Our Final Day - Pura Vida

Everyone is in their rooms packing and getting ready for our departure. Its hard to believe that 12 days have passed since last we set foot on American soil! Its probably a bit soon to reflect on what we have seen and done during our time in Costa Rica but moments, images, and words keeping coming to mind...

- Sunrise in the rainforest
- Tajah's handshake passed around the world
- Digging ditches in La Carpio
- Jamal loving that it was raining in the rainforest
- The faces of people on their first plane ride
- Allison dropping the camera bag down the hillside (Victor saved it)
- Bandaids, sunblock, and bug spray
- Seeing the Pacific Ocean from the top of the rainforest and then swimming in it
- Megan singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" badly in Spanish
- Julian's smile at the party with Quebrada Arroyo
- Watching the monkeys swing from tree to tree in the rainforest
- Raven playing the cat game
- The kids haggling at the souvenir market
- Oliver yelling "shovel" and "school" at the Ticos during soccer
- The sloth posing for pictures
- Struggling with Spanish
- Bringing the party to the Jazz Cafe
- Griffin pointing out constellations in the rainforest
- Desiree kicking butt at soccer
- Julian's race with the Ticos
- Taking care of each other when someone wasn't feeling well
- Silencio!
- Faith crying across the hanging bridge while the kids cheered her on
- Bugs and lizards
- Shovels and pick axes everywhere we go
- Rice and beans

But I think the best memory is the look of pride and accomplishment on the faces of our students when they finished a job or overcame a personal fear.

In 12 days we built roads and trails, dug sewage ditches, improved a swimming hole, hiked many miles in, out, and around the rainforest, swam in the ocean, and saw an active volcano. Most importantly the kids experienced that there was a bigger world outside the confines of Pittsburgh and even the US. They learned to accept and become a part of different culture and to look for the similarities between themselves and others instead of focusing on the differences. I also believe that they really came to understand the importance of hard work, working together, and being able to count on the entire group when things are difficult.

I said it in an earlier post but it is worth saying again -- I am proud of the students, their hard work, and their willingness to go outside their comfort zones and accomplish truly amazing things!!

- Wilds

A Small World with Many Cultures

Oliver Laniear


So yesterday afternoon we went to a mask making guys house to learn about mask making. He explained to us how he does it and how the different masks that he made meant different things in his culture. After that his kids showed us how they dance with the masks on and what type of music they do it to. Then it was our turn so a couple of students, me included, got up put the costumes on and danced with them and it was kind of fun really, side note: I dont know how they do that for hours for parades because I did it for five minutes and was burning up. So we had fun and the mask Ms. Wilds had on "had a DONK" according to Tajah Russell. Then three students had a chance to make a mask themselves to see who can take one home. And if you won he will use your mask and make a real one to put in his collection.

Faith won.

Did they spike Ms. Wilds' coffee?

Desiree Niccoli

I guess there must be something in Costa Rican coffee that makes you go loco because Ms. Wilds was the only one getting out of her seat on the bus to dance and sing in the aisle to a mixed 80's music CD our bus driver put on. It's unfortunate that most of our group doesn't like the 80's...there were some good natured "boos," but we all got a kick out of the performance. Even people in the buses next to us were amused, smiling and shaking their heads like oh-my-gosh-who-spiked-her-drink? Before Ms. Wilds got up to sing and dance we were slumped in our seats, zoning in and out of reality. It's not that we weren't having a great time because this trip has been one of the most, if not the most, memorable thing we have ever done. It's just that after 11 days in a completely different environment than what we are used to (eating rice and beans with every single meal), we were worn out and really beginning to miss home. However, her little 80's concert on the bus livened us up and was exactly what this trip needed to go out with a bang.

Amazing!

Our time in Costa Rica was amazing. Here are some final images from today.


Stay posted for more of the students' experiences and reflections. The trip might be coming to a close, but I think they are just starting to figure how to think about and apply their experiences.

-- Arenth

It's Just About Over...

Eric Feher

Today was day 11 of 12, and there is a mixture of emotions throughout the group. Basically, most people are feeling happy to get home and see their family while at the same time sad to leave Costa Rica as well as the people here.

Before the trip I posted a blog and the last line was about making memories of a lifetime. Nothing can be more true. Since the end of our work I have been thinking a lot, and this really was a very unique experience that I feel lucky to have had the oppurtunity to be a part of.

