Our Final Week

While we are experiencing our final week here in Costa Rica, our days are jam packed with fun-filled activities that enable all of us to experience this beautiful place as well as we can in the time that we have.

With a wake up call at 6:30 in the morning, followed by a delicious breakfast, we were all off to each of our service sites in order to continue to work on specific projects at our schools. It’s extremely exciting to see how far we have come in our projects, showing us that we truly have made a difference!

After service, half of us went to Spanish class and the rest of us went shopping. Spanish class involved traveling to a green house and learning about Costa Rican plants, as well as taking a trip to the super market. Shopping in Playas Del Coco is always a great time, especially when buying souvenirs to take home in hopes to also bring some Costa Rican life home with you.

After dinner, a man came and talked to all of us about the Peace Corps. We all saw the discussion as extremely beneficial and interesting.

It’s very bittersweet to know we will soon be leaving all we’ve known for the last couple weeks!

The Mountains

An adventure into the mountains! It all started with a chance to sleep in, followed by breakfast and a scenic bus ride into the secondary forests of Guanacaste. We had a picnic lunch on a soccer field with beautiful views. Once we arrived at our fellow GLA home base in the mountains we explored the rain forests, natural springs and played with newborn puppies. We spent the rest of the night playing cards, had fuse ball tournament, hung out and ate lots of bananas.

After a rainy night in the cabins, we woke up early and went for a long hike up a volcano. We saw breathe taking views and made our journey back down. Following lunch, we watched Costa Rica triumph over Greece in an intense soccer game. Once we got back to our home base we did laundry and rested up for our big day coming up.

-Remy, Emma & Anna

Back to Work

Hola!
After an exciting weekend, it was time to get back to work. We shoveled rocks, mixed cement, and put in our best effort at service. Then we split up into our Spanish groups. Group A worked on their Spanish in the classroom and then went to a local nursery to learn about the plants associated with Costa Rica. Group B headed out to shop till they dropped downtown. Afterwards, we all came back together and went to the beach to relax after another great day. Although we all miss home, we’re ready for another week here in Costa Rica!
¡Adios!

p.s. To all the Moms out there: we really did lose wifi– we’re not actually just ignoring you!!!

-Katie L & Caroline

Another Week Down!

We made it through another week of service! Although we have one more week of hard work ahead of us, today was the last day we were able to see the kids, as they leave for a two week vacation. We were greeted at the service sites by streamers and balloons and had a fun day celebrating with the kids. Despite our fun times with the students, we finally said our goodbyes.

In the afternoon we took our second dance lesson. Hips were moving in the Salsa and feet were kicking during the Cumbia! We look forward to the adventures we are about to embark on in our second and final weekend in the mountains.

Hola & Hasta Luego

¡Hola!

Today was another long but fulfilling day of service and games. All service sites continued with the concrete projects, and we also had time to play and teach English with the students we’ve been working with. After a delicious lunch, we broke off into our two Spanish groups.

Group 1 stayed and had Spanish class on-site, while Group 2 went snorkeling and visited a private beach for their day’s expedition. We saw stingrays, turtles, monkeys and some incredibly exotic fish. A good time was had by all. After a mentor led group activity we are heading off to bed to prepare for another day of work and play.

¡Hasta Luego!

Service, Working, Leading

Hello all!

Another day of service learning, working, and leading. We started off the day by splitting up into our service groups and going to our three separate schools to continue projects as usual. At Santa Cruz we made major progress by officially laying our first layer if cement for the schools patio. Playa Hermosa finished two cement panels and Obandito finished cementing for their bike rack.

When we first arrived at the schools this morning, all if the kids were wearing red white and blue and painting each other’s faces. This was all because of the big World Cup game between Costa Rica and England! The game ended in a tie but Costa Rica still advanced, which everyone was excited about.

After service and lunch (which was delicious as always), half of us went to Spanish class and half went to an art store to make pottery and shop for handmade souvenirs.

In Spanish, we learned the difference between por and para and reviewed the articles. Then we put our language to use at a super mercado- where we were given a list if foods in Spanish and we has to find all of the items on the list and bring them back to our teacher. She checked to make sure we had the right things, and then brought all of the items to a creperie! The woman at the creperie used these foods to make delicious crepes!

After these fun activities, we all met back at homebase for a low key night. Some people event swimming, others to the beach, and even though we were not doing much we are all enjoying each other’s company.

After this funfilled day we are dinner (delicious once again). A group of people attempted to so a flash mob while we were eating, which was very interesting, but dinner was great because we all are together and reflected on our days so far. It may only be day 11, but we are a family.

We finished the night by watching a movie called The Way Way Back where half of ya fell asleep and cuddled with those around them.

Personally, going into this experience I didn’t expect to get so close to so many people so fast, yet it happened and I couldn’t be enjoying it anymore. So as you parents continue to wonder about (and envy) your teens lives full of snorkeling, surfing and hiking, just remember they are constantly surrounded by people they love who make their experiences even better. (Don’t worry though, we miss you guys too!)

-Katie W.

