We spent the day in the front-country, getting sworn in as Junior Rangers and exploring some more streams for our science projects.
I woke up to the familiar sound of pouring rain on the tent. I knew it was late (as in 8am) and I silently thanked Dani and Christina for allowing us to sleep in. When the rain had calmed to only a drizzle, Dani and Christina tapped on the outside of our tents, and we slowly made our way under the kitchen tarp for a breakfast of granola, cheerios, and powdered milk mixed with water. We ate slowly and enjoyed the short while that we had before having to get wet.
While Inés went ahead to the Visitor Center, we took a short walk to a nearby creek to search for some macro-invertebrates. Unfortunately, this creek was much closer to the campground and was of much worse water quality than the first stream, so we barely found any life. After a disappointing search, the group went ahead to meet Inés at the Visitor Center. We had lunch under a roof on the patio, which felt like a luxury, then went inside to look at the history exhibits and videos. We each took a Junior Ranger booklet, and went to the assemblies crowded with 6-year olds in order to get the required signatures. After successfully completing the booklet, we were each offered a badge and were all sworn in as Junior Rangers :)
After exploring the entire Visitor's Center we hiked back to the campground, played cards, and had dinner. Lára and I did the dishes, and returned to camp to learn that the boys' ('water-proof') tent had completely flooded the past night, so anyone with a wet sleeping bag was allowed to go the laundry facility to tumble-dry it. I took full advantage of that opportunity :)
After drying the sleeping bags, we went back to the camps, trying to make it back in the tents before the ever-imminent rain, and I snuggled into my heated sleeping bag just as it began raining outside. I remember loving the feeling, in clean clothes, snuggled in a warm, dry sleeping bag inside a (not flooded) tent, listening to the rain overhead and the sound of my campmates whispering and laughing nearby.
