Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Day 3
Today was our first day working at Linda Vista Escuela, the school near the Eco Lodge, where we are helping to build three bathroom stalls. We played some soccer first with the students, then some of us dug holes (3-4 feet wide, 3-4 feet deep) and in two different groups we went down to the Rio Sarapiqui to bring back sand to make concrete and river rocks to line the drain leading away from the toilets. This is usually the dry season in this part of Costa Rica, but today was our rainiest day so far, so much of the work we did was in showers, mist, downpours, and so forth!
We worked until noon and then took a ride in the back of Rodolfo’s cattle truck to his farm, where he grows ornamental plants (many of which we recognized from home!) among other things, and his property is extraordinary. Lunch was tilapia fresh from the pond twenty feet away along with fried plantains, yucca patties (a lot like latkes), and veggies. After lunch we did some leadership and team-building activities, then toured Rodolfo’s farm. By this time is was late afternoon, so, as the rain poured down, we planned some English lessons for the students at the school, and headed back to our homestays for the evening.
Tomorrow, we will arrive at the work site bright and early at 7:00 AM to continue our work on the bathrooms, and in the afternoon Berkeley Carroll students will teach English lessons, then have lessons of their own in traditional Costa Rican cooking at Olga’s and Barney’s house (where we will also meet their rescued baby anteater). We are looking forward to it!
We worked until noon and then took a ride in the back of Rodolfo’s cattle truck to his farm, where he grows ornamental plants (many of which we recognized from home!) among other things, and his property is extraordinary. Lunch was tilapia fresh from the pond twenty feet away along with fried plantains, yucca patties (a lot like latkes), and veggies. After lunch we did some leadership and team-building activities, then toured Rodolfo’s farm. By this time is was late afternoon, so, as the rain poured down, we planned some English lessons for the students at the school, and headed back to our homestays for the evening.
Tomorrow, we will arrive at the work site bright and early at 7:00 AM to continue our work on the bathrooms, and in the afternoon Berkeley Carroll students will teach English lessons, then have lessons of their own in traditional Costa Rican cooking at Olga’s and Barney’s house (where we will also meet their rescued baby anteater). We are looking forward to it!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
First Day in Costa Rica
Yesterday was full of travel. We got to school at 6:45 AM, few of us actually awake, got into vans bound for the airport, turned on the radio, and got stopped behind a garbage truck going down Lincoln Place. The plane ride was a grueling five hours, where we had to contend with such dangers as an alarm going off in someone’s luggage, a crying baby, and not having iPods. We landed in San Salvador just in time to leave, but not before seeing a beautiful mountain range. The plane ride to Costa Rica was thankfully much shorter in comparison to the first ride, and we quickly left the airport bound for a mall were we exchanged money. Then, we drove through the rain for another two hours, finally arriving at the Eco Lodge at 8:00 PM.
Tasty pasta, garlic bread, and guava juice were awaiting us, as were (thankfully) comfortable beds, into which most of us fell by 9:30 or 10:00.
So today was our first full day in Costa Rica, at the Chilamate Eco Lodge. Most of us woke up at six, some as early as five, and started our day with a big breakfast of fresh fruit, homemade banana bread, traditional Costa Rican food, and eggs. As we ate our breakfast, we were able to spot a giant spider, and some really beautiful hummingbirds. After breakfast we went white water rafting on
the Rio Sarapiqui, which was lots of fun. Most people fell in a couple times, but everyone was okay. The rapids were amazing, and our breaks to swim in the calmer areas were enjoyed by all. We stopped about halfway through our 8-mile course for some more fresh fruit, which was a great way to fill up our now surprisingly hungry stomachs. We had a little competition of climbing back into the rafts, with Ms. Fogarty and Ms. Durham’s groups tying for first place. We also saw some pretty interesting wildlife including a toucan, an egret, an iguana, an exotic housecat named Kitty, 
and even some howler monkeys! After our rafting trip, we came back to the lodge and jumped back into the river for another swim, and then realized what a mess we had made of all our clothes – which are still completely soaked. We had a nice lunch of barbeque steak and potatoes, along with some fresh vegetables. The weather in Costa Rica has been more than a little unpredictable, with rain coming when you least expect it – in our case, after lunch. This didn’t help with the idea of putting our clothes out to dry in the sun. We’re now about to embark on a hike in the rainforest, which should be lots of fun.
Tasty pasta, garlic bread, and guava juice were awaiting us, as were (thankfully) comfortable beds, into which most of us fell by 9:30 or 10:00.
So today was our first full day in Costa Rica, at the Chilamate Eco Lodge. Most of us woke up at six, some as early as five, and started our day with a big breakfast of fresh fruit, homemade banana bread, traditional Costa Rican food, and eggs. As we ate our breakfast, we were able to spot a giant spider, and some really beautiful hummingbirds. After breakfast we went white water rafting on
the Rio Sarapiqui, which was lots of fun. Most people fell in a couple times, but everyone was okay. The rapids were amazing, and our breaks to swim in the calmer areas were enjoyed by all. We stopped about halfway through our 8-mile course for some more fresh fruit, which was a great way to fill up our now surprisingly hungry stomachs. We had a little competition of climbing back into the rafts, with Ms. Fogarty and Ms. Durham’s groups tying for first place. We also saw some pretty interesting wildlife including a toucan, an egret, an iguana, an exotic housecat named Kitty, 
and even some howler monkeys! After our rafting trip, we came back to the lodge and jumped back into the river for another swim, and then realized what a mess we had made of all our clothes – which are still completely soaked. We had a nice lunch of barbeque steak and potatoes, along with some fresh vegetables. The weather in Costa Rica has been more than a little unpredictable, with rain coming when you least expect it – in our case, after lunch. This didn’t help with the idea of putting our clothes out to dry in the sun. We’re now about to embark on a hike in the rainforest, which should be lots of fun.
Written by Josh and Amelia
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