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| Monkeys Looking for Breakfast |
2/3/26 Tuesday
We were supposed to do an outrigger canoe activity today but it’s too windy and the water is too choppy so it was cancelled. I don’t mind; we’ve done that before in the Philippines and it’s interesting but nbd.
They’ve got an alternative activity involving an aerial tram and a hike but we’re going to pass. The resort has a pool and a beach so we’ll just enjoy the sun and the Pacific for a day instead.
At least two more people in our group have come down with this cold. That makes four officially, plus Lee has had it without admitting it, another woman has symptoms but thinks it’s allergies (like I did at first), and we think our tour guide has it too, but just says she “felt a little chilled” (she was wearing a jacket in 86F yesterday!) That makes seven people out of twelve, so obviously Roads Scholar “protocols” are a joke. By the time people have symptoms it’s too late. Anyway I’m over being forced to wear a mask on the bus for 5 days.
2/4/26 Wednesday
After breakfast yesterday there were a bunch of capuchin monkeys outside the restaurant. The restaurant is outside but covered by steel fencing so the monkeys can’t get in.
One of the women in our group said a monkey peed on her lat night!!. It’s fun to watch them from a distance, but I don’t want them getting too close! If they think you might have food they can get very aggressive!
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| Monkey on the Roof of the Restaurant |
Around 10 we headed down to the pool. It was nice, right on the ocean. We hung out there until 2 when it started to get pretty warm. Lee went back to the room but I wanted to see the beach so I took a little walk. By the time I got back to the room I was REALLY warm! It took a while to cool off so that I could take a shower.
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| The Pool |
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| The Beach |
In the evening we had a short lecture that recapped everything we had experienced. Like every other lecture on this trip it was great. It helped refresh our collective memories about everything we have seen and experienced, and most importantly reminded us of the names of all the people we’ve met along the way.
Our trip home went very smoothly, even without club access (we flew economy home) and a shorter layover in Houston. We got home pretty late but it only took a day or two to get back to normal.
In retrospect, I really enjoyed most things about this trip. Roads Scholar accomodations are pretty basic, but I knew that going in. The food wasn't wonderful or terrible, but that also is pretty standard for travel in a third world country if you are trying to experience the local culture. We were both very tired of rice and beans by the end of the trip! It was great that our group was only 12 people, and we traveled in a small bus. I enjoyed all of our lectures, our guides at various activities, and our tour leader, Rebeca. The only thing I did NOT enjoy was self-isolating after I came down with a cold, and having to wear a mask on the bus for the remainder of the trip. Roads Scholar needs to update their protocols, and sooner rather than later. The protocols were ineffective and put a damper on the end of the trip.
Would I do another Roads Scholar trip? It depends. Right now there's nothing on our bucket list where Roads Scholar would be the best way to go, but never say never! It was a great way to see a very diverse country like Costa Rica. We'll keep that in mind as we plan future trips.
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