Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Dear Friends,

What a treat to be able to start the summer with this group!  After a few days of transitioning to Rancho Quemado (i.e. getting used to the bugs!), it was wonderful to see our GLA students already engaging with the community.  Alice and Enrique at Rancho Verde told me how they appreciate the time that the girls spend with their daughters Lizzy and Glenda.  At Jaguarundi, Don Felix and Dona Alice raved about their energetic group. Vero at Laguna also gushed about how polite and fun her Laguna girls are!

It is amazing that just over the course of two weeks, the Osa staff already noticed a change in the students.  You all really worked at making this experience your own: throwing yourselves into community service, making friends with community members, and bonding with each other.  Walking around the community, we can see the impact you left.  The completed cement bridge to the library, the finished greenhouse filled with plants at the school, and the lovely memories that community members have of you all are a few examples!

I remember the last day of the program, after Sandro had finished the bike tours through Rancho Quemado, all the students came over to Laguna to hang out.  I loved seeing the whole group together, playing cards, listening to music, and just enjoying being together.  That was the 4th of July.  I remember how everyone’s faces lit up when our amazing hosts brought burgers out for lunch as an American treat, and later, the surprise on everyone’s faces when fireworks exploded into the night after our ending ceremony.

Looking back at the program, some memories stand out to me:

-The first day our bus broke down, and we all sat to play cards and get to know each other.  The time flew by!

-Making 8-legged friends in our cabins 🙂

-Mejenga with community members

-Sing-along on the boat to Isla del Cano

-Late night card games and stargazing

-Capture the flag on the beach at Punta Marenco (plus zombiesss!)

-Smoothies with Brenda

-Recycling parade and dance with the kids on the last day

-Fireworks on 4th of July

-Monkeys on the way to the Turtle Conservation project

We hope that Rancho Quemado, with its verdant landscapes, colorful scarlet macaws, and generous, hospitable people, will be a memory you all will hold dear.  The mentors and I feel lucky to have worked with you all, and know that the community in Rancho Quemado feels the same.

Abrazos,

Amanda, Lexi and Patrick

Summer Blog Posts

¡Hola! ¡Bienvenidos a San Jose!

We’re so happy to have all of our students here in Alajuela, a tranquil town just outside San Jose. After settling into the hotel we headed out looking for food, and came across casados, a typical Costan Rican meal consisting of rice, black beans, plantains, and a little salad! This typical Tico meal got its name “Married” because the rice and beans are always served together! Fun food fact! After looking over the schedule of the fun filled two weeks in the Osa peninsula and Rancho Quemado, we all played a few “rompehielos” ice breakers to get to know all 17 students, 3 US staff, and the local Rancho Quemado guide. A delicious asado dinner with guacamole followed and early to bed, ready for a full day tomorrow driving down the Costa Rican coast.

Abrazos.

– Osa Staff

June 24

This morning, we took a tour of Sandros (our local tour guide) organic farm. He showed us his patch of pineapples and showed us how we could eat the small yellow nances that covered the ground. We then explored the man made forest of carefully chosen trees, including palm and lime trees. Sandro removed a cacao plant from a tree and gave us pieces from the inside to suck on. Then UE showed us bow to open a coconut – it looks pretty much impossible. We drank coconut water to make hot chocolate and used left over powder to make face masks. We also ate fried plantains, pineapple, and sugarcane while we ground the beans in the afternoon we participated in a rally that locals had prepared. We organized teams by lodges and each team had multiple townspeople. Some of the activities included ordering ourselves by number without speaking, and passing bowls of water above our heads to fill a bucket. All Tue directions were in Spanish and the activities were pretty challenging. WS got to work on teamwork and leadership skills and became friendlier with the locals. Tonight we will visit zomd of the elders of the community. We are bringing small gifts and ejll listen to them exaib some of the towns history. Today we enjoyed some great food and company and are excited to learn more about the creation of rancho quemado.

– By Camille

June 25, 2016

Today we started our day with cheese and bean empanadas & fresh watermelon juice. The girls of Laguna and I took a hike in the rainforest to a small but beautiful waterfall-the only one in Rancho Quemado. It was extremely refreshing especially after the humidity encountered on our hike. We then enjoyed papaya tacos for lunch and free time consisting of cards for some and naps for others. Today, instead of community service, we participated in a Spanish class where we learned some words to help us in community service and what we thought about the global objectives. After a dinner of fish, we ended our day with a mentor group about our individual leadership style and a personal mission statement. We are all excited to get our laundry back and a bonfire tomorrow!
-Anya

June 26, 2016

We started our day off with arepas (pancakes) for breakfast and lemonade. Then hopped aboard our bus and headed out. After an hour of driving, we reached the zip line! After breaking off into two groups we harnessed up and headed out. The hand  brakes we had were leather pieces that slipped over our gloves,  how cool. We loaded back on the bus and started toward the beach. The warm ocean water, lunch of rice and beans, and fresh mango smoothies put the day in first place for me.

June 27, 2016

Today, the third day in Costa Rica, was the start of our service project. However, before any of the service started (starting at 2-5) we had a tour around a butterfly farm (mariposario) and a sugar cane Factory (in the loosest sense). The sugar cane is grown organically, like most things in Rancho Quemado, and is used as their local sugar source. The machine that grinds and splits the sugar cane is “archaic and traditional” as the local sugar cane farmer describe it. We took turns spinning the machine, getting wáter out of the sugar cane. We drank the fruits of our labor, which ironically most of the group weren’t especially fond of as its mostly pure sugar and wáter. The farmer explained all the processes that went into making sugar cane honey, brown sugar, and many more sweets. It is said that the sugar cane produced, and its products, are some of the best in the country, if not the world.

The second tour was of a butterfly farm. The eggs, larvae, catepillar, and eventually butterfly was on full display. The group got to hold the butterfly in each stage, really setting wonderous, almost intruding, mood as we got to see into the life of a butterfly. The actually greenhouse that held the butterflies was astounding, not only in its size, but also in the sheer amount of butterflies living inside it. Everyone tried to coax some of the butterflies onto their hand, body, stomach… but most weren’t able to.

We were broken up into three groups and each was tasked with their service of the day. I was on service B which entailed making a cement bridge connecting the main (and only) road to the library. We had to shovel dirt from down the road and mix it with cement and wáter next to a trench that was also dug out that day. Furthermore, we made a bridge connecting the road and library together out of wood and metal wires and filled it with freshly made cement. We ended up finishing the two week Project in 3 hours.
Because I wasn’t able to go to the other two services (as split bodies is not one of my attributes) I can’t say exactly what went on there, but I know that they helped the community just as much as my group did.

By Jonathan

Note: Pictures not uploading due to WiFi issue – thank you for your patience.

June 29, 2016

Hi! my name is Brad and I’m the official GLA blogger today. Today was really exciting for the Jaguarundi hostel group as we started the morning off with a long horseback ride in Rancho Quemado. The horses brought us to a local family’s gold panning establishment, where we learned about the history of gold mining in Rancho Quemado. But after learning about the gold, we were able to actually try it out, as we walked up a nearby creek to pan for some gold, which we did find by the way. From there, we returned to our hostel for our traditional lunch, and then took an hour siesta. By then, it was time to participate in our daily community service, and today we were building a garden at the local elementary school. Once our service was complete, we ate dinner and prepared for a community bon fire, where er joined the locals in song and dance. What seemed like only minutes turned into hours, and soon enough, it was time for bed. We went to bed tired after our long day, but excited for what was to come tomorrow.