Continuing the Adventures…

Hello parents, families, and friends! We are alive! We have made it through week one of our wonderful life adventures! We have picked axed, cemented, shoveled, sifted, sweated, bled, bruised, cried, laughed, hiked, camped, surfed, dodged crabs, and most importantly made countless memories. While we may have bruises, scrapes, and soon to be scars, we wear them with the pride and honor that we are giving service to a community and happiness to the local Ticos. Now to answer some questions, yes moms we are eating great food and are maintaining a healthy diet. Yes, we are making the most of our times and volunteering for everything and approaching this adventure with an open mind. Yes, we are chillin like villains and making the most of our cultural experiences. Yes, we are making tons of friends, memories, and taking plenty of pictures. Okay I am switching off to the other journalist of the day. Love you ma

– BDC

Today we all went back to work at the schools.  Though some groups encountered some speed bumps such as not having any cement or being understaffed, lots of progress was made. We are working to make a bike rack at one school, building a sports court at another, and lastly evening out cement for a courtyard. While we are working hard, we are also making priceless bonds with the children at the schools. Each of us is working to our up-most potential and trying to make sure everyone has enough fluids and is healthy.

We also continue to immerse ourselves in the culture of Costa Rica through daily excursions. While one group went to a Costa Rican art studio, another took a journey to a super market where they practiced their Spanish. At the art studio, an artisan taught us the basics of pottery, demonstrating a whistle making technique, and allowing us to look at a variety of artwork. Meanwhile, another group of us went to a local supermarket, taking a look at the local fruits of Costa Rica, and learning the names of various products in Spanish.

-Sam, Aaron and Caitlyn

An Amazing Weekend!

Monstrous crabs, gnarly waves, boiling baths, mouth-dropping scenery, this weekend was one we will never forget. Saturday morning we all woke up bright and early for the well anticipated weekend excursions. We were split into two groups with one heading to the volcanic hike, hot springs, and mud baths; while the other group headed to an secluded beach for one on one surfing lessons. After an exhausting yet incredible day, both groups met up at the camp site on the most gorgeous beach also known as Playa Naranjo. We were greeted with open arms and smiley faces. The amazing camp staff set up tents and cooked dinner for all of us hungry children. As the sun started setting the terrifying crabs, Mosquitos, and ants immersed from their hiding places. After dinner we attempted in group games of Mafia but failed because Sam did not like the rules. Nonetheless the search for turtles on the beach sounded way more intriguing. Sadly we failed, we did not find a single turtle but millions of petrifying orange and purple crabs. After disappointment we went back to camp for bed. The sun came up and we were all alive and well. We switched activities and accomplished our amazing weekend of new experiences and life long memories. This weekend was amazing.

by My, Caitie and KayKay

A Big Day in Costa Rica

Service in all of the schools is going great and relationships between both the students and the children we serve is on the rise.  For the past couple of days, we have cooked tamales and empanadas as well as improving our Spanish skills out on the town by talking with street vendors and ticos (locals).

We have participated in a variety of activities at Eco Playa as well. We have done a shout-out circle, which is used to pinpoint good deeds and otherwise compliments about peers. We had a guest speaker come in and speak about folklore as well as a park ranger who spoke about the ecology of Costa Rica.

We’ve had some intensive discussions and group debates with everyone as well as our mentor groups about keeping an open mind and an open heart during new experiences.

In other news, today was a big day for Costa Rica! We ended our service early to watch the Costa Rica versus Italy soccer game at a local restaurant. Costa Rica won with an astounding 1-0 lead, advancing them into the next round of the Mundial. We cheered with locals as we passed through Playa del coco!

We have had several visits to beaches, experimented with slack lining and beach soccer, and even witnessed local wildlife , like owls, puffer fish and jelly fish!

Starting tomorrow, we will be going on a variety of adventures including surfing, hiking, going into a mud bath and rinsing off in natural hot springs. We’re having a great time and can’t wait to experience more things!

– Tamera, Mariana and Tait

Learning! Love! Labor!

Today was our first service day in Costa Rica. We split up into 3 different groups; each was assigned different schools to improve both physically and socially.

We went the purpose of structurally improving the schools, but we left so much more. Together we helped each other communicate with the children and build relationships/things. Although we were introduced to an unfamiliar place just hours ago, with left knowing more about not only ourselves but the people and world around us that we impacted.

Later in the day we immersed ourselves in an exotic dancing experience. Our instructor taught us dances originating in many Latin American countries. Together we felt more connected to our new Costa Rican neighbors

Lookin’ Pretty

Hey all! Thought you’d like a photo of our awesome group. We’re having a great time and will keep you posted!

All Arrived!

All students have arrived safe and sound, despite some delays. We have not taken a group photo together yet, but it is on our to-do list for tomorrow. We will pass one along as soon as we get a chance!

-Jenna

Headed Home

All students are headed home after an amazing program!

Photos

Service and Activities

Day 6, First we want to all apologize for the lack of posting recently, which is mostly do to the fact that two days ago we actually lost power for an hour – now parents, don’t be worried the dark can be fun. A quick flash back to the un- posted days entails for one, the entire group walked around the town of Bahia Ballena with Travis discussing the rich history of where we get to stay. After walking down to the National Park entrance about 15 minutes away from home base we all headed to the supermarket for a quick ice cream break and then back to home base for some lunch. After lunch on this day we all headed down to the Mangroves nearby and kayaked for a couple hours. Despite the torrential downpour at the end of the trek, there were breath- taking views along with singing galore making the entire afternoon superb.

