6/18/2015

All students, except one who arrives later, have arrived safely and are ready for an amazing program!

6/19/2015

Equator in Ecuador!

Buenos tardes from Quito! After a good night’s sleep and a plate of huevos, our team enjoyed visiting the middle of the world. In fact, on the equator line at the Intinan Museum, our little GLA family was farther away from the center of the Earth than people on Mount Everest! We had a great day exploring shops, straddling the equator, and learning about different Ecuadorian customs. The altitude sickness didn’t keep anyone from enjoying the adventure! Adios para ahora!

-Isabella

6/20/2015

Session 2 is on the speed boat from Santa Cruz en o Isabela. 3 kids are upstairs with the captain and the rest down here. They seem exited about Galapagos and we will keep them busy with work and adventure.

Best from a warm Galapagos
Hakan

6/20/2015

After ~11 hours of travel via various modes of transportation, the group arrived safely in Isabela.

6/21/2015

Today was a very busy day; it was busy but it was amazing. To begin with, we ate an Ecuadorian breakfast. Then we started our four hour bike ride-it was challenging, but it was great seeing the views. After biking we went into the beautiful water to cool off. It was amazing to dry off with only the humid air! After, we returned home for more Ecuadorian food, where we ate and talked about our day. After, we went to do some service learning-we learned more about the Ecuadorian president, the tortoises, and how we could impact the service site. Then we learned a new way to eat fresh oranges. After all our hard work, we played soccer with the local family. It was a great experience and we learned something new!

– Jacklyn

6/22/2015

Today we woke up and ate a delicious breakfast, prepared by the local hotel. We then went to our service site and pulled plants to help clear an area for a lagoon for the tortoises. We play a fun game of soccer with some locals and we kayaked and saw some penguins, sea lions, and other types of animals. We then snorkeled and saw some sharks, fish, and more sea lions. Sea lions and very peaceful and playful animals. We went back to the hotel, freshened up and ate another amazing meal. Overall, this day was amazing!

– Mason Luebke

6/24/2015

Today the GLA crew did our service at a local school, helping them build a “living fence”. The kids were very kind and curious, they even took over for us, taking the shovels from us and digging. After we dug the holes, we planted the new plants to start the fence on its way to growing. Then we went to Campo Duro to make some marmalade, and have lunch. After that we had free time to rest up after our ten mile hike up the Sierra Negra the day before, though most of us went to the beach. Being our last night in Isabella, we changed things up and cooked for ourselves which took much longer than anticipated, as did the cleanup. Tomorrow on to San Cristobal island!

– Maya

6/29/2015

All students safe and sound back in Quito! Tomorrow is our final day of sightseeing and shopping.

6/30/2015

Today was a very exciting day for GLA, we all woke up at 4:00 in the morning to catch a flight back to Quito. (This was exhausting for most of us!) Then once we got back to our hostel we brought our bags back up to our rooms. Afterwards we ate an absolutely delicious lunch. Then to liven the group’s mood we went to the Quito market and spent an hour or so shopping for gifts, jewelry, clothes and hammocks which was an amazing experience for all! Then in groups we went to an internet café where we filled out an awesome survey in which we put our opinions on how this trip went. Then we went back to the hostel and had a scrumptious dinner. When dinner was over we had a truly memorable mentor circle. After that we went up to the terrace and hung out there for a while and ordered a humongous amount of pizza (96 $s worth!) after eating our pizza we headed to bed. This truly was an amazing trip

Signing out,

Your awestruck camper Joey

7/1/2015

All students have departed safely and are on their way home!

8/2/2015

The gang is all here!

All of the students (and their bags) arrived today without any problems! All are a little sleep deprived, having left home super early this morning or even late last night, but have been troopers. After settling into the hotel, we enjoyed a late afternoon tour of San Jose. The skies were clear today, so not only did we see things like the National Soccer Stadium, but we also got to enjoy the mountains and volcanoes in the distance. We are spending the night in San Jose and the tomorrow we are off to Los Santos and our home base!

8/3/2015

Today we woke up early and had breakfast as a group in our hotel in San Jose. Immediately after eating, we left on a two hour ride to our home base. The sky was sunny and blue so we were able to enjoy the amazing scenery. The drive was mountainous and the road was windy, but the views were unbelievable. Not far from our home base we stopped in the town of Santa Maria to tour a coffee co op. We learned a lot about picking, roasting, and classifying coffee. After the coffee tour we stopped at the bank to change money and then went to Cedrela Eco Lodge, our home away from home for the next 3 weeks. It’s really beautiful and the food is amazing! In the afternoon we had our program orientation and after dinner we continued to get to know each other. We can’t wait for our first day of service tomorrow!

8/5/2015

Waking up in new places can be scary but at the same time quite exhilarating. After starting the day off with a bang at the door for our 6am wake up call, we tiredly made our way down to a delicious and nutritious breakfast prepared hours ahead by the incredible chef. Potatoes can be pretty plain but Memo spices things up.? With full and happy bellies we loaded up the buses for the bumpy ride down to the coffee plantation in a town called San Bernardo with a population of only 50 people.
As soon as we arrived we suited up, filled up all the water bottles, and loaded the trucks with a special fertilizer mix that we made the previous day called bocachi. After the last bag was loaded on to the truck, we walked over to the coffee plantation where we worked in the blazing sun for what seemed like countless hours. Finally it was time for lunch, which was prepared by the local women of San Bernardo.
As we are always on the move, we then ventured off to Santa Maria where we met with our wonderful Spanish teachers to practice our Spanish within the town and participate in games such as local vocab and scavenger hunts.
We then came home after a truly exhausting day to another fabulous meal made by chef Memo. After dinner we had group activity time where we played some challenging games that really required a lot of teamwork.
All in all the day had been very productive and left us all with a feeling of accomplishment that would sure last us through the weeks ahead.

– Olivia Wilk & Jhunie Tongohan

8/6/2015

With an extra 30 minutes of sleep, everyone woke up with smiles on their faces and enthusiasm in their hearts. We headed down at 7 AM to a delicious breakfast in order to get pumped and energized for the day ahead. Proceeding our breakfast was our Bus, which arrived at 8 and headed towards the Volcano; Irazu. The long three hour bus ride was filled with laughter, as the group played a game called “Contact”. When arriving at Irazu, we were greeted by an amazing and vast scenery. The view was breathtaking, not only because we were at a substantially high altitude, but because the atmosphere and weather conditions gave it a “heavenly” vibe.
Afterwards, we had another amazing meal at a restaurant with nearly all the group members ordering a Costa Rican style hamburger. To keep things interesting, we decided to play some more “Contact” during the meal. After lunch, we went to the Basilica of the Church of Los Santos, exploring the Church and learning about it’s Holy artifacts. Inside, the Sun penetrated through the glass windows and reflected beautifully on the gold accent of the church; revealing and amplifying its detailed and illustrious European architecture. Finishing our expedition throughout the Church, we hopped back into the bus to go to our final destination; the Hotel. Thankfully, the Hotel provided Wi-Fi which allowed everyone to keep in contact with family members and enjoy the day for what it was mean to be: a day off.

-Maya & Alejandro

8/7/2015

It was evident that today would be a fun filled adventure when we were armed with the knowledge of our upcoming RAFTING TRIP in ‘Rio Pacuare’, which is why when we found out that we were getting an extra 30 minutes of sleep it was an undeniable gift. The day began at 7am when we woke everyone up often using creative measures such as blasting music while jumping up and down in peoples room to get everyone pumped for the day ahead. When we walked onto the deck of the cabin we stayed in, we had no choice but to absorb the view, which accompanied by the visible floating mist and picturesque Costa Rican mountains was truly a remarkable sight. However we had 30 minutes to get ready as breakfast was at 7:30 and were forced to gravitate back towards our rooms.