June 30

This morning the group in Laguna de Valle went for a horseback ride. We followed our guide a steady pace to the destination at a gold mine. Here the group learned about different gold mining techniques. Specifically we saw two different ways to pan gold. After the tour the girls rode their horses back to town. Having a little more experience the group had a mix of walking and trotting on the way back. After lunch, the group had service at the library! Cleaning up trash and brush we then leveled out an area of land for a library parking lot. The hard work paid off and they successfully cleared a space making a tangible contribution to the community.
-Emily

July 1st and 2nd

July 3, 2016

Today we all went to a dairy farm in the morning. We were able to try to lasso cows, which was new for everyone and was mostly unsuccesful but still a lot of fun. Then we all got to milk the cow and see how they make the cheese on the farm. After that we all went to houses of women from the community for a cooking class. We made tortillas, juice, picadillo de palma, and frijol molido. After that we did community service, half of the group did recycling with the kids and the rest of us were working in the garden. Then, in the evening we had mentor group.

Submitted by Erica Smith

July 4

This morning we got to wake up at our typical 6:45 alarm. The only difference now was that we realized this was our last day in rancho quemado. After our sad realization, it made me contemplate on how great of an experience this trip was overall. We went on a bike ride after breakfast, which was a good time to communicate with our friends that we had become so close to in the past two weeks. After we got to chill some more, we all got to walk into town together for the last time. In the bleachers, the ticos had put together a group of stands to sell their incredible bracelets, cookies, shirts, and journals that they make for a living. Sorry mom and dad, but i absolutely blew your money during this. After we spent our money, the ticos cooked our final meal in rancho quemado, which was as good as it always is. Finally, they got together a mejenga, which was a soccer game with everyone in the whole village, including us. The saddest part of the whole experience was saying goodbye at the end of the night. The whole trip was a life-changing, unforgettable experience that was absolutely incredible. Thank you to all. Students and staff made it that way. I will miss you all and keep in touch.

Benjie Howard

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Hey Guys! We wish we could be sharing these memories and stories with you over a nice dinner of rice, beans, fried plantains, and carambola juice but instead grab a nice cup of hot chocolate or a bowl of “loops” and think back to Rancho Quemado!

From the ice breakers in Hotel Mi Tierra and that first asado dinner complete with potato purée and blueberry white tea to the 8 hour bus ride down the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, the beginning of Spanish and Service in the Osa was off to a great start! Passing through crocodile filled rivers and Dominical, we made it to “the heart of the Osa Peninsula” just in time for a community dinner of chicken/vegetable rice and citrus salad.

The rally was our first all community activity, and groups A, B, and C all did amazing jobs with the field day like events! From the charades game of “mimicas” to water balloon tossing, we were so proud of our GLA kids jumping right in to such a high energy event! From this rally, community friendships were made, and mejengas” (pick up soccer game) were explained! It was such a delight to watch mejengas occupy most free time, wether it was hot and sunny or a downpour!

There was always so much enthusiasm during the morning community tours; Sandro’s organic farm tour, the trapiche and mariposario, the rural waterfall, Cabuya lessons, the gold mine tour, and the milk farm! Service time was just as impressive as everyone came together to do manual labor in the library, and engage with the community children both while recycling and when working in the school garden! English classes were a fan favorite as we split into 2 groups to teach the local kids (our new friends) about the colors of the rainbow, days of the week, and verbs, just to list a few lesson plans!

The adventures just never stopped in Osa! Zip lining through the tree tops and beach days in Playa Blanca were so fun, especially with spaghetti for lunch and mango smoothies! Even with unforeseen conditions (record high river levels) on our way to Punta Marenco lodge in Drake Bay, spirits were high! Monkeys and sea turtles were spotted during our 2 day excursion in Corcovado National park, the sea turtles made snorkeling at Isla Caño that much more memorable as did the little monkeys that tried to steal our pack lunch of fried egg gallo pinto wrapped in banana leaf right off the picnic table! Even through steady rain, the GLA kids had smiles as we hiked to Rio Claro, a turtle conservation, to canoe up a pristine river and swim back down, stopping a few times to jump off rocks and climb up waterfalls!!

As international staff, we really enjoyed the effort everyone put into mentor groups! With a wide range of topics such as global citizenship and experiential learning, identity (and vexillology – the study of flags), cross cultural communication and cultural lenses, leadership styles, Eco-tourism, and SMART goals, it was a pleasure getting to know you all better through these smaller group leadership workshops!

Thank you for joining us in the OSA Peninsula! We can’t wait to see where your future endeavors and travels take you!!
Gracias,

Osa International Staff
Lexi, Amanda, and Patrick

7-10 Quick Summer Recollections:

1.      Mejenga in the rain!
2.      Morning nature walk with Sandro
3.      Making 8 legged friends 🙂
4.      Waterfall jumps
5.      Howler monkeys on bus down with Wali
6.      Cha cha slide and Cotton Eyed Joe during the music night (trova)
7.      Yoga at the canopy tour (head stands and all!)
8.      Jaguarundi Boys leading a basketball camp during service hours!
9.      Making a giant turtle/sand castles on our private Punta Marenco beach

Best,

Lexi Robinson

Summer Blog Posts

¡Hola! ¡Bienvenidos a San Jose!

We’re so happy to have all of our students here in Alajuela, a tranquil town just outside San Jose. After settling into the hotel we headed out looking for food, and came across casados, a typical Costan Rican meal consisting of rice, black beans, plantains, and a little salad! This typical Tico meal got its name “Married” because the rice and beans are always served together! Fun food fact! After looking over the schedule of the fun filled two weeks in the Osa peninsula and Rancho Quemado, we all played a few “rompehielos” ice breakers to get to know all 19 students, 3 US staff, and the local Rancho Quemado guide. A delicious asado dinner with guacamole followed and early to bed, ready for a full day tomorrow driving down the Costa Rican coast.

Abrazos.

Osa Staff

¡Pura vida!

Day two on Rancho Quemado was full of new foods, friends, experiences, and bugs. After our first night sleeping under mosquito nets, we started off our day with a tour of Jaguarini’s (one of the local hostals) 5 acre organic farm. Our guide Sandro, who grew up on the property, wasn’t hesitant to throw us right into the experience; the ground surrounding the first tree we saw was surrounded by its dropped fruits, which we found ourselves eating only moments later. After enjoying a few more exotic fruits that I had never heard of previously, Sandro and his family showed us all there is to know about the process of making chocolate from the raw cacao plant. Not only were we able to eat the final product, but put it on our faces as well. As we learned, the cacao plant has many antioxidants that help keep our skin healthy. After today I can believe that because I don’t think my face has ever felt as clean as it did after that chocolate mask came off. Next we were off to the “rally” (field day essentially) put on by GLA administrators to help bridge the gap between GLA students and Rancho Quemado locals. During the rally, we participated in 10 different activities with the other GLA students from our respective hostals as well as some locals we will be working with in the weeks to come. Not only did this experience make it easier to get to know some of the locals, but it also was a great way to transition into our immersion into the Spanish language and culture. The community members were unbelievably kind and a pleasure to be around, no matter how much of a language barrier presented itself. After all the interactions I have had today, I’m sure that as the days go on, us GLA students will only become more connected to and comfortable with the way of life on Rancho Quemado.

