathroom stop where we looked at one of the tourist items shops and got some ice cream. A couple of students also peeked over the close-by bridge to see the crocodiles below in the river. After singing songs, making jokes, and playing games we finally reached the hotel. We all headed to the pool and played games while the sun went down. We finally ate dinner where I would say most of the students were happy to eat meat once again. We had a community meeting and went over the agenda for the flight and Friday plans and soon headed for bed. Can't wait to come home on Thursday!