With Memo as a chef we had become very accustomed to incredibly delicious food which is why when we discovered it was pancakes (and an assortment of other breakfast foods including ‘gallo pinto’) no one could help but have a smile plastered to their faces as the food was almost as satisfying as Memo’s – It was a great way to kickstart the day. With last minute preparations of packing up our things from our hotel rooms we were off without a hitch around 9am as we piled onto two separate buses. We entertained ourselves with our new favourite game called ‘Contact’ which we learnt from Ariel a member of the GLA staff(huge shoutout to her as a day can’t go by without as playing it.) We arrived at ‘Rio Pacuare’ which is known as the 5th most beautiful river after a 45 minute bus journey.

Before we were off on the river we were kitted with life jackets and helmets also making sure not to forget our water bottles to keep us hydrated. We teamed up in 3 separate rafts made up of 6 people and our instructor. Then we were given some quick instructions and then we were all off down the river. We were initially told the river was a Class 4 rapid which is very challenging to raft through, equipped with big holes on the left side and big rocks, so you had to be very careful not to fall in. While we rafted down the river it was integral that we were in sync. Most people did so by counting they’re strokes while others chose to sing classic songs like ‘Row your boat’ and Beyonce’s ‘flawless’ replacing key words with the words ‘raft’ instead. These creative alternatives kept up moral as we travelled down the Rapids.

Half way through we stopped for a fabulous lunch of burritos prepared by our wonderful guides. This gave us time to reflect on the picturesque scenes filled with waterfalls, exotic butterflies and birds. During our break we entertained ourselves by feeding leftovers to the eels in the river which fascinated us to no end – some people love to watch TV but instead we love to watch the eels surface from the river and hustle for the grub.

Afterwards we were off again gliding down the river and swerving over the tipsy turvy waves. Navigating the river took a lot of teamwork so when Carla and Ben fell out the raft we all kicked into action to make sure that they were safe and sound. Our rafting experience was definitely one for the books. Sadly all the fun had to come to an end so before our adventure came to a close we all jumped, flipped and tumbled into the river for one final float, soaking up our last minutes in the breathtaking ‘Rio Pacuare.’

The rafting took a lot out of us so after showering and changing out of our wet clothes we pit stopped at the hotel and then we were on our way back to the home base. During our 3 hour journey we snacked on ‘Canastas,’ slept and reflected about our wonderful day. Once we got back to the home base we enjoyed a wonderful dinner of prepared by Memo. We were so knocked out by the rafting that we were eager to get some rest.

We can’t wait to see what else Costa Rica has in store for us.

Andre and Shekinah

8/8/2015

Day 6 of our awesome Costa Rica Adventure: As Leaders of the Day we had to wake up all of the other campers. With waking up at 6 plus finishing our first excursion everyone was very drowsy this morning. Breakfast wasn’t as bubbly as usual, but we did manage to squeeze everybody into one long “dining” table type situation. We ate Memo’s amazing Pancakes with a topping bar style for whatever you wanted on top. We loaded onto the bus and headed to San Bernardo. We got to San Bernardo and immediately smelled the manure. Who doesn’t love that smell at 8 am? We mixed, separated, and shoveled all of the Bocachi. We then all met Cristofer, one of the cutest kids ever. We taught him how to Whip, Nae Nae (all popular dance moves), and the phrase Bae (it means Novio/Novia{boyfriend/girlfriend} – that is how we explained it to him). When you weren’t mixing manure you were playing pass with Cristofer. We loaded up the van and headed to the Community Hall where we ate fruit and played with Cristofer. I think all of us could agree Cristofer made mixing 7 kinds of poop together fun. After service we headed back to the Community Hall for an amazing authentic homemade dish by the Local Women. We headed back to the Home Base and on the way then we got “blessed” by rain, as David says. As leaders of the day, we got the decision of either having Free Time before Spanish or after Spanish. But smelling like manure and sweating like a dog, we didn’t want to be in a 3 hour Spanish class smelling like that. Spanish class went and we got to say our Good Byes to Esperanza : one of the 3 cutest dogs ever, who came to the Home Base as a stray and was adopted by loving family. After Spanish, we had mentor groups and dinner. Since we did not have Mentor Groups the last 3 days, we had so many High’s & Low’s to go through that all we did was say our high and lows. After dinner, we had an exciting yet very short game of Hear no Evil, Speak no evil, See no evil. The game was really short we had an hour and 10 minutes until we had to be in our cabins. Soooo, we decided to play Stupid Ninja a fast fun memory game that includes a lot of movement with sound effects. We then finished off the night with Sleep!!!!

Written By
Liam Barberi & Carla Velasquez

8/9/2015

This morning we woke up almost bittersweet, bitter having it be freezing cold but at the same time excited to be in Los Santos! We had breakfast, then took our usual 45 minute drive to the work cite.

Once we got to San Bernardo, we all suited up with sunscreen, bug spray, and of course our water bottles! After getting ready to work we divided into two groups, one group would go with Edurardo to fertilize coffee plants while another group went with Nacho and David to mixed the Bocachi.

Group 1: Sari, Liam, Maya, Carla, Alex, Andre and Kaylyn. All of us followed Eduardo to finish up the original coffee plantation we went to previously. We worked amazingly as a group, we even got done early! We got to move to a new area of the coffee plantation so we could get even more work done.

Group 2: Mason, Shekinah, Olivia, Jhunie, Ben, Alejandro, and Meghan. Today we helped the local community and finished making bokachi for the coffee plantation. We listened to music and finished it in about in 1 hour. Some of the community members showed us puppies and we then went to their house to see the rest of the litter. When our group was just about to leave Nacho( community member) showed us a hedgehog and we all had fun holding it and taking pictures of the hedgehog. We then drove back to the community hall to take a break and to continue our service.

After both groups finished their 1st project, we had a yummy snack of juice, pineapple, watermelon, and bananas. Next we had part 2 of service!
Part 2 consisted of shoveling, mixing, and pouring cement to expand their sidewalk! To do this we divided back up into the two groups and each group made 3 batches of cement. Working together with the people of San Bernardo made it go so much faster.

Right before lunch we got to play with these 3 beautiful puppies and this one adorable hedgehog. They were all so cute and so much fun to play with.
We had our amazing lunch of rice, salad, a few tortilla chips, and soup. The best part of lunch is that we got to sit and talk with some of the people who we have been working with. Our Spanish class was also incorporated into lunch, having us talk to and ask questions to those community members.

After lunch our Spanish class continued to more of a cultural side and we played fútbol with the people we had just gotten to know better. It had just poured rain so there were puddles, so many people were spilling and falling everywhere. But overall everyone had an amazing time, maybe a little muddy and dirty, but fun.
Next we had the 45 minute drive back to home base, most people fell asleep in the van on the way home cause they were so exhausted from our exciting and active morning. When we got back we had some free time to shower and get ready for mentor groups.

After mentor groups we had dinner, which was Costa Rican twisted hamburgers and homemade fries…AMAZING! Our last event of the night was a group activity. We played a game that was one person seeing the picture, then describing it to the next person who couldn’t see the picture. That person would tell the last one who would have to draw it. It was a challenging but exciting activity! After group activity we all were relived to go to sleep. Passing out almost instantaneously.

-Sari Brown and Mason Luebke

8/10/2015

We started off our day with a breakfast of rice, beans, cheese omelets, and sausage strips. It was delicious, as usual. Once we had arrived in San Bernardo, the site of our daily service, the group was divided into two smaller groups for the first half of the morning. One group of the volunteers mixed a large pile of bocachi, a combination of different manures used to fertilize coffee plants in an environmentally-friendly manner. To do so, they split the large pile into two smaller piles and then combined those piles to form one, in order to blend different manures. The other group continued work on a side walk between San Berbardo’s school and community hall. They first had to use shovels and pick axes to dig out a path for the sidewalk.