Written by Knox

July 12

I woke up this morning tired yet excited about the adventures that were about to happen. Breakfast consisted of tropical juices I’d never had before, as well as amazing home cooked food that was so good, I had to get seconds. We started off at a tour of sugarcanes that were made from 100 year old equipment. I got to taste organic sugar toffee that was even better than chocolate, in my opinion. Afterwards we took a quick stroll to a butterfly garden where two butterflies landed on my finger. I’ve only been here four days but I don’t see how it can get better than hanging out with butterflies and the new friends I’ve made. In my free time I took an hour long nap and woke up to my alarm that reminded me to get ready for my first service project at Rancho Quemado. I was exhausted and didn’t think I would enjoy digging in dirt, but I did. It was a great way to practice my Spanish with the members of the community and I enjoyed every second of the dirt\mud activities. Whether it’s playing uno with the people in my hostel, or chilling with the most beautiful butterflies I’ve ever seen, GLA and the amazing mentors that made me feel so included, most definitely deserve a two thumbs up.

Written by Abigail

7/13

Today was super exciting! We took a bus ride out of Rancho Quemado to a place to go ziplining. The zip lines were super fun and had the most amazing views when we were up there. Next we left for a cafe by the beach where we ate spaghetti, which was super exciting because I had been craving spaghetti since I got here. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the beautiful beach. We then returned to Rancho Quemado and finished the day with mentor groups about cultural lenses.

-Emily C

Here we have a picture of Laguna girls sewing “maya plastica” on the school garden

July 14, 2016

At the start of day four of the GLA Protecting the Pacific program we started off the morning with a community service workshop here at the GLA home base. For this workshop we were working with wood to construct trash museums to showcase the litter that we collected from the beach on day three.  Once complete, these displays will be placed at strategic locations (such as the entrances to beaches and/or inside businesses with heavy tourist traffic). The goal is to show people how they are impacting the Costa Rican environment with their waste. Our hope is that people will be ore conscious of  how the dispose of their trash after seeing our displays.

After the service project we ate lunch and loaded into taxis, which took us to Forjando Alas. Forjando Alas is a nonprofit organization that runs after school programs for children in Uvita. We all got the privilege of meeting and interacting with the local children there during multiple cut-throat games of red light green light, heads up seven up, and soccer. The kids were super funny and adorable. After stopping for a quick snack of watermelon and bananas, we said goodbye to the kids and the local volunteers at Forjando Alas and drove through a downpour back to the GLA base.  We wrapped up the day with some finnnnnnnnnne feed and a talk about “The Six R’s of Sustainability” with Travis.

-Elizabeth and Ally

7/16

This morning, I was introduced to the process of creating a “cabuya” or a Costa Rican woven bag. It was one of the most interesting, and time consuming, processes I have ever seen! I definitely will think again when I have to do a chore that can take 20 minutes rather than a job that takes weeks.

Also, we created a beautiful dirt parking lot right next to the library for anyone to use. It was awesome!

-Arrington

New Photo:

Here’s a photo of Lexi’s mentor group teaching the Rancho Quemado students the colors of the rainbow!

2-Day Excursion

We start the day off with a to go breakfast at 5 in the morning that had really good cinnamon bun. We hop on the bus and try to cross a river but we get stuck in the river and ate forced to cross on foot. We walk to the next river and cross that one as well. We wait 30 min and catch another bus taking us to the shore. We then hop on a boat and start to leave before we realize we left someone. We go back for him and were back on our way. We beach hopped 2 beaches until we finally got to our hotel which was on a third beach. We play on the beach for 5 hours and then have dinner. The next day we hike to a river and jump into it from a ledge 10 feet from the water. We then canoe up the river looking at all the trees that surrounded us. Then after canoeing for some time we get out the boat and float back on life vest. Stopping at some times to jump off even higher ledges. Then we hike up two waterfalls and dive down one of them. We get back to the hotel then take the boat back to our bus, cross 2 more rivers on foot and get on the bus that got stuck on the way there. And that was our trip.

-Cole

July 19, 2016

We started the day going to the milk farm where some of us milked one of the  cows. We got to see the artisanal process of making cheese from local cows milk. After that we went to a community member’s home to help prepare a classic Costa Rican lunch. Our group made picadillo and fresh tortillas. We weren’t to hungry for lunch after that but the fresh plantain chips where a treat. Then we all split up for community service where my group went to help at the town’s library. We helped make old tires into planters by putting dirt inside and painting them. After a diverse meal of rice and beans we had a fun Zumba class lead by our mentors. It was quite a workout but it was fun because some community members came to participate. It’s sad that the trio has almost come to an end but we all seem excited to get to San José on Thursday.

-Jenna

Julian teaching little Jefferson how to play basketball!

Arrington with the dream catcher.

July 20, 2016

Today GLA took us to a waterfall on horseback. It was nice to see students bonding with their horses, some even named them. Once we got to the waterfall we had the opportunity to go swimming. After wards we taught the community children English which was really fun and not only did we connect with the children but also with our peers.
-Alexandra

July 20, 2016

Today was our last day in Rancho Quemado. It started with a delicious breakfast of both the now familiar gallo pinto and a fried circular food that tasted vaguely cheesy.

During the day, we split into two groups and took turns going out on a bike ride on the surrounding roads, taking our last looks at the community we had spent the last two weeks in before packing our bags in preparation for our trip back to San José. For lunch, we were greeted by the familiar sight of a burger, fries, and milkshakes.

In the evening, we were given a tour of the opening of a new shop. Afterwards, we spent time with the community members. We all expressed our appreciation for each other, and we recieved participation certificates for the spanish classes we had taken. We then had dinner all together on the bleachers, and part in majenga, a community wide soccer game. Then, after reluctantly setting our alarms to around 4:10 am, we went to sleep.

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Dear GLA alumni,

By now you are settled back into your daily lives, spending time with family and friends and studying hard (you better be!).  Costa Rica may seem far off both in space and time, but we hope you hold the memories and lessons you experienced close forever.  Few things are as impactful as short, intense experiences that can be demanding and challenging, but also rewarding surely as you found.  We hope that you look back fondly on your time in Costa Rica, carry the spirit of service forward and never stop exploring and moving forward.

I (Jon) wanted to share some perspective on our final session of summer 2016.  After three two-week sessions with 21 students in each one we were happy that each session had gone very smoothly with lots of laughs and great times had by all.  Before the arrival of the last group (you) we tried to pack the two-day break with some down time in order to be prepared and well rested.  I had gotten sick around the departure of the third session, while Emily and Eimear opted to travel three-and-a-half hours back to Uvita for the break.  All of us were longing to regain some strength and hoped to do so in a short amount of time.

Our previous groups were quite large with 21 students apiece, so we were excited to welcome a group of 9 participants for our last session.  We were uncertain of how interactions and group dynamics might be different and what challenges having a smaller group might pose.  In addition, we would have a GLA office staff member, Joseph, accompanying us the entire trip and a new GLA hire, Karen, with us for part of the trip.  The ratio of staff to students was set to be pretty small!

As it turns out, any reservations we may have had were immediately quelled when you arrived.  As with the past groups you were tired and quiet upon arrival, but were not any less unique, curious, friendly, open and inspiring.  Our get-to-know-you activities (and awesome staff!) continued to break the ice and allow us to discover details about each other’s lives.

I knew immediately from conversations at the airport, warm-up activities, and chatting over that first lunch that we had a special group.  You guys come from a variety of backgrounds, have a wealth of experience and knowledge and rich personalities.  Certainly you became comfortable in your surroundings with a group of strangers to push yourselves and develop relationships.

