May 23, 2012-- The Beastiary!

I decided to sleep in (the beds in our tree house we oober comfortable) so I didn’t go bird watching in the morning. I woke up around 7:30 to be ready for breakfast! This time we had papaya and pineapple with yogurt and granola, and then bread and scrambled eggs (they fed us so well here… it was awesome!!). 

Then, after sitting around and talking for awhile, Rob and I decided we wanted to take a nice, easy walk and take more pictures, while Josh, Joel, Jon, and Joe went off with Nelson on one of the hardest hikes at the Reserve. We were too tired and just wanted to have a relaxing walk. So we grabbed our walking sticks (didn’t bother with boots today because it was going to be a simple hike), started up one of the easy trails, took a few pictures and came out on the road! Instead of heading back after only like 20 minutes of walking, we decided to walk down to the research station to see if we could get in! Sadly we couldn’t, so we continued to walk a little way down the road and then we saw another path that wasn’t marked. We decided to check it out.. We could always turn around. So we walked a little way and saw the research station! We continued all of the way day and wandered around a little bit! Then Rob saw the trail (B-- given the name "The Beastiary") that he had gone on the last time he came to the Reserve 2 years ago! He said it was a pretty intense hike, that really wasn’t worked on or walked ever, you could barely see the trail! We decided, meh what the heck, (we eventually made a pact to make the other person do everything imaginable on the trip so we would miss out, “whatever I do, you have to do..”) 

Let’s have an adventure! 

This walk eventually leads to some pretty awesome waterfalls! It was only a 650 meter trail, but you basically went straight down the mountain! (thank goodness for walking sticks! They definitely kept me standing or I would have slid down the entire mountainside!) You could barely see the trail, the trail was super steep! And Rob also fell a few times! We definitely took it slow, but this trail was crazy!! We felt pretty awesome after we reached the bottom of the trail (fully knowing we had to climb ALL the way back up! Ugh…) and then we followed the river on another trail (Q) that was basically all mud. We climbed up one more small part (we could hear the waterfall!) and then we ditched the sticks and grabbed the rope that was tied to the side of the mountain and scaled the side of it! (that was a first for me! Even if it was only a short little drop, still scared me! Haha) but at last! We finally reached the waterfall!! It was soooo pretty!! The water was nice and cool, so the spray felt nice after the stressful walk down! 

So we took a few pictures, and then decided we should probably head back up! Let me tell you… it was a looooong hike back up! Haha.. but we finally made it! (less slips and falls this time… yayyy!) We felt super accomplished (and suuuuper exhausted!) so we walked back to the dome, ate a lunch of more soup (so good), a ham-stuffed chicken with a salad, and flan (not my favorite.. haha) and then I took a super long nap… it felt incredible! it  didn’t bother me that I had missed out on another hike, because I’m pretty sure if I would have gone on it I would have tipped of the mountain for sure! 

After waking up (with only little time left until dinner haha) we played a game of Skip-bo and then headed down. We had some soup, spaghetti, and peaches and cream! :) They guys decided that, after diiner they wanted to try the special alcohol that was sitting on the desk, so they each bought 2, and I had one and a coke (there was tamrind, blackberry, ginger, and vanilla rum; I chose the vanilla and then put it in some coke because, come on now… we all know Jordan can’t do shots!) Then we all sat and either had a coffee or tea (I chose an apple-cinnamon tea—delicious!) and we watched a slide show Deb had put together of the Galapagos and an awesome video Jon edited and then we all got ready for bed! (I got to sleep on the fourth floor that night! So we were surrounded by all glass! Freaked me out when I woke up in the middle of the night and I was looking down at the jungle, but it was still amazing nonetheless!!)