Moving on to Day 5, or for that matter Monday. After waking up to a beautiful sunshine, and some very loud birds, we traveled as a group around the community collecting litter using GPS technology and mapping the trash as we went along. Once we trailed back to home base we had an insightful conversation about what we saw and experienced at the Mangroves. Following lunch we headed down to the beach and began our community service, which entailed painting marine murals on the surfaces of changing rooms, bathrooms, and sinks, as well as digging a hole for the new and improved pipe system to be installed. Despite being caught in a downpour of rain we managed to accomplish a fair amount of work and had a great time while doing so.

Finally for today, or rather Day 6, after an early rise for breakfast, we journeyed back to the beach for yet other surfing lesson, continuing our progress from 3 days ago. After lunch, and a quick dip in the pool for some, we returned to the beach to continue our project. Luckily today we managed to do quite a bit of work and return to home base without being caught in the rain. Once we had dinner we all participated in a leadership activity, Cool as a Cucumber. This was a very brain-awakening activity where we focused on different situations that we agreed with, or didn’t based on our personalities and group dynamics. At the end of the game we had all split up into different categories, which in fact all had names and explanations that best explained our qualities within a group. After this we split up into our mentor groups and discussed the pros and cons of this activity. To finish the night up, we all partook in a riveting game called Excuses, but let your kid explain this one. Posting again tomorrow. This is a rap.

Starting Off!

The day started off as we took the bus down to the beach to go surfing. By the time we arrived the sun was already out and it was really hot. We were split into two different groups; one went surfing while the other walked round the beach picking up all the rubbish. We then swapped over.

I found that picking up the rubbish round the beach had many positive impacts such as; helping the community, improving the habitat and cleaning the beach. This motivated me and those in my group to work rigorously throughout the day in order to achieve as much out of the experience as we possibly could. As the day went on my group had swapped over after spending the morning cleaning the beach. We were introduced to the surfing instructors who all appeared friendly and talkative which allowed us to feel comfortable around them. They talked us through the basic concepts of surfing, ran us through how to turn and we were then allowed in the water to try it all out. It was amazing. It was hard at first but as we gained experience we all achieved something out of it, which made it even better.

The second part of the day was just as exciting. We were taken to a local school for young kids who didn’t have the same equipment as we would and were not given the same opportunities in life. We were there to change that. We spent the next two hours making carpets to give to the children instead of chairs, which were not available. Some of the time was spent playing with the kids, which allowed us to teach them some English as well as learn a little Spanish too. Everyone really enjoyed the day and we are all looking forward to tomorrow even more.

We’ve Arrived!

All students have arrived and are ready for their program! Stay tuned for blog updates and photos!

Progress!

Today was Day 10 of our Costa Rica GLA experience! This morning we drove about 45 minutes to get to a canopy tour base camp. Once we got there, we boarded open air trucks that drove us up a mountain to the start of a zipline course. After about a half hour getting our gear on, we started the Canopy Tour which consisted of nine ziplines, two rappels, two rope bridges and a tarzan swing. On the ziplines and rappels, some of us decided to hang upside down in midair. To get from zipline to zipline, we had to hike a little bit, but it was worth it! The views were spectacular. Some ziplines showed endless amounts of trees, and one had a beautiful view of the ocean! We finished off the course with a delicious fruit snack before heading back to home base for lunch. After lunch, we headed to the beach where we continued the community service projects that we started yesterday. At the Marino Ballena National Park, we almost finished a water filtration system similar to the biogarden we made earlier in the program. We also continued painting a beautiful eye catching mural on the changing room walls. We are looking forward to finishing these projects on Friday! We finished the day off with delicious burritos for dinner. Everyone was super excited about how good they were! The trip is going great and everyone has been experincing and learning a lot! We can´t wait to see what the next couple of days bring!

–Kylie Callan and Brittany Randles

Bahia Aventuras 

Today was an early wake up, we awoke at 5 AM and proceeded to wake up the rest of the group. We headed off to a breakfast of fruit and pancakes. Soon after breakfast we had a twenty minute walk to Bahia Aventuras or Bahia Adventures. We walked to the beach where we got on the boats and rode an hour and a half to the Corcodado park where we took a hike through the jungle. We saw many different animals and plants such as monkeys, ants and a boa constrictor. We even had a monkey run right by us. The guides had great knowledge of every part of the forest and a great eye to spot animals that seemed almost invincible. After the hike we sat down for a wonderful lunch that consisted of sandwiches and fruits. After lunch we got back on the boats and headed to our snorkel destination. We snorkeled for a half hour and although it was only a half hour we were able to see a lot of fish in the water. The fish were many different sizes and colors, it was a great experience. After snorkeling we got back on the boats and headed home. We got home around 4:30 and after a long day everyone got a break and a wonderful dinner. After dinner everyone broke into mentor groups and shortly after we headed to bed after a long day.

Surfing!