After a short snack around 10am, we paused our work to discuss different forms of community development. We split into two teams, one which represented a resort development that wanted to build a 5 star hotel in San Bernardo and another which represented the citizens of San Bernardo. The hotel developer attempted to convince the citizens to allow a luxury resort to be built in their town. The activity demonstrated that some forms of community development can harm local communities.

Then the two groups merged to mix more cement and then poured that cement into the trench we created earlier. We finished most of the sidewalk today, and expect to finish it all tomorrow. After a lunch prepared by some of the women of San Bernardo, we headed back to our Home Base for Spanish class.

Today, we learned about various forms of dance in the Spanish-speaking world. We also played a game in which we had to listen to a song and identify the corresponding type of dance to that song. Our classes ended early, around 4pm to make room for an hour long class of Zumba, a combination of different types of dance. A professional Zumba instructor led the class. The hour was really intense, as we took no breaks in between songs, but we managed to keep our energy high throughout the entire session.

The evening schedule continued in a standard fashion afterward. We split up into discussion groups from 5:30-6:30 and then ate a delicious dinner of rice and chicken. Our evening activity focused on building trust among the group. Specifically, people in the group paired up together and one person in each pair closed their eyes and was led around the room by a partner. Then each pair switched positions, so that the person who acted as the leader before closed their eyes and was guided by a partner. Afterward, we discussed how the activity had forced us to trust our partners guide us safely and prevent us from hitting an obstacle or another person.

-Ben and Alex

8/11/2015

The day started off the same at 6 in the morning and had amazing breakfast as usual. We went to work and split up into two different groups. Half of us finished making the sidewalk and the other half shoveled and mixed the  bochache. After three days of fermenting the bocachi developed a thick steamy odor that attached to all clothes. After service  we drove to town and were treated with a free coffee from Coopedota. Then walked around town and ran errands. After a long day we drove back to the home base and had a good night sleep (after dinner and a dance battle.)

-Maya and Andre

8/12/2015

Today was a day filled with mixed emotions as it would be our last day working with the beloved community of San Bernado. We had gotten attached and were feeling very nostalgic during our final bus ride there, however we were also harbouring an intense desire to work our very hardest and best in order to leave on a high note.

The day started off with the normal routine of a 6:00 am wake up call with breakfast at 6:30 am, however days in Costa Rica are always far from ordinary, especially when they are kickstarted with Memos incredible food.

When we arrived at the work site we lathered ourselves up with sun screen and insect repellant and proceeded to get into two groups. Group 1 consisted of Olivia, Mason, Shekinah, Ben, Carla and Alex who worked on the Bokachi mix. We swiftly finished our work with the Bokachi with help from Javier and Nacho two members of the community. Group 2 consisted of Maya, Liam, Alejandro, Andre, Sari and Jhunie who mixed cement to complete the pavement and aid the natural barriers. After both groups finished their work we reenergised with a fruity snack of mango, watermelon and pineapples and proceeded to paint.

Unfortunately painting the tires which served as natural barriers from the animals was out final task in San Bernado and the time had come for us to bid the community goodbye. We enjoyed our final meal prepared by the local women in the community savouring the delicious taste of the cooking. After we had eaten our fill we gathered our belongings and proceeded with the ‘despedirse’ which is Spanish for goodbye. It was very emotional and bittersweet as we were extremely proud of all the work we had done and excited for all the memories we made, but were still very sad to leave. Especially after all the kind words we exchanged about our mutual appreciation.

Alas, we all loaded onto the truck to return to Cedrela out home base. When we got back we had a talk with our instructor David. We reflected in the importance of the work we were doing with the community and the prospect of continuing it. Afterwards we had free time for 1h 30m where we chilled, showered and played games.

At 4:30 we all gathered in the dining room for a group activity. We then proceeded to watch a TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi-Adiche a famous Nigerian novelist entitled ‘The Danger of A Single Story.’ It was a moving and enlightening talk about the how fatal stereotypes can be as when you “show people as one thing over and over again and that’s what they become.” It was very insightful in light of the trip and was a source of motivation as we were half way through. After the talk we shared stereotypes that we had all faced causing us to try to be more open minded, as we are all guilty and have been victims of a single story.

Promptly after our activity, we had a quick mentor session where we shared our highs and lows of the day. After that we settled down for dinner consisting of an exquisitely made pasta dish. At 7:30pm we had another group activity where we played a very intense game of musical chairs, it was a wonderful throwback to a fondly played childhood game. Although it was tough, Sari was victorious gaining a mixture of ‘woo’s’ and a lot of applause. Musical chairs was a huge amount of fun and wonderful way to end the day. After the announcement of Olivia and Jhunie as our new leaders of the day we all piled into our rooms to pack our bags. We could barely contain our excitement with the news of our 2 day beach trip the next day!

8/13/2015

Today was the day we finally got to go to the beach! After we filled our bellies with a delicious apple pie made by the incredibly talented Memo, we loaded the vans and were off to the beautiful national park and beach of Manuel Antonio. The first part of the 4 hour trip was a 45 minute bus ride to a pick up location where trucks with seats in the bed covered by a tarp were waiting to take us on a safari like adventure down the mountain and through the jungle. The views were breathtaking and the whole ride had all of us bouncing up and down on the edges of our seats to see what was around the next bend. The remaining half hour or so was spent in a hot and crowded van that was not as scenic as the open air trucks but still was a great view of the beach! We finally arrived at Manuel Antonio National Park and began to venture through the park.
As we were making our way to the beach, we saw monkeys, sloths, crabs, snakes, grasshoppers, and raccoons all around the national park. After the walk everybody enjoyed the day on the beach where we spent our time in the warm waters of Manuel Antonio. The views were absolutely stunning.
Afterwards we went to our hotel, Hotel Diuwak, were we all had free time to go around the stores to buy souvenirs. Lastly we had dinner at a restaurant that was conveniently 1 block away from the hotel. Everybody had a great dinner except for one unfortunate person who had sent back their food 4 times because the order kept getting messed up, but we laughed every time. After dinner a few people started doing the cup song which entertained everybody and eventually others joined in and the whole table was singing! After our entourage of banging, clapping, and singing we had to run all the way back to our hotel in the pouring rain! Freshly soaked from the down pour, we all retreated to our rooms for a much needed good nights rest.

-Olivia Wilk and Jhunie Tongohan

8/14/2015

Today in our 25°C rooms we woke up at whatever time we wanted except we had to be down at the breakfast table at 8 in the hotel. We ate an amazing Buffett breakfast and then headed over to the Surf Lessons located in the hotel. We put on rash guards grabbed boards and walked over to the beach. We got an intro into surfing and then actually got to surf. The water was very rough and slushy.
We all caught a few nice waves and that was fun. We stopped for pineapple, bananas, and water. After the break many people went surfing others swam or sat on the beach. We all walked back to the hotel, showered, and went shopping in the little town near the hotel. We bought gifts for family and friends. We all got back to the hotel at 1, to hop into the buses and drive to a really cool lunch spot where you could go into a plane and walk around that had no chairs or aisles or anything. We ate lunch and got back into our vans. 2 groups, Group 1 was Liam, Maya, Mason, Alex, Carla, and Shekinah. Group 2 was Sari, Olivia, Jhunie, Andre, Ben and Alejandro. We drove back to Cedrela and some of us made friendship bracelets, some played chess and others wrote this blog (Liam & Sari?). Dinner was very eventful at one table participating in a “How high can u lift your leg up” Contest. After dinner we didn’t have a group activity so we went to sleep early. ‘Twas a good day!

