A washout, a blackout, and a terrific finish.

            

Today was tough.  It rained all day.  It was gray and cold.  We couldn't do much fieldwork.  To make matters worse, there was no Internet service, which meant we were pretty bored and we were worried about not being able to get in touch with our loved ones.  We tried to make the best of our time, by doing some cleaning up at the lab and a little souvenir shopping.  We went to a local little bar for a drink and watched American movies (The Color Purple and Little House on the Prairie) on their TVs.  It was funny because the dialogue was in English with subtitles in Spanish.  Anyway we returned to our cabins in the late afternoon cold, wet, and a little depressed.  It seemed like a lousy way to end our great week on Earthwatch. 

Then things got better.  Much, much better.   A local farmer and his family had us over to their house nearby for a lovely meal in their home.  They were so friendly and welcoming and eager to hear about our great week in their country.  We all laughed and shared stories and ate amazing barbequed chicken and pork and all sorts of Costa Rican side dishes until our stomachs ached.  Perfecto!  Then I came back to our cabin and the Internet is working again.  The week ends on a happy note after all.  Buenas noches!