Of course we have all had our good and our bad days, and days where we just want to go crazy on eachother, but in the end we have made many great friendships.

I really hope that this trip doesnt end when we say our goodbyes at the airport. The fellow students and teachers are what made this trip so unforgetable. I hope we stay in touch.

When we get back to school, I want to talk to the students that are interested in going in 2010. I feel that when we were being told about the trip somethings were sugar coated to make them sound better. Also, somethings were made to sound worse than they were. I just want to be compeletly honest about my experience, the good as well as the bad.

I will never forget this experience, thank you everyone!

The Bridge

Faith Henderson

*The second day of the trip on the rainforest was great, until the bridge. It was so high and long. It felt like I was already defeated before I even crossed. All I could hear was the pounding of my heart and the faint shouting of people cheering me on “Come on. You can do it Faith”. I did a quick prayer and then placed my first foot on the bridge as it wobbled back and forth. Each step was a challenge. It felt like I was on that bridge forever, but I made it. I came off that bridge feeling accomplished. I felt like then I could do anything, I was still scared to go back across but it felt better to know that the bridge did not defeat me but has been defeated!


A BRIDGE IS JUST A BRIDGE!

Waterfalls....

Miles Early

The first day after a 4.5 mile hike into the rain forest, the group went down to the waterfalls. The waterfalls were underneath a 1270 meter high ladder bridge, and they were surrounded by dense forest and all sorts of wildlife. The thing that I liked most was that the water was that it was freezing and it was a challenge for everyone to enter the pool. Nothing is ever fun when it goes as planned because surprises and challenges create memories and adventures and going to the waterfalls was a great adventure/memory for me to keep!

Finally a Chance to Relax

Callan Kerley

Today we just kick up our feet and swam in the Pacific Ocean. The San Antonio Beach here is so amazing you have not idea! The water is warmer and sun is nice and bright. We were so happy to just relax and have fun since we put in hard work to benefit others who were in need. The only issue was we starting getting interacting with people who were tourists and our hotel and beach location was in a tourist area. It felt very different to be in tourist area after interacting with Ticos from La Carpio and the rainforest. It didn’t feel the same at all. When we arrived to San Antonio Beach I noticed that there is a difference between visiting Costa Rica and actually visiting the culture of Costa Rica. When you are tourist in a country youre not experiencing the culture you are just looking around at the country, trying different foods and maybe interacting with a Tico who probably knows English. Our trip was different because not only tried different foods but also experience the culture by helping one of the poorest neighborhoods and putting in about five hours worth of blood, sweat, and tears to making the community in the rainforest better. Our Spanish has improved and we made friends with the Ticos in both areas. Even though the beach was such a treat, it was different to be a part of the stereotypical tourist group. We wanted to try so hard not to be like the typical tourist and I think we as a group accomplished it. Seeing the other tourists at the beach makes you realize how this trip made you grow as person, because we weren`t just there to visit Costa Rica and leave, we were there to experience Costa Rica.

The Last Couple of Days

Carly Silvio

When we hiked out of the rainforest it felt like a major accomplishment to have with stood the heat and the bugs. It was of course worthwhile for the people we helped and the days off that finally came. We drove through tourist nation it felt like after the hike. I is like we weren´t in Costa Rica anymore people were speaking English and you could use American money for everything without a problem. It was like a tourist contraption that no Tico would ever came to and after talking to real Ticos and learning about their culture it was just hard to feel like you were still in Costa Rica. But our hotel was nice and the beach was beautiful. We went to Manuel National Park the next day where we saw a baby sloth we went to a more secluded beach than the day before where the currents weren´t as strong. The beaches here are more beautiful than any beach I have ever seen before. The water was so cool and relaxing and the waves just lifted everything off my shoulders. From missing family and friends to the hard work we have done throughout this whole trip, it was just what I needed. but it is nice to be back in San Jose. I love Costa Rica and it´s culture and wouldn´t change it.

