So, with numerous delays, plenty of warnings from locals to not drive the mountain pass at 1am, lots of fog and curvy roads, and two nice security guards who couldn't find my entry form for EARTH, I officially made it. Michelle was up waiting too (it was only 2:50am by the time I arrived at her door)! But I am here and dripping in sweat. The campus is amazing and Michelle woke me up bright and early to prove it. From what I hear too, she has worked her butt off for the last several weeks (wearing long pants, boots, and cotton shirts). On the other hand, I have been wearing shorts, a tank top, and not working...IT IS REALLY HOT AND HUMID!

Here, if you've ever wondered, is how you get your bananas. First, plant; second, bag to help protect from bugs and rain; third, send the banana man on a small trolly to pick the bags off the trees and hook em' on little banana train cars that follow a track across the entire campus; fourth, ship to Whole Foods or New Seasons. PS...Michelle knows ever back trail and track and took me to some awesome and secluded areas of the farm/university.

Michelle then took me to the cool river crossing she showed us earlier on her blog. We both decided to go on the contraption (a homemade cage of old, rusted and broken metal) at the same time to cross! With just a few creaks and bounces we made it safely...

And of course...I got to meet Mark, the water buffalo!

Farming is Hard Work! (so I took a break)

View from Manuel Antonio National Park

Meechelle sitting on a log that could any moment be dislodged and carried away to sea! oh no!

Meg: I did ya one better... a FLYING monkey

Sunset at the beach in the town of Manuel Antonio

From here on out (that is until Matt shows up next week!!!) its just hauling hay for me... well figuratively speaking--there actually isn't any hay on the farm. Manuel Antonio was a very nice break from the sweatiness of the finca, but now I'm happy to be back to EARTH. Tomorrow its bright and early for me. Well I hope. My alarm clock broke so I'm depending on my INTERNAL alarm clock to wake me up.... yikes. I wonder if I even have one of those.

Off to San Jose and Manuel Antonio

The pejibayes came crashing to the ground and very nearly took out the guy who's job it was to poke them down with a really long stick... so then he dropped the stick in between his legs and well I think he was seeing stars... ouch 

These are pejibayes. First they are boiled, then peeled, and finally eaten. They kind of taste like the the yolk of a hard boiled egg but not so soft.

I'm going to take a bus to San Jose tomorrow and then from there go to Manuel Antonio National Park. I'll be back on Wednesday, so I'll update my blog then! Today my roommate and I rode our bikes to a restaurant outside of the EARTH campus bubble. I thought that I had ordered just a normal lunch, but somehow I ended up with 3 plates of food plus platacones (double fried plantains). I'm still full. 

I'm back in black.

Rainbow... it was cooler in real life

Pretty Sky!!!!

Pulling myself across the river

Ok.... so I missed a few days. The past week we harvested sweet potatoes, more cilantro, pineapples, more cilantro, beans beans the magical fruit the more you eat the more you toot AND more cilantro. Lots more was going on, but I'm too far behind and I don't feel like writing an essay. I'll be better this week.