Today was our first official Fun Day! After we were all awake and dressed for the day, we headed over to Quiero Mas for our usual breakfast, which included scrambled eggs, gallo pinto, fruit, a tortilla and a cool glass of lemonade. When we were all done eating, the group headed back and packed for our big adventure! We boarded our private bus around 9:30; however, on the way there we witnessed a motorcycle accident! While making a sharp turn the motorcycle flipped and landed on the two passengers! Luckily, we had two Red Cross men accompanying us on our bus, so they jumped out of the bus just seconds after it happened. Both passengers ended up being okay; they were really scratched up, but thankfully, there were no serious injuries. As soon as the ambulance arrived, we continued on our way.

The “road” we took was more similar to a bike trail; it was a very bumpy ride! The bus hardly fit; there were tree branches and bushes scraping along the edges, a few leaves and branches even flew in through the windows! Once we arrived, we began our hike up the mountain. It was pretty intense and we had to take many water breaks, but we finally made it up to the top, where we had an amazing view of the volcano. There was a lookout tower as well, where we took photos and stared in awe at the beautiful scenery around us. We continued on our hike to the lake, called Laguna Del Tigre (Lagoon of the Tiger), which was at the base of the mountain range. The lake was formed from a crater caused by a volcano and had filled with rain water over a long period of time. The next part of the hike was mainly downhill, but it was very slippery!

At last, we reached the lake, and trust me, it was worth the workout! It was absolutely breathtaking; it looked as if it had come out of a movie. Everyone had the chance to go swimming; the water was so warm! Some of the Glimpsers even jumped off this large tree stump that was in the center of the water! We spent most of the day there–swimming, eating, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful view.

Chilling at the lake

Once it was time to go, we packed up our bags and began the hike back to the bus; although, most were very reluctant to leave!  Due to some unfortunate injuries that had occurred on previous days, it took some of us awhile to make it along the trail. We made several stops throughout the hike to allow the rest of the group catch up. This displayed how much our group of Glimpsers care for one another and how we believe we are all in this together. We made it back to the bus and after an hour long bus ride, we arrived at the hostel. This is when we got free time! Most of the Glimpsers used this time to call their families for Father’s Day and to rinse off. We were quite muddy and sweaty after our excursion! Then, we headed off to dinner and practically inhaled our pasta! When we got back, we had a seminar on tomorrow’s adventure of living on a dollar a day. After the seminar ended, our challenge began. The showers for the night included only a bucket of water and a bowl, due to the embarkment of living in extreme poverty for a day. Tonight, the electricity will be turned off, and we shall experience the start of  how 25% of the world lives every day.

Until tomorrow,

Maddy