Las Pumas y River Rafting
After breakfast Monday morning, our team set out across town to take a safari river rafting tour. Expecting a sturdy boat of some kind, I was initially weary of the rafts and the way they teetered back and forth a bit as we hopped on board. Life-jackets firmly fastened and sun tan lotion thoroughly applied, our guides kicked off from the shore and glided us onto the river. The journey was slow-moving, but relaxing. We had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Jesus Christ lizards, iguanas, howler monkeys, and ospreys going about their business in their natural habitats. Further down the river, once the water got a bit deeper, we even had the fortune of spotting a couple of crocodiles not far from our rafts. None of them got particularly close to us or exposed themselves to us more than an eye or a nose above the surface of the river, but it was exciting to know how close to them we actually were without being in harm’s way.
After the safari, we paid a visit to a wildlife rescue facility called Las Pumas, where we were able to snap photos of other animals we wouldn’t have a chance to observe in the wild and visit the souvenir shop for some much needed gifts to bring with us back home. In this rehabilitiation center were: jaguars, otters, toucans, playful monkeys that enjoyed showing off for us, and ocelots, among other species. Shortly afterwards, we got lunch at the restaurant on the premises and paused for a quick change into our green program gear to get ready for the trip down to the biomass facility that processes sugar cane. The facility was exceptionally hot inside, but it was fascinating to watch all the machines working in action. The distinct smell of the sugar cane permeated the air and followed us from room to room. Hours after leaving we could still smell it! After the plant visit, it was time to retire back to our hotel, grab some dinner, and continue work on our capstone projects. Tomorrow we get to visit the wind turbines and spend some quality time adventuring around town!
