With the first week of school down, things are going really well. It is taking a little bit of time to adjust to the school life. There are just a lot of differences between school systems. It is not better or worse, just different. My students are a very diverse group. They are an interesting group, that I think I'll enjoy. Since the last time that I wrote, I've been to the beach for the first time, and bought a mountain bike. We went to Montañita. It was really cool. However, it is not beach season. The weather, believe it or not, was almost chilly at night. It was cloudy, which is typical for this time of year. During the rainy season, the coast has its beach season where it is sunny during the day and may or may not have an afternoon shower. Right now, we are in the dry season. It has not rained a single drop since I've been here (almost a month). It is strange, since I've been used to coming to Central America during the wet season. Everything is pretty brown. However, the beach was really pretty. We found all sorts of sea animals when we were walking along the beach and rocks. The town itself is a really small surfer town. Walking along the streets, we went into this small place that was supposed to have music. With a sand floor and an open fire in the middle, it was an interesting place. The bands played reggae and ska, which was nice. I had a great time. I'm really excited for next weekend. I'm going whale watching from Puerto Lopez to an island called Isla de La Plata. On the island we'll go for a hike and do some snorkeling. They say that this is the best month to see humpbacks. We will see. Here are a few pictures of Montañita: