We all made it to Costa Rica safely!
The first group arrived just in time for breakfast, so we got to know each other a little bit and settled in, while the rest of the group arrived throughout the day. Most of us were here by lunch and by that time we learned we were heading out to the town of Alajuela for a special Costa Rican treat. We arrived at POPS, the best ice cream shop on the planet, and enjoyed ice cream and smoothies!
When we got back we rested for a bit before we went to dinner. We had salad, pasta, and garlic bread…then a cake for Jacob’s birthday! After, we played a funny name game and learned about the schedule for tomorrow and the next few days.
We are all excited to be here and can’t wait to see what’s next!!!!
Note: Elizabeth not pictured in Smara’s POPS selfie, she arrived at home base 9:30pm and was welcomed by her roommates before getting some sleep!
Today we took a tour of San Jose. We visited the wealthier part of town back in the 1890’s. While we were there we went to a very nice coffee shop where we tried hot coffee, lattes, and a cold brew. We ate at a cute restaurant where we were served traditional rice and beans, plantains, eggs, and cheese.
After lunch, we split into groups and went on adventures with our staff members. In my group we bought mamons, which are a red spiky fruit that you peel open in half to eat. For dinner we enjoyed a lovely meal of rice with chicken, beans, and potato chips – my fave meal so far 🙂
To finish off our night we learned about dog conduct and behavior. Then my roommates and I FaceTimed our lovely parents!
Love,
Mandy 🙂
(and her roommates)
July 23, 2017
Today we woke up at 5:30 and headed out to a national park. We had breakfast in the bus, some sandwiches, breakfast bars, and pineapple. After we got to the park and prepared to go zip lining. IT WAS AWESOME!! Then we walked around and saw super cool animals and bugs. Like frogs, snakes, and spiders.
When we got back we split into our mentor groups. I liked learning about the other students. We had fun choosing our team name and making the flag and it was very cool and we got to learn a lot about each other. Overall it was an amazing day.
Sebastian
July 24, 2017
Today we ate breakfast then got right on the bus to our first day of service at the dog shelter. Once we got there we were all so excited to meet some of the dogs! The dogs seemed so excited to meet us! It was great knowing that we were all about to make a difference in this wonderful Costa Rican community. When we were there we were able to pick different tasks for the day. You could choose from putting in tiles, painting the entrance wall, and working on building a fence. I chose to paint and we had a great time.
After we went back to home base and had rice and beans. We got ready to go and learned to dance. We learned 3 different dances that are popular in Costa Rica. We all had a blast! Next we stopped at the grocery store to buy some snacks for later.
After we went back to home base and ate dinner, talked in our mentor groups and played a fun game of mission impossible!
Jules
Today was an awesome day. Not only did we get to sleep in until 8am, we also got to go to an amazing hot spring. We floated and relaxed in the huge body of water but we also had fun. We played Marco Polo and a few other games. Everyone was ecstatic because there was wifi, but don’t worry we didn’t spend the whole day on our phones.
We also did yoga. Smara taught us sun salutations and a couple of other poses. After, she taught us acro yoga which is basically yoga with three or more people. Two people would work together to do a pose while the third spotted them.
After, we did mentor groups and then drove home to watch Moana. It was really nice break but don’t worry we will get our heads back in the game tomorrow.
Elizabeth, Madison, & Maddie
Today we had a very productive day at Territorio de Zaguates. One group continued painting the entrance gate. Another group put down tiles. The third group cleaned the dog’s area, painted a gate, and mixed cement. We all made great progress and at they end we got to play with all of the adorable dogs. Some kids may even be adopting a dog! We even got to see kittens today.
Our next adventure of the day was visiting Zoo Ave, an animal rescue zoo. We saw many unique animals and then got ice cream! After dinner, one of our mentors Pepe gave us a great presentation about his Macaw bird project. He’s like an encyclopedia of birds! Pretty soon we will be like him except we’ll be an encyclopedia for mixing cement and painting fences 🙂
Elizabeth, Madison E., & Madison L.
Today was a blast!
We began with beans and rice for breakfast to give us enough energy to play with the dogs! When we got to Territorio de Zaguates we were greeted by lots of dogs. We started off with a long hike with the dogs which was AMAZING 🙂 After a great hike and lots of hard work, we came back to home base for more rice and beans!
My favorite part of the day was the souvenir shop! They had many gifts that were handmade and the store had parrots outside.
To finish the day off, we played games with the group that strengthened our bonds with each other. Then we had a talk about leadership where many great thoughts and ideas were contributed. Overall it was another amazing day in Costa Rica ❤️
Eliza & Ali
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Hello everyone!
TODAY we began the new week back at Territorio de Zaguates. Then commenced our regular four hours of cement-mixing, fence-painting, wall-tiling, and dog-petting. Finally we ran back to through a heavy Costa Rican storm to head back to home base yet again. Then went to lunch, had mentor groups and a student lead activity, and FINALLY some much needed nap time. Excited for movie/karaoke night later!
As usual we had a very eventful day today in Costa Rica. Another 7:30 am breakfast followed by a trip to the magnificent dog land. Upon arrival I was prepared for the usual separation of groups and continuing the standard work I have been enjoying for the past. To my surprise today we were washing dogs which was beyond amazing. Although some were more cooperative than others it was still lots of fun.
Then we came back to home base for lunch and a bit of down time. Then we learned more about leadership and a new strategy for addressing problems. By using a tree structure we looked at problems, their causes, and effects then found their solutions along with what to do and how we can solve them.
After we made empanadas with one of the wonderful chefs, Indiana, and they were delicious.
Afterwards we filled our stomachs with exotic fruit. We tried many new fruits as Pepe dazzled us with his knowledge. Such as where they originated from and other fun facts.
Overall today was filling and fun!