Day 1 in Monteverde

Today I had a great day meeting with Willow and learning about the native plants organization that I am going to be working with.  I was also able to visit the Children's Eternal Rain Forest and walk around the area a little bit.  While I was there I was able to see about 30 white faced capuchin monkeys as they were traveling through the area.  I had some really great photos but somehow all of my photos from this morning were corrupted somehow so they were not readable so I guess I will have plenty of time to get more pictures later. 

I worked with Willow for only about an hour this morning and then I walked into Santa Elena which is about a 45 min. walk which isn't bad going into except when you have to leave and realize that it's all uphill.  I am learning that I will be walking everywhere which can take anywhere from 15 min to 1 hour through the mountains which is very good exercise! This afternoon from 2-5 I went to the Quaker Meeting House in the area and helped them in the library from checking books in to going through the donation box.  I learned a lot about the Quakers and how they live as well as had a few lively discussions with them.  As normal here in the cloud forest the clouds rolled in this afternoon and the rain came in which I had to walk home in but I shall get used to it.  Below you shall find pictures of part of today's activities (sadly minus the monkeys).

 This is a picture of my room.

 Here is the "closet" as well as a window that looks up hill into a pasture leading into the forest.

 Here is my very own bathroom with a nice hot shower which feels very good in the cool mountains. 

 This is the dining room with the kitchen in the background.  Every time we eat there are at least 8-10 people at the table.  The parents here are very good cooks and we eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and not so much meat.

 This is a picture of the living room.  The two boys on the floor are always in the same spot either playing on their computer or playing Wii.  The boy in the orange evidently lives next door but he is always over here for every meal and the boy in the blue is a member of the family.  They are out of school for the summer so spend a lot of time running around outside or inside playing games. 

 This is a view from the porch down to the trampoline which is a favorite spot for the kids to hang out.  These two girls are also neighbors and it seems from when I leave in the morning to when I get back they are always jumping around on that thing. 

 This is also out on the porch and used as a bench we were putting on our shoes.  I just though it was a beautiful piece of wood. 

When I was walking into Santa Elena I looked back and saw the house I am staying in which is the one on the top left side close to the forest and the  field that I can see out my window. 

This was a view I saw walking into Santa Elena and it was nice because you could actually see very far, the clouds hadn't rolled in yet. 

This is a map of the property managed by the Children's Eternal Rainforest.  Below you can see the other part of the sign that tells you about the mission and the history behind this great organization (sorry if it is hard to read).

 This is a beautiful gazebo that I saw today on my walk that is actually an art studio.

This is the town of Santa Elena that I walked to today.

This is a cool insect that I found today carrying around a dead insect but I thought that it was very pretty with the blue colors and the two distinct dots on its back.

 On my way walking to the Quaker library we walked over this bridge which had beautiful clear water running through it.  On my way back about 3 hours later when it was raining the water was completely brown and filled with sediment. 

This is the library that I volunteered in yesterday.  I was able to work with some very nice ladies and learned a little bit more about Quakers and their lifestyles. 

Today I will be going with Willow up to a school where we will be laying out plans with some landscape design students for planting a native garden later this month.  This afternoon I am going to continue to explore and maybe hike around some of the trails.  If any of you have been to this area and have any suggestions on places to go, visit, tour please let me know.