Language School in San Jose
Today we woke up to a gorgeous day and made our way to Costa Rica Language School. We split up into groups and played awesome Spanish games. As well as learning Spanish, we learned how to make empanadas (super yummy, aka muy rico) AND we learned how to merengue and salsa. When we arrived back to the hostel we prepared a meal together as a cook crew for the first time. We then packed up and loaded our bags on to the bus and set off on a ride to Kokoro. Anticipation filled the bus and were shocked by the beautiful scenery when we reached our destination.
--Coco, Cole, Taylor, Maddie Flying Getaway: Ziplines
The smell of nature awakens us. Eager for adventure, we rise like the sun and shoot up out of our beds like the erupting volcano next to us. Around us are bugs and animals, plants and trees. We are one with nature. After a delicioso breakfast Luis brought us to a flying getaway; zip lines. Conquered was the sky by us, as we flew, carefree through the thin air. The view was marked by a volcano and a glorious rainforest. Happy were we as Julieta’s gentle laugh drifted through the air, bestowing upon everyone a blissful feeling. Later, to soothe our tired souls, we embarked upon a journey to one of nature’s pools, guided by our faithful compañero, Luis. Nature engulfed us in its warm gentle embrace, reviving our tired souls, quenching our undying thirst with ice-cold fruit drinks. The hot and cold water provided the perfect balance between yin and yang, and a plethora of senses graced our skin. Fresh meat and chicken basked in a salty sauce slid down our welcoming throats, except for the throats of our vegetarian friends. With content stomachs and gratified souls, we returned to Kokoro and fell asleep with smiles defining our faces.
--Christian Service and Soccer
This morning we were woken up to start our first day of service. After a filling breakfast, we were met by Randy, our awesome guide of Monte Alto, with his loco juego of “Birdie on a Perch,” Paulo and Julian won. Then we started to get to work including demolishing the original wooden bathrooms, carrying heavy sand and rocks via plastic bags and wheelbarrow. This labor lasted for the morning and we were absolutely drenched beyond belief. From the start, we were all working together for a common goal, and it felt like we were making a huge difference. After this, Cecilia (the wonderful cook) made us lunch consisting of fish fillet, rice, beans and tortillas and raspberry/watermelon juice…yummm! The rest of the day was spent playing soccer with the local children. We were able to teach the younger students how to play, followed by a game with the older children of the village, our WV group vs. the local Costa Ricans. We all had a blast and were equally dirty from the mud and sweat. After a disappointing loss, we all took pictures with the kids to always remember our time with them. We got to know so many truly appreciative kids including Juan, Jeffrey, Willy, Nacho and Filipe. Even though there was a bit of a language barrier, we built a close bond through the universal game of soccer, and the experience changed all of our lives for the better. Dinner was excellent (Gracias Cecilia!) and we’re looking forward to the adventures ahead.
PS-We saw howler monkeys!
--Olivia, Kate, Tori Hanging Ten and Sea Turtle Preservation
Today we woke up bright and early and had a great breakfast of eggs, toast and oatmeal. The two surf instructors came by named Marie and Fedrico and told us the safety steps for surfing. Then we picked up our boards to go to the beach for our first surfing lesson. The instructors taught us how to get up and balance on the boards and split us into groups, some swam and snorkeled while others surfed, and then w switched. After that we came back and had lunch and played games. Then we relaxed and got ready for our turtle walk. At nine we walked up and down the beach looking for turtles. We saw one huge turtle and stayed quiet as she made her nest, and put her eggs in it, there were 85! Then she went back in to the water. It was beautiful. Also, the stars were so pretty. Overall we had a great day!
--Lily, Leah, Thomas, Geagy
