The whole group right before we got in the water!

The whole group right before we got in the water!

Hola to all of our families and friends back home!

Today was our first fun day of the trip! It was a day full of swimming, hiking, and jumping. We started off the day waking up at 5:30, with lots of loud wake-up knocks from me! We then headed over to Buffet Esteli and enjoyed a meal that reminded us all of home, CEREAL! After that, we began our first journey of the day and embarked on a bus ride to Somoto Canyon. This bus ride was by far one of the best rides we’ve had all trip, due to Malaysia’s effort to play all of our favorite beloved songs from the States. The hour and a half bus ride quickly turned into a karaoke bus filled with laughing and singing! Once we arrived to the entrance of Somoto Canyon, we enjoyed a nice snack from our amazing Ena, and began the challenging hike to the river. The hike featured sights of beautiful butterflies and the refreshing sounds of the water. As we entered the river and began to swim, the sight of the beautiful and over-arching canyon really left everyone amazed and stunned. The cold and refreshing water balanced out the hot and slightly breezy weather. The Somoto Canyon, which houses the largest river in Central America, towered over us as we made our way down the slippery and mossy rocks. The high energy and positive attitude of every Glimpser fueled this experience of a lifetime. The encouragement of everyone brought out the courage from people who were frightened to jump from the high rock cliffs.

Made it onto a rock!

Made it onto a rock!

As our body became weak from the amazing swimming and hiking workout we all got, we hopped on some boats, in which the strong locals paddled us to our final hiking location. As we approached our bus, cries of joy filled the air. We then headed over to a restaurant at the nearby town and enjoyed delicious meals prepared at Buen Gusto. The bus ride back to the hostal was filled with snores and somber music describing the mood of us tired Glimpsers. To celebrate Clara’s birthday, we bought her a cake topped with 17 candles! We then sang Happy Birthday to her in English, Spanish, Lithuania, and African American versions. This was a much needed day for us after a long first week. We have learned so much throughout these first 10 days and can’t wait to return and share everything we have learned!

 

 

Sincerely,

Ethan Wong

P.S

Shout out to Clara’s family and friends! Clara enjoyed a fantastic birthday here with us!

P.P.S

I miss you guys and can’t wait to share all my stories and experiences with you all!

#DubNation #SFGiants

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