-Sari and Liam

8/15/2015

The day began promptly at 6am when we woke everyone up for breakfast at 6:30. It was a bit of a struggle because we had just returned from a very memorable & active trip to the beach. Everyone was tired and their energy was clearly drained. This exhaustion could not stop us though. We had a full day ahead of us! IT WAS A SERVICE DAY! We were starting our service in the town of Zapotal & we did not want to leave a bad first impression. As the leaders of the day, we felt obligated to bring the energy of the group up. I wish I could tell you how we managed to do so, but we did. The ladies of the community greeted us with a beautiful dance that definetly helped with our energy. After the dance, we jumped straight into eco brick making. WOOHOO. We listened to the mixtape the people of the community put together for us as we pounded pounds of recycled plastic into plastic bottles. This interesting activity was followed by an AMAZING lunch with the members of the community. After lunch, we headed back to Cedrela for spanish class. In spanish class we rehearsed for our final projects. We wrapped up the day with Dinner & group activities. Overall, it was an amazing day spent beautifully with beautiful people☺️

– Carla Velasquez & Benjamin Schulman

8/16/2015

Today was our second day of service in the community of Zapotal. We ate breakfast and then boarded the bus to the town. We then split into two groups. One group continued to make Eco-bricks, plastic bottles stuffed completely with flexible plastic. Another group mixed cement, which it then used to fill part of a sidewalk in the center of Zapotal.
After another delicious lunch prepared by the women of Zapotal, we headed to our Spanish lesson. Today’s class was a cooking class, and we prepared dish for dinner. We first visited a fish farm near our home base, and each student caught his or her own fish in a small pond. Back at home base, we first reviewed Spanish vocabulary for various objects and actions associated with the kitchen. Then, each one of us had the opportunity to gut a fish! Although some of us were nervous beforehand, we all were brave enough to participate in this part of the dinner preparation (with the help of our Spanish teachers, of course).
We had a bit of time to shower and relax before we headed back to the kitchen to cook our dinner. We once again split up into multiple groups, each with different responsibilities. One group breaded and fried the fish. Another fried plantains, and the third mixed a fruit salad. We also danced to Spanish music along the way. By the time dinner was ready to be served, at 6:30, we were all really hungry. And the dinner was great!
We finished the day with our usual mentor groups after dinner, in which we touched on the various high and low points of the day’s events. Finally, we drank hot chocolate together around 8:30, and the tasty treat definitely ended the day on a high note.

– Alex and Mason

8/17/2015

To begin our day of service, we all had to get everyone ready to go for breakfast, made by the one and only Memo. We had rice, sausage, eggs & toast which was incredible per usual. Then we headed to zapotal to begin our work. Before working on the eco-bricks, the whole group hiked down to see the spring water which took the whole groups effort. During the hike David explained the importance of water. He discussed that consuming water in many places including india can be very difficult. We all had the chance to enjoy the spring water by using it to wash our faces and fill up our water bottles. Soon afterwards we headed back up the hill to start our service. The whole group struggled going up the steep hills back to the top. Getting to the top was an extremely difficult task for some. The purpose of the hike was supposedly to explain the difficulty of other countries around the world who are struggling to get water for their needs. A few students made it back and a few had to be picked up by a vehicle. Sari had to go to the clinic to get her ankle checked, which gladly was only sprained. During that time the group was working on making eco-bricks for an hour and 10 minutes. After service we had a delicious lunch made by the ladies in Zaputal. We headed back to home base where we had to prepare for our Spanish project. Both Spanish groups were making their projects as perfect as possible before performing. We showed our skills and knowledge about the Spanish language and the Costa Rican culture. Everybody’s acting and dancing skills were all on point. Lastly the Spanish teachers Lindsay and Benecio gave us our diplomas one by one as proof that we have graduated. In addition we received a white bucket hat as a graduation present. After a long day of hiking and work we had another amazing meal and finished our day off with a group activity. By the end of the activity we headed up to our cabins and got in our comfy beds for a good night sleep.

– Maya and Jhunie

8/18/2015

We started off the day with Memo’s amazing pancakes, back by popular demand. Next was everyone sprinting to the van in order to get to Zaputal. When we got there we spilt up into two groups, Andre’s group which was going to be working on cementing a sidewalk and Sari’s group which worked on making more Eco-bricks. Both groups went there ways but meet back up and 10am for snack. Today snack was watermelon and isboros. After snack it was the final pull to make 180 Eco-bricks. We only needed about 25 more, with everyone’s hard work we were able to finish making 25 with time to spare and meet out goal in order to build the bench before lunch. Building the bench was defiantly one the most rewarding service projects. Using all the Eco-bricks that took us hours to make, and then getting to paint them was so much fun. We had our yummy lunch made, of course, by the amazing moms. Next came the saddest part of our day, saying goodbye to all the amazing people of Zaputal. After everyone finished there goodbyes we jumped back into the van and headed back home. But not before a quick stop in San Marcos. Once we got back to home base, we had some free time to shower and practice some more for Talent Show. We had an early dinner of tacos with beef and cheese in a crispy tortilla, so amazing. After dinner was Talent Show setup, helping move tables and last minute practices. Sari and Andre welcomed our guests. Once all of our guests had arrived, it was time to start off the show! Andre was our MC along with Alejandro, who helped with translating. To start us off Liam, Jhunie, Maya, and Sari got the ball rolling with a dance to “hard knock life.” We had about 14 acts including, solo dance, scene reenactments, bird calls, reverse strip tease, and a monologue. Also acts from our guests such as an awesome dance party! Before everyone left we had a yummy dessert of a piece of pancake, ice cream, and strawberry jam. Next came the not so fun part of saying goodbye and cleaning up. After clean up everyone headed up to bed after a long exhausting day.

– Sari and Andre

8/19/2015

We started out the day by waking up an hour later than usual, at 7:00. It’s amazing what an extra hour of sleep can do for you, and we all started off the day a lot more energised. We then ate a delicious breakfast at 7:30 and then piled onto our beloved green communities van, driven by David aka the worlds best DJ. Then we were off to try and catch a glimpse of the beautiful Quetzals; famous for their beautifully vivid green and blue feathers.

After we had located out guide who would help us locate the Quetzals we were off on a hike through the beautiful mountains where the migrating Quetzals had briefly stopped. The views that followed where magnificent and breathtaking, never failing to disappoint. We occasionally stopped to take a few pictures or in Olivia’s case gathered materials for her beautiful flower crowns. After about 15 minutes we paused and waited for our guide to give us the signal that he had found the exact locations of either a male or female counterpart.

We had to be very quiet as we walked as the birds are heavily sensitive to sound and could flee at a moments notice. It is also a well known fact that if you saw both a male and female Quetzal you would be blessed for life. After hiking for a few minutes, we stopped in the middle of the forest in order to observe quetzals. Our guide set up a telescope and we each looked through to see the birds, which otherwise were difficult to see. We saw two birds, both male, and they had really beautiful and colorful plumage. We took pictures to save the memory.

We then hiked back to our van and drove to another part of the forest, in order to possibly find more Quetzals. We hiked on a circular trail for around forty minutes, and although we did not find any more quetzals, we did observe some hummingbirds and more beautiful views of the Costa Rica landscape. We ended up at a local restaurant, where we ate a lunch of rice, beans, and meat. The restaurant’s wifi also allowed us to briefly catch up with our friends and family.
We then drove back to our home base for a discussion with David of Green Communities. We first watched a video about the negative impact of resource extraction and the production of consumer goods on the environment and local communities, and then discussed how our service on coffee farms helped to reverse this trend and grow crops in a sustainable manner. The discussion made us realise the importance of our trip in protecting the environment and influencing others to do the same.
We then had some time to shower and rest. At 4:30, we met up to make cards for the staff of our home base and David expressing our gratitude for their help. Groups of a few students used poster paper to make large, colorful cards, and one group made a t-shirt for David.
We ate another delicious dinner at 6:00. Then, in our mentor groups, we wrote compliments and short letters for each of the other members of our group. We will be reading the letters written to us tomorrow, which will certainly demonstrate everyone’s appreciation for one another.
We ended the day with our group activity, in which we each answered short questions about our experience in Costa Rica. The purpose of the activity was to both recognise the most memorable and important aspects of our experience and to prepare responses to questions from friends and family about our trip. It definitely made us realise how meaningful this trip has been to all of us.

