Tropical Marine Bio Field Trip

---

In the morning, I had desayuno with the family again. I ate gallo pinto, huevos, and pan con mantequilla with the daily cup of café con leche. Fiorella complimented on my livelokai bracelets during breakfast by saying "que linda" haha. She and the boy were so cute. They were just happily eating their breakfast. And they were in love with my tee-shirt because it was Pokemon haha. It was an image of Charmander looking really upset that Squirtle gets to eat an ice cream cone. My host dad was later joking about how the little boy had many, many novias LOL. It was a great start to the morning 😊

After breakfast, they were getting ready to head out to the beach. I told them that I was going to Curú. The kids, the aunt and I were all standing outside chatting. Fiorella asked me a few questions, wanting to talk to me. Unfortunately, I didn't understand much and told her I don't speak much Spanish. Then, she asked if I knew more English than Spanish. Her aunt laughed and said "Of course!" I told them how I was born and lived in New York, my parents are from China, and that I also speak Chinese. She replied with enthusiasm when she found out about my roots haha. What a smart little girl. She again complimented on how pretty my bracelets were. And that was when I started contemplating if I should give her one. A special bracelet for a special, happy, and loving girl.

After finding out they were leaving later on tonight, I was disappointed that I couldn't spend more time with them and talk to them 😞 I won't even be able to see them again since my Marine Bio field trip is overnight. But after saying bye to them as they went to the beach, I hurried to my room and started using Google Translate app in one hand meanwhile writing a note to Fiorella in another. I know she is still young and won't really understand the meaning behind this bracelet but I tried my best to explain it as simple as possible. It probably makes no sense at all especially since I'm doing direct translations on the app lmao but it's okay. Her aunt will help explain to her. I told her the main significance of this bracelet is to stay balanced, whether you are happy or sad. I put the bracelet in a little bag and folded the note.

I let my host parents know and they seemed very happy and thankful that I was doing such an act. My host dad told me to just leave it on the table next to the TV in the living room and I did just that. He also gave me a banana to bring as a snack for my trip. He's the best!! Haha, I told him I love bananas :P Then he was telling me it was time to go and that I had to get ready. I was like oh crap...went to the room to grab my stuff and rushed out after I hugged him goodbye.

I met up with some classmates in front of school to walk to the ferry together. It was about a good 10-15 minute walk in the hot humidity. When we got there, most of our class and the professor was there already. He brought his nephew with him too. We all lined up to go on to the ferry. We were waiting for a couple more classmates to arrive. First, we all went upstairs to the upper deck to see the view and feel the ocean breeze. The girls and I were just reflecting on our trip here so far and how we liked it here. We talked about home too and compared our states haha.

About halfway through, we went back downstairs to sit because there was air-conditioning. The ferry was a lot bigger than I had imagined. There was a lot of seating and a few TV sets hanging on each corner wall. There was a kitchen and counter to purchase food and drinks from. I got myself a nice fruit salad. As I was munching on them, I was chatting with Samantha, Kyle, Jazmin, and Jessica. We were talking about traveling and once again, comparing about our states LOL.

After about an hour and a half, we have reached Paquera (the other side of Puntarenas). It took us about maybe 15 minutes to get off the ferry. We walked for a good 10 minutes to a local soda for lunch. During the walk, I started talking to my professor's nephew. His name was Fabian. He knew English so that's how we were able to communicate haha.

When we arrived at the small outdoor shop, we all split up into four tables. I sat with Kyle, Jazmin, Megan, Jessica, the professor and his nephew. The lemonade was refreshing. The food was amazing. The fried fish was so fresh and crispy. And of course it wouldn't be complete without the gallo pinto and tostones (twice-fried plantain slices) yum yum yum. We were all super full towards the end of our meal haha.

After lunch, our professor introduced us to the son of the founder of the island Curú. He gave a brief Powerpoint presentation on how their island came to be. He discussed about how it's a developing island and him team is doing a big research project trying to protect the environment of it and improve the resources. He thanked us for "already helping" by coming to this island, being exposed to it, and encouraging us to promote exposure/tourism of it if we wanted to. It was a very warm and special welcome to his island haha. After his introduction, we all waited about 20 minutes for the boats to arrive. There was a delay because one of the boats' motor stopped working. While we were waiting, we were just chatting about random things. The Australian guys were telling us about how everything was cheaper in Costa Rica, especially the alcohol. All of us Americans made a face and were like "what? not really.. maybe just a smidge cheaper..." LOL but then we find out that the standard of living and all those export fees in Australia is freaking expensive so we understand where they're coming from. Some of the girls were very hungover from Jacó last night. They looked so out of it. Others were trying to keep cool from the heat and mosquitoes.

