Surviving Costa Rica

Hey all! Sorry it´s been so long since I´ve posted, but internet is rare to come by here in Matapalo. Whenever I get the chance to use it I have to pay and it is very very slow. I miss you all and hope you´re enjoying the summer heat. The weather here is comparable, however this is considered their winter haha. So...so many things have happened since I last posted. I am now living in Matapalo full time. I have a regular routine of cleaning, helping plant trees around the area and turtle patrols. This week we just started some very intense work. We needed to reinforce our hatchery barriers and so the past two days we´ve been hauling huge branches and piles and piles of sand to add a more protective boundary. It´s pretty hard work, but it is very rewarding as well. I feel like we are actually doing something that is directly helpful to our project. I have been having so much fun lately. I was able to visit the National Park of Manuel Antonio. It is a very tourist area, but it´s gorgeous! I saw monkeys and crocodile iguanas and so much more. In Matapalo last week a couple volunteers and myself were able to go on a mangrove tour. It was pretty sketch at first. Our boat driver and coast guard literally had to saw branches and get out of the boat to get us around at times. A little odd, but once we made it through the awkward parts we had an amazing view of the mountains and where the river meets up with the ocean. We also so crocodiles! It was actually the second time I had seen some, the first was on a patrol night and I was a little closer than I would have liked to be haha, but I´m still alive so no worries! Oh man oh man I still feel like I have so much to say, but I am running out of time. Hope this gives a little insight to my Costa Rican lifestyle. I will for sure be telling many more stories once I am back. Hope to update soon! LOVE!