A Sloth, A Strike, and A Seashell

Julia Johnson

Today was a lot of fun. We started off by going to Manuel Antonio National Park, which is right around the corner from our hotel. The visitors walk along a dirt road in the rain forest and get to observe all of the wildlife up close. We saw a sloth right by the side of the road in a tree, posing for us like it was nothing. They move faster than I had imagined from the stories I had heard, but it still seems as if they are living in invisible water. The butterflies are huge down here and the lizards look like those small, but dangerous dinosaurs from Jurassic Park. The beach was amazing and fun. Because we are on the Pacific ocean, there weren´t a lot of seashells, but that didn´t stop me from scavenging for some. It was crazy riding the waves to the shores because they would throw you so far then throw you back in. After that we headed back to San Jose right in the middle of a teachers strike. Jose, our guide, told me that the teacher feel more money needs to be spent on the public education system, especially because of the huge difference between private and public schools. In Costa Rica, people are not only allowed to assemble freely, they also don´t need a permit to do so. They seem to take advantage of that a lot here and it shows in the government’s policies. After we saw that we did a bit of shopping. Everything here is so neat and most of it is handmade which makes it even more special (They have some HUGE hackey sacks!). We are all pretty tired and are all anxious to go home to see our families, but I can tell already we will all miss this place. Shout out to my Mom, Grandma, family, Darrow, and friends (but not Sam who I did NOT get any Tucan stuff!)
Peace,
Julia (2)

Leaving the Rainforest

Griffin Sumrock

Today we started our walk out of the rainforest and the day started off cool but it got really fast. I was excited about getting on with the rest of the trip but I was so sad to leave the rainforest. the people there were so nice and knew how to have a good time. they were some of the hardest working people I have ever seen and I want to strength my work ethic and be able to work as hard as they do. once I began the walk I realized that I had knocked my old broken toes out of place and I realized that having pain in your feet isn’t fun when hiking. it sucked walking with blisters and broken toes but it gave me a chance to walk by myself in between the middle of the pack and to take in the sights and sounds of the rainforest. the walk out was easier then the walk in I believe because as soon as I got past the first big hills it was cool because I knew where I was going and was able to focus on enjoying my trip and relax. later on that day we were able to go to the beach and i was so excited. I love going to the beach and being able to go to the beach in Costa Rica was incredible. I have never experienced like it and i stayed in as long as I could I went really deep into the water and enjoying riding the waves. it was a hard walk but in the end the time in the ocean was well worth it.

I love Costa Rica.

Back to San Jose...

Allison Peters


We´re finally back from the rainforest, which isn´t necessarily a good thing. I experienced a lot of new things that I never thought I would have seen in a million years. It was pretty hot and humid, but after a couple of days you get used to it. So I´m writing about Day 7, but I feel a need to start with the night of six.

Our eating area was outside, and there were always a lot of bugs since the lights were on and there was food on the tables; especially at night. Well, we had a few run-ins with some bugs earlier in the night so I was already kind of nervous and constantly looking around checking for bugs. Let it be known that I have a huge phobia of crickets, and grasshoppers. Well, I was talking to Megan when all of a sudden she pointed to the napkin sitting only an inch away from me, and there it was, a cricket. I was so scared I jumped up and without even noticing, started crying. I was laughing too, because I knew I looked silly, and the Ticos were all laughing at me, but I was really scared. The next morning however, when I was walking to my cabin to that same eating area and there it was, the largest cricket grasshopper thing I have ever seen just sitting on a tent. I was a little scared at first, but instead of crying and running away, I faced my fears and filmed it as part of my graduation project.

But anyways, besides facing my fears, a lot of experiences happened on day seven. Before it was even eight o´clock, we had already seen the grasshopper, iguanas in trees, and some monkeys. The monkeys were adorable and they were carrying babies on their backs. They were throwing things at us, but it was okay since they were so adorable. Victor told us that they ate guava, which was exciting because the day before I ate guava and bought some from a fruit stand. Then after the monkeys, we continued our work on the trails. There were monkeys there too, and I filmed some more. The work really wasn´t the bad, especially with everyone working together, it seemed to go by quickly, and if you were struggling or just needed a break, someone was always there to help. Plus the villagers walked by all the time saying muy bien, and perfecto which made me feel accomplished. We had a big impact on the trail, and it was a lot easier to walk on. At the end there was a waterfall, however it was small since it was the dry season. We finished the trails too. After a quick break and some lunch we began our hike in the rainforest to learn about all of the different plants. Although many of us were tired, and didn´t want to hike at first, it was really nice. We learned which plants produced chocolate, and the disease that is currently killing them, as well as this tree that produced sap the crystallized and capture insects that scientists then extracted to study the different types. Along the way we had to ride on like a zip line cart thing which was REALLY fun, and quick. At the top there was a beautiful view awaiting. You Could see the pacific ocean and Quebrada Arroyo, the town where we were staying.