– Shekinah and Alex

8/20/2015

The day began at 6:15am when everyone was awoken for breakfast at 6:45am. The energy was initially high as a mountain because everyone was so excited for the day ahead of us. What day was today? You may ask. It was EXTREME FOREST ADVENTURE PARK day! We headed over to Providencia for a day full of intense fun! We were split into two groups and on we went. We climbed century old trees, ziplined etc. This was all summed up by an amazing lunch from a local restaurant. Post-Lunch, we did the best thing to do after a full day of swinging from trees. JUMP OFF A CLIFF! We jumped off of a 20 foot cliff into a beautiful nearby river. Everyone was a bit hesitant at first but quickly gave in and enjoyed themselves. This was a very unforgettable day spent in an amazing way.

– Carla Velasquez & Mason Luebke

Sorry for the delay on our first post! There were a lot of delays and flight changes. Nonetheless, we are here and ready to work.

8/4/2015

Wake up was at 6:45 with a 7 o’clock breakfast. Breakfast was bacon, eggs, and toast. After that we broke up into two groups. The first group went to cement the road, and with their hard work they broke a service record for most road paved in one day. The second group went to mix a fertilizer known as bukashi. They were able to finish mixing it so quickly that had to move to a new job that consisted of making Eco-bricks. After both groups had finished they met for lunch in town. Lunch today was pasta with with an assortment of veggies and this really awesome strawberry jello. After that we returned to our tents for 2 hours of free time. We then broke off in to too groups for leadership and team building activities. Jonathan then engaged us in a very interesting discussion regarding Eco/local tourism and how it benefits the community. After that we ate dinner and returned to our tents ending another fantastic day in Costa Rica.

– Written by Ben and Jasmin

8/5/2015

Today in Providencia we headed out on our overnight beach excursion. After an early wake up call, we were ready for our 5 hour journey to Dominical, a cozy beach town located on the pacific coast. On the way, we stopped at a local restaurant where we were able to swim while we dined. After arriving in Dominical, we spent the afternoon shopping, going to the beach, and swimming at the pool. Our eventful day was brought to an end by dinner at a beachfront restaurant accompanied by rounds of pool as a thunderstorm brewed During our free time after dinner we enjoyed each other’s company and took advantage of a chance to strengthen our friendships.

Written by Zayn and Rebecca

8/6/2015

It was one of the funnest days of the trip so far. We started with breakfast at the hotel, complete with birthday cake in celebration of Anna’s 18th birthday. Then we had a little bit of free time for last minute shopping before we headed to the beach for surfing lessons. After practicing on land to get the hang of it, everyone went surfing in the water and had a great time trying to catch some waves with the instructors. We ate lunch on the bus and headed to Manuel Antonio National Park to see many of Costa Rica’s native wildlife. The tour was amazing because we had guides that pointed out all the animals and we were able to see them through a telescope. After the tour was over, we got in the water in the private beach of the national park. Then we began our five hour journey back to Providencia on the bus and we got back at 10 o clock to eat a late dinner of chicken soup. Everyone was so tired but we all had a great time and loved seeing the rest of Costa Rica!

Written by Anna and Eliza

8/8/2015

Today was a day full of activities. We started off with a filling breakfast of grilled cheese sandwiches. Next, we walked up a small hill to Flora and Francisco’s farm and watched oxen turn sugar cane into liquid sugar which Francisco then turned into sugar cane water. Then, the thirty of us split into two groups, one continuing the work on cementing the road, and the other going into the reserve to clear trails. This is an important job because the path will allow scientists to come and observe the wildlife.

After lunch, we had a fun and competitive soccer game with the Ticos. Then we met up in our Spanish classes and practiced our final presentations for the graduation. And to wrap up the fantastic day, we had a fun barbecue with the community at Juan’s restaurant. We had a great time eating delicious food and dancing to amazing music. We went to bed tired but excited for a new day.

Written by Kelly and Anna

 

7/10/2015

The gang’s all here!  And everyone arrived in time to wish Lexi a very Happy Birthday!

After spending last night in San Jose, we left at 8am this morning on our scenic drive to Los Santos. Our first stop was a coffee coop where we learned all about the process of transforming coffee from plant to beverage. We even learned how the experts taste and classify coffee.

Then we were off to our beautiful home away from home, Cedrela Eco Lodge, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch, had orientation, and got to know each other. Tomorrow is our first day of service and our wake up call is 6am! Time to get some sleep!

7/11/2015

Today a day of firsts. It was our first morning waking up in our home away from home, Cedrela. It was our first day of community service, which took place in the town of San Pedro. When we first arrived there this morning, David facilitated a discussion on sustainable development. Then we all went to the coffee farm of one of the community members. There we worked to support his efforts in switching his farm from traditional to organic in order to avoid the health problems and environmental damage associated with using chemicals on plants. Hopefully other members of the community will follow his lead! Before lunch, the children of the community welcomed us with a traditional dance and even pulled us up at the end to participate. Then we enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by the moms of the community. When we returned to Cedrela, we had our first Spanish class. We enjoyed some free time before dinner and a group activity afterwards.

7/12/2015

Just beginning to fall into a routine, we rose today at 6:00 and were greeted to oversized cinnamon pancakes and an array of fresh, homemade fruit jellies for breakfast at 6:30. Memo, our cook, is truly fantastic and each meal is something to look forward to and always both a surprise and a delight. He has a unique way of representing traditional Costa Rican cuisine while also elevating it and working in flavors and textures familiar to our American palates.

With breakfast finished, we all scrambled to make it to the bus by 7:15, and proceeded to drive through the steep, lush, and scenic Costa Rican mountains to the village of San Pedro. Once in San Pedro we divided into two groups, with an emphasis on maximizing the diversity of genders and ages in both groups. One group, led by Lorenzo, went to plant new coffee plants and finish digging aqueducts, and the other group, led by Alyssa (is this spelled right? Sorry if it isn’t) mixed and spread vocache. Each of these projects took place on separate ecological coffee farms.

In Alyssa’s group, everyone was thoroughly engaged in mixing “Bukashi.” Bukashi is a mixture of horse, chicken, and other animal feces. Included in the mix, is dried parchment from the outside of coffee beans. The word Bukashi derived from Japan. First, the Bukashi was seperated from a big pile, to the sides. Next, we would put the feces and parchment in the middle and mix it again by moving the Bukashi to the opposite sides and then back into the middle. After, the Bukashi was mixed, we put it into sacks that was then loaded to the truck. A local drove us to drop them off into the woods and we got to ride in the back of a pick up truck.
In Lorenzo’s group we began the workaday by trekking down an unpaved windy road to reach the first coffee farm. On the terraced farm there were sticks marking the places to dig holes for the new plants. The soil was a rich red brown color, meaning that it is nutrient depleted, but it was wonderful to work with. We worked quickly and soon were ready to begin planting. There were about 40 baby coffee plants, with their roots wrapped up in black plastic, and we began carrying them over to Arturo, our expert and entertainer, to have them cut open. After a few plants had been planted we began naming each new plant, and every opening became something of a birthing ceremony. We had Jorge Ramos Juan Carlos, Arturo, Arturotito, Guillermo de Los Caballos, Benito, Karen, Molly, Shirley Temple, and many others.

