My classmates and I spent some time the previous afternoon brainstorming ways we could get the kids engaged in group activities and thinking about nature, the theme of the day. The kids seemed to be most engaged when doing physical activities so we planned out a couple games we could do throughout the day. As mentioned before, we started the day off with an introduction circle and our favorite animals. We managed to get some of the more shy little ones to put themselves out there a bit more. I was surprised at how many people's favorite animals were some type of big cat: puma, tiger, panther. 

We kept the kids engaged by swapping between short sections of free time and some bigger group games. During the free time I found my place passing a ball back and forth with a kindergarten aged kid while most others played with frisbees or volleyballs. I am amazed at how patient and how much self control these kids have. When the little one's ball flew away in the wrong direction he wouldn't go running crying after it, instead he would just wait for an older kid to pass it back to him. The big group games made me and all of my classmates very tired, but they were worth it for how fun they were. First there was line tag, which  think was completely new for the kids, then there was cops and robbers, and finally a big nature walk ending back at Amipila for lunch. We all split up into two teams and competed for who could pick up the most trash around town. I think this was a good activity for the kids because it really helped them see what they could do to make their own home town a better place.

The Cerro Puntas group arrived earlier than expected. Thankfully there was enough room on the bus for our friends Joel and Edward to come on the tour of Finca Dracula with us. It was a beautiful farm with plants all over the world. Our guide explained how it was originally a private collection, but they expanded to teach the public all about the plants of the jungle. He said that there were plants from far places like Japan fo the Panamanians to see, and plants from Panama for outsiders like us. The farm's specialty was of course, the Dracula orchid; a flower that hung down from the trees and was pollinated by mosquitoes. Our guide taught us all about the biology of the orchids, how every single one had 6 petals, three in the back, two in the front, and a special one that had a unique way of pollinating.

After Finca Dracula everybody went back down into the town of Guadalupe to take a look at all the tourist shops and take a group photo. I personally got a bunch of really great photos of the local domesticated animals as well as a hummingbird from Finca Dracula.

Back at home with our host family Eira and Andres we shared a lovely goodbye with our chatty neighbor Omar and his wife (who happens to be a pastor and prayed for us on the first day). Omar was a relative of our host family and was moving back down to Panama City. Preston, Ollie, and I were all tired from the days activities so we went to bed a little earlier than usual. Before that though, Andres and I had a long conversation about how eating good food (like the mint tea we have in the mornings) will make you live a long life, and about how his father lived to be 100 years old, long before cars and airplanes.