Thursday July 12, 2018

¡Bienvenidos a Costa Rica!

Our local and international staff was excitedly been preparing for our newest GLA arrivals! And FINALLY the big day came on Tuesday and we picked up all 24 students at the airport!!

Each student began their adventure by securely exchanging their dollars into colones with the help of a mentor, and arrived safely at Hotel Pacande to freshen up and settle into their next 10 days of Pura Vida!

After enjoying lunch at the hotel, students had the option to rest, or participate in activities to break the ice and get to know their new GLA family.

Yesterday, we departed for our beachside rainforest home base, but not before stopping in the cloud forest for a zipline excursion! We are so excited to share updates and photos of our trek to the Caribbean coast where students will call home.

Here is our staff from left to right: Local Director Jason, Mentor Brittany, International Director Adriana, Mentors Emily and Erin at the Green Gold Lodge in Parismina, Limon, Costa Rica.

And here is a group photo of all the students! Stay tuned for more updates!

Thursday July 12, 2018

On Thursday Day 3, we woke up to a delicious breakfast me by four cooks that come from town each day. The breakfast consisted of eggs, watermelon, bananas, and toast. Our tour guide Jason then took us on a tour through his farm. We were able to see things like bananas, coconuts, breadfruit, iguanas, and even were able to eat live termites. We later came back for a little rest time before the rest of the day.

Our lunch consisted of breadfruit, chicken, and rice. Emily, Brie, and Erin then took us to the nearby ocean for a quick and easy swim test to test our abilities in the rough waters. The water was warm and the other kids found the rough waves fun to swim in. We came back with three hours to spare before night patrol.

Our dinner was rice and a delicious salad. Night patrol was a tough four hours, but we were able to really engage into the wildlife around us. It was nice to be able to look up at the thousands of stars while doing it too. Overall, it was really fun first day at home base.

Friday July 13, 2018

Today we woke up to a rainy day. We had a breakfast of toast, eggs, bananas, watermelon, and pineapple juice. We then waited for the rain to clear and began our beach cleanup where we filled up trash bags with trash such as bottle caps, toys, lighters, utensils, combs, buckets, bottles, and other small plastics. It was hard but rewarding to see the impact we were making on the Earth.

Following that, we returned to Home Base, ate lunch, and we all took a very deserved and much needed nap in the hammocks. Unfortunately, due to poor weather, we were not able to go out for a second round of beach cleanup or go swimming, so we participated in activities to further get to know each other, other cultures, and the world we live in. After that we split into three groups and had a contest to see who could build the tallest tower with their shoes. We then split into our Mentor Groups and discussed how our activities, beach cleanup, and daily life impacted the sea turtles and other marine life. Finally, we had dinner, relaxed, and went to bed early to prepare for our surfing adventure early tomorrow.

-Giles, Julia, Gwen, and Flora

Saturday July 14, 2018

Today we woke up to a kind of rainy day, had breakfast, got changed, and went downstairs for a town briefing. After that, we walked through the jungle to the town. After we arrived to the town we were greeted by ASTOP workers and had an hour slideshow with an ASTOP guide, Maco. After learning more about turtles we met up with a villager named Maya who toured us around the village for about an hour. After finishing the tour, we took large trucks home on the jungle path. After our unique experience in the jungle we came back and ate a delicious dinner of beans and rice, before we enjoyed a team building activity called Human Knot and then made prayer flags and had a rest time before we ate dinner. Then after eating dinner we went out to night patrol to find turtles for about three hours, returned back to home base, and then went to sleep.

Luke, Lola, Spencer, and Odin

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Thursday June 28, 2018

¡Bienvenidos a Costa Rica!

It’s a lovely day in San Jose! Our local and international staff have excitedly been preparing for our newest GLA arrivals! FINALLY the big day is HERE!!!

Here is our staff from left to right: Local Director Jason, Mentor Brittany, International Director Adriana, Mentors Emily and Erin at the Green Gold Lodge in Parismina, Limon, Costa Rica.

Each student began their adventure by securely exchanging their dollars into colones with the help of a mentor, and arrived safely at Hotel Pacande to freshen up and settle into their next 10 days of Pura Vida!

After enjoying lunch at the hotel, students had the option to rest, or participate in activities to break the ice and get to know their new GLA family.

Tomorrow, we will depart for our beachside rainforest home base, but not before stopping in the cloud forest for a zipline excursion! We are so excited to share updates and photos of our trek to the Caribbean coast where students will call home.

