NRES 285/ 499

Saludos de Alamos! It is currently the second official day of our trip, I have the pleasure of describing our exploratory journey through Alamos and a brief info session on future trip plans. While my writing style is far less entertaining than Lenna's, I will try to provide an accurate, and hopefully, slightly interesting account of the day's events.

I am told that most everyone slept well on their first night at Rancho Acosta. Although, I have heard some complaints about the wake-up call provided by the local roosters with a follow-up by their friends of the canine variety. Luckily coffee was available to all interested parties around 7. Most were overjoyed to consume their daily dosage of go-juice. Breakfast was served promptly at 8 consisting of huevos rancheros, tortillas, beans, and a wide variety of fruit. We were also treated with mandarin orange juice, which I'm told was freshly squeezed!

After breakfast everyone packed up their bags to send on to Palo Injerto.

Then we left on a walking tour of Alamos shortly after 9. Initially our tour was guided by Christa and Bryan, however once we reached the Central Plaza, Stephanie took over. She gave a historical overview of the city and showed us the highlights of the city.

Some facts I found interesting included:

1. The houses/ buildings were connected because of a cholera outbreak. Before, squatters used the spaces between houses/ buildings for shelter thus allowing cholera to spread quickly.

2. Tabulla trees were instrumental in determining the height of houses/ buildings since these trees were used as framework beams.

3. It is said that Kissing Alley smells of violets due to a woman that used to work with violets and subsequently smelled like violets.

We eventually wandered into the business section and got to experience the town's market. After stopping in at the bank to stock our monetary supplies, everyone dispersed to explore Alamos on their own.

I took some time to explore the local shops. I also spent a little time at the Internet cafe. FYI--it only costs 10 pesos/ hour to use the Internet and if you don't use the whole 60 minutes, you aren't charged the full 10 pesos.

I also purchased some calling cards to call home. Unfortunately after I already used the cards and paid for them, I figured out how to call home on my cell. Oh well, my parents were glad to hear that our trip was going well and practically begged me to call again ASAP. As you can probably guess, my parents worry a lot!

I also had the chance to hike up to the lookout, once I finally found the right path. The view was great.


Later in the day while wandering down a random alley, I discovered a stone bridge over a waterless stream full of rocks and streams. This is just one example of the wide range of landscapes in Alamos.

I finally closed out my part of the Alamos touring experience with lunch at Solipaso (Cafe del Sol) where I was met up with multiple members of the group. The service and food were both great.

On the way back to Rancho Acosta, I took a detour through the cemetery. Luckily I made it out alive (Sorry; bad joke I know, but it was in honor of a certain soils professor).

At 4 p.m. the entire group congregated around the pool and we had a quick info session about the rest of the trip. The session focused on safety procedures and the palm sampling process.

After the meeting we had some time just to relax and go to dinner as we pleased.

RANDOM ANECDOTES FROM THE DAY

1. A Cougar or a Donkey?
While a group was on a hike to the lookout, Jeff spotted a tail sticking out of some bushes. Thinking it was a cougar, he quickly alerted the other members of the group. On further inspection however, it was discovered that the cougar was only a donkey.

2. Caught in the Act!
With the bathroom occupied early this morning, Arun felt the need to use the outdoors as his restroom. However, upon leaving his room, Arun was met with the watchful eyes of the hired help. At this point he had no choice but to yawn, stretch, and pretend he had come outside for some other purpose.

3. The Spotlight Is On You!
While waiting for Joe to get dressed for supper, a select few received a free show. The lights in Joe's room provided a shadowy portrayal of Joe's dressing methods through the hotel room window.

Well, that's all folks! Hopefully it wasn't too unbearable to read! --Crystal P.

photos from Corrin B., Julie D., Nathan S., Nick B., & Lenna O.