Chirripo - Day 3

Friday, March 15

Chirripo: 

I woke to sore muscles once again, but my ankle felt almost as good as new.  We ate breakfast, sorted through our stuff to decide what to leave behind and packed up to leave.  I left behind the whole outfit I wore there (Amanda’s yellow-flash t-shirt will be a part of Chirripo along with Alison’s fit-flops which will be used by a sweet old woman with sore feet).

After breakfast, we packed up and headed out.  

We stopped by the school to see the aqueduct that was built a few years ago for the school.

We also stopped to see another house... 

...and to visit the same woman who came to visit us yesterday.  I was able to give her the shoes in person...

This is her granddaughter...

This is their family's shower...

We also visited their latrine...  It was awful... And it was so full that it was hardly worth using anymore.

Soon, it was time to start our hike back.  This is the part where I was following Daniel and his monkey strapped to his back pack... he soon got so far ahead that we couldn't see him...  hiding in the trees... when we pass him is when he jumps out at screaming... just the right moment to scare us to death.

I was feeling pretty good on this part of our hike, but my legs were defiantly still sore.  Thankfully, I had elected to rent a horse to take me back.  After crossing the river, hiking along the bank of the river, 

 ...and the relatively flat area of the jungle for about 3 hours, we arrived back at the plaza where I was able to mount the horse.  Adrian's horse was just across the plaza.  We stayed together for our ride up the mountain.

This ride up the mountain involved a lot of mud, running into a tree, rain, a horse who stopped to rest every three steps or eat leaves every five.  Even though it wasn’t easy, it was way better than walking.  My poor horse wanted to stop and I totally understand why.  The poor thing had to carry me, two bags and climb up a mountain for 3 hours.  The owner of the horse sent his 12-year-old daughter to lead the horse up the mountain.  I felt so guilty sitting on that horse while she and the horse carried me up the mountain.  She hardly broke a sweat by the time we arrive; and, after a 20 minute rest, she turned around and headed back down the mountain to go home.

Once we arrived, we were able to purchase snacks and rest while we waited for our ride.  Once the truck arrived, we piled in and snuggled up with sleeping bags because it was such a cold ride home.

We had one last adventure on the way home.  At one point, a truck driver coming from the other way stopped to have a conversation with our driver.  He was warning him that there was a problem up ahead.  A truck was broken down in the middle of the road... and there was only a very narrow path on the edge of the cliff to go around it.  Our driver believed that he could do it, but he instructed us to get out of the back and for some of the guys to climb onto the outside of the truck on the driver's side to try to add weight to the side of his truck to keep it from falling over and rolling down the cliff.  

I watched in shock... too shocked to even move (therefore I don't have a pic).  The truck precariously passed by the broken-down vehicle.  It was successful... and I believe God must have had his hand on that truck to keep it from tumbling down the mountain.

We finally arrived back in Tuis safe and sound at 4:10 pm.  We asked Josué to help us go pick up Jaden from Freddy and Samia's house.  Once we got home, we showered, played with Jaden for a bit, and then crashed... I think I slept for 12 hours straight!

PS... When we picked up Jaden from our friend's house, they told us that he did not cry a bit.  He slept well, he ate well, and he definitely played well!  He already misses his "familia tica!"