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 3
Today in Providencía, Costa Rica, after the delicious breakfast prepared by Juan, we all walked to the organic coffee fields. Once we got there, we divided into groups and were assigned rows to clear the grass from under a total of 500 plants. This makes it easier for the coffee plant to absorb the nutrients from the fertilizer. Clearing all the plants is normally done by one to two farmers and can take up to two days; however, with our group of twenty-one, plus mentors, we managed to finish in an hour and a half.
After that we walked back to Juan’s restaurant where Jonathan arrived with his truck to take us to the middle of Providencia. There we were greeted by the children, teachers, and cooks. For lunch we had flavorful rice, salad, plantains, and flan.
After lunch, Laura and Nati gave us placement tests–written and oral–in order to divide us based on our ability to speak Spanish – beginner, intermediate and advanced. From there we split up with teachers and were given our first Spanish lesson. But it’s wasn’t any ordinary lesson, we explored the center of Providencia. The group of beginners explored the Spanish language while playing games on a local soccer field, while the students that are more familiar with the Spanish language played a game in which they asked each other icebreaker questions in Spanish. Following that we had break and an activity.
The activity–similar to rock, paper, scissors–was called Bees, Bears, and Fish. We were divided in to two teams. Each team had to decide which animal they wanted to be; bee stings bear; bear eats fish; fish eats bee. On the count of three we would turn around and face each other, making the symbol for whatever animal we chose. Whichever team lost had to run and get behind the line to avoid getting tagged.
For dinner we enjoyed mixed salad and veggies, beef, and rich creamy mashed potatoes- a great way to end a day of hard work!
Written by Aja and Abby
JULY 3, 2015:
We opened our tents to the fresh, Costa Rican air and walked through the Home Base, waking up all of the other hardworking volunteers. We devoured some delicious omelettes, which were well needed due to the array of activities we had lined up for the day ahead. We headed down to the organic coffee farm and fertilized the trees with our own, homemade, 100% natural fertilizer, made of manure and coffee skins. After four hours of sweating, we took a short hike to the waterfall where we got our well-deserved swim. We soaked up the sun and then ate some lunch, while everyone rushed to finish the homework our Spanish teachers had assigned us in class the day before. Class went on as planned, and then we had some free time before dinner. Once everyone was stuffed from our amazing meal, our mentors helped us work off dinner by teaching us how to do the native dances of Costa Rica and many other Hispanic countries, such as the merengue and salsa. After a few shorts lessons, we got the hang of it and danced the night away until it was time for bed.
~Amanda and Eve, Spanish Service Adventure (June 30-July 20)
We opened our tents to the fresh, Costa Rican air and walked through the Home Base, waking up all of the other hardworking volunteers. We devoured some delicious omelettes, which were well needed due to the array of activities we had lined up for the day ahead. We headed down to the organic coffee farm and fertilized the trees with our own, homemade, 100% natural fertilizer, made of manure and coffee skins. After four hours of sweating, we took a short hike to the waterfall where we got our well-deserved swim. We soaked up the sun and then ate some lunch, while everyone rushed to finish the homework our Spanish teachers had assigned us in class the day before. Class went on as planned, and then we had some free time before dinner. Once everyone was stuffed from our amazing meal, our mentors helped us work off dinner by teaching us how to do the native dances of Costa Rica and many other Hispanic countries, such as the merengue and salsa. After a few shorts lessons, we got the hang of it and danced the night away until it was time for bed.
~Amanda and Eve, Spanish Service Adventure (June 30-July 20)
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
July 6th:
Today at GLA in Costa Rica, we went on our first main adventure! We were able to wake up a little later than usual, and had breakfast at 7:45 am. Breakfast was delicious! Promptly at 8:45 we rolled out of the hotel for white water rafting!