We had a few late arrivals, but a full group pic is coming soon…we promise!

Sunday July 1, 2018

This morning we all woke up in our new rooms in our lodge here on Parismina. A lot of us learned an important lesson about tucking our mosquito nets into our beds, because we woke up with upward of ten bites. We then had some morning free time and many of us headed downstairs to rest in the hammocks. After our breakfast we got ready for our first walk of our organic farm tour led by our house leader Jason. Here we saw various plants, fruits, and insects (and some of which we got to taste!).

During our nature walk we got to see a sloth, some iguanas, grasshoppers, a ribbon snake, and a nest of biting fire ants. After some free time we got to see a presentation from ASTOP, an organization for the preservation of sea turtles. This group taught us the reasons poaching of sea turtles occurs here in Costa Rica and what they have been doing to stop poaching. This information got us very excited for our first night patrol. The very nice man left and then we were given time to go swim in the ocean. The ocean was gorgeous, and had black sand which many of us had not seen before.

After we passed a swim test (which we all did AWESOME at) we got to swim. About half-way through swimming, more and more people went off to go play in the sand. Some people were buried while others of us just relaxed on their towels. The heat of the day was wiped off of us while swimming. After that, we came back where we all rinsed off and then had some downtime to relax and talk with everybody. All in all we had a great day and are looking forward to hopefully seeing a turtle on our night patrol. If not, at least it will be an awesome week.

-Tanya, Maddie, and Jackson

Wednesday July July 4, 2018

Today was day 2 in our expedition at Parismina lodge. After we woke up we were BLESSED with an amazing breakfast, especially fried dough that was the definition of comfort food (shoutout Julianna). Next we took a 45 minute walk through the rainforest and across an airplane runway into town. During the walk we had the opportunity to see multiple monkeys and a sloth. In the village we all got to eat ice cream and snow cones. Then ASTOP gave a second presentation which went more into depth about the turtles.

It was pouring rain by the end of the presentation, so we caught a ride on the back of a truck to home base. It felt like Indiana Jones! At home base we took a 2 hour siesta in our hammocks, which was followed by a leadership activity on the beach. After a quick dip in the water, we ate dinner. We were rudely interrupted by an 8-legged friend in our room 🙁 but Jason saved the day and got rid of the traveler spider. Last night we didn’t see any turtles, only their tracks, but hopefully tonight luck will be on our side and we’ll get to see some tonight.

Hannah, Maggie, Taryn

Thursday July 5, 2018

This morning we were all blessed to wake up to more mosquito bites and howler monkeys near our lodge. We enjoyed eggs, toast, and fresh fruit for breakfast. Our plan for the day consisted of a boat trip around Parismina, leadership activities, and reforestation, but because of the nonstop rain, we had to cancel our boat trip. Instead, we had a lot of spare time to bond and share stories and snacks. We also played activities such as human knot, shoe tower, and “walk a mile in my shoes”. For lunch we ate rice, beans, carmelized plantains, and vegetables. We didn’t let the rain stop our next adventure.

As a group we walked on the rainforest trail and collected fallen coconuts that were sprouting small trees. With those, we walked the beach to bury the coconuts into the sand with our shovels. After about two hours, we counted a total of 109 planted coconut trees. We were all very proud of our hard work and team effort to make a positive impact on our environment. There was an opportunity after the reforestation to take a dip in the ocean for a while. After showers and rinsing off, we had some free time to relax. For dinner, we enjoyed rice, mac and cheese, salad, and weenies. Since there was no night patrol tonight, we were able to have early bedtime. This will contribute to tomorrow’s next adventure.

Friday July 6, 2018

This morning we woke up to clear skies, and had arrepas with syrup, and fresh fruit. Due to the good weather we finally had our boat tour, throughout the tour we managed to see a caiman, multiple tropical birds, fresh water turtles, and the poisonous dart frog. Directly after we went to town and made empanadas and tortillas in a cooking class and we had the pleasure of eating them. We traveled to ASTOP and had lunch which was hamburgers and chips for the Fourth of July. We were able to purchase gifts and keepsakes at the local artisan fair as well as having our hair partially braided.

After the fair, we walked over and joined the locals for games of volleyball and soccer, sad to say Costa Rica beat the U.S. 8-2. We had the opportunity to meet the children of Parismina as well as practicing our Spanish with them. Sadly we had to leave, but enjoyed the truck ride back to home base. We enjoyed a rose, bud, thorn exercise and talked about our day, we had a delicious dinner of pasta and garlic bread. Our Fourth of July wasn’t as traditional as normal but we had more fun celebrating the diversity and culture of Parismina.

