By: Meghan Smith, OPH Resident (Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020)
Last night was one of the most memorable nights of the trip. We left Saxaoli in the daylight and drove towards our accommodations for the evening – the most anticipated lodging yet. The daylight quickly turned dark as we turned off the main road onto a bumpy path, just wide enough for the bus. The team arrived in Bratsi late at night to discover that the suspenseful sleeping quarters we had been mentally preparing for was actually an adult sized tree house! The “Ditsowou Lodge” housed multiple open air levels lined with mattresses surrounded by mosquito nets. The limited lighting prevented further exploration that evening, but we all anticipated the surrounding views we’d wake up to in the morning. The lack of cellular service put us all in bed before 9 p.m. While some of us drifted off to sleep to the chirping and cooing of the surrounding nature, others were kept awake by the harsh sounds of snoring…
The early morning roosters awoke the rest of us before 6 a.m., and I’m certain I wasn’t the only one who woke up with a sticky film of sweat and bug spray. Some took advantage of the moderately cold showers while others opted for wipes, dry shampoo, and reapplication of bug spray. Breakfast was the traditional rice and beans with eggs and fresh fruit, served with hot coffee and entertained by a variety of fleeting tropical bird species. We made a short drive to a nearby community, and had another successful (and hot) day of eye exams. We were pleasantly surprised to receive a home-cooked traditional lunch of rice and beans and chicken part way through the day. To end the busy day, our gracious hosts served fresh, pure hot cocoa and bread with sugar. And even after all of this the team (not so) patiently looked forward to the previously promised pizza and hot showers back in Puerto Viejo.
We made the journey back to Puerto Viejo and returned to our same hostel-style rooms we had stayed in two nights prior. After a short walk into town we sat down to order the long awaited pizza, which truly exceeded all expectations. Warm from the showers and full from the pizza, we dispersed for another early night and fell asleep to the sound of raindrops on the tin roofs and faint disco music from the nearby clubs in town.
Central America 