2022 Nederland High School Costa Rica Service Adventure

Pipiri Miau

Written by Cailin

We woke up to a grey, rainy morning in San Gerardo. After meeting at the school to view our complete project one last time, we said a bittersweet goodbye to our host families and took off toward Pura Suerte / Sueños de Vida – the coffee and fruit farm owned by a local family here in Costa Rica. We took a couple stops to see the gorgeous jungle and ocean views as well as hike up to massive waterfall where we got soaked in the mist and covered in mud on the hike back down. Finally we arrived at the beautiful farm and got a tour of all of the trees, fruits, and herbs that they grow here. We sampled some VERY spicy chiles and cacao and wrapped up our tour by visiting the pigs, chickens, ducks, Guinea pigs, and cows – three of which were pregnant! We headed back to the outdoor kitchen and got a little quiz on all that we saw then got to sample some fresh coffee from the farm. While this was happening, we also got a lesson from Graciela, one of the owners, taught us how to make fresh empanadas over a wood-fired stove. After snacking on our empanadas and getting to know the family who owns the farm, our driver Ronny introduced us to a game that is a Walking Tree right of passage called Pipiri Miau. This involved copying the crazy movements and words of Ronny, sitting on a wet towel, and lots of laughs. Finally, we sat down for dinner and some homemade, fresh, coconut ice cream. To wrap up one of our last days here in Costa Rica, we spent with each student writing a reflective letter to themselves which they will receive in three years. What a wonderful trip this has been!

A Day of Last Times

Written by Lori

Today was a day of last times. I was thinking this as I walked down the beautiful mountain on my way to work this morning. My last time feeling the sun warming the back of my legs, as I passed the rolling hills covered in so many fruit trees and coffee plants, dotted with flowers of every color. It was my last time to hear the rooster that alerted me that I was passing Glen, Aric and Hayden’s house. I passed the house covered with my favorite flower, Reina de la noche, for the last time, just before I got to the school. We finished working today and set up for our going away party, went home to clean up, to have our last dinner with our families and to have a chance to say thank you to each family. Then, there was food, music, a piñata, cake and dancing! Of course, it was raining! Tomorrow, we say goodbye to these wonderful people who have welcomed us into their homes, fed us, taught us and loved us. What an amazing experience these home stays have been! I bet there won’t be a dry eye as we drive off to our next adventure!

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Written by Cailin

Upon arriving to our final day of work in San Gerardo, we began the day as usual by ripping off some sleeves and getting out the paint. Our only task for the today was to paint the stairs and pathway that leads to the school. It is hard to believe that we are nearly finished after all of the hard work we have put in to our project. Some efficient teamwork and painting got our job done quickly and we took the rest of the afternoon off to prepare for our despedida, or going away party. Some students headed home for a shower or nap while others walked down to a little shop to look for souvenirs. A few hours later we all returned to the salón for our party. Everyone had the opportunity to speak to their families about their time here in San Gerardo (with the help of Lori’s translations) and thank them for hosting us in their houses. We then feasted on a mountain of arroz con pollo and hit the dance floor. Bernal, one of the host dads here, gave us all some dance lessons in the merengue and cumbia, and the local kids also taught us some moves. Finally, we brought out our custom Walking Tree piñata. One of the school employees was kind enough to design it for us and we had a blast cracking it open with the kids. Finally, it was time to head home for our final night with our families. What a wonderful time we have had here in San Gerardo!

Nine Teenagers and a Hose

Written by Ben Weber

Well then, today was quite a day. Up early, as we do, so we can make it up (or down, in some cases) the hill, after a lovely breakfast and a bit of coffee. We started work at 8:00 (just after Leo’s sleeve-ripping ceremony) and our first jobs for the day were to paint the inner bathroom walls and the large, spidery storage shed near the church. The bathrooms went down pretty quickly, and slapping the first coat of paint on the shed was simple enough, save a few (dozen) spiders and an uncomfortable quantity of roaches. We enjoyed a quick té frío break in the morning and a longer lunch break around noon where we celebrated Opal’s birthday. Afterwards we worked on the inside of the cafeteria and cleaned most of our painting equipment. Once we had finished around there, we mopped out the lower gym, and it went as well as any task that includes nine teenagers, a hose, and several brooms can be expected to go. Following this, we said our farewells and went home for the day.