Ally, Alex, and Emilio

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Saturday June 16, 2018

¡Bienvenidos a Costa Rica!

It’s a lovely day in San Jose! Our local and international staff have excitedly been preparing for our newest GLA arrivals! FINALLY the big day is HERE!!! From left to right: Local Director Jason, Mentor Brittany, International Director Adriana, Mentors Emily and Erin at the Green Gold Lodge in Parismina, Limon, Costa Rica.

Each student began their adventure by securely exchanging their dollars into colones with the help of a mentor, and arrived safely at Hotel Pacande to freshen up and settle into their next 10 days of Pura Vida! After enjoying lunch at the hotel, students had the option to rest, or participate in activities to break the ice and get to know their new GLA family.

Tomorrow, we will depart for our beachside rainforest home base, but not before stopping in the cloud forest for a zipline excursion! We are so excited to share updates and photos of our trek to the Caribbean coast where students will call home. We have a large group (24 students total!) which made today’s first group shot a bit difficult! We have two late arrivals, so their photos are coming soon! Tomorrow we will get a nice large group photo for the next blog post, we promise!

Sunday June 17, 2018

Today we left our hotel to go to home base. We made a pitstop at a Canopy Rainforest where we had an amazing experience zip lining. There were many lines ranging from short to long which led up to a 700 meter zipline. As the last few people were waiting in line it started pouring rain which made the experience sensational. We then had a very delicious lunch and headed on the road for another hour. We then made another pit stop at a local supermarket. After we bought snacks we drove another hour to a dock. Then we boated for about 10 minutes and then hiked to our final destination. After we settled in we ate dinner and discussed norms that should be followed in our mentor group.

Pictures coming soon!

Written by:
Jaden Perez, Alex Vogt, Jack Bushnell

Update: Here are some photos from the weekend!

Monday June 18, 2018

On a hot day like this one, nothing’s better than going to the beach. From playing games like Marco Polo to soccer, the beach was a blast. The sand is also black which is super dope, and Greyson was spotting some wild life. Not to mention the perfect ocean temperature that would make you think you’re in a wave pool.

On day three of our GLA trip, we explored the beauty of a Costa Rica. We had the chance to see different species of animals from tarantulas, lover’s grasshoppers, monkeys, and geckos. We got to see the fresh fruit they grow and experienced how they become the yummy food we eat for our daily meals.

Tonight, we are going on our very first night patrol to collect eggs and (hopefully) witness a mother sea turtle completing her nesting period. Tomorrow, we will be going on a boat tour of the mangroves and participating in a beach cleanup that will be crucial to the marine life and wildlife in the surrounding area, as well as going on our 2nd night patrol.

-by Gehrig, Greyson, Minnea

Update: Here are some photos from Monday

 

Tuesday June 19, 2018

After the long night patrol we finally spotted a 400 pound turtle laying eggs. The group was amazed to see the “small” turtle in a trance while laying its 80 eggs, sadly less than 1% of its babies will survive. We learned that only a 1 degree difference determines the sex of the hatchling. We went to bed well rested and excited for what else was in store for us.

Today we rose early with the sounds of the jungle. The boat tour fascinated us with diverse and colorful wildlife. We also did some community service work by beach clean up. All of us were dumbfounded by the rubbish we picked up. We returned to home base and relaxed in the hammocks gearing up for the night ahead. Tonight’s night patrol was not nearly as enthralling but returning to home base we knew that we made a difference.

-Jade, Amelie, and Parker

Wednesday June 20, 2018

Today was a hot one! Lots of hardwork was done by everyone all day long. In the morning, we went to see the village of Parismina for the first time. Many were surprised at how small and laid back the village was. The tour was given by Mia, one of the locals. She showed us the school, holding a total of 30 kids, which we will be visiting in the coming days. We were then giving a ride back to home base by locals, in the back of their trucks. Once we got back we had lunch, and then we received news that we would be able to help an ASTOP worker release two (very cute) baby leatherback sea turtles into the sea. This was an amazing and very fun opportunity the we were all very grateful to have witnessed. Next we had day two of beach cleanup. This time, we were even more prepared, and we got even more done. After all that hard work, we were all very ready for a nice, refreshing swim in the ocean to end our long day.