After the hike, the night was pretty much ours. Everyone was really tired though because each day was really long and exausting although satisfying. I really loved the rainforest, it wasn´t how I imagined, but that´s not a bad thing. I fell in love with like every person I met. They were all incredibly kind, caring, and supportive, and made us feel right at home.

Only one more day before we leave. This whole trip has brought a lot of fun, excitement, fear, and happiness. I´m really sad to be leaving such a beautiful and friendly country, but I miss my home. I´m hoping I can take back a part of Costa Rica by incorporating what I have learned into my everyday life. There´s so much to experience and learn just by trying to talk to a Tico with your broken Spanish and bad body language. It´s impossible to take in everything in 12 short days, but I´m trying my best.

No Sweat, No Gain

Raven Sams

Today was the final day that we worked in the rain forest. We did a lot of trail work for them, meaning we cleaned up a very very very long trail that looked pretty good when we finished it. It was nice to see all of our hard work in the end. I had a lot of mixed feelings when we did put down our shovels. This was our final day of work for the entire trip and I was happy that we wouldn´t have to work anymore, but I was also sad in a way because I really enjoyed working with the people that was in that community. After we finished we all went back to our rooms to change for our final swim in the waterfalls. The water there was EXTREMELY cold, and i am not a person for a cold shower. It took me almost the entire hour in a half that we were there to actually get in the water, and when we left i still wasn't in the water all the way. I did have a nice time there even though i was cold. The place was so so so beautiful, i loved it. I even saw little minnows swimming in the water, they were cute (from a distance, i didn't want them to touch me). Then we walked all the way back up to the cabins to get changed and ready for dinner. (by this time just about everyone was running E on clean cloths, because we could only fit so much in our book bags) What was special about this night was that after dinner the entire community was coming out to talk to us after dinner. I though that that was really nice of then. Jose (our very funny guide, whose favorite words seems be uh huh and one minute (you have to hear him say it)) ask a few of us to give a little speech to them that night and i decided to do it with Makay, Callan, and Faith, the trick was that we had to say it in spanish. I was nervous initially, but a few lines into my little speech i was ok (i just hope that they didn't know that i skipped an entire line when i was saying it since i was reading it right off my notebook :-]). After they thanked us for all the hard work and we gave our little speeches and a donation to them, then the games began. It did start off slow with us learning to move a stick in our hands and tying a string so that when you pull it, it doesn't make a knot. The two best game that we played had to have been the one where we passed two lemons in opposite directions and your people had to get it around the circle as soon as possible and then Gatto (it means cat). That was indeed the best game that night because the person who was the cat had to go around and see if they can make someone laugh and when they did that person was the cat. I couldn't stop laughing and crying at the same time, those Ticos and some really fun people. Before the night was over our group and the community really bonded in a way. Not just because we played a few games with them, but because each of us (City High people) had different expectations of what it would be like in the rain forest and now that we are finished, us and the Ticos each gained something. We gained the experience that many of us will never experience again, while they were able to complete a task that might have taken them weeks. We each were equally grateful for each other and through that night we were able to understand just how much that they appreciated it.

Perspective

Julian Payne

Our last night in the rain forest was so powerful. It really put in perspective of why we worked so hard to build roads and trails, make new friends, but most importantly why we came to Costa Rica. We met with all the families of the village, shared some words of thanks, played games, and we gave them a financial donation to help them out. It was everything about that night that made me smile so hard. Everyone kept telling me that I had the biggest smile on my face that night, and it was because it really made me feel good that we got to share four of our days in Costa Rica with the people of Quebrada Arroyo. Our journey into the deep rain forest really put my life in slow motion and gave me a chance to reflect on my life and gave me an idea of what I want to bring back to Pittsburgh. I purchased many things in Costa Rica, but I’d much rather bring the sense of optimism that all Ticos have. No matter how little they have, they always have a smile and stick together.
When we leave pretty soon, I’m definitely going to miss that the most…but, I MIGHT just SLIGHTY miss the females a LITTLE more. Speaking of togetherness, we played soccer with some of the villagers. It was so fun!!! I think I found a new love…soccer! You really have to be in shape to play that game, I was soaked in my sweat, I was tired, dizzy, but it was totally worth it. In 20 or 30 years, I want to visit Costa Rica again with my kids, I want them to experience the feeling I had when I was 17 and hopefully it’ll change their lives as well. I’ll miss Costa Rica very much, but I have tons of memories and I wouldn’t have wanted share them with any other group of friends than our small City High family. See you in Pittsburgh soon!!