Through the service and activities you demonstrated enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, empathy, patience, trust and ambition.  The staff was impressed by your determination while digging, painting, mixing and pouring concrete at Forjando Alas.  The kitchen staff loved the cooking session and how everyone enjoyed making Latin cuisine.  Your interest in yoga certainly pleased Pilar.  Weinar and Henry loved working and joking with you all.  Your surfing abilities impressed Travis (who, like Pilar, is a great instructor).

All in all, the group was able to overcome any initial jitters and awkwardness and truly come together to make meaningful friendships and connections during our two weeks together.  We supported and encouraged each other, worked to solve problems and create projects, played fun games and participated in team-building activities.  We picked up each other when we fell and high-fived each other for jobs well done.  The community was grateful for our collective efforts, and we are grateful to have been in such a welcoming environment.

A smaller, more intimate group allows for deeper connections and interactions as we found.  We are so pleased and happy to have a group of unique individuals, and especially one that came together to accomplish so much.  Thank you for being with us, and we wish you all the best as you continue your journey.  Never forget PTP!

All the best,

Jon

Throughout our two weeks we created some great, funny and touching memories.

Recollections from PTP5:

Reading with the local students at Forjando Alas in English, and having the students help some of the GLA participants read in Spanish.  They were great teachers!

Playing a new game that we had never played; volleyball with water balloons.  Lots of plans to soak others backfired on those launching the balloons which was hilarious!

The friendly snake that was caught slithering through homebase.

An impromptu yoga session with Pilar after doing service.  What a great way to unwind after hard work!

The pick-up soccer game and Angely’s fiery motivational speech at half time!

Monkeys jumping overhead at the mangroves.

How many cows are in the tree?  Seven.

Seeing whales breaching on the Corcovado tour!

Jean learning to swim!

The students doing amazing work at the service sites, especially manual labor at Forjando Alas and leaving it looking excellent.

Summer Blog Posts

Hola from homebase!

We arrived down here today just in time for lunch, and got settled in to our rooms. On out way down we stopped to see crocodiles and to take on a beautiful sea view… just a taster of what’s to come! Tomorrow we begin with surfing and service, good times ahead!

PTP team

August 15

Today was our first full day in home base, and we were all pumped to truly start our adventures in Costa Rica. We all got up bright and early, ate a delicious breakfast, and made our way to the national park so we could engage ourselves in both meaningful beach cleanup work and learn to both overcome our fears of surfing, but to also help foster a connection to the ocean.

The service work was fulfilling; we not only helped maintain the beauty of the beach, but we also had fun interactions with our environment that helped us step out of our comfort zone, whether it be learning about the swarms of cutter ants patrolling the forest floor, or trying to open a delicious coconut without the usage of any man-made tools. Surfing was also a blast, as we learned the basics of surfing, connected with the ocean and deepened our relationships with the rich sea life, as well as put all we learned into practice in the crystal-clear waters of the Pacific. When we returned, we prepared four our community walk, with one of the local tour guides showing us around the community. This walk not only helped us grasp the importance of the Costa Rican way of life and how essential community is to the people here, but the movie that we watched after the tour which went into the problems that detrimental tourism inflicts on Costa Rica helped us truly understand the parlous way in which people interact with the environment.

All in all, today was a truly enriching experience, and we all can’t wait for tomorrow!

Max

August 16

Today we had a much needed later wake up which better energized, and prepared us for the long day ahead. After breakfast we prepared for the hike and morning activity where we took tests on water sources around our town. These tests not only help us see how important sewage and plumbing in a city is, but helped us realize the impact that we have on the local water and ocean. Some of the tests were simple like smelling and seeing how contaminated it was, but also more intense accurate tests like measuring the PH levels.

After we were done with that we made our way to the main street and did some shopping. Some bought snacks and ordered drinks, while others bought meaningful attire. Once that was complete we headed back to home base and had a wonderful filling meal to prepare us for the service afterward. For the afternoon service we headed to a local school where after school programs were held. We met the kids and teachers we will be working with and also got to know the area we will be working in. Once the introductions were made, we sat down and groups and helped the kids read in English while they helped us read in Spanish. Afterward we headed to a gazebo were we played games such as lions and tigers, 4-square, and an interesting volleyball game with water balloons in which many of us got soaked. We not only better bonded with the kids but also got a great feel of the community. We all had a great time and are looking forward to working more with this community!

-Matthew

August 17

Starting off the day moving our hips left and right has to be one of the most awaking activities. It was sure fun but a energy killer. We started off our by dancing merengue, bachata, salsa, cunbia and the most important one tipico. Each dance was different in its own way, they each told their own story. Bachata told a romance, while salsa told a free flow and fast story. While for some it was new for others it took us back to our Hispanic roots. For those who the dance took back to their roots, it was great; it was once again felt like home. It was as we were in our own world and everyone else was embracing our culture. After a great morning of dancing, we continued our day by going to the Mangrove where we were able to kayak. Kayaking in the Mangrove was definitely an interesting experience. We were able to see monkeys, crabs, a snake and spiders so close which isn’t usual. We were able to interact with nature one on one, which was fun.

It was totally different than what it dealt with on a regular day basis coming from a city. Interacting with nature one on one like that gave us an understanding of how important it is to keep nature safe. If those Mangroves weren’t there we wouldn’t be able to have that experience and two it would really hurtful for a community because if a natural disaster came nothing would protect them the way the Mangroves would. So far every activity has help us understand that sometimes the value of money is nothing compared to the value of life and nature. Today was not only a day full of adventure but a day full of lessons. We were all able to enjoy ourselves and we look forward to planting mangrove trees and surfing tomorrow!

-Kassandra

August 18

Today we woke up bright and early at 6:30. We had breakfast of toast and eggs. Then we went to surf/service. It was a low tide so there were huge, rushing waves! For service, we went into the jungle and planted mangrove trees.

Near the end it started raining, and we got caught in a huge storm. It was about a five minute walk from the beach to the van, so when we reached the van, we were all soaked. We were originally planning to visit the tree nursery after surf/service, but because of the rain we changed our plans. We went to Travis & Pilar’s house to build the museum and paint the protectorss. Afterwards, we had the most relaxed time with Pilar doing yoga. It was an amazing experience that we all enjoyed!

-Karen

August 19

Today we started the day by walking through the community to the Marino Ballena National Park. There, we hiked through the jungle along the beach. We were able to see many different types of birds, crabs, howler monkeys, and a sloth.  We were also able to eat coconuts that we found along the way. The walk was not only fun with us having the opportunity to see so many animals, but we also learned a lot about the environment and culture of Costa Rica. From there we walked to the “Whale Tail” on the beach and were able to walk out to get a view of the huge “tail” made by rocks and sand. We also worked to clean up the beach by picking up any plastic we found. Next we had beach time, so most of us went swimming in the ocean.

On our way back from the park, we stopped in the community for smoothies and granizados. After our lunch, we watched videos and had a talk about life without plastics. Then, we were broken into teams and challenged to come up with changes we could implement in our own community to cut back on plastics. Our final activity of the day was going over the data we collected from our previous water quality testing and learning how to use a computer program to map this information. This also allowed us to see potential dangers to the community with contaminated water so close to the beach and ocean. Tonight we had an early dinner and reflection so that we can be ready for our 5am wake up tomorrow.

We will be taking a boat to the Osa Peninsula to go hiking so we are all excited to start our busy day tomorrow!

