Time Capsule Letter
We can’t believe it’s been so long since our trip in Costa Rica! Memories of the animals at the clinic and shelter are still vivid in our minds. You’re probably back to normal day-to-day life, but we wanted to pop in and say Pura Vida! The impact you made last summer has lasting effects. Reflect on the improvements you brought to the lives of animals and their owners in Pijije, the education you help spread during home visits, and the local kiddos you connected with. The services you helped provide improved the lives of those animals, and more.
At the Asociacion Voz animal shelter in Orosi, your assistance helped Antonio and his family improve their shelter and comfort for the dogs. Remember how excited they were to go on walks? Even scraping paint off the walls was a big part of improving the shelter, and we all recognize that elbow grease goes a long way.
We can’t forget how important it was for you to gain new knowledge on this journey. You have experienced professionalism beyond many of your peers and are able to be a leader in your community to improve the welfare of many animals abroad or at home. Remember to “OMG” One Meaningful Goal we created at the end of the trip? To spread awareness and education about animal care and encourage other people to educate themselves and become stronger advocates for their pets and wildlife. We would love to hear how your OMG has progressed. Have you connected with anyone about animals? Would you like to spread awareness even further? Share your OMG or personal goals with GLA and show us how you can Be The Change.
We loved the fun times under the bright sun on Playa Hermosa and also under the gray clouds at Montesky Waterfall. Thank you for sharing in these special moments and good luck with all of your future goals.
Sincerely,
The Animal Rescue Project Team
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Tuesday June 18, 2019
Hola from Costa Rica!
All of the students have arrived and are settled into their temporary home in Alajuela. Students who arrived earlier today got the chance to visit the neighborhood market, park, and plaza with the GLA international staff. We all enjoyed some delicious meals prepared by our hosts and are looking forward to the weeks ahead. Tomorrow we depart for our first community of Liberia and meet the volunteers we will be learning from. For tonight, we are resting and relaxing. Soon the action begins!
Thursday June 20, 2019
Pura Vida! Today was our first day in service. We went to a small immigrant community to make home visits with our partnership organization Vida. We talked to the owners of pets giving them advice on how to take care of their pets after an in-depth survey where we learned about their habits. We also talked to them about the new Costa Rican law for animal cruelty. We also administered flea and tick medicine and did deworming pills. We came back to home base and finished off the day with some leadership games and activities. We are going to start clinic setup and rotations tomorrow! Buenas noches!
Friday June 21, 2019
Heyo,
Here’s blog #3!
On the morning of June 21st we woke early for Circulo del Sol (aka morning meeting) and had an amazing breakfast! After that we went to our first day of clinic for service. We neutered and spayed dogs and cats with few complications and no one passing out. Phew! While waiting for our turns to work on the animals we played with the local kids and adorable puppies. After the service hours we got in the bus to head back to home base for down time and leadership activities.
It was an epic day of service, and we’re SO excited to do more!
Amelia Kerr☀️
Saturday June 22, 2019
Today we had our first excursion day! We started off by riding horses in the forest to a small waterfall cove where some people swam and put their feet in. Then we rode back and got ready to go on the zip lines. There were 9 lines, 2 rope swings, and a rock wall. By the end we were all tired and hungry.
After driving back to the home base, we ate a quick lunch and got ready to spend the rest of the day at the beach. The beach we went to was west of Liberia called Playa Hermosa. The water was nice and we were surrounded by mountains on two sides. While there, we got snow cones and some jewelry. After returning to home base, we met with our mentor groups to reflect on the service we’ve given so far and think about what’s yet to come.
Sunday June 23, 2019
Today was day two of clinics! We had so much fun shadowing the spaying and neutering of all the cats and dogs. All of the surgeries were successful and there was even extra time to play with the puppies! After the clinic we journeyed to downtown Liberia and had some ice cream and played games. We ended the day with a fun leadership activity and delicious food. Overall it was a great day!
