It has officially been raining for the past 3 days practically NON-STOP. I'm not just talking rain like drizzle, I'm talking torrential downpour; rain so loud you can't hear yourself talk; rain so loud it roars. You'd think that after a really heavy period the rain would dissipate, but here it just pulls off a little and then comes back full force for just as long. I have never seen rain like this ever.

It's been a frustrating time. For anyone who knows me, I am not one who enjoys rain or being cooped up inside - especially when I'm in Costa Rica and want to be out and about experiencing everything!!! But for my last days here I have sat inside, all activities canceled, doing little more than last minute Dawley work and wasting time.

But it hasn't been all bad. Yesterday the rain stopped for about a 4 hour period. For a moment the clouds left and revealed blue skies. This lull coincided with our morning birding hours and the bird team experienced our best morning for birding ever. It was non-stop action with birds hitting the net every 3-5 minutes. We caught 26 birds, a new day record (including the days when we did afternoon birding which we were unable to do here in La Selva due to the rain). While the elusive trogon and motmot avoided our nets, it was still the high I needed after the preceding miserable days.

For me work is done. We've just finished our presentations and our last quiz. The rain continues and I am left to shower, pack, and spend the rest of the evening as I please. The group will probably convene later in the evening to play mafia and other games as one final hoorah. We are a very cohesive group and I have been fortunate to be part of yet another fine group of UC elite.

I come home tomorrow which I am very ready for. We are leaving an hour early since the recent influx of rain has caused mudslides and flooding in some areas so we are afraid are primary route may not be accessible. There is a longer route that we can take instead as a back up hence the earlier departure. Keep your fingers crossed that traveling tomorrow runs smoothly! These last rainy days have been dreary enough to make me homesick and ready for the States. I've been living off Nutella which has been a God send and has curbed my other cravings somewhat, but the desperate need for non-cilantro laced food persists. I can't wait to for food. I am such a food-oriented person it's scary. I am wary of hitting the books immediately upon my return but my overall excitement outweighs that fear.

Check facebook for more photos later and other than that it's homeward bound for me tomorrow morning!!!

The past 24 hours have been the worst of the entire trip.

Yesterday morning we were up early as usual for a long day of traveling. The game plan was simple, grab a quick breakfast, drive out of Osa in the hardcore taxi SUVs, meet our bus and luggage (the trip to Osa was pretty rugged and so not all our bags could be brought along. Bags were consolidated while others were left behind.), buy a few snacks to hold us until lunch, get lunch around 2 at the McDonald's in San Jose, and then get to La Selva for dinner time. This, however, is NOT what happened.

One of the taxis broke down on the way to the bus which delayed us. But when we did finally get to our bus with our meager snacks, we found that the bus hadn't picked up our luggage in Las Cruces as was prearranged. We therefore had to drive 3 hours back up the mountains to Las Cruces to recover the forgotten luggage. Robert changed plans and told us that instead of getting to San Jose for lunch, we'd be hitting the city more around dinner time so we'd stop for more snacks after Las Cruces and grab dinner at McDonalds in San Jose. THIS HOWEVER DID NOT HAPPEN. After picking up the luggage Robert changed the plan again. His new and IMPROVED plan was to bypass San Jose since it was 2 hours out of the way and not stop for food or bathroom breaks until we reached La Selva approximately 8 hours later. Needless to say, we were outraged. But the biggest insult came around 6, when we arrived in, you guessed it, San Jose which was apparently not out of the way but rather smack dab in the middle of our route! We literally had to drive straight through it. It's dinner time, we're all starving, agitated, and in desperate need of a bathroom break but do we stop? No. We pass 4 McDonalds while driving through the city and the bus was filled with wails and moans. But did we stop? Were we ever fed? Did our meager snacks meant to last only until 2 ever get replenished? No, no, and NO. We were essentially denied food and water for an entire day for what? We had no plans for the night! Our plan was to arrive a sleep!

I didn't eat so as to avoid getting thirsty (and besides I only had a packet of cookies and some Nutella). I didn't drink anything so that I wouldn't have to pee (no bathroom break for 8 hours). I am now super dehydrated and feeling terribly nauseous. I have never been so upset with Robert. He was irrational and brutal in the face of a minor delay.

To make matters worse, it has not stopped raining here in La Selva which means no birding. And it's not just raining, it's torrential down pour. I have spent the morning feeling dizzy and sick, standing in the rain, setting up nets. I hope it clears up because I would really like to end this trip on a high note. The birding here is supposed to be dynamite and I'd really like to experience that. I would much rather spend my last two days in Costa Rica enjoying myself and catching birds than sitting inside, feeling sick, and watching the rain. The trip just can't end like this.

Also, to put your minds at ease, I am super hydrating today. The dizzyness and nausea should be gone my tomorrow.

I admit, I am feeling rather homesick after the Hell we went through yesterday and being soaked and sick today.