The Most Fun and the Most Sweat

Tajah Russell

I’m writing about the most fun day, but first it was filled with hard work. We built a trail in the rainforest but the heat was something to remember. I have never drunk so much water in my life. We worked about four hours then had lunch. After lunch we rest for a while because we were invited to a soccer game. I enjoyed playing soccer, even though i couldn’t play very well. We were all joking around and having fun. After the soccer game we got cleaned up for a party with the Ticos. This party was so fun and we played lots of games. One of the games we played was something el gatto. It was like we was you had to be cat and make people laugh but if you don’t make them laugh they can tell you to keep moving. I was like the craziest cat in this game. One of the people in charge was showing us some neat games with sticks and string. For example we would make a knot and he would take it out, sounds confusing... because it was. Despite all the games we played, the most thing I enjoyed from this day was seeing the Ticos smile and laugh. Its crazy because they work so hard but still joke around and smiled a lot. I met a friend name victor. He was a cool guy.

Gringos y Ticos Juegan Futbol

Desiree Niccoli

It's Easter and all of us are missing our families back in the United States. Fortunately, here, hundreds (or is it thousands?) of miles away in Costa Rica, our little band of students and teachers have found family amongst ourselves and our new Costa Rican friends. It is traditional on this trip that we (Gringos) play against the Ticans in a soccer match and they make us look like fools. However, this year was a little different and we were all surprised when the Ticos mixed our groups together. So it was no longer Gringo vs. Tico but Gringos and Ticos playing together. There was no separation, no segregation. We played together as friends, as a community, not as people from different countries. That touched me alot and I think that this way made the game more fun for everyone overall. There was no real age boundary either. Little boys who could barely see over the ball played along side their older brothers, fathers and grandfathers. Although the Ticos are much better than all of us put together, I think we all did very well, considering most of us have never played soccer before. even though we all made embarrassing mistakes (getting knocked in the head with a ball...), the Ticos laughed with us and believe it or not, we made positive contributions to our teams, too (killer defense). Needless to say, we all had a lot of fun, even though we were all missing our families back home.

Tales from the Third Day in the Rainforest

Megan Schillinger

Our third day in the rainforest was pretty crazy. We woke and had cocoa crispies for breakfast! I was probably the most excited I had been in like forever, since I like rarely enjoy the food that they have for us, cause you know, I'm such a picky eater. Oh, and they had bananas! But then there was this crazy giant lizard in a tree and Victor, who by the way is amazing, took us down a trail and we saw like a ton of little spider monkeys or some species like that. It was so cool, I don't know if it was because monkeys are my favorite animal or if it was because we seen them somewhere else besides the zoo. Either way it was amazing, I was so excited I carried my banana down there.

After that we worked on our trail. It wasn't difficult because we knew what we were doing, but it was just so hot and everyone was so thirsty. There were even monkeys down where we were working and a ton of bugs which I am definitely not a fan of. I pretty much hate them. After working for a few long long long long long long hours, we finally got a couple hour break where we could do whatever we wanted. Most people chose to sleep but I just can never fall asleep when it's daylight out so I just chilled with a few other people who were unable to sleep.

After the break we had to go on about a 4 kilometer hike. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty difficult going up because it was mostly uphill and the hills were very steep. Though while hiking we took occasional breaks to learn about the different plants used for medicinal use. Like a certain plant/tree helped to cure a stomach ache or malaria and one helped with bug bites. It was pretty cool to see like what plants they used and what they were used to cure. And we learned the different things that can grow from trees, like cocoa, chocolate and cinnamon. Then we had to go across the rainforest in a little cage basket. It was so amazing. Personally, I was really excited because I'm not afraid of heights or anything and it was just so cool. When the horrible hike was finally over we were on top of a mountain, kind of, but we could see the Pacific Ocean! It was really cool just to have made it up there. I just felt so accomplished because I felt like I wasn't going to make it, because I'm lazyish.

