Hot tub hickey?

What do you get when you cross a curious 13 y.o. boy with the suction associated with the hot tub drain?  The below picture says it all.

In other news, we spent 2+ hours in the caves today and not one declined the chance at slithering through the "birth canal".  This is aptly named for the tight space that students (YES-- every traveler accepted the challenge) slipped through only to emerge in a shaft where you must scale the wall and shimmy yourself out the other side.  Here is a little info about the caves:  " Set within the northern lowlands of Costa Rica, the Venado Caves offer visitors a rare glimpse into a mystical underground world – one that is filled with stalactites and stalagmites, caverns, rivers, fossils, and strange subterranean creatures."

Here are a couple pics to give you a sense of our adventure.

Before:

And after:

Caving was followed by a cold shower, a delicious hot lunch and a trip into La Fortuna for some shopping. We told the kiddos that if they got caught in a downpour they could seek refuge from the rain in the town church (the only landmark of any size in the town). When the chaperones arrived at the bus we saw the entire group watching for us from the church pews. 

Here are a couple of items available in the local grocery.

Shopping and caving were well received by the travelers but perhaps the most exciting event of the day was the opportunity to have their clothing laundered. Eagerly each room submitted a bag of funky smelling garments which were returned at dinner fresh smelling and ready for more adventure. 

A sample of the wildlife here in Arenal.