Hola, Mama. I woke up bright and early this morning for my 7am field program to the Pacoche Forest! It was incredible! We walked through the rainforest, spotting a few monkeys and even a toucan! The vegitation and the sounds of all the animals were amazing. It was such a different experience than anything you could find in the US. We even got to drink pure sugar cane! They pressed it from the cane itself and handed it to us to drink. It was incredibly sweet, but it definitely tasted natural. So cool. We learned all about tagua, which is a fruit that when dried out hardens and can be used to make beautiful crafts, looking just like ivory. I bought a craft made from it in the Embera Indian Village in Panama.
After I returned from the Pacoche Forest, Elaine and I set out on an adventure! We went to the supermarket called "SuperMaxi" (which I had a chuckle about because I thought it sounded like a feminine product). Elaine and I bought a ridiculous amount of Ecuadorian food to bring back to the US. I even managed to find my favorite chocolate, Mama! Kinder Chocolate...it's European and hard to find in the states. I was so excited that I found it here that I bought four packages of it. You know this must be good stuff because I'm not a big chocolate eater. After going to the SuperMaxi, we went to have lunch on the beach! Elaine and I ate some ceviche for appetizer, and then each of us ate an entire fish! I was pretty impressed with ourselves. It was so delicious though! We both got cervazas (beers), and they were enormous! The bottles were significantly bigger than the bottle of ketchup at our table, and they only cost $1.50 each! Those bottles would have cost about $8 a piece at least in the States. After lunch we went to the beach! It was a perfect day today, Mama! Hot with a nice cool breeze and bright blue sky! Such a gorgeous day. Since I wasn't wearing a bathinig suit, I rolled my leggings up and walked into the water. The water was even warm! A big wave suddenly came and got me soaking wet, so I figured at that point why not just go for a swim in my clothes! I had so much fun floating in the waves. There are few things I love as much as the ocean. I definitely felt your presence with me as I stood in ocean with the sun shining and the wind blowing. It was such a moment of peace.
I am now back on board and about to go get dressed up for the Captain's Farewell Dinner. We're setting sail from Ecuador tonight, tomorrow we're at sea, and then the next day we disembark in Costa Rica. I can't believe the voyage is almost over. I hate saying goodbye to this ship. This place is home.
I'm really struggling, Mom. My heart is in so much pain. I miss you so much. I'm trying to focus on what I'm doing and seeing in all of these countries, but I can't get my mind off of you.
After I returned from the Pacoche Forest, Elaine and I set out on an adventure! We went to the supermarket called "SuperMaxi" (which I had a chuckle about because I thought it sounded like a feminine product). Elaine and I bought a ridiculous amount of Ecuadorian food to bring back to the US. I even managed to find my favorite chocolate, Mama! Kinder Chocolate...it's European and hard to find in the states. I was so excited that I found it here that I bought four packages of it. You know this must be good stuff because I'm not a big chocolate eater. After going to the SuperMaxi, we went to have lunch on the beach! Elaine and I ate some ceviche for appetizer, and then each of us ate an entire fish! I was pretty impressed with ourselves. It was so delicious though! We both got cervazas (beers), and they were enormous! The bottles were significantly bigger than the bottle of ketchup at our table, and they only cost $1.50 each! Those bottles would have cost about $8 a piece at least in the States. After lunch we went to the beach! It was a perfect day today, Mama! Hot with a nice cool breeze and bright blue sky! Such a gorgeous day. Since I wasn't wearing a bathinig suit, I rolled my leggings up and walked into the water. The water was even warm! A big wave suddenly came and got me soaking wet, so I figured at that point why not just go for a swim in my clothes! I had so much fun floating in the waves. There are few things I love as much as the ocean. I definitely felt your presence with me as I stood in ocean with the sun shining and the wind blowing. It was such a moment of peace.
I am now back on board and about to go get dressed up for the Captain's Farewell Dinner. We're setting sail from Ecuador tonight, tomorrow we're at sea, and then the next day we disembark in Costa Rica. I can't believe the voyage is almost over. I hate saying goodbye to this ship. This place is home.
I'm really struggling, Mom. My heart is in so much pain. I miss you so much. I'm trying to focus on what I'm doing and seeing in all of these countries, but I can't get my mind off of you.
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