Then by dinner time, I was so hungry because I've barely eaten anything because I'm such a picky eater but as always, I didn't eat again because it was fish. And I don't know why but fish just makes me want to throw up, I just find it extremely disgusting. Ms. Arenth did make me taste it though and I still wanted to throw up, so I just really didn't even eat anything. It wasn't cool. But yeah, the third day in the rainforest was really exciting. There weren’t many bugs so I was happy and I seen some really cool animals and everything. I'd have to say it was a pretty good day.

Trail Work and Hiking to the Highest Point

Oliver Laniear

Today we continued our work in on the trail and help extend the trail further. It was still really hot and the work wasn’t to hard to do with help from some of their people. After that we went out on a nature walk that I didn’t really want to go on but I am happy I did because I had fun learning about those things. Like there crystal tree, medicinal plants that help you with certain things, and food we eat even in the United States, to go along with we went to high that we say the Pacific ocean from real far away, the highest point from it. So it really wasn’t that bad to go.

How Things Work

Jamaal Davis

The one thing that I see in Costa Rica that is the biggest different from the U.S is the way that people work here in Costa Rica. In the U.S when people say “work” nobody ever wants to get to it and do the work that they need to do. In Costa Rica when people say “work” it seems like there are no questions in peoples minds whether or not they should get to work! From the littlest kid to the oldest adult, they work! And they just don’t work, but they work hard.
Sometimes when we were working on something, I would look over and see and 5 or 6 year old kid working hard then I and that make me want to work harder. The one out of many things that I have learned in Costa Rica is how to really work. I have always been a hard worker but now that I have really had the chance to look at myself, I do put a lot of thing off to the last minute. I am going to try to be more like the people in Costa Rica that we have worked with and have no questions in my mind about when to start and finish my own work.

Day One in the Rainforest

Dominique Dutrieuille

Ok, so day one in the rainforest can you say exhausted, but to start from the beginning of the day we got up super early not even Jesus is up that early lol. We load up on the bus and drive for hours, we looked like a package of sardines. We did however see some very lovely scenery as we were coming up a mountain which was the very first time I had ever seen one. Thought that was pretty cool,oh! and poor Des she was so sick the entire time I felt so bad she sat next to me so I let her lay her head on my shoulder .Then her head started to slide down my shoulder which was really uncomfortable, but totally hilarious the look on her face was so funny. We stopped for breakfast, it was really good and we got to buy food as well it was some fruit pastry that was kind of like a Danish in a way I bought two pineapple ones they were really good I was kind of skeptical but to my surprise it was good. Then came more driving which I slept through, then we stopped for lunch and I really like it. The thing I love so much about Costa Rica is that people are so warm and welcoming here unlike the United Stated were you get cussed out for looking at someone the wrong way supposedly. The people at the restaurant were really nice and I fell in love with the view behind the restaurant you could see the river and like rainforest it was so beautiful.

Then came hell in a hand basket having to hike into the rainforest was no joke. but to my surprise it was nothing like the camping trip we did this pass fall. Every time it I started to get tired out and wanted to give up I just thought about that painfully grueling hike, and I said to myself that I did that then I can definitely do this. So I kept pushing myself to kept going also as we were hiking Raven Tajah Julian were in front of me miles and Oliver. Looking forward and seeing Raven in front of me I was so proud of her that girl is a trooper. she kept going and pushing without any fuse she was awesome seeing her I also helped me to keep going. Then right before we made it to the middle mark were the rest stop was, we had to stop and wait for everyone else. Which was something I didn't want to do there were some many people behind and we were just almost there. It was irritating but if I were behind which I never am I would want someone to wait for me. So we waited till everyone was there then we hiked 10 minutes downhill to the rest stop and man was it gorgeous I absolutely loved it.