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Written by Laura

Our penultimate day of work in San Gerardo, today we finished painting and refining some details that were missing. Today was also Opal’s birthday, so we bought a little cake and sang happy birthday. After 1 pm we finished at the school and went to wash the lower part of the Salón (the large gym/common space). We finished at 2:30 pm and the chicos decided to play a little in the plaza. There is only one day left for los chicos in our town of San Gerardo, and I am grateful to everyone for the great help and love with which they carry out their work. Thank you very much guys, you are extraordinary.

A Day at La Feria

Written by Cailin

After spending the week grinding out some hard work in the garden and school of San Gerardo, we took the day off to visit the nearby city of San Isidro. We hopped on the bus in the morning and after about 45 minutes of driving on the steep and winding roads, we arrived to the busy city. Everyone was eager to explore the markets and shops and spent some time shopping for souvenirs before visiting a buffet-style restaurant for a traditional Costa Rican lunch. We then took off for some more souvenir shopping and made our way to the Feria, or farmers market. There, everyone got to explore the stands filled with different fruits, pastries, and jewelry and we all got to sample some new flavors. The granadillas, a fruit with a thick shell and sweet, edible seeds, were a favorite of the group. After the bustling market, everyone was ready to hop the bus back to San Gerardo and head home for a mellow afternoon with their host families.

Today was a Rainy Day

Written by Hayden Camp

Today we woke up and had breakfast at 7 in the morning as per usual. For breakfast, we had a combination of rice, beans, and egg and also had a side of coffee. After eating breakfast, we made our way to the school to begin our work day. As the kids weren’t in school today we finished painting the rest of the classrooms and any other rooms that needed more paint. We did this throughout the morning till our lunch was brought to us by our host family at around 11:30. This lunch consisted of rice, beans, plantains, and green bean wrapped in egg. After finishing our lunch, we took another small break and played some hacky sack until it was time to work again. After this break, we finished the rest of the painting, cleaned all the rooms and got all the paint off the floors, as well as moved everything back into its original place. We then finished the day off with some more hacky sack on the soccer field before walking home. After getting home we had our dinner which consisted of fried rice, beans, and salad paired with glasses of fresh lemonade. We then finished dinner and headed off to bed to rest up for tomorrow.

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Written by Laura

We start working at 8 am like every day. We continued painting the classrooms of the school and also the cafeteria area. At 10 am we had a break and we did an activity where everyone talked about some misunderstandings they had when trying to communicate with their host families and it was a lot of fun!

The rest of the day we continued painting. The school looks different now and we all like the result, the town is very grateful to the students for their great work.

A Day in the Dirt

Written by Glen Kress

Today was lots of fun. We woke up at 7:00 like we do every morning for a breakfast of eggs and tortillas and some bread with colorful bits that was pretty tasty. Then we went to the school at 8:00 to get started on working. We started out with half of us mixing more concrete to put around the garden while the other half continued painting the school. When we were done mixing and pouring the concrete we lined the garden with cinder blocks as walls. After the cinder blocks were in place, we collected dirt to fill in the garden and make it ready for when the plants arrived. It was very hot today and the rain didn’t start till later so we had to take a break for some snacks and tea. When we were done with our snack the plants had arrived for the garden and we started planting. That didn’t take too long and the garden was finish and looking very nice.