With the plating done, we walked further into the Costa Rican countryside to continue digging aqueducts on on a farm we had worked on yesterday. Everyone worked vigilantly and merrily and much got done. We took a break to have a refreshing snack of mango and papaya, provided by the local moms. By 11 PM work for the day came to a close and we walked back to the community center to eat a delicious lunch of gallo pinto, squash, and beef stew provided again by the locals. Today we were able to actually eat with them at the same table as us, and had the chance to both practice our Spanish and thoroughly thank them for the hospitality and generosity.

At 2:00, back at home base, we began our daily Spanish classes. The theme of the day was music and dance, and we learned about the various music/dance styles of Latin America. Even better, we then got to practice them, and we later treated to an exhilarating, exhausting Zumba class.

We finished the day with a some sort of scrumptious lasagne fusion dish and a trust building activity in which we guided each other through various tasks, blind. Overall today was a day of bonding, helping, learning, enjoying, and laughing. We can’t wait for what surprises will come next.

By Lorenzo and Alyssa
Leaders of the day

7/13/2015

The day started off with a huge gift- thirty more minutes of sleep! Immediately, there was an eager buzz in the air. We were going to being our trek to Guayabo Lodge, stopping at Volcano Irazu and Cartago on the way. To fuel us for this incredible adventure, Memo(the amazingly talented chef at the home base) cooked us a pancake breakfast with assorted fruits and syrups. As Lexi, one of our fellow travelers, says, ”It was muy delicioso.” After breakfast, we loaded our overnight bags and full stomachs into the van.

We took off, blasting Pitbull and shouting “Hola!” to every person we saw out the windows. About half way through our three hour bus ride, our unbelievably tolerant bus driver, named Mario, slowed the bus down and advised that we all had to get out. We pulled over and everyone was welcomed by cool air and a jaw-dropping view. Mountains created the landscape for farms to spread across and clouds to roll over. We played in the fields, throwing rocks and lying in the grass. Manuel, a GLA mentor, called us over and told us that the reason we got out was because a tire had popped. He also said that the only way only solution was entailed all of us lifting the bus. We followed his directions and the car didn’t budge! We then heard snickering and laughing from all the counselors in the background. They had tricked us! Yes, the tire was flat, but we didn’t need to lift the van!

Before we knew it, we were stepping foot on one of the largest volcanoes in Costa Rica. The beautiful black sand contrasted with the drifting misty air, giving off a mystical aura. We bonded as a group by hiking halfway up a mountain and giving piggy-back rides. We ended the exciting tour of the volcano Irazu by purchasing a foison of souvenirs at the gift shop, many of which were aviator sunglasses.

The volcano hike left us ravenous. We sated our appetites with a lunch at Puerta Del Sol. A variety of meals were consumed along with plenty of exotic drinks. Some of the meals included rice and beans, accompanied by “carne”, or meat. A popular choice was the most traditional Costa Rican dish of all- hamburgers with fries! We might have sated our hunger, but we hadn’t satisfied our curiosity. Basilica de Los Angeles and a stroll through the surrounding city was what we needed. Basilica de Los Angeles is a church in the center of Cartago that is the destination of an annual pilgrimage take by Costa Ricans from all over the country. It is the way that Costa Ricans can show their recognition of a greater presence and thank or request something from Them.

We then completed our journey with a two hour bus ride to Guayabo Lodge, located in Turrialba. There we found comfort in the breathtaking scenery and most importantly, the wifi. We once again indulged in the final dinner of the day. This comprised of pasta with homemade sauce, a fresh iced tea, and a mousse desert that was made from a locally cherished fruit. This was followed by an uplifting group activity in which people anonymously shared their appreciation for one another. The night was concluded with a group massage train that resulted in many moans, groans, and deep gratitude. Everyone retired to their rooms, falling asleep within minutes. The last words on everyone’s mind being,” Pura Vida!”

Ethan & Claire

7/14/2015

Our day rafting started off with breakfast at the Guayabo Lodge, which included fruit, bread, coffee, rice and beans, and cornflakes. Afterwards, we boarded the bus to the Pacuare River, where we spent about four hours on the river. We put on our life jackets and helmets, organized ourselves into rafts, and learned the safety rules before we set out on the water. We all rafted through the forest, with our guides pointing out hotels and waterfalls along the way. Each boat had its own adventures, including running aground on a rock and nearly flipping over! We all made it to our lunch on the beach safely. Lunch consisted of a burrito-making buffet and loads of pineapple and watermelon, and afterwards, we went out on the rafts again.

-Amira

After we ate lunch that was prepared on two upside down river rafts, we continued down the river where I was presented with one of the most incredible, breath-taking moments of my life. Closed in by two walls we entered a strip of the river that was calm enough that our guides let us jump out and float along with the current for a while. In addition to being surrounded by beautiful expanses of exotic green scenery there was a fog of pure joy hovering over my group members and myself. It was like nothing else. Having moments like that with people you’re just getting to know is a rare experience, and the rarity of it all opens your eyes to the simple truth of how we are all the rarest of people. The rafting was super tiring so the 4 hour ride home was a raft-coma-snooze fest. It was no coincidence that the best day of the trip yet was the day I was chosen to be one of it’s leaders. It was something I desperately needed to ease my homesickness adn open my eyes.

-Crystal

7/15/2015

We rose today at 6:00 A.M. We woke up the boys in their cabins first and then the girls. We organized the dining room so that everyone could have breakfast. Everyone entered the bus, and we were on our way.

After we arrived at the community center, everyone was organized into two separate groups. One group made and mixed a natural fertilizer called bocachi, a mixture of different animal waste and other materials which would not be used, and learned about how this organic fertilizer enriched the almost sterile soil. The other group fertilized the plants with bocachi which was made earlier.

After we completed our service for the day, we were served lunch, which consisted of fried fish, mashed potatoes, and an assortment of fruits and vegetables, by a group of local mothers. Once we were on our way, we stopped for Spanish lessons in a nearby town, went to the local park, learned more about the town, and visited, “Cafe Privelagados” one of the top ten coffee shops in the world. Afterwards we started our return.

Nearing the end of our day, we returned to home base where we had mentor groups, ate dinner, and sang a song with Manuel.

-Rahil and Evan

7/16/2015

On this particular July 16, 2015 morning we started with a breakfast consisting of lunch-like food that was different yet delicious. Soon after we hopped on the bus heading to our service site, San Pedro. One half of the group went to a local farm to fertilize coffee plants. The other half of our group worked with the Bukashi that was extra “fresh.” After the Bukashi had been fermenting over night, it was difficult to work as hard as usual, but the group was able to pull through and did the best they could. Before lunch we played an intense soccer game with the entire group which ended with a tie. For lunch the group had spaghetti with meat which was comfort and gave us a taste of home. After lunch the group went fishing and caught 20 trouts which were brought to home base by our group leaders. When we got to home base each of us cleaned a fish. Later on we prepared the fish with seasoning, and fried and mixed it with our Chief’s sauce. As we cooked, the entire group had an amazing dance party with Spanish music in the kitchen. After preparing dinner we all sat and enjoyed a meal that was done by the entire group. Then, the group had a complete hour of free time and by 9:30 all 15 of us were in our cabins ready to get a good night’s sleep for our next adventure tomorrow.

– Edgar and Sophie

7/17/2015

Today our groups did a lot of hard work finishing up with the Bokachi and fertilizing more of the coffee plants on the ecological coffee plantation in San Pedro.
My group, which consisted of Samir, Rahil, Elana, Claire, Edgar, Lorenzo and myself, all decided to take on the biggest challenge of the morning mixing the Bokachi that had been sitting in a heaping hot pile for 3 days.

For those who are not familiar with Bokachi it is a Japanese farming technique in which multiple different organic materials are mixed repeatedly to make a fine soil.