-Maya

August 20

Today we started the day off early by waking up at 5am and by 6 we started to head over to the beach to take a boat to the Osa Peninsula. On our hour ride to the peninsula we saw round 6-7 baby whales and their mothers and some playful dolphins. We got to the peninsula and got our hiking gear on and made our way into the forest along the trail we saw golden orb spiders, spider monkeys, white face monkeys and many other local animals we even saw a 600 year old tree.

Almost done with the hike we stopped to take a quick swim in the waterfall/creek that was off the trial. After the hike we ate a killer lunch that the tour guides cooked us. We left the peninsula and made a stop to swim for around 30mins and then our way back. On our way back we saw more whales and one baby whale was jumping in and out of the water which was rad. After the boat ride we walked back from the beach back to home base to get ready for a busy day of zip lining the next day.

-Addison

August 21

Today we began our exciting day of zip lining by waking at 6am in the morning and taking a 45 minutes ride to the Osa canopy tour.  After arriving to the Osa canopy tour we took a truck that took us to the zip-line departing spot. On our way up the mountain, we had a beautiful clear view of the horizon and began to take pictures. We reached the zip-line and began our journey. Being high up on top of the trees, with the acceleration and the high-speed combined, filled us with adrenaline.

Following the zip-line journey we wee provided with a delicious snack of fruits and the Tarzan swing, swinging us side to side and upside down. Leaving Osa canopy tour around 12pm to take a 45 minutes trip back to Baia, we had lunch and prepared for service. Our service for today was to help out at the tree nursery. At the tree nursery the group followed up in our previous work related to the tree nursery that we started a few days ago. The group was divided into three different groups. The first group had to re-soil the baby trees, the second group had to finish building shelf for the litter museum, and finally the last group took care of painting the tree protectors and the three Rs sings. Even with the rainy day we were to have an interesting game of trivia about Costa Rica.

Lastly, we ended up having dinner and looked forward to having our soccer game tomorrow with the local kids.

-AngelyA

August 22

Today I woke everybody up 30 minutes earlier than the regular wake up time, some found it useful but others were upset but I did it to get my team up early cause it was a busy day. Breakfast was at 7:30 and we enjoyed some great scrambled eggs, bread, fruits, and rice and beans. We later headed off to our first service cite at Forjando Alas helping with the new building. We were the smallest group of the summer but we put a lot of work and effort onto the work and got a lot done. It was hard and messy work in the sun but we felt accomplished by the time we were done.

We went back to home base and rinsed off and ate some magnificent lunch and headed out to our next service at the tree nursery. We all contributed to helping finish our shelf and other work. We painted and decorated the shelves but unfortunately didn’t get to finish but we did get a lot done. After that we headed out to the football field to break some ankles. When we got there we made our team and it was GLA vs. Ticos  and at the start we were getting destroyed and getting our ankles broken left and right.

After we got a hang of it we were in beast mode and managed to pull out a win against the ticos 12-10 . Those kids were bomb and fast but we managed to pull together.  After breaking ankles and getting our own broken we headed to the store and got some ice cream and refreshments. I got a 3-liter soda for module B cause we believe in family and sharing. On our way home we stopped by again to get some necklaces.  I helped our team cross the street really carefully. We managed to get home safe thanks to my responsibility. We are safe now and ready for dinner and bed.

-Jean

Last Day

Last day in Costa Rica, the long bus ride was soothing and gentle. Deep down inside I didn’t want the day to end, I didn’t want to go home but with every minute passing I realized it was inevitable. At that same moment we stop at a souvenir shop, there we got the last bit of physical memory we can get.

We saw many interesting things throughout the store, we found cool knives , machetes , Addison and Max found a cool long necklace thing it was awesome. I personally didn’t get anything I was planning on brings more than just souvenirs, I was planing on bringing my new knowledge I’ve learned and friendships I’ve made back home. We got back on the bus and and prepared for a long ride to the hotel in Alajuela. It took us till night time to arrive but when we finally did we went into our rooms and set things ready before we had to go onto an activity . At the activity we all stuck a piece of paper on our backs and we all had to write one thing about That person , it had to be done on everyone . At the end we could see what other people had to say about you and honestly it felt good knowing what people will remember you as . I took my piece of paper and planned to bring it home with me as a memory . Afterwards we had a social gathering at the boys ultimate best room and we all had a good time together as a group and sadly me being one of the students that had to be the first ones to leave the next morning I had to go to bed . But just as I was going to bed I thought about everything I’ve been through on this trip everything I’ve learned from Pilar , Travis , Emily , Wayne , Eimear , Jon and everyone else and how much we’ve all grown because of it. Some of us have learned a little more about ourselves during this trip of protecting the pacific I personally found a bit of myself here. Before I came here I talked about how I want the answer to find myself in this trip to become one with everyone and everything I will be thought. I think everyone came here with a goal and that goal had to be found and answered. Well I was like a bliss junkie chasing the ultimate truth.

When I started thinking about it I was more happy while seeking the truth and probably everyone else as well . Cause once we find the answer we risk completion. We talk about being found we talk about finding ourselves but isn’t it more fun to get lost? We are all wanderers ,aren’t we seeking ?cause we as people love open spaces there is more appeal to open spaces than beautiful small spaces . When we look at the ocean we feel a sense of reverence and awe instead of being afraid we look at it as it beckons us to the unknown to the question to the mystery . Travis personally has thought me to look at the ocean this way that the ocean is a beautiful place that we barely know yet it intrigues us day by day. But that’s what it’s all about to have a connection with such nature to protect it not just here but anywhere we go that is the state of consciousness that we wanna be at. We wanna be the traveler in search of signification when we find it its over . Cause “it’s not about the answers, it’s about the better questions.” And that’s really it this trip helped us all find ourselves weather we realized it or not we had to get lost to find ourselves . It’s only when we’re lost that we’re found and that’s how I felt throughout this trip I found a bit of who I am by protecting the pacific i am someone who deeply cares about these places . But even after this we are all still seekers still in search from years to come. I’m glad I took this trip now I know more about the truth and now I know how much I don’t know about the truth of what people are doing to our beautiful planet . The next morning I woke up early to get ready for my fight home me and Matthew were ready to go so we went downstairs to say our goodbyes. Angely and Heather were also the ones to come to the airport early like us and there we said our final goodbyes to everyone in the group.

We said goodbye to Max, Kassandra, Special K ,Karen , Addison and Jon sadly if I recall correctly Maya and Joseph weren’t there but we still adored them in spirit. At least I did. So that was it I was going back home everyone else too. And everyone here created their own story on this trip, we are a story we all gave each other meanings in our story . When I talk about meaning I mean we want our stories to have a purpose, to have a plot ,to have consummation ,to have consecration to learn from the obstacles that we slay . And I hope that when we come back we become someone who can teach and bestow the knowledge into somebody else because we are a miracle we are THE miracle and we can create other miracles around the world to bestow our knowledge and help save Mother Nature and mother ocean. I’m glad once again I went on this trip Costa Rica felt like home Costa Rica is home I hope I get to see you guys once again in the future I’m gonna miss ya .

I’ll bring the knowledge I learned here back “home” so I can make a change. Pura Vida Guys !! Until next time.

-JCS

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Well well well amigos. It seems like only yesterday we were all here in Canto de Ballena, learning all about the ocean and sustainability, as well as making great friends and memories. What a fab two weeks it was! From the very beginning you guys jumped straight in, with Jessica literally jumping straight into her very first ocean experience, amazing! You guys rocked it at surfing, Lucas and Jesse were pros out there. Everyone totally embraced all that we did, and even just sitting by the pool chatting, or jumping in and swimming in the rain after service with Julia and Brittany, was fun! Home base felt like such a busy place, and it was nice just chilling there in the evenings playing rummy, or just lying in the hammock- Connor I’m looking at you! Yazhte was also a classic- Alvin how many Yazhtes did you get?!! Insane….