Today everyone was awoken at 6:30 with a great surprise from the fantastic group leaders Nick and Charlie. We then ate either fried/scrambled eggs with rice and beans and toast for breakfast at 7:00. We then left for Marino Ballena National Park for a big day of surfing. Everyone was able to get up a few times and rode some tubular waves brahhhhh. “We’ll get ‘em when he comes back in,” (Point Break). During down time at the beach we swam in the ocean and saw exotic animals in their natural habitat. After a long few hours of surfing we went back to the hotel for an authentic Costa Rican lunch. We then left for a children center known as forjando alas, meaning forging wings. We played pato pato ganzo (duck duck goose) and freeze tag with the children. We also made rugs out of recycled cloth and sheets.

After playing and working with the children we left for the hotel and learned about whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and sloths for ocean hour part two: animals and their habitats. We then had a delicious dinner of rice and shrimp. Since today was the seventh day we had wifi for either a half an hour or an hour depending whether people did the smart phone challenge or not. The trip is already half way through and it has flown by so fast, and we can’t wait to see what’s around the corner.

-Charlie Constantino and Nick Cannone

Escuela De Uvita

Today was the 6th day of our Costa Rican adventure. After a delicious breakfast of pancakes, we made our way down to Pueblo Alegre to do some more community service. Our community service today included painting palm trees, buildings etc. in order to add even more character to the town. We decided to use bright colors to attract passing tourists and reflect the upbeat attitude of the locals. We had some music playing while we were painting and it became somewhat of a “painting party,” with lots of community members helping us out. Everyone had a great time, minus the sunburns.

After a few hours of painting we made our way to Escuela De Uvita to add some finishing touches to the biogarden that we worked on the previous day. We planted the remainder of the plants around the border of the garden and added more rocks to fill up the inside. Finally after roughly a month of hard work by many GLA students, the biogarden was completed! Although we were exhausted from a long days work, we still managed to muster up some energy to play a quick game of soccer.

All in all day 6 was a success. At the end of the day we all felt pretty fulfilled and got a great nights rest!

-Hannah Quinn and Raphaella Godoy

La Escuela de Uvita

Today, after an early wake up at six thirty, we made our way out to La Escuela de Uvita. Upon arrival, Travis gave us a quick briefing of all the previous work GLA students had started on the biogarden. Half of the group started off by the biogarden, angling the earth to direct water toward a ditch, and prepping the area for the plants that would go there later. The other half of the group started off brainstorming inspirational Spanish messages to paint on signs in order to encourage the students to be environmentally aware and kind to others. We then gave the messages life by painting them and adding attractive designs. At the half waypoint, the two groups switched tasks. New signs were made and plants were put in place.

After a nice lunch at home base, we made our way over to the heart of the community to embark on our GPS tracking trash walk. The locals explained that by tracking a piece of trash where we found it, we could better locate the source of the trash issue in the area. The group then split up again and walked along two main roads, picking up trash, separating recyclables, and recording where they were found. We finished our walk with a quick stop at a local supermarket to buy snacks for our movie night in which we watched Point Break. Today was a great way to kick off our community service in Bahía Ballena.

-Teagan Evans and Emma Ungar

A Thought Provoking Day

Today was filled with meaningful discussion about two main topics. The first, Mangroves, and the question of whether removing them from the area to make way for tourist sites such as all inclusive hotels and malls, was a plausible and economically viable option. The focus on mangroves stemmed from a discussion that we had with a local entrepreneur who has a focus on reusing and recycling garbage that is found in the community. She spoke to us about how the waste around town is detrimental to the wild life, estuaries, and other ecological systems. Once she was done sharing her knowledge, we drove twenty minutes to the kayak business that she helps run. We had the opportunity to kayak through one of the largest mangroves in Central and South America. The mangroves provided us with discussion starters about the wildlife; specifically the crocodiles, boa constrictors, fish, and birds, and how their home would be affected if major construction were to take place.

The second was about how we perceive other cultures, and people with sensibilities different from what we are accustom to. After a dinner of delicious empanadas, we watched a TED talk video that featured Chimamanda Adichie, a Nigerian author. She spoke about perception, stereotypes, and assumptions, and how they control the way we think about different cultures and peoples. We then had the opportunity to reflect on what she said and how we think what she spoke about appears in our everyday lives. Whether it assumptions we makes about others, or things people think about us. Overall today was a day filled with reflection about culture and how we distinguish other people.
Pura Vida!

-Kale and Boose

Marino Ballena National Park

This morning we drove down to Marino Ballena National Park to begin our community service with a touch of adventure. We split into two groups, while one group had a surfing lesson, the other picked up trash along the shore. On the surfing side, we learned from the instructors about the land and its importance; this includes the immense amount of wildlife, like whale migration. He also taught us the four phases of surfing. The least to say, most people were able to stand up on their board in the end. Community service on the other hand, was a shocker because there was quite a bit of trash to pick up for a National Park, like plastic and glass.

After a long time in Marino Ballena we headed back to grub and relax. Then Travis, who was from the morning adventures, came to take our group on a community walk through downtown Bahia (a street). He explained much of the culture, history, and environmental aspect. For example, he told us about the sphere rocks and estuaries. Our group also had the sweet (pun) opportunity to buy fresh coconuts to drink and eat for small 500 colonnes. After we got back to home-base we watched the documentary “The Goose with the Golden Egg.” It described the ups and downs of Costa Rican tourism economically, socially, and environmentally. In the end though, it pretty much made our whole group feel “disgusted,” “oblivious,” and “sad” about what we have done as a species to our home, Earth, in exchange for money. Travis left us with a mind-numbing question: Is a standing rainforest more valuable than one cut down? What do you think?