The shoveling is in and of itself is difficult enough without the horrendous stench- so bad in fact that we had to wear masks that covered our noses and mouths. Even then some of us, some if not most of us felt ill afterwards. In addition it became almost hot to the touch and a significant amount of steam continued to rise, indicating a steep rate of decomposition of the materials.

Being quite frank shoveling the pile was a difficult task, but there was something oddly satisfying knowing that we had done a job well done for a very good cause that would impact the lives of many in the long run.

In the other group, members continued to fertilize coffee plants, this time on a different plot. Both groups worked incredibly hard, but there was something so full filling and almost awry in helping this community and simultaneously observing the blood, sweat, and tears that go into every single cup of coffee.

The people in San Pedro have been incredibly hospitable and we are always greeted by wide smiles. Theres a saying here in Costa Rica, Pura Vida, and the community really exemplifies this in their daily lives. We are also extremely grateful to have mothers of the community to volunteer to cook and serve lunch to us daily. The food has been nothing short of succulent. Finally, working with Alvero, a local coffee farmer who has worked the land almost his entire life, has been very illuminating. None of us truly knew what to expect when we first came here, but he, alongside all the other Costa Ricans that we have met, are incredibly hard working yet so full of heart, love, and laughter. This is something that each and everyone of us will take home with us and that we will never forget for as long as we live.

Samir and Molly

7/18/2015

Today was an unusual day in the life of 15 GLA teenagers. We started off the day with a delicious breakfast of Gallo Pinto, plantains and amazing cheese sticks. With our stomachs full we made it to our last day at our wonderful worksite, San Pedro. We had our first cementing experience that ended short when the rain began to fall. One would think we decided to go indoors, but that’s just incorrect. Instead, we took off our wet work boots and played a game of soccer in the pouring rain. You know that amazing feeling of being free and not caring about how you look and sharing that moment with the people around you? Yeah, that’s how it felt.

After our intense morning, we had built up an impressive appetites. For lunch the mothers of San Pedro made an amazing meal that satisfied all. With it being our last day in San Pedro, To show our appreciation for the time and effort that they put into our stay, we went in a circle and verbalized our thanks in Spanish, as well as sang Manuel’s beautiful song, Semilla (seed).

Once we finished saying our thanks, we headed off to Santa Maria. There, we went to the Dota Café, said to be one of the best cafés in the world. Once we finished our drinks we split into groups to explore the quaint yet authentic town. Some groups bought new clothes since we were still soaking wet, others browsed through bakeries and supermarkets. We finished touring through the city around 3:30 and started off toward Cedrela. We were very happy to have time to relax, clean up, and socialize at home base. Dinner followed by a TED talk rounded up the night, and everyone headed off to bed.

Elana and Lexi

7/19/2015

Mornings at Cedrela are a magical thing. The light begins to slowly seep through the curtains, begging for them to be thrown open to expose the verdant vistas of the Costa Rican mountains Cedrela affords to all 15 GLA campers. The skies are always clear and the temperature always perfect, and so although it’s early, it’s a pleasure to rise.

Breakfast this morning was quesadillas, a first as always. But it was a bit of an after thought because our minds were all on the day to come. It was our first day away from San Pedro, and in a new community called Zapotal. The ride to Zapotal was a bit longer, but it was much more beautiful, if that’s even possible. It’s an even smaller community than San Pedro, but it’s views are far superior.

In Zapotal we were welcomed into the community by a traditional dance by the local women. Their smiles were warm, and they seemed genuinely happy for us to be there. Our work for the day was to make Ecobricks. They’re an ingenious invention in green development: plastic bottles are filled to the brim with more plastic and then concrete is poured over them. The amount of plastic that can be fit into a single bottle was staggering, and in the 4 hour work period, the average person only was able to fill 2-3 bottles. Nevertheless, it really felt like we were making a difference.

For the first lunch in the community the moms prepared Casado: gallo pinto, plantains, and chicken. It was delicious, but we quickly rushed off to play soccer and bond with the locals. One sweaty hour later, we made our way back to the community hall and drank coffee prepared by the moms. With the coffee consumed, we made our way back Cedrela. There was no Spanish class, so there was more free time, and the day ended with a conversation about the success of the trip thus far. As we cross the half way mark, friendships are only growing stronger, and thoughts of home growing weaker.

-Lorenzo and Mateo

7/20/2015

Monday morning was a very exciting morning for us at the GLA home base. After a long strand of hard raining, working days, we couldn’t dim the anticipation of spending two days at the beach. On the way to the Pacific we took several varieties of transportation. We took a van for about half an hour, then we took two flatbed 4×4 pick up trucks for two hours. We traveled through the Costa Rican rainforest! Then we went into our usual bus which took us about a half an hour to get to the beach. Upon arrival we had lunch near the ocean. We then spent the rest of the day playing in the waves and bathing in the sun. As a group we enjoyed different varieties of coconut juice. After a long day at the beach we went and found our way back to the hotel and ate dinner. After dinner several members of the group went in the pool at the hotel. By 10pm we were all exhausted and ready for bed.

-Claire and Edgar

7/21/2015

This morning the group woke up bright and early to enjoy a breakfast buffet at 7:30. We had gallo pinto (rice and beans), a delicious array of fruits, toast, coffee and orange juice. After breakfast, we gathered our belongings from the Diuwak Hotel and we were on our way to The Manuel Antonio National Park. Our tour guide’s name was Leo and he was the first licensed tour guide in 1982. We walked the path, and on our way we saw a variety of different creatures. There were spiders, sloths, giant grasshoppers, monkeys, and more! We were allowed to look at some of these incredible species through a telescope. After the 2 hour walk, we finally arrived at the beach of the national park. Here we gathered shells, made sand sculptures, and climbed rocks to the other side of the beach. After spending another day in the waves, we enjoyed a late 3:00 lunch at a beachside restaurant. Following the lunch, we were on our way back home to Cedrela. Arriving at 8:00 pm from a four hour car ride, we were greeted with a fish dinner. Being all so tired from a miniature vacation, on a vacation, we went to bed, awaiting for the next day to come.

-Alyssa

7/22/15

Breakfast at 6:30 consisted of fried egg, grilled cheese, plantains, and cheese cubes. The day had a late start- we left Cedrella at 7:40 instead of 7:15 because of how close our worksite would be. Our task was to cement the sidewalk for a house in Santa Maria that completely burned down.

Once we were there, we realized we had lost our groove. We had just come back from a two-day beach trip and we had to reacclimatize ourselves to work. Eventually everyone was tired and ready for lunch.

Lunch was a delicious plate of gallo pinto, salad and fries-and to top it all off, guayabana juice. Afterwards, everyone sat down at a near by river. Soon, all of us hopped into the bus, and went to San Marcos for Spanish class. The 15 leaders were split up and toured the beautiful town. Around 3:30, one group caught a bus to Santa Maria. The other group missed the bus and had to take two taxis. Once we met in Santa Maria, everyone headed back to Cedrela.

Our group activity was “The Human Knot.” Everyone grabbed each others’ hands and had to try to untangle them. We finished the day with a mouth watering chilupapa (The Costa Rican way to say “Chilupa”) and headed off to bed.

-Elana and Ethan

7/23/2015

We started our day off with some omelettes and cheese fajitas before climbing on the bus and heading to the mountain town of Zapotal. We did community service for four hours, mixing cement for the town sidewalk and building ecobricks out of plastic waste. For lunch, we had chicken, rice, beans, and tostadas. We also had coffee and hot chocolate with the community before we took the bus back to Cedrela for Spanish class.

In Spanish, we learned the Spanish names and tastes of the unique yet delicious Costa Rican fruits. We also learned different dance and singing routines for the upcoming talent show. We ended the day with a delicious dinner and a “relaxing” massage circle after a hard day of back-breaking cement work.