All of our watersports activites were definitely amongst my favourites. The boat trip to Corcovado was a blast, and although everyone got woken up by Gordon standing over them, a fab day wa had! Module C had it tough on the way back though, as we got splashed and splashed by the other boat. I’ll never forget Kelsey getting woken up by what felt like buckets of water being thrown at us, and we couldn’t even splash them back…the injustice! I also loved the waterfall hike and going through riddles with Madeline to break up the walk, although Olivia I’m still a little salty that you tricked us into listening to your “riddle”..!:)

Bahia is still as charming as ever, and the work you guys did at service has made such an impact. The tree protectors that you made, I remember Elena, Lulu and Cammy working super hard at them, have been placed around some saplings around the soccer pitch, and look fab! The logos that Noemi and Mari helped paint look great, as does Matt’s logo for Semilla de Ballena. Team work made the dream work! The town is getting busier as the Whale festival approaches, and there are plenty more stalls to pick up some sweet purple tinted lenses (Grey, we hope you’re still rocking them!). One of my favourite memories was the stroll some of us took down to the beach that last morning, and having a quick dip in the ocean, with Abi doing some epic handstands and yoga poses as the sun rose! Isabel and Emma were straight in for a swim, and the water was so warm even though it was so early, bliss.

All in all, what a fab two weeks. We thank you guys for making it so enjoyable and easy, and for being YOU!

Besos x

Summer Blog Posts

Hola from Alajuela!

We all arrived safe and sound yesterday, with our last students arriving by 7pm last night. This session we have students from Spain, Canada and the States, and three students who flew in from another programme in Costa Rica! Some of had lunch here in a traditional Costa Rican restaurant, and others arrived just in time for a pizza dinner. Tomorrow we head down to home base in Bahia Ballena, and have time to get settled in, meet the rest of the team, get to know each other, and get excited for the fun times ahead!

Bye for now!
PTP team

July 30, 2016

We started the day off early with breakfast at 7 am. Our breakfast was our regular breakfast containing rice, beans, bread, eggs, and fresh fruit. We left home base around 8 to go do service and learn how to surf. Our instructor Travis not only taught us how to stand up on the board, but the meaning and basics of surfing, as well as why he teaches it. While one group was surfing the other group was doing a beach cleanup picking up trash. We left the marine conservation/beach around 12 for lunch, which consisted of salad, rice, and vegetables. After lunch we had some free time before our community walk with Wayne. Our walk started at 3 and we walked around town learning its history and the culture. After our walk we had dinner, which was rice with tuna and vegetables and plantain chips. Afterwards Travis showed us a video called the “Goose with the Golden Egg”, which exposed the corruption of national tourism in Costa Rica. The video gave us a perspective on how to sustain local communities in Costa Rica. After the movie we talked with Travis about how we can use our emotions to help the situation. That concluded our night and tomorrow we start our service working with the community and clean water.
Matt & Jesse

July 31, 2016

We started the day off at 8am with breakfast. Then we walked into town and met Amy and Wayne working with Geoporter, a company that uses gps to track and collect data in the community. We visited multiple grey water sites. We tested the waters Ph., temperature, smell, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and area. Afterward we said bye to Amy, half the group stayed around in town to shop and browse in local shops while the other half went back to go swimming. Then we met for lunch and continued to bond with our new friends. After free time we met again at 1:45 to go to the tree nursery to meet up with Travis for service. Service involved painting, building a surfboard bench, sawing wood, planting saplings and raking. After 3 hours of hot but enjoyable service we headed back to home base for an educational talk with Travis. He talked about the six R’s of sustainability and watched a Ted Talks on re-purposing garbage and into long lasting products. Then our group came up with many different ways we can practice the six R’s in Costa Rica. Next we had a delightful dinner and free time before we headed to reflection at 8:45. Tomorrow should be a fun filled day of dancing lessons and kayaking. Adios!

August 1, 2016

There was a nice change of pace as breakfast this morning was pancakes. We woke up for them at 7:30, and attended dance shortly after breakfast at 8:30. We danced salsa, meringue, swing, bachata, and a local Costa Rican dance. Than at 11:30 we had an early, very fast lunch and soon after entered the vans, which—an hour later—arrived at the Mangroves. We kayaked there for about two hours, and than made the long drive back. We learned about the various types of Mangroves and saw monkeys and a sloth! When coming back we had about an hour of free time, following with a delicious dinner. At 7 o’clock we had a classic Talk With Travis about water bottles and what we can do to be more efficient about our usage. Overall, today was a draining yet awesome day. Looking forward to what tomorrow has in store!
-Elena & Alvin

Day 8
We woke up at 5:00 am and had breakfast at 5:30am. We had to wait to leave due to the very heavy storm that took place at night, since the Corcovado boat tour guides were not sure if there would be storms. We got into the boats and we navigated until we got off at Corcovado. On our way there, we saw dolphins and about ten humpback whales. When we got to the beautiful island of Corcovado we met our guides and they took us around hiking. The most impressive moment of the hike is when we got to swim in the waterfall. Afterwards the waterfall we went back and we had an amazing lunch, which consisted of rice, salad, and a great variety of fresh fruit. We then rested in the base camp for around an hour. We were supposed to swim there but since a crocodile was near shore, swimming was cancelled. We then got back into the boats and made our way back to Bahia Uvita. Before getting there, we stopped near Whale Rock Island and took a swim in the open ocean. We were very lucky since we swam surrounded by whales! It was an amazing experience. We then got back to Uvita and made our way back to Hotel Canto de Ballenas. When we got there we had a talk with lovely Pilar and we then ended our day having dinner. It was a great day full of amazing new experiences.

Gordon & Naome

Day 6

It was an early and rainy morning wake up in anticipation for surfing. The morning activity was split into two groups; service and surfing. The service consisted of  planting mangrove saplings along the shores of the coast and picking up trash on the beach. We were treated with a mid-morning snack of fresh coconut and chiky cookies. The group received an excellent surfing review from the instructor. Lunch was at 1:00 at home base. Our afternoon activity was service at the tree nursery. Students created wooden guards for young trees, signs encouraging environmental responsibility, and finished painting  previously made shelves. The group all jumped in the in the pool in the rain until lightning hit.  In the pouring rain we played cards until dinner and more games including ‘what are the odds’ and more cards.  Buenos Noches!

Olivia & Gray

Day 7

At 6:30 in the morning the three modules were beginning to buzz with activity as everyone began to wake up and start the day. We had our usual breakfast and then we headed out for a walk in the Marine National Park Forest and a swim at the Whale’s Tail. On the way back, the group was allowed to stop at the local shops and purchase food and souvenirs. We then had lunch at 12 and headed out for our service activity at Forjando Alas, a center for the youth of Uvita. During our time at there, we played several games with the kids including four corners, musical chairs, sharks and minnows, soccer, and a scavenger hunt. After we said our goodbyes to the amazing kids, we headed back to home base for some much needed relaxation before dinner. We are very excited for our boat tour of Corcovado tomorrow! Adios!