We finally made it to the camp site and it was really cool the cabin we stayed in were nicer than I expected, and we got to swim it the waterfall that was so wonderfully beautiful. That was so much fun I had never seen a waterfall up close before it was great and I faced my fear of water. I got in and acted like I wasn't scared a bit even though I was nervous the whole time I loved my time, and I kept facing the fear throughout the entire trip and I was really proud of myself. While in the rainforest working with the people , and talking to them I realized that I had never met so genuine people before and such hard worker and closely knit. I most definitely want to go back I think that this place will me my first choice to study aboard once I start college this fall

We're back in San Jose!

I'll let the kids tell you in depth about our experience, but here is a basic guide to the last 6 days (to help the flow of their blogs!!!!)

We left on Thursday for the Tico province of Puntarenas. We spent half a day traveling in our van through the mountains surrounding San Jose. When we reached the coast the kids got to see the Pacific Ocean.






We traveled further to the coastal town of Quepos and then inland to the village of Quebrada Arroyo, which lies slightly inland and on the edge of the primary and secondary rainforest.

We hiked about 6km into the village and arrived at our environmentally friendly and sustainable home, Los Campesinos. We stayed in the mountains for 4 days. Three days were spent working on the trails, roads, and swimming hole that attract visitors to Los Campesinos.

We hiked out of Quebrada Arroyo on Monday morning and returned to Quepos. We were then able to enjoy a couple hours on the public beach.

This morning we walked through Manuel Antonio National Park and spent about 2 hours on the beautiful, natural, and protected beach in the park. It is the only place in the world where the rainforest reaches the Pacific Ocean.

I hope you enjoy their blogs. I'll try to post them in an order that makes some sense!!!

-- Arenth

To the Rainforest

The group is headed out to the rainforest this morning and will be out of touch until Tuesday evening. When we return I´m sure we will have many stories and pictures to share so be sure to check back then!

--Wilds

La Carpio

Our kids built a road.

I'll repeat that, because it bears repeating.

Our students built a road.

And we made friends.

Here are some pics of our kids and their time in La Carpio.


- Arenth

P.S. The kids were amazing, the ones from CHS and the ones from La Carpio. City High should be very proud.

oooohhh man

-Julian

Well these first four days here in Costa Rica have been really busy doing interviews, meeting with kids our age, and building roads for poor villages. I've never done this much in such a short time span, I like it though. Being in Costa Rica has opened my eyes completely, I had no clue that it was so beautiful, cultured...and hot! (sidenote: oh man, the girls are HOT!) Any who, I love being here, its so great in San Jose, Costa Rica. Today, we finished up our road project in La Carpio, it made me feel soooo good inside that we could help those people. All the little kids were so cute and loved to do the same things as American kids, so I thought that was interesting. It kind of saddened me that we more than likely would never see those people again, but hopefully they'll remember us. Well, I have to go now, I'll blog again soon.

Chao

Tired, Dirty, and Proud

Yesterday was a difficult day for the kids in many respects. They are still getting used to running around and doing things all day and then having one of us knock on their door at 6:30am the next day to do it all over again. Then there is the sun and heat and not being in familiar surroundings. But on all accounts the students are doing a fantastic job!

La Carpio is a poor community on the outskirts of San Jose made up primarily of Nicaraguan immigrants. Our job yesterday was to working on leveling one of the roads so that it can be paved in the near future. Although the sun was already hot by 8am, the kids were quick to grab shovels and pick axes and set to work on the road. At times the kids were so into their work that we had to force them to stop and take a break and get some water. The one thing that impressed most of them was working side by side with many of the community members, especially the kids.

There were moments when it would have been very easy for the kids to stop working and start complaining but it never happenned. By 2pm they were slowing down but they were still laughing and telling jokes and working hard. When it was time to leave the community, the kids were saying good bye to their new friends in their broken Spanish and talking abut coming back for another day of hard work in the sun.

In the end they were tired, dirty, and proud of their accomplishments, but not as proud as we were of them!