-Sarah Wu 

Our First Days

On day 1 we all arrived outside the exit of the airport. Each group of us looked for anyone with a red or blue GLA shirt or some type of sign. Eventually we rounded up most of the people and we all got to meet each other. Three people (Alex, Zach and Ethan) were already on a Spanish Adventure Trip in the mountains for the past three weeks. We all got to the hostel (after a random dude offered one random bus Chex Mix). Most of the group hung out and received their hostel room numbers. That group also went out to lunch in the little city and ate chicken and rice or steak and rice or fries. We returned back and as time passed smaller groups of people were added on. We fit about five girls to one room and about eight guys in one room. At one point the whole group played Cards Against Humanity. We ate pizza for dinner and then circled up to play mafia and where the wind blows. Then we went to bed shortly after (Mike greatly narrated the game *pat on the back Mike*).

On day 2 we woke up at 7:30. Awesome leader Dylan was sleeping on the couch in the hallway. We were given coffee, orange juice, pineapple, watermelon and pancakes with syrup. Everyone packed up and headed to the home base of GLA in a giant bus (not really giant buttttt fit us somehow). Most of the ride was sticky and long for most so we stopped at one point to get snacks at the mini market and look at crocodiles. About five people ate something that looked like a strawberry on steroids (fruit called leeches).

We got back on the bus and about an hour later stopped to take pictures at a beautiful scenery of the ocean. However, Laura pointed out to us how the hotels and buildings and trash littered around degraded the view. We drove for about what felt like 2 hours but was actually only one. Throughout the car ride everyone was entertained by Dylan sticking his head out the window like a dog. When we pulled up here everyone’s mouths basically dropped at how cool and magnificent the layout of the home base was. We ate lunch (rice and chicken and salad) and then got our rooms assigned. After room assignment we talked to Pilar in a circle. She spoke to us about her background and what she does. She told us the rules and the point of the trip and what they are trying to promote with GLA. One major thing I remember her saying was to take in everything and “be present”. “Be present” is one of the major components they are trying to accomplish and understand. After that there was free time where some people swam, ran, chilled in their rooms, etc. Then for dinner we had noodles with some type of awesome kick to it with a side of bread. A small group of people played Egyption rat screw and others waited until we all came together to play the sheet game. After the sheet game we played the signs game (which is many people’s favorite). The signs game was played until almost 10pm (we go hard or go home I guess). Everyone wanted to keep playing because we all finally got the hand of the game (yea we are pretty smooth you could say). And that is about it for day two! Pretty ecstatic to surf tomorrow.

-Dylan Cunningham and Casey Swezey

We’ve Arrived!

All students have arrived safely in country, stay tuned for blog updates!

Headed Home

All students have departed and are on their way home!

Saying Goodbye

We got to sleep in today and had the whole morning to pack up our stuff. On our ride back to the hostel we made a stop half way through for some last minute souvenir shopping and to grab some snacks. It has been such a great opportunity to come to Costa Rica and we have all learned so much. Everything here is beautiful and the community and hotel staff has been so kind and welcoming during our stay. We all feel like we have known each other forever and become great friends. Its tough to say goodbye but we are also excited to go home and see our families.

– Hannah Morrissey, Erin Fika, Maria Steen

Last Day of Service

Today was our last day of community service and our last full day in Bahia. We went back to the beach to finish up painting the changing rooms and to complete the second shower drainage system. We painted the changing rooms a bright blue and are leaving it for another group to paint a mural on. We were able to finish the second drain and rock filter, we learned a lot about how they work and how they help the community. The park director also asked us to paint them new signs that help encourage the community to respect and take care of the environment. Travis, a community leader, held a check in circle and we all shared what we took away from the service and we ate our lunch out of banana leaves! For dinner we all got dressed up and went to go get pizza. The pizza was delicious and I think we were all happy for a break from beans and rice. A couple of us got the opportunity to speak to a couple about travel, they’re traveling life was inspiring and informative. We had a talent show when we got back it was really fun and made us bond even more.

Cascada Verde Waterfall

This morning around seven thirty, we woke up to sunshine and eggs thanks to the lovely cooks. After a delicious breakfast, we all headed out to the Cascada Verde waterfall. It was quite the walk, but it was definitely worth it! We chilled for a couple of minutes in the outdoor bar and lounge before actually heading down to the waterfall. It was a well-needed rest. When we arrived at the waterfall, everyone was very eager to jump into the swimming pond the water rushed off into. The waterfall was absolutely breathtaking and was a great spot to snap a few pictures with everyone. Many people climbed up the waterfall after seeing other people jump off of it. The rush of jumping off is worth the fear and anticipation you have while climbing up to the top. After the waterfall we had a long and tiring walk home, followed by lunch. Immediately after lunch Rodolfo gave us a very interesting talk about how the cabanas came about, and how a massive amount of hard work was put into making them possible. In regards to dinner, we cooked our own empanadas and helped the kitchen staff in the kitchen. We ended the night watching Donnie Darko and it was a very successful day!