Brittany & Connor

Day 9

Today we woke up at 6:30 and had a pancake breakfast at 7:00.  At 8:00 Amy from geoporter came over and we analyzed our water testing data collected on day 4. We mapped the data on laptops and we talked about how we can use this tool in our community.  We came up with many ideas including mapping where streak violence has occurred.  After that we had a service workshop with Travis where we talked about the meaning of service, we made refuse, reuse, recycle signs to give out at the whale festival and we wrote a letter to the officials explaining why the mangroves should stay protected.  At 12;00 we had a wonderful lunch at the hotel. After lunch we loaded into the taxis and drove to Forjando Alas. At Forjando Alas we were working on serveral landscaping jobs including, making a gutter down the street, building a ramp and cleaning up the property.

At 4:00 we loaded back into the taxis and headed to a local soccer field were we played an intense game of soccer with the locals: we were amazed by the skills of everyone! After an hour and a half we walked to the store and stalked up our snacks, lots of watermelons were bought! We then headed back to home base. At 7:00 we all sat around the table for dinner.  We are all getting excided for to zipline and have more new and exciting experiences tomorrow!  Hasta Mañana!

Abby & Jessica

Day 10

Waking up at 6am, we had an early start to our day. Breakfast was at 6:30  followed by a 20 minute drive to Osa Canopy for zip lining. One short and bumpy ride later we started our canopy adventure on top a mountain.  After 9 zip lines, 2 tree repels, and a Tarzan swing we took a snack break and headed home arriving just in time for lunch. Everyone thought our afternoon service would be at the local school but we ended up back at the tree nursery.  Service consisted of building and painting signs, sanding and painting iron frames to hold the boxes of baby trees and some more snacks. At 5 we went back to base and took a quick dip in the pool where we held a cannonball/belly flop contest.  Pilar joined us at the restaurant to show us informative videos about the dangers/effects of plastic and trash on our environment. We enjoyed ourselves eating tacos then spent the rest of the night playing card games and talking amongst ourselves.

Kelsey & Lulu

Day 11

We woke up at 6:30 am to have breakfast at 7:00. After breakfast we began our hike/walk to a waterfall in Uvita. We hiked to a small restaurant at the top of a waterfall. We swam in a pool at the bottom of the waterfall; jumping off rocks and sliding down a natural waterslide. After a few hours, we dried off and had delicious smoothies at the restaurant. We then began our walk downtown to a bakery and a souvenir shop. We then went to a café in the pouring rain followed by a trip to the supermarket. We arrived back at the hotel at 1:00 and enjoyed our free time until 3:00. At this time we began our cooking lesson with the hotel chefs – making empanadas. While some were cooking, others were working on projects to present to Pilar and Travis about recycling. We then had a presentation of these ideas before team bonding activities. After these activities, we ate the dinner we prepared and enjoyed the rest of the night.

Mari and Emma

Time Capsule Letter – October 2016

Hey Everyone! I cannot believe how much time has passed since you all were here with us in Costa Rica. It feels like it was only yesterday we were hugging you goodbye in the airport and drying your tears with our t-shirts *cough Becky cough*. First of all, I hope all of your school years are going well! Kelly, I hope you are enjoying your freshman year of college, and I hope the rest of you are not only living, but thriving in high school.

On behalf of everyone that you worked with in the Bahia community, I want to thank all of you for the hard work you did at your service projects. Since you have left, other groups have picked up where you left off and some major headway has been made. At Forjando Alas, the new building and outdoor area is nearly complete, with a brand new cement ramp, garden, and even a climbing wall! Over at Vivero, the Semilla de Ballena project is going really well. We have built and painted dozens of tree protectors, planted hundreds of saplings, built new compost/trash/recycling stations, painted countless signs and built 4 litter museums. We are well on our way to getting 3,000 trees planted in the next 2 years! We have also continued tracking wastewater and local water bodies with Geoporter and have been using water quality analysis to determine the health of small local tributaries and wastewater outlets. Finally, each group has written a letter of importance about the mangroves and all the letters will be submitted together.

Each and every one of you should be extremely proud of the work you accomplished here in Bahia, and I hope that none of you will forget the experiences you shared together. Just to remind you, here are some of my cherished memories from you GLA trip here:

• Watching all of you learn how to surf and stand up on the boards for the first time
• Saving (well trying to save) Elisa and Bella from the terrifying spider living in their room
• Watching Isaac beat his personal breath holding record (2 minutes and 18 seconds!)
• Alan! Alan! Al! Alan! Alan Alan Alaaannn!!
• Poulet Poulet! (which is still my ringtone…by the way)
• All of our awesome shuttle rides with the music blasting from the back seat
• 444444!!!!!
• Watching you all try to solve the human knot
• Being so proud of Audrey for facing her fear of heights on the zipline
• Watching Bailey shed tears on the zipline, only to end up having a blast
• Reading all of your I Am poems, from the first day to the last, and seeing the changes
• Diving headfirst into the breathtaking waterfall with all of you
• Watching Pol help Nitya scramble up the rocks of the waterfall so she could jump in
• Getting our only glimpse of squirrel monkeys all summer while kayaking the mangroves
• “What are the odds….”
• Seeing my first ever pod of dolphins with you (and watching Becca lose it on the boat!)
• Working our butts of at service, and seeing how much work you all accomplished
• Being able to experience everything for the first time with an amazing group

PTP, you are an incredible group of young adults and I will never forget these and the hundreds more memories I have of each and every one of you. I wish you all the best and can’t wait to see the awesome things you will all accomplish in the years ahead. Don’t be strangers!

Best Fishes,

Your Mentor Emily (and the rest of the GLA team)

Summer Blog Posts

June 26, 2016

Hey there from beautiful Costa Rica!

We have been busy getting settled into our Home Base down in beautiful Bahia Ballena, and our final student arrived today. Yesterday we had lunch and dinner in Alajuela, and chilled in the hotel, getting to know each other and getting over jet lag as some of us had long flights. We took the bus down to Bahia Ballena today, and stopped to see some crocodiles en route! Once here, we had lunch in the hotel, met the local staff, and headed on a community walk where we learned about the town and the area, saw the sights, and even saw a sloth! We had a delicious dinner in the hotel, and got settled into our rooms and got to know our roommates. Tomorrow we are surfing, and having our first service session!

Pura Vida!

– Eimear

June 27, 2016

            Today we woke up at 6:30, had a wonderful breakfast, and got ready for the day.  We left the home base and went to the beach.  We broke up into two groups, one doing a service project and the other learning how to surf.  The service project was picking up trash on the beach and nearby road to help clean the environment.  After two hours we switched groups and around 12 we left back to the home base for lunch and rest time and many people went in the pool.

            In the afternoon Travis, our local director, showed us a video about tourism in Costa Rica.  We learned about two different types of tourism, staying at an all inclusive resort and voluntourism(us).  Then we talked about the service projects we will be doing throughout our whole trip.  Before dinner we were able to take a quick walk into the local community and go to the market for snacks.  We played a quick game where you write an interesting/funny fact about yourself and then people have to guess who wrote what.  Following the game we had pasta for dinner and then had free time.  We had an awesome day!

Kelly Thompson and Bailey Puhrmann

June 28, 2016

Today we woke up to hot pancakes and fresh, locally produced, fruits. At 8:45 we took a short walk towards the beach to meet up with Amy, a community member collaborating with “Geoporter”, a service that aims for a better life for community members through collection of data. We walked around town measuring and observing pooled water that could lead to contamination issues. We were also able to engage with the community to a new level. We then headed back to home base for a refreshing swim in the pool.

