Phase 1 - PIEDRAS BLANCAS

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Hi all

In internet for a few hours before heading out again tomorrow to Piedras Blancas with our second group. We will be there over Easter.

1st phase - 10th March to 27th March. Included a fantastic birthday celebration as the venturers found out it was happening over phase. The other project manager arranged a cake for me that night from the local town as we happened to do the shop that day which was really fantastic - sugar feast! I also got a lovely card signed from venturers and park rangers and we had a happy birthday hot chocolate treat with everyone down at our jungle camp.... lots of added luxuries in Piedras Blancas.

Memories of 1st phase:
*Great bunch of venturers who worked amazingly hard and had a great time
*porridge for breakfast with either caramelised condensed milk, jam, sugar, cinnamon, honey or maple syrup
*long vertical hike up into cloudforest (primary rainforest) to get to beautiful beach all to ourselves for 3 hours.
*coping with myriad of mozzies and the odd wasp sting (not as nasty as UK ones though)
*nearly stepping on one of the most venomous snakes in Costa Rica on a night walk... twice
*seeing red crocodile eyes underwater
*seeing one green eye watching us from the undergrowth on night walk.... lying out under the stars on the dry riverbed
*sleeping in my jungle bed and listening to the deafening frogs in the swamp next door
*Plastering walls from fine powder we sifted ourselves... like being a kid with a paintbrush again
*Trying fantastic Nicaraguan dish of cooked pork, yucca and veggies
*Discovering Salsa Lizano.. a sort of chile sauce... nectar of the gods on beans and rice!
*Chatting to the park rangers about the flora and fauna in the park and some of the challenges there - poaching of wild boar and crocodiles, taking large amounts of wood
*Tempting numbers of horses around but Raleigh prohibits us to ride!
*Coconut fresh from the tree
*Guava fruit tasting like furrier lychees
*Spiders that look extra-terrestrial
*Understanding more spanish but still not enough!
*Singing dire spanish karaoke romance songs with the rangers

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Comments

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extra-terrestrial spiders...? sounds terrifying and yet amazing. when are you back from phase 2? x