-Madison Thomas-Little & Evan Walker

Ziplining!

Today was really awesome because we got to go zip lining through the canopies. We rode all the way up to the top of the mountains, where we got harnessed up and ready to go. There were a total of nine zip lines, but there was also a rickety bridge we had to balance on to cross over a stream. Overall, the views were really spectacular and it was very thrilling to fly through the air.

After zip lining, we ate lunch and headed out to the beach to finish our community service, however, it started to pour and we ended up getting there late. On the beach, we were split up into different groups: painting, finishing the bio- garden, and picking up seeds/garbage. Then the rain started to come down even harder, so we quickly cleaned the materials to get ready to leave. The lightning strikes on the beach were really cool to watch, but it was dangerous to stay, so we had to leave. It was a great day.

-Calvin Barra and Julia Ferrari

Corcovado National Park

Today we woke up at 5:00 am which was extremely painful. Despite our failed attempts to keep our eyes open at the breakfast table, we managed to get a healthy breakfast of toast, eggs, and fruit, and walk to the boat tour. We all shrieked when the boat bounced vigorously against the choppy pacific. The water was stunningly clear. We arrived at the island of Corcovado National Park and went on a hike through the rainforest. It was a very majestic experience. We dodged poisonous snakes and frogs, heard the exciting shrieks of howler monkeys, observed the vibrant colors of the exotic macaws and tucans, and learned about the 300 year-old trees. We had a wonderful lunch prepared by our tour guides. Then we grabbed our snorkeling gear and got back on the boat. We jumped off and snorkeled and saw lots of fish. Although we didn’t see any dolphins or whales, we learned so much about the different types of birds, such as brown boobies, brown pelicans, and many more. We had lots of laughs in the boat. In the end, it was worth waking up so early. We all had an amazing time.

-Zoe Pratt and Maddy Gough

Marino Ballena

Today we worked in the national park called Marino Ballena. We started our own bio garden and worked vigorously to dig a hole and which we then filled with rocks. Which filters the water and releases clean water in to the environment. We had a full day or volunteer but we’re able to relax on the beach for lunch. After lunch we finished the bio garden and started painting and cleaning to make the beach more beautiful. We cleaned and painted the shower rooms located at the national park. After a long day of working we went to the market to get snacks and then returned to home base to get cleaned up, rested and hangout with our new friends. For dinner we finally had something other than rice and beans!!! Sandwiches and fries. Now we are getting ready for movie night and we voted on the movie bridesmaids. While we were at the store, some of us bought mac’n’cheese as well as popcorn to eat throughout the movie. After the movie, everyone will be going to bed early due to the fact that we will have to wake up very early for our busy day tomorrow.

-Emma Young and Sara Jacobsen

*We are trying to get more photos uploaded asap. Thank you for you understanding.

Bio-Garden

Today was the first day of working on the Bio-Garden. We split up into two groups, the first group worked on fixing up some of the signs to be put around the school while the other group worked on shoveling gravel into where the garden will be and then we switched half way through. It was really hot out, but we were able to get a lot done and we only needed about a foot of gravel to top it off. After lunch we went back out to do GPS trash pickup where we picked up trash along one of the main roads and then used GSP locators to get information about where most of the trash is found. As soon as we went out it started pouring but it was nice because it cooled us all off. After dinner we had a very thought-provoking discussion on the speech “To Hell with Good Intentions”. Everybody is super tired after a long day and excited to go to sleep.

–Hannah Morrissey

A Full Day

*Photos to follow!

Being out here for the second day we’ve started to get the hang of home base. Today we all woke up around 7 since breakfast was at 8 and kayaking would be at 9. This time breakfast was pancakes and fruit so we were pretty surprised. We left for a 12 minute drive to the Terraba for the Sierpe Mangrove kayak tour. The instructors were extremely kind & clear on how to paddle as well as provided fruit afterwards. Heading out was a struggle for some of the groups but quickly go the hang of what to do. Was we reached the narrow parts of the river students completely immersed and captivated by the mangroves. Afterwards everyone was exhausted from the workout and returned to home base for showers and time relax at the pool. By 3:30 we began a reflection session on what we experienced in the mangroves with Adrianne and Hebrom; after lunch and the devastating defeat of Brazil by Germany with a 1-7 FIFA game. We mainly described the mangroves with our 5 senses and learned some more info through an article Adrianne and Hebrom provided. By the end of the afternoon we finished reflections over what we learned and had diner. By the end of the day we finished off with group reflections and another chaotic game of mafia.

-King Wang Ma and Christopher Aguilar

Surfs Up!

Today we hit the waves with Bodhi Surf School. The Bodhi staff broke into two groups. After countless attempts at standing on the surfboard, we then switched with the second group and picked up trash along Marino Ballena beach. These activities in tandem stressed the importance of how we must give back to the environment if we want to utilize it for enjoyment. We then headed back to the GLA Home Base for a delicious lunch cooked by our amazing kitchen staff to help replenish our energy for the community-walk lead by Travis. Our community walk was 3-hour walk throughout the community to immerse us in the rich, Costa Rican culture. In fact, we even learned seven different ways to greet a Costa Rican! Also, we learned about the effects of gentrification on Costa Rican culture, specifically the effects of the recent construction of roads in the local communities. After our walk, Travis showed us a video that stressed the dangers of tourism on Costa Rica and how it affects Costa Rican communities. We then had dinner consisting of rice and beans and closed the night bonding over a game of Mafia.