-By Reese, Izzy, Erin

Thursday June 21, 2018

The morning was very refreshing and a few students woke up early to watch the sun rise at the beach. After an early, but delicious breakfast of arrepas, we saw an adorable family of Capuchin monkeys eating bananas that Jason put out for them. Then, we hopped on the bus for a 3 hour ride to Puerto Viejo for a surfing lesson with Naima and some other friendly instructors. Thought it took a few tries, all of us had a lot of fun catching waves on the clear Caribbean waves. It was also exciting for those of us not surfing to watch our friends having a blast. After sharing cookies with the surfers, we headed downtown to Lidia’s Caribbean cafe to enjoy beautiful Afro-centric art and delicious food. Traffic behind a crowd of Chiquita trucks made our ride stretch a bit. When we got back, it was dark, but thankfully, our friend Chico was still willing to take us back to home base in his nose. We were all exhausted from surfing and after the scrumptious meal the señoras left for us, we were all ready to pass out!

Good night,
Karson, Maddie, and Keira

Friday June 22, 2018

Day 7 was an adventure filled day where we had the opportunity to be welcomed into Parismina’s community. The students learned how to cook empanadas from locals. Then we refreshed ourselves with smoothies and other cold treats. After that we walked to ASTOP and had lunch and chilled for a bit. We then participatd in the artisan fair where some of the locals had booths set up selling their hand crafted treasures. Later on we played games with the local kids in the area such as soccer and volleyball.

After we re-hydrated, we rode back from town and had a few playful wrestling matches. During that time some of the girls made bracelets. After chilling in the hammocks we had our mentor groups and reflected on our stay in Costa Rica. Finally we had our dinner and went out for our third night patrol where it rained hard, but that did not stop us from saving the sea turtles because the grind does not stop.

Eva, Serenity, and Kenai

Photos coming soon!

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Friday August 10, 2018

Welcome to Costa Rica!!

Yesterday was a successful arrival day! We spent the day relaxing at our hotel and getting to know each other. Now that every student is here safe, we are so excited to start sharing this experience as we embark to our homebase at the coast! As we say in Costa Rica…Pura vida!

Hannah Calloway, International Director

Saturday August 11, 2018

Beunos Dias!!!

The first full day in Bailla Ballena was a success. We started with a nutritional, locally grown breakfast, before a quick bus ride to the beach. At the beach we split into two groups. One group went with the fabulous Bodhi Surf instructors begin the first lesson on basic surfing. The second group learned about litter, micro-plastics, and beach clean up. We alternated roles halfway through, so both groups got both experiences. After that we returned to homebase and enjoyed a delicious lunch. Then we went on a walk through the community and learned about wildlife and cultural norms. We learned more about litter with a life sized whale model made of plastic bottles- A picture of how much litter is used every day. We are all looking forward to day two of service in Costa Rica!

Pura Vida!!!!

Sunday August 12, 2018

Hola! Today was a beautiful day in Costa Rica. We went to the beach and swam and saw some bottlenose dolphins. We also learned how to open coconuts and we drank fresh coconut water. We enjoyed quesadillas and potatoes for lunch. After that we went and painted a mural in a local neighborhood. Everyone developed new painting skills, bonded, and had a blast! Then we returned to home base and relaxed, swam, and socialized with eachother. Another great day in paradise!

Pura Vida!!

Monday August 13, 2018

Parents, Family and Friends,

Day 5 in Costa Rica carried its own adventures and experiences. Pancakes for breakfast had everyone ready for surf lessons pt. 2. Today we all learned how to stand up and turn our boards. Everyone had success in one way or the other and we definitely all improved in our general knowledge of the sport.

After surf we went to work on some GLA projects including painting, nailing boards and cutting and measuring planks for signs and structures. After a long dark rainstorm back at camp we learned how to make some traditional Costa Rican entree (i.e. Empanadas and tortillas) and we ate our masterpieces at dinner.
Last but certainly not least was dancing!!

We learned Salsa, Cha Cha, and Merengue. Dancing was certainly the highlight of the night and we all learned, and sweat a lot.

Buenos Noches from the Uvita province!

Pura Vida

Tuesday August 14, 2018

¿Que tal?

Day 6 in Costa Rica rainy season was very productive! The day started off with service building service signs for a reforestation project. We also had lots of fun spotting native animals such as Howler Monkeys, and Leaf Cutter Ants. Did you know that Howler monkeys are the loudest mammals on the planet? After lunch we learned all about ways plastic has impacted the beaches of the planet, sobering experience. Then we got to work on ideas to start preventing plastic use. We had some really practical and creative ideas.

Pura Vida.

Wednesday August 15, 2018

¡Buenas!