-Wilds

Leveling Roads

-Allison Peters

Day three of the Costa Rican adventure. I really like it here, and all the people are super friendly. Since I didn’t blog yesterday, I’m going to start with that. We woke up early and began our day with a tour of the city. I learned a lot about the different architectures as well as the history of Costa Rica, like that San Jose wasn’t always the capital of Costa Rica. We then walked around the market which was one of the most surreal moments I have ever had. It was exactly like the black markets you saw on television except for without the crime. Although it often smelled horrible of fish, and there was raw meat being sold everywhere, it was pretty nice. It’s what I was hoping for in Costa Rica, a completely new experience. We then got some ice cream with the money we exchanged. It was flavored nutmeg I guess but it reminded me of Cinnabun ice cream by Ben and Jerry’s. We then finally walked back to get lunch, which was my first meal with beans. They were gross. But the rice and plantain was good, and the Chicken was delicious. We then rushed to the hotel with our interview with Epsy Campbell which went well. She was really kind and laid back, and had a lot of good points. Finally we rushed out to meet the other high school Ticos. They pretty much creamed us in Soccer and Basketball, but it was a lot of fun. I tried speaking to them with my broken Spanish along with like three other students, but they just kind of laughed at us. We had the most delicious juice, raspberry, with dinner. All of the juice is really good here and fresh. Especially the Kas or something like that from Monday.

Finally today, it was really nice. I woke up super early for no reason, before the sun was even up and took a shower. I then fell back asleep until breakfast which was cereal thank goodness. After applying layers of sun block we took off for La Carpio. I read a lot about this place during my research, but seeing it was something different. Everyone was really friendly, even nicer than the students. And the locals helped out. Boy was it hard work trying to level the roads, it was like moving mountains, but the young kids made it worthwhile. They were all really sweet and knew some English, they could count to twenty. It amazed me of these two little kids who were only two years old, were helping us shovel. Also, these two like teenagers had parrots and they let us hold them. It was pretty gross digging their drain out, it was just like the thickest sludge that looked like oil. Tonight, hopefully the high school Ticos are coming over for a fiesta, so I’m really excited. I miss and love my family, but Costa Rica is pretty spectacular.

We are so blessed to live in the USA.

Oliver Laniear


So today we got up this morning to go to a community called la Carpio to clean. When we first got there I was really suprised to see how the people there lived. Like I saw pictures of places like that but never in person. For examples I saw the houses were made of metal type material and so were the rooves. It seemed like there were a lot of people living in one house. There were also many dogs that just wandered around the community. We could also smell the sewage lines.

So we all start cleaning and once we were cleaning the neighbors around started helping us and that really shocked me because I thought they were just going to watch us work.

So the work we were doing is flatening out a street so people can come in and pave a road and it got alittle hard at times. Then we moved on to an area which was there sewage ditch and it was very nasty and I never thought I would be picking up some ones waste. But with the help of the people and them being nice to us, showing they appricated it, I didnt really have doubt of doing it for them. To go along with that the kids were really nice and they little little kids were even trying to help us shovel and flaten dirt in their bare hands and with sandals on some even shorts. While we were all wearing boots, sunscreen, hats, glasses, bandans trying to stay covered from the sun. To conclude I really enjoyed today and cant wait to go back tomorrow to finish our work with them and see people who dont live too well so happy. :)

Oliver Laniear

Communication

Today the kids learned there are many different ways to communicate. When we met with the local high school students, it was clear that neither our Spanish nor their English was going to be sufficient to hold conversations. But somehow the students all found ways to make themselves understand and get to know one another better. Whether it was the soccer game (during which the Ticos beat us badly even though they weren't trying hard), the basketball game in which we faired slightly better, or when the students struggled through the language barrier to ask and answer questions about their daily lives. By the time we left the school the kids were excited by making new friends and learning how similar they all really are.

--Wilds

P.S. It is currently 8:35pm and most of the children are already in bed, Pura Vida!!

Ticos are friendly!

Eric Feher

Today we woke up and after breakfast we began our tour of the city, San Jose! It was very interesting. In terms of architecture San Jose is almost a melting pot of sorts. There are elements of many European and indigenous art, ranging from a few centuries old to modern. After our tour ended we went to the bank to exchange out money into Costa Rican Colons. This was the first time when I really noticed the language barrier, the banker asked me a question and I didn’t know how to respond. After the money was exchanged I felt rich, I has 10 000 bills.

Once we arrived back to the hotel we quickly got dressed and ready to interview Epsy Campbell. The one thing that really stuck out during the interview was when she was speaking on the issue of immigration. She noted the root cause and said that lain America needs to change in order for people not to want to leave.

Finally we went to a local high school. Here we played soccer and basketball. In soccer we lost horribly, in basketball the teams were relatively equally matched. I was very surprised by how friendly and welcoming they seemed.