Crocodiles, Insects, and Views Oh My

​Today we woke up a little earlier than usual. We ate a wonderful breakfast of eggs and sausage, and I enjoyed it immensely. After that I spent time relaxing and just really taking in the view. The mountains and greenery are truly worth a million dollars. After we left the house, we made our road trip to Carara National Park. On the way, we stopped at a small supermarket and some small shops by a bridge. I bought a small necklace which stuck out to the me because of the intricate designs on the wood. I wish I could have bought more stuff but everything seemed a bit overpriced. We then walked over to a bridge which looked down on some crocodiles. These crocodiles were huge and I have never seen them this big before. Ms. Dwanita explained to us that a couple years ago this was filled with 10 times more crocodiles, so I wondered what happened to the population.  Then I noticed when we walked back to the shops, some people were selling crocodile teeth. When I get older, I would like to be a veterinarian so this truly hurt me.

After we left the Crocodile Bridge, we continued to Carara National Park. When we got there I noticed about 5 different species of bugs just in the bathroom. Surprisingly the bigger animals scare me less than the small ones. Funny, isn't it? We continued to the nature walk and everything was so beautiful. Between the animals and the plants I was just amazed. I fell back in the group and they had to keep waiting for me because I was just in awe. I was a little sad we left without seeing any big animals but still very appreciative of the exploration. Our day was filled with more activities such as lunch, dinner, and swimming in the beach but I would like to just point out that the national park was my favorite. It really gave me a new perspective on nature and to be grateful. I am looking forward to all the other amazing activities we have planned but thank you for allowing me to share!

​Maya Douyon
Cohort 2021