Day 6: Jaguar Rescue Center and Surfing!

Today started at the Jaguar Rescue Center right down the road from our hotel. To our surprise there were no Jaguars, however when the founders first started taking in injured wildlife from the locals they were handed a baby cat that someone thought was a Jaguar, and thus the rescue got it's name. That said, it was full of some other beautiful animals with equally beautiful and heartbreaking backstories. Our guide Mateo was amazing, and told us about the spider monkey's matriarchal society. Any time a new monkey is rescued, they have to get the approval of the eldest female monkey, but once they do she takes care of them forever. 

After the tour we got lunch across the street (featuring a cheeseburger Ms. Martins and Mr. Thomas have been dreaming about for the last year, and a sloth sighting) before heading to beach #1. This featured some of the most beautiful water and soft sand that puts Hammonasset to shame. After some time to swim (or run, in Antonio's case) we drove to beach #2, "Playa Grande." During the ride over Luigi shared how meaningful surfing is to him. He described it as a reflection of life itself—some waves are good, others not so much, but every single one is a new beginning. It's a perfect example of Costa Rica's “Pura Vida” philosophy.

We met our surf instructor, Herschel, who gave us a quick lesson on how to stand up on the board. You start by lying down with your head, chest, and knees lined up with the markings on the board. When it’s time to stand, you move your feet into place where your chest and knees were, stand up quickly, bend your knees, and stick your arms out to the sides for balance.

We headed into the water with our boards. Once we were all set up, Herschel had us lie on our boards and wait for waves. When one came, he’d give us a push and tell us to stand—and just like that, we were surfing!

After surfing we had time for a quick shower back at the hotel before heading to dinner to try yet another serving of rice and beans. Unlike what we've had up to this point, these were Caribbean style meaning they were cooked with coconut milk making them slightly sweeter than anywhere else in the country. 

Some quick post-dinner souvenir shopping and ice cream was quickly followed by our evening meeting and time to pack for the beginning of our grand finale (already?!)– white water rafting! We'll be off the grid for the next two nights, but we'll make sure to keep you all updated with the blog!