The boats finally arrived and we all grabbed our stuff and filed down the path leading to the waters. We divided into two boats. Samantha, Kyle, Jazmin, Jessica, Gabby, Paige, the professor, his nephew, and I got on the broken one...so we had to transfer over to a new one before we began our little voyage. The local driving the boat was going super fast. It was quite scary at first, especially since we were out in the open (ocean) waters and I did not know how to swim... He was laughing at all of us scared Americans LOL haha. The ride got pretty bumpy at certain times, probably because we were hitting shallow waters.

The first area we visited was mangroves. We stopped in the middle so he can give us a little lecture about the mangroves. We saw birds and some flying fish haha. After that short stop, we continued our fast ride across the ocean. It was such an amazing, care-free feeling riding on that boat. Ocean water spraying against our faces. Blue surrounding us with green trees afar. I don't think I'll ever forget this moment.

After cruising around, we reached our next destination: Isla Tortuga! We were going to snorkel. I was getting pretty nervous as we halted. It finally hit me that we were going to be out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean....I almost didn't want to go. But my classmates kept reassuring me it'll be fine. And I wore a life jacket. The professor and local was teaching us how to put on our snorkel gear and how to breathe through the mask. We were supposed to spit on the goggle area so that it wouldn't fog up. My heart started beating really fast as we were putting on the gear. I took a deep breath and slowly went in after securing my flippers and mask.

Most of the class had already made their way towards the huge rock area in the middle. A few of the girls were with me. Brooke was so sweet. She held my hand the whole time and swam with me towards the middle. I felt so strange being almost submerged in this big body of water. Everything around me felt so vast yet so empty. Not gonna lie, I was nervous especially when I didn't stay afloat vertically in the water. When Brooke wanted to swim under, she made sure another classmate of mine held my hand LOL. My life jacket kept floating up and hitting my face so Samantha swam back with me the boat so that I can go change it. That is honestly one of those nicest, heart-warming things anyone has ever done for me. I'm forever grateful for their patience and kindness.

When I got back on the boat, my professor helped me change into a more suitable life jacket. I kind of held back. Part of me didn't want to go back in. I didn't like the feeling of the water coming up so high near my neck. Bad memories. But my professor encouraged me that I can do it. That I just needed to relax and I'll be fine. I sighed a deep breath and went for it. I knew he was right. And if not now, then when? This is the perfect and beautiful opportunity to do what I've always wanted to do and to face my fears. When I was in the ocean, I had a hard time moving. I heard my professor shouting behind me: just relax and keep your body horizontal and you'll be moving. I took his advice and stayed as calm as I can and just doggy paddled. Soon enough, I was swimming. And I heard "there you go! You're doing it!" as I swam further away from the boat. I was so, so happy. It started getting fun and eventually my anxiety was going away as I joined the rest of my classmates.

They were still holding my hands haha but I was a lot more relaxed and soon enough just moved around freely myself. I started putting my head into the water and saw so many different kinds of fish. Some were small, some were colorful. Some people saw skates. Samantha and I saw a blue tang fish, otherwise known as "Dory" haha. They were all swimmingly so peacefully, minding their own business. It was quiet under there..like I entered a whole new world. When I came back up, I tasted the salty ocean water in my mouth. It was repulsive...that's how insanely salty it was. The ocean is so blue yet clear that we can be deceived and forget it can contain that much salt.

We spent a good hour or so swimming around the huge rocks, just taking in nature's beauty: swimming with fish, observing them, and taking pictures (grateful to have waterproof cameras lol). We also saw many seagulls and little crabs. Nothing like bonding time in the middle of the ocean with my classmates lmao. What an unforgettable experience. Soon enough, we had to swim back to the boat. From the time I was swimming back, to climbing back on the boat, to sitting down as we sailed across the ocean, I was still processing that I just freaking snorkeled in the Pacific Ocean. I was so proud of myself and of course I couldn't have done all of this without the encouragement and support of my wonderful classmates and professors. I am so touched by their actions.