In the afternoon we took a small ride down the road to meet up with Courtney, the founder of “Forjando Alas”: an afterschool program for local children. We played many exciting games and interacted with the children for a few hours and ended with a soccer match. Once we returned to home base Travis came and talked to us about the 6 R’s (Reuse, Reduce, Reproduce, Reinvent, Refuse, Recycle) and its importance. We concluded the day with a nice homemade dinner made by our wonderful family in Hotel Canto de Ballena. We had an amazing day!

–  Becky Greenberg & Pol Bernat Belenguer

June 29, 2016

Today we woke up to hot pancakes and fresh, locally produced, fruits. At 5.30 we woke up because we had to catch the bus at 6.45 to take us to the Protective Mangroves until 12.00. There we saw monkeys, spiders, sloths, grabs and bats. We got here earlier than expected and tried to go to the souvenir corner but we couldn’t because there was a storm coming. We then ate lunch at 12.00 and lunch was an hour. We had chickpea stew. After that we played games until Travis arrived where we talked about eco-conservation. We were then divided into groups where we wrote letters addressing the up coming problems of costa Rica. Then we watched a second video about the Nestle problem in Oregon. Then we tried to go again to the super market and we all bought snacks. Then we chilled an hour and played more games then had diner at 7.00. For dinner we ate sandwiches and fries. After that at 8.45 we had a reflection and went to bed.

– Saul G. Cardenas, Mario Bastianello

Day 6

Today we woke up to fresh fruit, locally produced, and farm fresh eggs. Later on, our supreme leaders explained to us, in a holy manner, today’s schedule and things to bring. We waited for the taxi which came at 7:45 and drove us to Chaman beach.
When we got there we divided in two groups one collected red mangrove seeds with the help of Canelo (Wayne’s dog) and the other group surfed, or at least they attempted.
Even though Saul had a close brush with death (joking) saving Kelly, we had a great time surfing.
We had lunch at 1 and prepared ourselves for service.
Unfortunately, it was as dry and hot as a normal day in the Sahara desert, but we had nearly the same amount of fun as when Canelo sees a crab.
When we came back we did Team Building which consisted of Helium Hoop and the human knot. After the team building we played Jeopardy, the prize was free coconuts for the winning legends.
Finally, we ate dinner and here we are, writing this masterpiece,

– Mariah Tofanelli, Alex Vives

Day 7

Today we woke up at 7:30 and left for service at Forjando Alas at 8:45. We built and dug in order to build a terrace garden. Even though we took two breaks we were all extremely tired and returned to home base in time for a quick shower and lunch before having a short free time and then having a talk about life without plastics with Pilar. We watched two short videos and had an interactive talk, and then were split into three small groups in order to make short presentations to present to the judges (AKA Pilar and the mentors).
We were given another short free time before continuing our service with Amy from Geoporter by going over the data we had earlier collected during another service project. After the GPS analysis we had an hour of free time before having a delicious dinner. And then I wrote this blog post, and will further complete it by saying that in the very near future we will have a reflection circle and then go to bed early, as we are waking up very early tomorrow to go on a boat.

Day 8

Today we woke happily at 5:00 and had a delicious meal of pancakes (with a lot of syrup) and fruit before leaving for Corcovado National Park. We got there by a rocky boat ride where we were able to see dolphins (with an epic picture taken by Alan!) and a poisonous water snake. Once we arrived we divided into two groups to go hiking. During hiking we got a glimpse of the lives of animals in their natural habitat. Some of the animals we saw included: a Sloth, Scarlett Macaws, Costa Rican Turkeys, a Red Deer, frogs, bats, Howler Monkeys and other exotic animals and plants. These creatures were difficult to spot among the never-ending web of vines and roots on the forest floor, but we were up to the challenge.
After this we returned for a lunch of sandwiches and rice and beans. As we ate lunch we enjoyed the scenic view of the ocean and Emilio the Pelican. Emilio was a total distance of two meters away from our lunch area. He gave us quite a fright when he yawned. (We thought he was attacking!) After lunch we waved goodbye to Corcovado National Park and set out to snorkel. Due to the cloudy weather we were unable to snorkel near the national park. However, we did swim off the coast of a deserted island closer to Uvita Bay. After our exciting adventure in both the rain forest and sea, we went shopping in the local market place. Our purchases ranged from traditional Costa Rican cookies to beautiful handmade wall tapestries. Our day finally ended with well-deserved rest and a satisfying meal of rice and beans.

-Irina and Audrey

Day 9

We started off the day with wake up at 5:30 a.m. followed by a fantastic breakfast. Then after breakfast we ventured to the entrance to Marino National Park, where we then walked to whale tail, where we took a swimming break. After the tide rose we had to move back towards the entrance and went swimming again in the beautiful ocean. At around 10:45 we walked back to home base and had about an hour of free time before lunch. After lunch we met up with Travis to work on the tree nursery. We spent about two hours working on tree protectors, painting compost barrels, separating spare wood, and building bases for the tree beds. It was hard work, but ended up being very fun. We walked directly from the service to a soccer game with the local players which was extremely fun. Though we did not play as el as the locals, we still had a ton of fun. After the game we walked back to home base and had another hour of free time before dinner. After dinner we played games and laughed a lot, followed by reflection circle at 8:45.It was a great day!

Maggie and Emily

Day 10

We woke up at 6 o’clock for a delicious breakfast and headed out straight out to the Osa Canopy Tour. There were a total of nine zip lines, two brides, two rope drops and one Tarzan swing. The views were absolutely breathtaking. We swung through the canopies at over 40 mph. Lots of our students were pushed out of their comfort zones and many conquered their fears. After that, we drove back to home base for a energizing lunch and some time to rest before we headed out to the tree nursery once again. We continued to work on several projects including building and painting tree protectors, building a surfboard bench, and making plant beds. We worked very hard and finished all of our amazing projects. Even though we were tired and hot, we worked hard on our projects and accomplished what we set out to do. We returned home for a restful couple of hours and a delicious and healthy dinner. The day ended with a couple of card games and our daily reflection circles. Productive days are the best types of days.

Becca and Bella

July 5, 2016
At 6 am we woke up ready to go on a long walk towards a beautiful waterfall. We spent several hours there swimming and enjoying the natural beauty of Costa Rica. Our guides of the day Alejandro and Henry showed us how to safely jump off the rocks and we also interacted with the locals who also showed up to have fun. Afterwards we walked over to a store where we purchased smoothies and souvenirs. We took a taxi back to base camp where we had fun swimming and playing games for an hour until lunch. After enjoying a wonderful meal we joined the kitchen staff to make empanadas and salads. While half of us where doing this, the rest of the group did some team building games with Emily. We took turns between performing team building exercises and cooking. At around 5:30, Emily had us watch a very interesting video about responsible consumerism. For example, in Paraguay there is an orchestra that has all of its instruments made out of garbage. A cello was made out of a chemical container and other items that are used in cooking. Once we finished watching this, Emily split us up into groups and gave us a project to come up with and present. We had to come up with an idea, whether it be a company or something we can do at home or something else but it had to be about consumer responsibility. The winner of this little competition would receive some chocolate as a prize but at the end, Emily said that everyone’s idea was equally good and that we would all receive the chocolate. Later, we had dinner which was comprised of the food that we helped prepare earlier in the day. Eating something that we worked hard to make was very gratifying and it showed us that even doing something small could go a long way in making someone’s day. Once dinner was over, we announced that the leaders of the day for tomorrow would be Isaac and Nitya. We then had our reflection circles and went to sleep, dreaming of having an amazing day tomorrow.

Alan and Thomas