Monday June 24, 2019
Today we woke up early ready for our last day of service with the amazing Vida organization! We had a very successful day and managed to spay and neuter 6 dogs. Afterwards, Vida represented their appreciation by gifting us a symbolic seed of their national Guanacaste tree (aka Elephant Ear tree). We then headed home for food and rest. Afterwards, we played on a local soccer aka futbol field. Overall it was a great day and we’re definitely going to miss Liberia!
– Duncan Barnfield
Tuesday June 25, 2019
After eating breakfast and departing from Liberia,we took a five and half hour drive to Orosi! After eating lunch and unpacking we explored the city! We got ice cream,smoothies and pastries at the local shop and took a walk over a bridge over seeing a beautiful river. A few dogs even followed us along our journey! One we arrived back to the hotel, we ate dinner and did a fun leadership activity. We discussed how the world be without borders and we able to express all our opinions and ask questions. Off to sleepy time. See you tomorrow!
-by Kate Haiman & Delilah Barnfield
Wednesday June 26, 2019
Hey everyone!
Today was another very fun day filled with a bunch of new experiences in Costa Rica. Our new service site in Orosi is Asiciacion Voz. We first worked in the morning at the shelter where we helped repair the building and walk dogs. This shelter is run by a family and our volunteer help is greatly appreciated. When our work was done we went to the Orosi look out where we were able to admire the amazing views of the mountains. After this very full morning we had a relaxing time at the Hot Springs which was more than we expected. Wonderful hot mineral water heated naturally by the volcanic action in Costa Rica. This day marks another part of our journey and we all can’t wait to see what another fun adventures Orosi has in store for us!
Pura Vida!
Thursday June 27, 2019
Hi everyone! Today was a fun day. Service was canceled due to aggressive rain. We visited the most famous basilica in Costa Rica, and learned all about the myth of the indigenous girls and Virgin Mary doll. We also saw the underground of the basilica. Afterwards, we visited the local farmers market and tried some exotic fruits. Then we went to the mall and after a short siesta in the hotel, we had a fun cooking lesson we made pico de gallo, refried beans, and plantain chips. After cooking we had a fun soccer game with Shampoo and Sylvia. To day was a lot of fun. Adios!
Nicki & Rebecca
Friday June 28, 2019
Hi! Today, we started our day off with service at a locally owned shelter. While we were there, we walked and groomed dogs along with some other housekeeping tasks to help keep the shelter clean. When we were done with our service for the day, we went to Montesky which was 30 minutes from home base in Orosí. In order to reach the gorgeous waterfall, we hiked up steep terrain for around half and hour and then it started pouring. It was definitely a bonding experience when almost every single person slipped going back down. When back at Home Base, we had a fun dance class where we learned a dance choreographed by a Costa Rican native, Sebastian. Our day ended with a leadership activity on stereotypes and how they can be prevented in our society!
¡Hasta luego!
Elizabeth and Kate🌎
Saturday June 29, 2019
Today at service we walked dogs, helped clean and painted the walls at the dog shelter. The teal blue color really helps the shelter look welcoming and bright. After lunch we went to National Park Tapanti. We took a hike in the rain forest down to a river where the whole group hung out and explored a bit. After an uphill hike back in the rain forest to the bus we arrived to the hotel ready for siesta and game time in the afternoon. It’s our last day in Orosi so we had a despedida , a farewell dinner, with pizza and dessert. Antonio, who’s family runs the dog shelter, Asociation Voz, organized a dance party which was very cool!
– Emma K.
P.S. Hi Mom & Dad ❤️
All good things must come to an end… Today was our last full day as a GLA familia. After heading back to the hostel in San Jose, we explored a local artisan market where we picked up lots of fascinating knick- knacks for ourselves and those back home! Then, fueled by some delicious Costa Rican cuisine, we visited Zoo Ave! Zoo Ave is a wildlife conservation with the largest collection of bird species in Latin America, along with many other beautiful creatures. We got rained on during our visit, but hey… it is a rainforest after all. On our way back to the hostel, we made a quick ice cream stop! All in all, it was a wonderful day and a fantastic end to an unforgettable trip. As always, ¡Pura Vida!
-written by Kaylyn