After that we went around back to where we got the dirt for the garden and began to work on digging out a ramp up to some greenhouses behind the school. We laid out colorful bricks for the pathway over the dirt ramp. When we’d finished the digging we were all more than ready for a lunch break and our food had arrived. We ate lunch on the hill in front of the school and played hackysack with our whole group. We tried to get a hack but we weren’t all that good and there were a lot of us playing. After lunch, we continued with the painting and finished up one of the classrooms we’d been working on for a couple of days. By the time that painting was done it was pretty much time to clean all our tools and go home. We had a little malfunction with the shower at our house because the drain was clogged and water ended up spilling over the floor but they called a plumber and the issue is being resolved. Just a bit of extra excitement. It’s pouring rain this evening but that’s no surprise as it rains most afternoons. Anyways today was fun we just mainly continued on our projects and had a good time.

Work, Work, and Work Some More

Written by Aric Olsen

Today we woke up around 6:30 and got ready for the day. Our group had a breakfast of rice beans eggs and fresh baked bread. We all met at the school around 8 o’clock and started the days work of painting and working on a garden bed. The kids showed up for school around 8:30 and loved watching us work and do our jobs. We first finished painting the bathrooms and moved on to digging the garden bed.  After we finish digging the garden bed, we mixed and filled the hole with concrete and that job was finished for the day since we had to wait for the concrete to be done drying. About that time, it was lunch time. All our family’s brought us lunch. We played some soccer and hacky sack after lunch then it was time to go back to work. For the rest of the day we worked on painting a class room and we almost finished it but then had to clean up for the end of the day. By the time we were all finished the rain had come and we all went back to our houses.

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Written by Cailin

After having the day off yesterday, it was back to work on the school for us! Some students started the morning off by continuing to paint the outside of the school while the rest began the tough work of digging out the soon-to-be garden beds where we discovered ants, worms, cockroaches, and a whole slew of other fun insects. After a few hours of work and a quick snack break, we began the challenging task of mixing cement. This entailed four or five students using shovels to pile dirt, gravel, and cement powder on the ground before adding water. Once the mixture started to get wet, it was time to mix it all together using our shovels. This process took 15 or 20 minutes of shoveling the heavy mixture into various piles to make sure it was all evenly wet and then scooping it into a wheelbarrow and transporting it to the garden beds. We repeated this process several times and thoroughly wore everyone out. After a lunch break with home-made hot lunches from our host families, we got back to work with some more painting. As the rain arrived we finished up for the day and everyone headed home to spend the evening with their families.

Sunday is for Rest

Written by Echo Siglin

Today was a busy day filled with good food, fun, and new experiences. We started off by walking up the mountain to a hot spring which did not sound appealing at first in the hot humid weather. When we got there, we were surprised by a cooler pool that was exactly what we needed to cool off. We enjoyed the spring for a few hours and then hiked back down to Leo and Ben’s host family’s restaurant and had a great meal and dessert. After lunch, we all went home and got ready for church, this was my favorite part because we were able to experience religion in another country and culture. The church was gorgeous and listening to the prayers in Spanish was a great way to try to learn more. Today was a great day and we all had at least one new experience that we will probably never forget.

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Written by Laura

Today we went to see the hot springs, for everyone it was a surprise to see that the water is not so hot and for some it was even a little cold. They had the opportunity to get to know some fruits such as cas and lemon and for some the taste was a bit strange. Then we all went to have lunch at a wonderful place called Secret Gardens, after lunch some of the students had the opportunity to go with their host families to the church to learn a little about the tradition of the town.

Our First Day at Home

Written by Opal Kinnikin

Today we painted the school a little we painted it beige and blue. We painted a classroom and the outside of some of the building. We also got to eat some delicious food made by our host family!

