Molly: Where are the sloths?

 Well, today was the last day folks. We knew this day would come but boy did it fly by quickly. I guess it is really true when people say time flies when you are having fun.

We started the day by getting to tour Earth University with our cool tour guide Niyi. He showed us a video about Earth and then took us on a tour of the Integrated Animal Production Farm. One of the main aspects of the farm was the biodigester. To sum up the main function and purpose of the biodigester is turn the animal manure into methane gas which powers a generator making electricity. The remaining liquid then goes through three lagoons with purifying plants making the water clean enough to return to the environment! How neat is that!! Seeing how passionate the students were for finding ways to make farming sustainable was extremely inspiring and re-lit the passion that I have for agriculture.

We then went to a farm where Earth students helped make it into what it is today. The farmer grew everything from medicinal plants to bananas and we were lucky enough to get to try some new plants. Some were very good and some VERY GROSS, in particular the one that smelled like dirty socks and rotting cheese...it tasted like that too but I'm glad I tried it. I think that's been one of the neatest parts about Costa Rica. Everyone here as really taken every opportunity to try new things, whether its eating termites or milking a cow, we have all embraced this once in a life time trip with open arms.

Through out the trip we all really wanted to see a sloth in it's natural habitat. Lucky for us we were able to see two and I'm sure passed by many more. Even though this became a joke of the trip I think it symbolized much more. When were were driving place to place, we all were looking together out the windows to see if we could see one. Thinking back on this past week, the words "Donde estan los perezosos? (Where are the sloths?)" will always remind me to look farther in the world and open my eyes to the different beauty that this world has to offer even if it is hard to find. It definitely wasn't hard to find the beauty here. Costa Rica not only showed us it's beauty in nature but more importantly the beauty of human kind. So thank you Costa Rica for 1) letting us all see a sloth in real life and 2) for reminding me and all of us to enjoy the beauty of the world.

"Be the seed of change." - Earth University

We'll be back soon Costa Rica,
Molly