2023 Souhegan Costa Rica Service Adventure

Blog 8

Written by Izzie W. 

Hola! Today we were up bright and early to still have no power but that didn’t stop us. We had a day full of adventure ahead of us. We met for breakfast and then hiked back up to the top of the hill to get off the bus. Shout out to Alex for not only being our bus driver and taking us everywhere and down the most challenging roads but he also joins us on our adventures and is practically our personal photographer. So much so he has been added to our WhatsApp group chat in order to send us all of the pictures he has taken. 

Then we made it to the Nauyaca waterfalls. We hopped onto a trailer which was attached to a tractor which brought us down the steepest hills which worried many of us when they told us we all needed to sit at the front because of the weight. But then we made it to the trails. We sat in some hammocks before we started the quick but steep hike down to the waterfalls. We still kept on the lookout for sloths but were unsuccessful with our hunt. When we made it to the waterfall many of us were amazed. We have never seen anything like it, it was so tall and the water was crystal blue. We dropped off our stuff and hopped in. We spent hours swimming in the water and climbing up rocks. Then after being dragged out of the refreshing water we hiked back up. We chilled in hammocks and ate our packed lunches before we got back on the tractor and made our way back to the little lodge. We got on the bus and stopped for a quick ice cream break before we made our way to visit and get a tour of Café Florida. 

Café Florida is a sustainable farm. We walked through trails and tasted fruits and got to hold chickens and milk cows. Then we sat down at a table and drank coffee from the farm. They taught us how to make empanadas which we then got to eat. The empanadas were served on banana leaves which many of us ripped into strands and  braided them to turn into bracelets. Then we helped to package the coffee that we are taking home. Then back on the bus for one last time for the day to head back to Bella Vida which is the place where we are staying. 

The power was back on so we took showers and started to write letters to our future self. Walking Tree does this thing where while people are on trips with them they have them write letters and address them and then in around 3 years they will send them to you. So many of us did this while we waited for dinner. Then we ate dinner and hung out in the community center before going to bed for our last real night in Costa Rica. See you in our last blog post. Pura vida!

Blog 7

Written by Izzie W. 

This was our last morning in our host village. We had one last breakfast and then said goodbye to our families. It was difficult for many of us and there were definitely some tears shed. Although we were not with them for a long time they really did become like family to many of us and it was very difficult to say goodbye. Many of us have hope that we will be back in a few years. The Chirripo hiking trail which is the tallest mountain in Costa Rica starts in our host town so many of us said we would be back one day to hike the four day trail. 

We got back on the bus which we hadn’t been on for a while. We went to hot springs which were a short drive from our host town. After a very steep walk up a road we made it to the pools. We took a morning swim that definitely woke up many of us and then were back on the bus and on our way to Finca Bella Vida, which is where we will spend our last few days. We stopped for lunch on the way. At this lunch spot you walk down steps to these little ponds where you fish for trout. Once you catch your fish they fry it for you. We sat around the table and ate our fish, which included the heads. We were surrounded by flowers and the sound of trickle water from the ponds and little waterfalls that surrounded us. Then we were back in the bus and stopped for snacks along the way, many of us collecting as many as we think can fit in our bags in order to bring them back for friends and family to try. 

We then made it to Finca Bella Vida. We went to our rooms. Many of them were down the mountain which would later include a long hike straight back up. Then we met up at the pool which surprised us all when we realized it looked over the mountains which looked over the ocean and then we got to see the prettiest sunset. There were just enough clouds to paint the whole sky orange. After many pictures and aws at the sight of the sun setting we went back to our rooms and discovered that the power had gone out. This meant a night of flashlights and candles. We ate dinner by candlelight and then played a few rounds of BS or what we renamed “caca vaca.” Then we adventured back to our rooms hiking with just flashlights and nearly dead phones. We saw many creatures along the way which included a scorpion. Then we went to bed in our little cabins. Many of us worried about the noises we heard outside of our cabin because the lack of lights left only our imagination to guess what was scurrying around outside our cabins. Some well needed rest before more adventures for the next day. See you in the next post. Pura vida

