Travels..with kiddos

Before I get into my lovely 7th grade field trip to Tortugero, I must take you back to a wonderful day called Dia del Gallo Pinto. The Day of Gallo Pinto. For those of you who don't know, gallo pinto is a typical dish here in Costa Rica. (Costa Rica and Nicaragua actually argue about where the dish originated.) It's a rice and beans dish that is served at every typical Costa Rican breakfast. Some families also eat it during most meals. Well, Jen, Liz and I went to San Jose to see what it was all about. There was Gallo Pinto everywhere! Oddly enough, we didn't eat any that day...the lines were too long and/or we were too impatient. We did get some amazing masks though!


Well, I just returned from a 3 day trip to Tortuguero with the 7th graders. All in all, it was a good time. We did have some interesting times. My group was the first to go kayaking. Well, 3 minutes into it, one of my girls has gone overboard! We were in a canal before getting to the bigger canals full of caimans and other creepy creatures. I looked at one of the guides and asked, "If I get in, will I be eaten?" She said no so I jumped in to help my student. Her and I were just laughing away. After we both got settled again, we had a great time. Then, my second group got to go. There were about 5 of us who had gotten to the end of the first little canal and attempted to turn left. (The kids were still learning how to maneuver their kayaks so this created a lot of crashes.) As luck would have it, a boat was coming our way. I had to get 5 kids to back into the canal we came from so the boat could pass. A girl was stuck right behind me so I stupidly turned over my shoulder to try and push her and FLIP, over I went! The kids sure loved this part! I assured them I had seen a cool animal and was just trying to get  a closer look...That evening Erin and I get a knock on our door. It's Scott and Miguel, the other teachers who were on room checks..."We can't find a student." Super. So, we embark on a journey to find a missing 13 year old girl. Luckily, when I went to one room another girl had heard her say she was going to sit in a hammock. So, flashlight in hand, I went  up to each and every hammock hoping to find her. I was worried I was going to flash a light into some un-expecting traveler. As luck would have it, I found her passed out in the very last hammock. Another comical part was watching the monkeys poop all over my students on our boat tour. They didn't find it that funny, but Erin and I sure did!

That following Saturday morning, a few friends and I had book a day trip to Isla Tortuga. It's just a beautiful island about an hour and a half from Punta Arenas. We sailed on a catamaran through the Pacific before getting to the island. It was an amazingly beautiful day. We all got plenty of sun! Towards the end of the stay on the island, the crewman set up a game of soccer. With a little pushing from Jen, I got the nerve to join them. I had to represent for my fellow females. It is hard to tell from a still picture, but I was clearly the MVP. I mean, I did score the winning goal for my team.  We returned home exhausted, and a little pink. But it was a great day trip.

I shall leave you with the weirdest quote heard upon the 7th grade trip. This is also another reason I will never understand adolescent boys and why I am scared to have a boy myself.
The boys were in their room, but all could be heard next door.
Boy 1: "Guys, come here, I want to show you something!"
Boy 2: "What? Are you going to masturbate?"
Boy 1: "What?! No?!!"