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Written by Cailin Jewell

After spending our first night in our home away from home in San Gerardo, we all experienced a Costa Rican breakfast of rice and beans with our host families before heading to our worksite. For our community project, we are repainting the school, both inside and out, and we will eventually be building some garden beds in front of the school as well. We took some time to move all of the classroom equipment out of the way and lay down some paper to protect the floor and then we began to paint. The classroom walls inside are transforming from multiple shades of blue and white to a beautiful light green color that brings freshness and light to the room. Outside, we are painting the walls a bright teal-blue with some beige trim. Everyone put in some hard work and we got a lot done today! Our time included some breaks to play soccer on the nearby field as well as some hot lunches brought to us by our host families. Que rico! The students had some time to reflect on their experiences so far and explore San Gerardo a bit before the afternoon rain arrived and everyone headed for the warmth and comfort of their homes.

Surfin USA (but in Costa Rica)

Written by Trinity

Today was super fun! The day started off with waking up bright and early and then eating a delicious breakfast. After breakfast, we began the short but beautiful walk to the ocean for surfing lessons. Our surf instructors Dennis and Ali were very nice (and patient) and by the end of the day everyone was able to get up and ride the wave! We had one unfortunate jellyfish sting and lots of bug bites, but everyone had an extremely fun and memorable morning. We then packed up and drove to get lunch at an incredible spot. The restaurant had and open view of a nearby valley that was so green and full of life. There was also a fruit stand nearby and we all ate the most delicious and unique fruits. After that we continued driving and soon we arrived at the town of San Gerardo de Rivas and meet our families. We then spent the night getting to know them and trying to speak and understand Spanish! Overall it was a wonderful day!!!

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Written by Laura
The day began at 7am with a delicious breakfast at the Tecal hotel. At 8 am the beach was waiting for us to take a surf class.

All the students were very excited, they loved Playa Chamán, it was a wonderful day, we had a lot of sun, everything was perfect. After the classes, we went to the Hotel to take a shower and prepare our bags to go to San Gerardo de Rivas, which will be our home for 9 days.

We arrived at 3pm at the San Gerardo School and the host families were waiting for us. The students were very excited and a little nervous, last night and today’s bus ride they have been practicing some phrases to communicate with their families. Today they will spend their first night with them and tomorrow we will go to work at the School where we will paint walls and where we will have a lot of fun.

How To Spot A Tourist

Written by Lauren Dirr

We began our day by waking up and enjoying breakfast at Hotel La Rosa de America. We soon left for our 4 hour drive through beautiful scenery and tropical vegetation. While driving, we stopped on a bridge overlooking a river known for its large crocodiles. After spending time looking at the various crocodiles and stopping by a nearby market to shop, we returned to the bus and continued driving. Once we arrived at the rafting company, we took an additional car ride to the put-in location. This ride was filled with stunning views, laughs, and car karaoke.

Once we arrived at the river we had a quick safety talk and then got on the river! We enjoyed the amazing conversations with our guides as well as the absolutely mind blowing landscape that surrounded us. We stopped for lunch after about an hour of rafting and visited a waterfall. We ate lunch and then continued rafting for about another hour, filled with many rapids and a few swimming adventures. We then drove to our new hotel that is right near the beach. After arriving we quickly changed into our swimsuits and went swimming in the ocean. We spent a lot of time swimming and enjoying the warm weather. We then returned back to the hotel and ate dinner as a group, ending a fantastic day on a positive and group-oriented note.

Arriving in Costa Rica!

Written by Cailin – Walking Tree Leader

After some long flights this morning the students finally arrived in Costa Rica! Laura and Cailin picked them up from the airport and everyone piled in to the bus and headed for lunch at Las Delicias del Maiz. The students got their first tastes of the delicious Costa Rican food with some casados (a traditional dish in Costa Rica with rice, meat, beans, vegetables, and plantains), arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), and jugo de cas (a juice made from a small, sour fruit).

Once lunch was finished the group arrived at the Hotel la Rosa de America and promptly jumped in the pool for a cool down from the warm air. As the afternoon rains rolled in, everyone went to their rooms for some time to relax before the big orientation meeting and dinner. Tomorrow the adventures begin with some rafting and later arriving at Uvita where more fun will await us.

Hasta luego!