-Maya Murray and Elisha Mahar

First Day

We all arrived at the airport and searched for Michael outside. Afterwards, we all got together while waiting a fellow group mate to claim his delayed luggage. Both the customs folks and the hostel workers were all enthralled by the World Cup quarterfinals: Costa Rica v. Netherlands. After we checked in, we ate lunch and watched Costa Rica lose. It was a disheartening loss, but everyone kept their heads up in pride and we heard horns honking and cheering from many Costa Ricans outside. Afterwards, we settled in and played a few orientation games to get to know our fellow group mates.

The next day, we ate a hearty breakfast and left the hostel at 9:00 AM. We had two pit stops and arrived around 1:30 PM, it was roughly a four-hour drive. Home base was just the beautiful and relaxing atmosphere we all needed to relax and bond. Our delicious lunch fueled us to open up while playing dice, cards, and unpacking. A jump in the pool and a swing in the hammock later, we had dinner and once again played a few group games.

Tonight we’ll get a good rest to wake up and leave to surf at 8:00 am.

-Erin Fika and Soren Rodriguez

We’ve Arrived!

All student have arrived and are ready for an amazing program!

Bahia

Today was our last full day to enjoy our temporary community of Bahia. We began our day with our final community service. We were split into groups in which one would work of our bio garden and the other would work on the sign. I was apart of the art group, thankful that my days of digging were done. The group worked together to create and intricate piece that would be beautiful for the community. When we were finished, everyone sighed in unison, proud of a job well done and relieved that we were finished. As we drove home, everyone was thankful for our time to rest before the big World Cup Game. Costa Rica vs. Greece that is, and all of our local friends were bursting with excitement. All of the kids sat by the pool, enjoying our last moments in the Costa Rican sun as well as each other’s company. The confliction of wanting to stay in Bahia and wanting to go home was evident on everyone’s faces. Costa Rica was victorious en el partido de futbol, and the entire village cheered. It was truly an amazing cultural experience, and I am so grateful to be here as witness. We ended the night with our mentor groups, a quick documentary and a melancholy trip to our cabins, as we all began packing for our departures back home.

Community Service

A Great Day

Expedition through the Treetops

We started off the day with an early wake-up call.  We headed to the rainforest to begin our Osa canopy tour, which was an adventure we were all looking forward to.

The guides drove us up two thousand feet to the treetops. It was a long and steep ride, but absolutely worth the view!

After snapping a few pics, we all strapped in to our harnesses and prepared for the sweep of the experience. There were nine ziplines that brought us down the mountain. Tall green trees surrounded us and the landscape was breathtaking. To finish off the ziplining, the guides gave us the freshest fruit any of us had ever eaten and we swung like Tarzan from the bungalow.

After a bumpy ride down, we went back to homebase for lunch. Since we were running late (that’s what happens on an expedition like that!) we had no time to rest before community service. But we all went and made a lot of progress on the biogarden and signs that we had painted. It was a really long day and we were all catching up from yesterday’s early start, but our excitement carried us through the day. We’re all looking forward to a good night’s rest after our movie night. Popcorn time!

– Amanda Miller and Bailey Smith-Helma

An Outing to Corcovado

Today started off with an early morning- 5:30 wake up call!

We started off with a walk to meet the tour guides for our outing to Corcovado. The Bahía Adventures crew took us on an hour-and-a-half boat ride to the San Pedrillo ranger station. Along the way we saw spotted dolphins in the water and more birds than you can imagine. The boat ride there was full of energy! Very bumpy but luckily nobody got seasick!

Once we got to the station we got ready for our walk, and wouldn’t you know it, we got to see our first monkey- a spider monkey! The hike through the rainforest was muddy but full of exotic plants and animals. We learned about the strangling fichus, the golden orb spider and termites, among other things. We saw parrots, another spider monkey and her baby, and many macaws.

On the way back we walked along the beach, spotting Caño Island in the distance. We got back to the station and had a large lunch, which was refreshing after our tiring hike. On the boat ride home we stopped to go snorkeling. The water was cloudy and the weather wasn’t cooperating so we cut the visit short. But after such a fulfilling day, going home was a nice break.

– Sydney Zoretic and Peri Charatich

Community Service

Today was the community service day. As leader of the day I motivated others to push through a harder day. Although we were all very tired we kept our heads up and finished strong. With 6 hours of community service under our belts from today most of us are ready for a good nights rest. Today we played soccer with the children of the school and we all loved it. And although my ingrown toenail was pickaxed and stomped on it seemed to leave a happy mood for all of the campers. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us tomorrow.

-Quinton Poncelet

Every day so far in this small piece of paradise, we’ve taken part in some sort of recreational activity. All the while, we’ve been participating in community service, such as making recycled rugs and starting a bio-garden. However, today was the first day of the trip that was dedicated to only community service. We continued the bio-garden and made mad progress, and also painted some rad signs to place around the community. Some people also played an impromptu game of soccer with the children at the school we were working at. After lunch, we went on a lengthy walk collecting and tracking trash.

