This is not Jeff

For the past 4 days, we have all woken up to either the sound of waves or rain, which are actually rather similar sounds. So far, it is usually rain (this is probably why they call it a rainforest).

I, Knaide, am rooming with the lovely Sarah, Kate, Kayla, Brianna, and Mikaela, as well as a dozen or so pale orange geckos that seem to be living in the rafters. I hardly ever wear shoes here, as the activities generally include walking across sand or snorkeling in the sea, which is only some 40 yards away from our room.

Despite the paradise like atmosphere, this is far from luxurious. One of the 4 sinks in the bathroom work, and the toilets seem to be clogged half the time. The showers aren’t much more than hoses sticking out of the wall (It makes one appreciate showers with good water pressure much more when it takes several tries to rinse all the soap out of one’s hair) The spacers for the to bunk of the bunk beds are oddly spaced, causing some of us to wake up half sunk into the bed. Everything seems to be perpetually damp, from clothing to our science notebooks, and many of us have legs decorated with bug bites. However, we are still laughing and enjoying every moment.

Everyone has split into separate groups to conduct field studies or projects. Tom, Kayla, and I, Knaide, are focusing on medicinal plants in comparison to modern medicine, and how the uses of both have changed over time. We spent the day yesterday doing research and creating and translating a questionnaire. Today, we are going into town to interview some people who live here and see what they know about medicine and what type they use.

-Knaide