Everyone was divided into a smaller group of 5 people and went with a professional rafter down the Pacuare River. The rapids were as high as a 4 (the global max being a 5) and the whole group had an amazing time getting sprayed with water from both the river and the sky. Throughout the entire river we were able to see amazing waterfalls and scenery as we careened through the rainforest. Halfway through the river we stopped along the shore for a delicious lunch prepared by all the guides. We ate cut up pineapple and watermelon along with burritos. The rain was pretty heavy as we got off the river, but we were able to change easily and hop back on the bus to Providencia.
The bus ride back to Providencia was long, taking almost 6 hours, but was filled with fun, enjoyment, and a little bit of stress. Twenty five of us on a bus can be pretty hectic, and we were often either playing loud games together filled with laughter or trying to sing along to popular songs chosen by Jonathan. Thankfully we made it back to the lodge safe and sound and had a lovely soup made by Juan for dinner.
Written by Kieran and Jonathan
Day 8:
Today we started off by waking up the group around 6:45am. At 7am, we went to breakfast and talked about the plans for the day and switched up the roles on mixing up the bocachi. One of the groups worked in the fields finishing up the last groups work and started on a separate new field. The other group spent their time mixing the bocachi, and carrying heavy loaded bags. When the work was done we had an amazing lunch and went to Spanish class directly after. During Spanish class we went to the local soccer field and played a game of charades in Spanish. After Spanish class we had almost two hours of free time before we came together for dinner.
While waiting for dinner we we’re setting up the restaurant to surprise Jonathan for his birthday. Once six o’clock came around we all surprised Jonathan and began our dinner. We even had a cake specially made for him and got a couple presents as well.
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
Day 10:
We started our day off with a classic country breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, sausage and pancakes. Delicious! Then we headed out to service to continue working on trenches to collect rain water which would come later in the day.
We then showered away our cement covered bodies and headed to lunch! After lunch we split up into our Spanish classes. We interviewed locals and followed with a Tamale cooking class. Today we prepped all the ingredients which we will put together the following day. Then we headed back to the tents and took a quick pit stop to see a waterfall. We danced in the rain and rested until it was time for dinner. We relaxed at the end of the day with a movie and popcorn!
Written by Ruby and Sam
Day 11:
¡Hola a todos!
We started off this morning by clearing a trail at the Tamí Reserve. We pulled out roots and built stairs to clear a pathway so when people come to visit Providencia, they can see many different types of monkeys.
After that, we headed up for lunch and did an activity on the biodiversity in Costa Rica. Once we finished, we walked up to the soccer field and said hello to all of the kids and started off by playing a variation of Sharks and Minos and then played another three or four games afterwards. All of the games had an educational aspect to it. We had some games where the kids practiced their colors, numbers, or body parts in English. This was a really good leadership exercise for the whole group because we had to cohesively make a decision and lead a group where we were able to break the language barrier and have fun.
Once we finished playing games, we finished making the tamales that we started yesterday. After about an hour of final preparations and cooking, we chowed down on some of the best tamales we’ve ever had. We ate it with the special sauce that all of the locals use and it made it that much better. We drank Agua Dulce with dinner, which is the second most popular drink in Costa Rica.
We ended the night by relaxing in our cabañas and hanging out with our friends.
¡Pura Vida!
Written by Perry and Sophie K.
Day 12:
After an amazing breakfast, we trekked up the VERY steep road that leads to the reservation so we could clear more of the trail we are working on. We made a lot of progress today and finished just before the rain started.
Post-work, we headed over to lunch where we enjoyed a delicious pasta meal and played a bunch of games.
At 3:00 we met with a Providencia team on the soccer field for a tournament in the pouring rain which, despite our valiant effort and assistance from a Providencia goalie, we lost 5-1. However, we all had an incredible time and played our best. We finished off the night with a cookout (after showering of course) where we ate Juan’s incredible food, danced, and played games with local families, ending the night on a great note. Tomorrow we are off to the beach for a weekend of well deserved relaxation and fun!