All this work seemed to rob people of their energy, as group hype seemed to be at an all-time low. Everybody seemed to be on a slightly shorter fuse than normal. Despite our tiring schedule and high tensions, we all worked as a team and still managed to have fun during the community service. Tomorrow is a full day of recreation and starts at a horrifying 5:30 A.M., which means we’re all hitting the hay now.

-Mimi Frotten

Birthday Fun!

Soccer and Bio-Gardens

Day 5

We played soccer in the heart of the community of Bahia, joined by some of the locals. A man was there giving us coconuts on the sideline so we could drink the water at half time in the game. Everyone was very friendly and the locals were very good at soccer. The score was 6-1 with surfing group number 2 and some of the locals pulling out the win. We began our work on the bio-gardens at the Uvita local school, and continued working on our rugs for the local kids. It was very muddy, humid, and fun. We dug trenches and moved rocks into place to begin the bio-gardens. We learned a lot about how grey water effects the environment here and how we can re-use water and not let much go to waste. We also had ocean hour for the first time today, which involved several students presenting on topics related to marine life in the pacific. We talked about mangroves, sea turtles, coral reefs, and whales, how they are affected by human actions, and their contributions to the environment.

-Courtney and Quinn E.

The Surf and the Storm

Today the group woke up excited for surfing.

We had breakfast and then grouped up and headed to the National marine park. We split into two groups. One group went started their lessons with the Bodhi surf instructors. The other group went off to clean up the park and pick up trash. We saw some interesting wildlife while cleaning. The groups switched and the next group began to surf. The lesson was really detailed so we could clearly understand everything we were being taught, and we learned a lot about the local life. We also learned how to control the board and how to surf safely.

Then we got to go in the water. We practiced turning a few times and came back in to learn how to stand up. The instructor was very detailed, knowledgeable, and helpful. We learned how to stand and went back out to catch a few waves. Everyone had a blast, regardless of a few sunburns.

Next, we returned to the home base where we had deep fried fish. Then we all broke off and rested for a while. We grouped back up and went for a community walk. The man who led the walk taught us about respecting the environment and the people/animals living in it. We walked for about an hour and saw the heart of the community as a whole. We returned to the home base and watched a documentary on Costa Rica’s tourist industry. The industry fuels 95% of the Costa Rican economy. However, the locals are really afraid that tourists will hinder the pureness of the island, and its environment, which is something we will all have to reflect on in the days ahead. Then, we broke away for dinner and went into our mentor groups to discuss our day.

– Deane Long and Simone Pope

Today was as equally amazing as it was exhausting. After a quick breakfast of eggs and rice (the usual), we headed off to kayak in the largest mangrove in Central America. We drove twenty minutes to our destination surrounded completely by mountains and farmland. Once we arrived, we walked through the jungle to meet with our water tour guides. Our view was spectacular and our arms were tired as we navigated through tiny tunnels of trees and bushes, and even brightly colored crabs. Halfway through, we were able to take a quick photo break, and admire the beautiful mountains encircling us.

When we finally reached land, the relief was palpable in the air. Eventually we cooled off with some fruit courtesy of the locals, along with the presence of a cute little girl names Stephania. The taxis arrived shortly after and we went back to home base. We enjoyed a short amount of chill-time and ate chickpeas, chicken, and rice for lunch.

We then began our community service adventure by going to the local after school program, where we met numerous local kids of all ages. We played multiple games with them, including “duck, duck, goose” and something similar to “steal the bacon”. The kids really enjoyed it and were very excited to see us. They were all smiles – like jumping beans – as they climbed onto our backs and shouted in Español.

We then began our project of creating a rug with old sheets and t-shirts that we had to cut into one-inch strips and weave into a mat. After about an hour, we had completed as much as we could for the day and sadly, had to say goodbye to the kids. We previously decided to walk back; however, it began to pour outside and we took a taxi back to the home base. At the end of our heavy day, we cooled off with an energetic dance in the rain, and a quick swim before the lightning began. The synchronization of the group was set in stone as we laughed and cheered in our first true Costa Rican Storm.

– Callan Small and Gaby Ortiz

Reaching the Pacific

Today everyone arrived at the airport and found each other by looking at each other’s shirts. We met up with a GLA leader at the airport and got driven back to a hostel where we would spend the night and play games to get to know each other. One person’s birthday was that night and we all celebrated and had cake when the last few people had arrived. The accommodations were decent dorm rooms with showers and air conditioning.

The next day we woke up at 7 in the morning to eat and go over GLA code conduct in the form of skits as we waited for our bus to arrive. Everyone gathered at the bus, which was in the city. There we drove for four hours to get to the home base. During the drive we took two stops. (a) One of the stops was to do a little souvenir shopping and take a brief walk along the bridge to do some sight seeing. (b) The second stop was to take pictures of the ocean when it first began to become visible. Both stops were well-organized time wise, so we stayed on schedule and got to move around a bit. Once we got to home base we just settled in and took a dip in the pool where we got to know one another a little better.

– Elizabeth Curry and Jared Schell