Written By Helen, Ella, & Chance
¡Hola from the jungles of Rio Dulce! Boy, do we need to fill you in. Sit down, grab a snack, and listen to the adventure of a lifetime. Bang! We started off with a bang on Monday morning by competing in a series of group competitions. The group participated in two heated tournaments; ping pong and cannonballs. Mats roared as he devoured his competitors in the last battle for the ping ping crown. Kate made a big splash with her world famous can-opener but Mats once again swept all who dared to compete. The team took a well-deserved siesta before they had to get ready for a Carpe Halloween special. Everybody switched outfits with one another and took on their persona while playing a fun game of Mystery Box. Later that night, the squad took a spooky walk into the jungle and told scary stories under a threatening tree.
The following day, the team had an action packed day that included drinking coconuts on the white sand beaches of Playa Blanca, swimming in the pools of the Seven Altars, and getting ice cream in the ocean village of Livingston. Later that night, the group kicked back underneath the stars and watched a meteor shower unfold in front of their eyes.
Wednesday started off with a boat ride to a secluded waterfall where the gang swam and explored all it had to offer including getting bitten by little fish. The real adventure when we boarded kayaks and took an hour and half paddle back to Finca Tatin. The voyage was tiring and left everyone hungry and exhausted. The group was revived after some good grub and played a delirious game of hide and seek at the end of the night.
On Thursday, the gang slept in and had a nice relaxing morning. After breakfast, the squad took a jaunt to a local NGO where they learned about sustainable eco tourism and supporting indigenous communities. The rest of the day was spent tanning and swimming in the warm water of the Rio Dulce and the group finished with a steaming hot temaschal.
Whoosh! That week went by in a flash. Today was the day the group had to pack their bags and head back to Guatemala City for their flight on Saturday to Costa Rica. After stopping for tacos and being held up in traffic, the gang was rewarded with cold pancakes and hot showers at the hotel near the airport. After a short and seamless flight, the group landed in Costa Rica and they are now and sound at their next residence, Villas Mastatal.
