2023 Portland Middle School Costa Rica Service Adventure

Blog 7

Written by Lyla, Olive, Penny, Alina, Charlotte, and Kate

We had a early wake up at a small beach town on the pacific coast. We had a bufet style breakfast with different fruits, waffles, juice, and of course rice and beans. We then headed to the beach for our surfing lesson in one of Costa Rica’s national parks. It was about a 5 minute walk away and we passed a few local stands such as clothing, tapestries, and ice cream. Once we got to the beach we met our instructors who gave us some safety tips and a basic overview of how to surf. Then they split us up into three groups and we headed to the ocean with our surfboards. Every group had an instructor with them who helped to get you started and taught you a little more how to catch the waves. Once you got the hang of it a bit you could try doing it yourself! We surfed for about an hour and a half then stopped for a quick fruit brake. About a half an hour after we went back the waves got a little too rough so we dropped our surfboards and swam in the ocean with eachother. We headed back to our hotel and got ready for lunch. Today we went to a restaurant with a view of the whale tail called Mirador don Roger. Most of us enjoyed some good pasta! After lunch we went back to our hotel and quickly got ready to go to the beach again but we were interrupted by a thunder storm and were unable to swim at the beach. But we were able to go to a local stand with tapestries and clothing. A couple of us purchased some items and were even given a free tote bag! By then the thunder had stopped and we went to go swimming in the rain! Once our swimming came to an end we headed back to the hotel to shower and get ready for dinner. We enjoyed dinner at a beautiful restaurant located in the jungle. Our table was greeted by little geckos crawling over the canopy. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to pack and get ready for bed.

Blog 6

Written by Mason & Josiah

This morning we woke up ate breakfast and said goodbye to our host family we all met at the community center and went through our normal stretches. we all got on the bus and we’re on our way to the hotel. Once we got to the hotel we ate lunch. Then we got to our hotel rooms and unpacked, then we drove to the beach. There were big waves and the water was very warm. We swam for about 2 hours before we made a circle and talked about the interviews we did with our host families yesterday, and the impact it had on our experience so far in Costa Rica. Then we swam for another 30 minutes before driving back to our hotel and showering off before dinner at 6:30. We got pizza for dinner at an American-themed tourist-driven restaurant. Some people bought pastries from it. After that, we drove home to the hotel and everyone went back to our rooms.

Blog 5

Written by Sullivan & Oliver

After all of us played soccer with the local Costa Rican kids,all of us went home to shower and get ready and presentable after a day of work and soccer. After showering we headed over to the farewell dinner. At the dinner we ate with are host families and after eating we danced with all kids. We also made thank you cards for are host families. After the dinner we hit a piñata with some of the kids and the piñata is way easier said than done. And finally we ended the day with going back home with our host families.

Blog 4

Written by Frank & Lyla

Today we started with working on the wall. We laid more cement and brushed the rocks to get any excess cement off of them. We then had a fruit break with pineapple, watermelon, and apples. After the break we went back to the wall to lay down more cement and secure the back of the wall. We had to mix more cement and we were back at it. We had lunch and then switched jobs and started painting the community cafeteria. we got pretty close to finishing it. After the work day we went to Penny’s host family’s farm, and we got to milk a cow and got a tour of the farm. At the end of the tour we had a cheese tasting and bought some fresh cheeses! Most of us went home but the boys played soccer.

Blog 3

Written by Charlotte & George

The day began as we all woke up at roughly at 7am. This was our first night spent in our host families. We awoke to a wonderful breakfast made by our families. For most of us, this consisted of rice and beans, eggs or fruit. We finished up our food and began our day. Today was our first service workday so we had no idea what to expect. We arrived at the place where we would be doing our services and our wonderful guide Enrique told us what to do. We were split into two groups. One group will be working outside building a wall with stones, and the other group will be inside painting the walls. The group that was tasked to build the wall started with removing weeds from the rocks, then they moved rocks in areas in the wall that didn’t seem secure or level with the other parts of the structure. The first group finished by mixing concrete and using it in the cracks of the stone to make it more secure. The other group was tasked with painting the plaza and they managed to finish a first coat on almost the entire thing before we went for lunch. After lunch both groups switched tasks and continued to work where the other group left off. At 1:45 both groups started cleaning up and at 2 each pair left for their host family’s house to shower and get cleaned up. At 3 we returned for Costa Rican dancing. the dance was called Merengue and Bachata. It had lively music and everyone was every look to be having a good time. It is now time to get back to our host families and for some of us to play soccer with the family and some local kids.

Blog 2

Written by Kate, Alina and Lyla

Another early wake up after a night of playing pool and practicing Spanish with Ronnie. We get ready and head to breakfast which was an amazing selection of fruits and different foods. Soon after breakfast we hop back in the bus and start our new adventure! The 45 minute scenic bus route was a lot shorter but just as beautiful as the last. When we arrive we are greeted with a beautiful view of rainforest and waterfall. We are brought delicious juices and spend a few minutes soaking in the nature. After we finished our drinks we hop on the tractor and are ready for our new adventure! The ride is something Enrique calls a “costa rica n massage,” although i’m not sure I would call it one. although a little scary our very experienced driver manages to get us to our trail safely. The hike was fairly short through the depths of the jungle. As we arrive at the base of the waterfall we were pleasantly surprised with the delightful temperature of the water. Enrique shows us the proper way to jump off the rocks (you must scream pura vida) and we begin exploring the area. After around an hour at the base of the waterfall we hiked up to the top. There we were able to swim in the pool, which was a beautiful aquamarine and even go under the waterfall and have “shower”. We then enjoyed a sack lunch with lots of freshly cut fruit. We hiked back to the rest stop, where we were picked up by the tractor. After showering and changing we head back to the bus where we get taken to our host families! On our drive, we stopped to eat rambutan and shortly after arrived at our host families. We introduce ourselves to them and we’re off!

Blog Uno

Written by Olive and Penny

After an early wake up call at 6:15, we had to quickly pack up and head to breakfast at 7. We had toast and jam, eggs, casados, and delicious pineapple. Then Rony our wonderful driver, picked us up and we hit the road. As we drove we got to see the beautiful nature of Costa Rica. We were also able to see the towns and colorful buildings as we passed, and even some of the differences between the social classes.

After about an hour we stopped at a local fruit stand where we were able to sample many fresh and local fruits such as papaya, mango, dragon fruit, coconut, and more! There we could also purchase fruits by the kilo as well as candy. Then we spent much of the morning and early afternoon in the bus, but we made many different stops. Our first stop was meeting some of Rony’s friends, scarlet macaws, who were perked up in the almond trees in pairs. Our next stop was a supermarket were we bought some Costarican snacks as well as some necessities. Midway through the drive we stopped for lunch where we had rice and chicken, veggies, or fish with some sides and also got to practice our Spanish. Once we ate, we got back on the bus and drove through the mountains and saw some incredible views away from the cities. After a few hours, we finally arrived at our destination, and we were given an in depth tour of a sustainable farm and participated in a coffee, chocolate, and empanada tasting. Although it was raining the entire tour, it was still so fun and we all made such amazing memories. We then had dinner and a group meeting. We retried to our jungalow’s for the night.