Amira and Evan

7/24/2015

We rose today at 6:00 to be met with an assortment of eggs with ham, hash browns, and toast coated with strawberry jam in the dining hall. After we finished breakfast, we loaded into the bus and went on our way to Zapotal, a small community built on a secluded mountain and in need of a sidewalk to the local school.
We arrived at 8:30 after some bus trouble and first took a walk with David through a coffee plantation to a water spring. There we had a discussion about saving and wasting water. Once back at the community hall, we divided into two groups. One stuffed plastic packaging into plastic bottles in order to make the base of a staircase, while the other group worked on mixing and placing cement to create a sidewalk.
At 12:00 we ate a traditional lunch of rice, beans, plantains, salsa, and tamales. Then we cleaned up and re-entered the bus to come back home to Cedrela.
Once we arrived at Cedrela, we prepared dances and songs for our Spanish class graduation. One group sang “Vivir mi Vida” and the other group danced to a style called Kuduro, a mix of Latin American and Portuguese music. It was a bittersweet moment because we were all sad to be saying goodbye to our teachers, but proud of all our accomplishments.
After some down time we ate a Dinner of grilled beef, rice with vegetables, potatoes, and a delicious salad of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and other vegetables. After dinner, we practiced for tomorrow’s talent show and had free time to unwind from today’s excitement.

-Rahil and Sophie

7/25/2015

Today was the last day of service in the community of Zapotal. We focused today on making Eco bricks: plastic bottles stuffed with more plastic which are then combined with concrete to make various infrastructure improvements.  We were able to make 100 of them in total, and we then used them to create stairs going down to the Zapotal soccer field. With the concrete poured and smoothed, we imprinted our hands and names and then headed in for another delicious Zapotal meal.

As lunch ended we said our thanks and goodbyes and played one last game of soccer with the people of Zapotal. After, we went to the city of San Marcos for an hour to go souvenir shopping. However we had to hurry back to home base because the talent show was later that evening and we needed to prepare. We arrived at around 3:30 and had an hour an a half to break off into our groups and rehearse. At 7:00 that night people from both of the communities we worked in came to watch the talent show. It was a weird yet entertaining evening. As the show came to a close we invited up the locals to dance with us in a final celebration of gratitude, love, and goodbyes.

-Mateo and Lexi

7/26/2015

Following our  very successful talent show for the communities we worked with, today the group went on a Quetzal  hike in the forest. For those who are not familiar a quetzal  is an extremely endangered bird with red, blue  and green feathers only founding select rainforest in the mountains of Costa Rica. Our guide was very skilled with a  telescope and although these birds have been know to scare easily, we were able to see females up in the canopy with ease. It is somewhat  sad to think that our everyday actions back home are killing off these birds as well as thousands of other animal species across the globe. When the hike concluded we headed back for lunch to a local restaurant. We appreciated a refreshing change of cuisine and the trout especially was divine. The restaurant also had a garden filled with hummingbirds which were enjoyed by all. Some lucky individuals even got them to land directly on their hands. Crystal was one of those spectacular fews. For the rest of the day we sank back into our daily routines of free time at home base with a short talk with David about the importance of the work we do. The simple moments at home base are surprisingly the ones I feel will be most vividly remembered. It blows my mind how a group of teenagers with no previous connections with each other somehow formed bonds that were the sanctuary of late night laughter far past our bedtimes, mischievous tricks on our loving mentors, sassy comebacks and deep conversations about life, the future, and sometimes the painful present. Today it hit me that were almost done here and soon, the “R” in my name will go back to its boring sound that was rolled so gracefully off the tongues of the locals and community members that were so insanely hospitable towards us. It doesn’t work like that in Seattle. I might not ever see these people again and although it’s a slightly disturbing realization, when I think back on this experience, the love is what I’ll remember and that’s enough for me. The love that I was fortunate enough to receive, and the love that I didn’t know I had left to offer.

6/30/2015

We’ve arrived! We’re all a bit tired-especially one student who ended up traveling 24 hours to get here!

We’re packing up the bus and heading off to the cloud forest of Providencia, where we will be spending the majority of our three weeks.

While today is all about the “who-are-yous” and “where-are-you-froms”, tomorrow is the four-letter word that we oh so love: work. Or in Spanish: ¡a trabajar!

Day 5:

As we rubbed the sleep out of our eyes we groggily made our way toward the restaurant to eat a delicious breakfast prepared by none other than the amazing Juan. We waved, followed by a simultaneous “Adios” and boarded the bus. The bus ride was bumpy, per usual, Jonathan played a combination of Spanish and Alternative music. We sang along, bobbed our heads, and waved our hands all the way to the Quetzal park. The Quetzal is vibrantly beautiful bird, and also very rare, which makes spectators appreciate the beauty of the bird even more so. We were lucky enough to see the Quetzal on three different occasions. Looking through the telescope provided by our adventure guides, we were able to admire the sleek beauty of the bird.

As the bus pulled up to the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles, we laid their eyes upon one of the most beautiful churches in South America. The church has such huge significance to people throughout the country and during the month of August there is an amazing phenomenon. Millions of believers travel from their houses on foot ranging from hours to days to show their religious devotion. Although we didn’t get to see this first hand, the idea that so many people would travel in one day was mind blowing. After we visited the church, we took a break at the the well known Walmart. Everyone was delighted to see familiar American snacks that they had been missing on the trip. As we were walking back towards the bus, all I could see were smiles and laughter. Lastly, after long hours of driving and singing in the van, we arrived at our temporary hotel stay. The group enjoyed a fun night with games and scrumptious food. But today wasn’t even the best part. All this traveling was leading up the main event of water rafting which was still yet to come.

Written by Andrew and Gabriel

After dinner we all got into our mentor groups and talked about how we’ve been feeling about the trip so far. We then finished up our group conversations and went over final logistics to end the day.

Written by Laura and Roberto

Day 8:

We started today with a little taste of home- grilled cheese sandwiches.

We then began our second community service project by mixing and pouring cement in the Tamí Lodge, where we have been staying the last week, to make ditches for collecting rain water. We enjoyed the break from smelly bocachi (manure fertilizer), but found ourselves covered in wet cement.We had a vigorous hike to the center of Providencia for lunch, and then back again to the home base for Spanish lessons. We got our free time and enjoyed some books, snacks, and laughs until it was time for dinner. After our delicious meal, we participated in some leadership activities to help us better understand eachother and our strengths as a team.

We then had a group discussion about community development and its affects on a town like Providencia. We also watched a video on the effects of tourism on the people of Costa Rica.

Written by Kavi and Regan

Written by Sarah and Stephanie

Day 13:¡HOLA A TODOS! Today was another one of those traveling days where we spent quite a few hours on the bus. It started off with another delicious breakfast made by Juan, followed by a four hour bus ride to the beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park in Dominical.We were shown around by Leo, our personal tour guide, who pointed out sloths, monkeys, spiders, and exotic plants.After an hour of hiking and touring, we visited the private beach of the park. The waves were calm and the weather was beautiful, making it the perfect time for a swim. Lunch was served at a local restaurant and followed by more time at a nearby public beach.While most decided to take a dip, others took a trip in the air parasailing. After a long day of activities, we were finally able to go to our hotel to chill out and shower for dinner. Jonathan led the group to a local restaurant to enjoy a late dinner before heading to bed.Written by Sophie M. and Tara

Day 14:Today we woke up in Dominical and had or regular morning breakfast at 8. After breakfast we had the privilege of shopping at stands along the beach. The venders had various unique and colorful souvenirs such as bracelets, t-shirts and towels. Shortly afterwards, we met up for lunch near our hotel.Next, we had free time to either continue shopping or hang by the hotel pool. At 2:30, people who paid for surf lessons took on the ocean with their instructors while the experienced surfers surfed freely.Finally, we all climbed onto the bus and headed back to Providencia, concluding our weekend at the beach.Written by Asia and William