During our ride, we all munched on fresh coconut meat. We were all soaking wet. After about a 10-15 minute ride, we arrived at Playa Quesera, a small, untouched white sand beach for the most part because it isn't easily accessible to since it's in the middle of nowhere. There were a few people there already but they ended up leaving because our group came haha oops. It was almost like a fantasy. The softness of the sand was UNREAL. The moment you step into it, your feet sink in...It felt like I was getting butterflies in my stomach each time I took a step into this sand LOL.

There were sooo many small hermit crabs moving along on the beach. They were like a tiny army. Super freaking adorable. They looked like tiny pebbles and if you didn't look carefully, you would step on them so we had to walk with caution. Apparently, the healthier a beach is, the more hermit crabs would inhabit them. Of course, I wouldn't know that since my local beach (Coney Island) is disgusting. Towards our left, there was a long tree branch lying out on the sand. We all took pictures sitting on it haha. Towards our right, there were huge stratified stones that our professor was explaining to us.

After a long day of our field trip, we took a break to have the best afternoon snack ever: fresh tropical fruits on the beach!! Golden pineapples, coconuts, and watermelon were cut up for us and there was water and soda on the side. Everyone looved the pineapple; it was so sweet and refreshing. The coconut meat was great too. The watermelon was just alright... tasted a bit strange. Either way, I was a very happy child haha. I must've ate at least half a pineapple myself. After snack time, everyone just either chilled on the sand or went into the waters. We were waiting for it to turn dark so that we can swim with bioluminescence; how freaking awesome is that?!

The sun was setting and it was so breath-taking. Words cannot even describe it. I didn't go all the way into the water; just stayed by the shore, lathering my feet in soft sand mixed with clear blue water. I wanted to just watch the sunset and take in, take in all this natural beauty surrounding me. It was such a joyous, invigorating feeling that I've never felt before. All I could think in my head was that "this moment is ours, this place is ours for the time being; no one else will know about this beautiful treasure and I didn't want to share it with anyone else." I felt selfish but was not guilty at all. I was so content, so relaxed, so at peace with myself, at one with Mother nature. It was a true getaway from the US, from the bustling NYC, the daily stressors, and even from the neighborhood of Puntarenas. I wish I could stay at this beach longer...to sleep on this silky sand, to witness the sunrise, and to watch the army of hermit crabs once more.

But of course, time is always limited. Record videos and take pictures; they last longer. *snap* back to reality haha. I began recording away the sunset, the waves crashing, the distinct chatter of my classmates from afar, and just the overall vibes of this place. I saw so many different hues and rays shining so sharply, stretching across the horizon. It was like one of those sunsets described in the perfect poem. After watching most of it set, I decided I should definitely live in the moment as well.

I saw my professor's nephew standing around by the shore too, looking bored. Everyone else was either in the ocean or way back inland by the palm trees. I walked on over to him and made conversation with him once again. Turns out he's in his first year of college and is also interested in this marine/environmental studies career. I was telling him how lucky he was to have an uncle who's in that field haha. He was telling me about how college life is like in Costa Rica. They have a long, long break until March. When he found out I was from NYC, his eyes lit up. He started asking me about the culture back in NYC as well. I love having conversations like this: sharing about each other's cultures and learning about people from all over the world. I was going to offer him my contact info if he ever came to visit and wanted a tour guide but then I stopped myself. I didn't want my professor to think I was hitting on his nephew lmao.

He was saying how people from NYC talk really fast...guilty, haha. I was telling him about how I much I enjoyed his country and how beautiful it was. He recommended a place called Guanacaste to visit in the future if I came back. He was telling me the differences between the Pacific and Caribbean coast, how the Caribbean coast is heavily influenced by the Jamaican / Caribbean islands. Their food is great but spicier. Man, I am definitely going to come back to Costa Rica. It's awesome to talk to local Ticos and hear of their recommendations and knowledge.