Today was our final day of surfing. Our instructors taught us how to properly catch waves while remaining on our boards the entire time. Surfing as a whole has been an amazing experience for all of the students and a great way to connect more to the community of Bahía Uvita. Surfing will be missed dearly by all the students but the lessons learned and the awareness raised to the dangers of plastics to Bahía Ballena and beaches across the world have changed our mindset for the better.

Pura Vida!!

Thursday August 16, 2018

Toady, we had to eat breakfast at 6am in order to take a boat to Corcovado National Park, which contains 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity. As we got on the boat, waves were gradually stronger, making the ride feel like a rollercoaster. Luckily, our guide, Risto, was able to spot dolphins. As we started walking towards the national park, we saw many hermit crabs on the shore. This created an optical illusion, as the sand seemed to be moving. Throughout our hike, the wildlife we spotted was breathtaking: spider monkeys, howler monkeys, agoutis, bats, yellow-headed caracaras, and blue morphos were some of many species we were privileged to see. While we experienced costa rican flora and fauna, we also experienced its culture, as we ate arroz con pollo for lunch. While the park was pristine and remote, we still saw a lot of plastic on its beach, stressing the importance of this program. On the boat ride back, we saw three humpback whales: two mothers and a calf. After a long day, we all relaxed at home base and rested up for the upcoming adventures.

-savannah conway

Sunday August 19, 2018

Wow! The last few days certainly are not the least. Today we went to a beautiful waterfall, a 4Km walk. When we got settled we jumped into the crystal clear water and enjoyed the scenery. We saw monkeys and jumped into the water from a ledge. The waterfall was probably the highlight of the day – but the bakery after may be a close second.

We went to a few souvenir shops and got some quality Costa Rican merch. (Mothers get ready for some key chains)
We all are excited to bring the knowledge that we have gained on this trip back home to our family and friends.

Pura Vida!!

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Tuesday July 24, 2018

Welcome to Costa Rica!!

Yesterday was a successful arrival day! We spent the day relaxing at our hotel and getting to know each other. We are all so excited for our last student to arrive this afternoon, and once Kaci is here, our community will be complete! As we say in Costa Rica…Pura vida!

Hannah Calloway, International Director

Thursday July 26, 2018

Today we did some hard work! We worked in mud with ants and other wild jungle insects as the humidity was with us. We all were sweating and working but everybody was positive, no groans or complaints. It showed how much the kids here don’t care about the conditions as long as we can help the community and just simply our planet. The surfing, ziplining and dancing and other fun activities are just bonuses.

-Written by Pipa, part of the student blog team (paparazzi!). See photo below for this session’s list of leadership roles and those who decided to take them on!

Saturday July 28, 2018

Today we went swimming in the whale tail beach. While walking with friends and mentors, it was filled with fun and facts. There was no dull moment with our group or I’m guessing any group. As you are walking half way through the whale tail you look back to the main land and see how the tail look works both ways. It was truly breath-taking and did not make you miss home. It was paradise. In the afternoon we did service at the tree nursery! It was a great day.

Written by Pipa, pictures by Kayla

Monday July 30, 2018

Usually Mondays aren’t everyone’s favorite. Waking up early isn’t everyone’s favorite either. But today was magical. We all were so excited to wake up at 5:30 and get ready to go on a beautiful hike to Corcovado park. The boat ride was mind blowing. As the air blows in hair with cultural music playing around as you see your peers smiling aside you. We saw a baby humpback whale and its mama. It was breathtaking and all your problems went away as you saw these amazing mammals.

When people capture these animals in pictures you may just think “wow, a whale”. But when you see them in real life, as you put your phone down, it becomes something else. You feel as if it’s just you and the whales. And it is. The hike was just as beautiful. We saw small mammals and insects we wouldn’t normally see. Spider Monkeys that swayed on trees. It was truly a beautiful and once in a life time experience for some kids.

Written by Pipa
Photos by Kayla
(Student Blog team)

Sunday August 5, 2018

It was hard to say goodbye to this group, a few tears were shed as we watched your flights depart. What a wonderful, funny, engaged and passionate group of young people. You inspired us with your dedication to service work and the joy with which you participated in activities. Your ideas and creativity as well as your willingness to engage in new ideas motivated us and reminded us of why we love this job. We are so proud of all we achieved together. We look forward to each of you continuing your journey and hearing of the positive changes you manifest in your personal lives and in your community. Keep being awesome PTP 3.

With lots of love from your GLA team, Sam, Gerrie and Hannah.