On Saturday we went on a walk and luckily I saw shaking trees.  Immediately Dad said, "Monkeys!"  There were a whole bunch of white-faced monkeys!  They were leaping through the trees very fast.  Nearby at the hotel there were howler moneys and our friend Coco was one of them!  She climbed down and demanded some banana chips from a guy.

By the time we went to dinner it was pouring down rain.  We decided to take our umbrellas and walk anyway.

The next day we took a long drive on a curvy, bumpy, narrow road up and down a mountain.  We were going to a place where you can learn some trapeze tricks.  Before we began learning about the trapeze he invited us into his house.  It was incredible because artists from all over the world contributed to decorate the house.  They built furniture, painted murals and built his bathtub and showers.  Jonathan, the owner, and his wife are both acrobats.  He used to own large trapeze training schools all over the US.  His wife is a famous performer and still travels all over the world.  Her specialty is arial acrobatics (silks).

At first I thought it was terrible.  It was scary climbing the ladder because it was really narrow, hurt my feet and I had to climb to a high distance.  Then when I had to grab the bar it stretched my arms out because it was so far away.  After the first try I was ready to do it again.  We all did it 6 times and the grand finale was the grab and catch!

As I was relaxing at home exhausted from the trapeze Mom and Dad noticed Coco and her baby coming to the door.  A door to Ryan's room is outside by the front entry and he hadn't closed all the way.  Coco discovered and she and her baby went in!  So Ryan got a banana and lured her out of the room.  It was easy to do. 

On Thursday in Spanish class we want shopping for ice cream.  Daniel wanted us to learn how to order our own food in Spanish.  "Yo quiero un chocolate helado por favor."  After our break we all had a cooking class.  Everyone participated to make arroz con pollo.  It is a Costa Rican traditional cuisine made with chicken, rice, onions, red peppers, cilantro and spices.  The chicken was good but I didn't like all the other stuff that was in it.

Instead of going to a new place we decided to go to the sushi restaurant again.  I was excited to hold the kitten and found out her name is Colita.  That means little tail in Spanish.

After finishing dinner we all went to the beach.  I like to walk on the beach at night.

No Spanish class on Friday!  Dad and Ryan left to go have a scuba class.  Sleeping in was terrific!  Before they took off we had a visitor.  It was a monkey and she was friendly.  We gave her a banana.  Mom and I went swimming all day.  By night time Mom was as red as a lobster

Here are some toucan facts:
1.  They are related to woodpeckers.
2.  Their bill is hollow and lightweight.
3.  They like to stay in small groups and are playful with each other.
4.  Mated pairs like to be left alone.
5.  They are not endangered.
6.  Their diet is made up of very ripe, hanging fruit that they snip off, throw into the air and catch it with their bill. They are frugivores but will sometimes eat small lizards and snakes.
7.  Toucans nest in natural tree cavities or ones made by woodpeckers.  They like to be up high in the canopy layer.

We have seen Chestnut-mandibled Toucans and Firey-billed Aracari.  I really want to see a Keel-billed Toucan they have the most colors!

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I had a private lesson in Spanish Tuesday because Hazel was absent.  I still had a good time though.  Daniel, my instructor, is a lot of fun!  Hazel showed up the next day.  We have become good friends!  It is much easier to learn when she is there.  Hazel and I are making a video about the local news in Dominical.  It is called Pur A Vida.  Our job is to be the news reporters.

Luckily, we have a heavenly pool to jump into when we get home.  It is very hot and humid here!

Strolling along, Mom and Dad encountered some Howler monkeys and ran back to get Ryan and me to see them.  There was a mama with a baby on her back.  My mom thought it was very cute.  The howler monkeys are bigger and louder than I expected.  

There are four different kinds of monkeys in Costa Rica.  They are spider monkeys, white-faced monkeys, squirrel monkeys and of course howlers.  My favorite is the squirrel monkey but they are endangered.  I don't think I will see one in the wild.

​I forgot to mention at the sushi restaurant a few nights ago there was a cute, tiny kitten that was two months old.  It was sleepy and very calm.  I would like to spend time with it again.  I haven’t learned its name yet but I will.
 
We went to the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary.  We saw many animals.  There were monkeys, birds, raccoons, a coati named Bobo, baby sloths, and an anteater named Gonzo.  There were some sad stories about why the animals were there.  One day I would like to volunteer there and feed the baby sloths, play with the monkeys and pet the anteater.
 
We are now going to Spanish class.  It is from 9:00 until 1:30!  I have one classmate and her name is Hazel.  She is 8 years old and is from Texas too, but she now lives in Costa Rica.  Our teacher is named Daniel he Is nice and funny.  I thought it was going to be hard however it seems to be easy.

We went to the Bahamas for Christmas and New Years.  It was a blast!  I really enjoyed the warm weather instead of being cold and wet in Texas.  I went on the boat a lot.  Dad, Ryan and I fished most of the time.  I also stayed back at the house with Mom and hung out.  We layed by the pool and went to the Sweet Shop!

I can't wait to see all the pretty birds and animals in Costa Rica.