When the sun has finally faded away, our professor gathered us up and told us we still have to wait a little longer for bioluminescence to appear in the dark ocean. While waiting, Fabian and I were still talking about our countries LOL. After 30 minutes passed, it has become pitch dark. We needed a flashlight. There was miscommunication between my professor and the local sailor. He told us to get on the boat when my professor didn't want that. Half of us already got on the boat. We were super exhausted and a few yards away from the shore already, so when our professor was telling us to get off..we didn't want to.

So there it was. Half stayed on the shore for another 10 minutes meanwhile we were sitting on the boat. They then got on to the other boat. Our sailor felt bad (they got into an argument) and got a bucket of ocean water to pour onto the floor of our boat so that we can see the bioluminescence of the sand fleets (tiny marine organisms that produce green glowing light). It was another breathtaking sight. I'm sure it was even more beautiful swimming with it. A good few of my classmates jumped into the ocean from the boats and swam with it. Many didn't want to because they thought it was dangerous to be in the ocean when it's dark.

Those who were in the ocean were yelling out amazing and beautiful it was under there. I can imagine...that bright glow of light swimming with you. If only I had the balls and knew how to swim, I would've LOL. Oh well, I just used my hand to rummage through the waters and saw the sand fleets light up hehe. Still a great sight.

Sailing through the ocean when it was pitch dark was really cool and comforting, but also kinda scary. Soon enough, we reached back inland. And there were two vehicles waiting for us. The drivers were locals of Curú. They brought us to our lodging for the night. A lot of people from the other group had to ride on the back of the truck (where it was exposed) LOL how fun. We were all wet and muddy from swimming and walking on the shore. I felt disgusting.

After a quick drive, we arrived at the lodging area where a sweet woman was already cooking dinner for us. My roommates (Jazmin, Jessica, and Megan) and I got the key to our room first and dropped off our stuff. It had AC. This was legit an outdoor lodging. We were surrounded by the forest. After we put our stuff down, we headed back out to the picnic table seating outdoors. Although they are getting paid for it, I felt their sincere hospitality through the food she made and her smile at us. She made us pasta with tomato sauce and ground beef. It was soo good!! A nice change from the usual haha. There was also grated cheese too for us to sprinkle it on.

While eating, there were mosquitoes flying around and their dogs walking around sniffing everyone haha. It was one of those simple, simple moments that made me feel so happy and grateful. Sure, it wasn't much but watching her make us all of that food from her little kitchen area made me extra thankful for her patience and kindness towards us. There were also a few different kinds of juices and beverages. While eating, our professor went over the plan for tomorrow morning. There was still some field work that we had to do the next day. After he was done, we finished up eating. And the best part was ---- there was ice cream afterwards!!! Orange-vanilla sherbet, my favorite kind of ice cream growing up! The lady was actually scooping out of the carton in individual cups and bringing it over to us....she's so sweet.

We take so much for granted in the U.S. Coming here and living here for a couple of weeks so far has made me appreciate the little things so much more. This was definitely a perfect way to end the perfect day. So much love and sincerity from these locals, it brings a lot of joy to my heart. After finishing dinner, Haven and I cleared the table and brought the dirty plates and utensils back to the sink for the lady. She thanked us with a sweet smile. It was the least we can do after eating (and making a mess on the tables lol).

Everyone started going back to their cabins to take showers. We had to take turns of course since there were four girls and only one bathroom. After I finished my shower, I went back out to the dining area to just sit and relax. Look through my pictures from the day and dry my hair a bit. The Australian guys and Kyle were outside too chilling, going through their phones (they had a HUGE locust in their cabin before but the professor was able to lure it out aha). Some of them were laying on the hammocks. Even though we didn't talk, it was still comforting that we were just enjoying each other's company in the silence, if that makes any sense at all.

After a while, we all decided to head back to our cabins. We were all pretty drained from such a long, active day. When I got back to my cabin, I listened to my iPod as I proceeded to wait for my hair to dry. The others were fast asleep. I just sat at the end of my bed in the dark, reflecting back on the whole day today. What a wonderful experience. Still in disbelief that I conquered so much today and had tons of fun. Pura vida! Can't wait to see what's in store for us tomorrow 😊

---

Photos

lunch
fried fish, gallo pinto, y tostones

Playa Quesera
the softest white sand beach I've ever been to and stepped on...

best afternoon snack ever
FRESH golden pineapples, coconuts, and watermelon

sunset
waiting for it to be dark so we can swim with bioluminescence