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
7/13/2015Today we got to sleep in an extra hour due to our long weekend at the beach. We walked down to breakfast and immediately after, got to work. All of the volunteers made Eco bricks, which are plastic bottles filled with plastic and other trash that would otherwise be thrown into a landfill. In the days ahead, we will be using these bricks to cement walls along the few roads in Providencia. It is heart warming knowing that these Eco bricks will be here for the next 2,000 years, GLA is leaving beautiful marks across the world and its amazing knowing our imprint will be left here in Costa Rica, after we return home. After lunch, we got a short nap, which you take for granted until you become a volunteer. Then we headed to Spanish class and participated in our educational games for the day. We were treated to an outstanding dinner of empanadas and then passed time in our cabañas until we fell asleep with full bellies and smiles on our faces.Written by Amanda and Abby
As part of a final project for their Spanish class, the advanced students were asked to make a neighborhood bulletin. Download here:
Download: GLA 2015 boletín
PDF Download: document
7/14/2015Today we woke up at the same time as always but it seemed like every one was getting sick so their weren’t so many people at breakfast. After words we went for our first day of cementing on the road in Providencia. We worked for about 3 hours then we went to lunch the made some delicious chicken, rice, salad, and bread. To top it of the also had a food called flan which is pretty incredible. We then went to a cabins to take a shower and get some rest for about an hour before starting Spanish classes. In the Spanish classes they were practicing for a play that was written by them and is to be performed. After Spanish we had an hour break before we had dinner which today they served us delicious fish. We also had a discussion about how companies make things that break easily so we can by new ones. Also how we are starting to waste all our resources and we only have one planet. That was our day.- Written by Jonathan and Andrew
7/15/2015As another sunny morning arose we made our way to Juan’s restaurant where we ate a nourishing breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage. Filled with energy, we embarked to the hill where we continue our second day of cementing. 4 hours and 6 meters of cement later, we headed toward a well deserved lunch. After lunch we trudged to our cabanas to quickly shower and prepare for our Spanish classes. Today was our final day in Spanish class which means it was time to present our final projects. It was a combination of two plays, a Romantic comedy, a tragedy, and information on the History of Providencia. Following the plays we received our certificates of completion at our mini graduation and expressed our gratitude to our teachers. After a short break, we then participated in a very heartwarming activity where we expressed our appreciation both physically and verbally, toward each other. A few tears later, to wrap up another great day, we enjoyed a wonderful graduation dinner prepared by our good friends Juan, Marcial, and Joanna.Written by Eve and Gabriel
7/16/2015
Today at GLA we woke up at 7 per usual for our final day of community service! We finished up paving one last segment of the road and built a small wall along the curb made out of ecobricks. Our handprints and names engraved in the concrete will last for ages after we leave Costa Rica.
After service we went up to our final lunch served by the ladies of the community. Surprisingly, they brought out a delicious cake at the end of the meal to celebrate not only our last meal but the birthdays of Goby and Abby which are in the upcoming week. Finally, we watched the kids of the community do traditional Costa Rican dances in their bright intricate clothing. For the last dance we all joined in and had a great time.
During the afternoon we went to play games with the kids of the community one more time. Looking back on last week, it is easy to see the swell in better organization and leadership. All the kids seemed to have an amazing time and everything went relatively smoothly.
At the end of the day we had two activities to teach us more about leadership. We first split into mentor groups and while one group did one activity the other group did the other. The first activity with David was meant to analyze what type of leader we were, whether an architect, a spontaneous motivator, driver, or relationship master. While the scoring system was a little strange by answering only about twenty questions yes or no, people generally seemed to agree with their placement. The second activity with Emma was the practical application of different leaders. Some people were blindfolded but could touch and say everything, some people were mute but could touch and guide only the blind people, and the last group could talk and see but were unable to touch anything. The object of the game was to take a bucket from the center of a circle and lift it out over obstacles using only four ropes, and a small rubber bike tire. This activity greatly tested out communication skills and our ability to work with different skill sets.Written by Kieran and Roberto
