A missing element...

So the Nicaragua Field Trip turned out to be great, it was just missing the Nicaragua part. UPeace wouldn't let us cross the border so we improvised in Guanacaste, the northwest region of Costa Rica, for a week. There was lots of fun, as well as learning, which I am currently trying to reflect on in my open ended term paper. I miss the days of being given a definite paper topic. To briefly sum up, a few highlights of the trip were:
1. Attending class in snorkel gear while learning about coastal development and fisheries in Cuajinihal.

2. Touring a turtle community association in Ostional that legally extracts turtle eggs to prevent illegal activity. A too good to be true type organization.
3. Climbing a sketchy lookout tower with 25 people at the top at an experimental agriculture farm in Horizontes research Station.
4. Spending evenings in the pools, at the bars, and doing yoga with an assortment of 23 awesome classmates from around the world!


Overall, my conclusion of the trip is that the Costa Rican government, tourist operators, and elite know how to create effective marketing, but not how to manage resources. While being known as a green and ecological haven, Costa Rica is far from being efficient or even decent at their resource management. There is beneficial work being done, but its a small portion of what should and could be done with the right government and organizational action. Costa Rica is far from being green.

Anyways, so now class is officially over for the summer. My internship starts on the 7th of June so until then, I am free. I am being forced to leave the country in order to renew my visa since we didn't make it to Nicaragua. So now I am left with a great debate, Grenada or Bocas del Toro? Any suggestions?? Decision making is not my strong point.