Blog 6

Written by Izzie W

Hola! This was sadly our last full day in our host village. We started the day as usual with breakfast with our families and then back to work at the community center. Today we had to finish up all of our work because this is it, we had to get it all done before the party that was being held there that night. Some people worked to install wire fencing to keep bugs out. During lunch time we took a trip to the school which is right across the street and got to meet the kids and they asked us questions and we asked them some as well. It was cool to be able to talk to these kids and for many of us it was a surprise to see students from 1st to 6th grade all in the same classroom with the same teacher. It wasn’t on the original itinerary but thanks to Bernie for putting it together for us because it was a very cool experience. Then we went back to work. Many of us worked on a mural. Every group who comes to Herradura for a service trip usually leaves their mark somewhere with a name on the wall. We took this as a challenge of sorts and decided that we were going to paint an entire mural in one day. With the help of everyone we successfully finished just in time and everyone added their hand prints to the wall. Some people went back home to change before the party but the hike back home wasn’t worth it because of all of the rain. I think that this was the most rain I have ever seen in one day. You couldn’t even hear each other speak over the sound of the rain hitting the roof and street. Then we all met back up at the community center for our going away party. We were joined with our host families and other members of the community. It started with some dancing which to be able to dance with your host family is so much fun because they know what they are doing and they try to help you out but it was a struggle for many. For me I had two host sisters, one was close in age to me and the other was a bit older but to be able to dance with them was so much fun. After an hour of bachata and even some classic American dance music we sat down to have dinner. We got to sit with our host families and other members of the community and just talk and get to know each other more for one last time. I sat across from a young boy who went to the school that we visited earlier in the day so it was fun to continue our conversation and even  arm wrestle him and have a staring contest. Then we had one more thing for the night, a piñata! We started with the little kids in the community.  The kids surprised most of us with how aggressive they were. As soon as you put that stick in their hands they were swinging. Then Cole stepped up to try the piñata. Many of us were scared for our lives and were covering our faces because we had a fear the stick was going to slip out of his hands and into our faces. Then he cracked it open and the kids went running to the ground to collect the candy that had fallen. Then we went back to our houses to spend one last night with our host families before we were on our way to our next location early the next day. See you in the next post! Pura vida!

Blog 5

Written by Izzie W

Yesterday began the same as usual. We woke up, had breakfast with our host families and then went on our way to the community center to continue painting. We worked hard in the morning touching up paint on one side and then painting accent walls white. Then our host families brought us lunch to our worksite and we were able to sit together to eat our different packed lunches.

Something that I have noticed is we have a new kind of juice with almost every meal. I love sitting together with our lunches and seeing all the different juices that our parents have packed for us because I am not used to drinking so many different flavors. Some of the favorites so far have been strawberry, mango, raspberry and lime. Then we got back to work to finish the other wall because it needed to be done before the next day. We did one final push before we finished for the day. Then we had dance lessons.

A dance teacher came to meet us. We started with merengue and simple moves and then paired up to continue to learn more moves. We then moved on to bachata. There were definitely a lot of laughs and giggles as we attempted to move our hips but failed. Then once we were done we even got to teach him a classic American dance… The Cotton Eyed Joe. Our teacher caught on quickly and we danced a bit longer before the class was over. Then we once again went our seperate ways to our homes. In my host family, we went out for pizza and our host sister is learning English so we would speak to her and ask her questions in English to help her practice. There was a lot of thunder and lighting last night so I enjoyed watching the bright colors flash in the sky over the foggy mountains. Then we went home to go to bed because tomorrow is our last full day here and we still have work to finish.

Down below are some more quotes from members of our group about their experience so far. See you in the next post. Pura vida

Jenna: “I really liked the dance classes and I think it was a unique experience for all of us I wouldn’t say any of us were that good at it but it was fun to get a taste of their culture and now we have some new moves”

Maeve: “It went really well! Jenna and I feel like we can actually understand what she is telling us and we are starting to be able to joke around with her and getting more into conversation rather than just quick replies”

Tommy: “ We got a lot done yesterday, a lot more than I expected. It looks really good so far. I was worried about the way the paint looks wet but now looking at it, it looks really good. Then the dance instructor came and taught us bachata and merengue, which was fun. I thought it was going to be awkward but it was actually really fun when we got into it. And we got to teach him the Cotton Eyed Joe which was funny.”

Molly: “ I didn’t know what to expect with the dance lessons yesterday but they were so fun. It was an amazing way to immerse further in their culture in a new and fun experience. The instructor was very helpful as well as we learned all the new dance moves. I loved learning some new dances that I can come back home with and show my family.” 

Blog 4

Written by Izzie W

Hola! Today we spent the morning with our families eating breakfast and then were off to work at the community center for more painting. We continued to paint the walls and the fence around the community center and made more progress on the work we were doing yesterday. Then our host families dropped lunches for us and we took a lunch break. We all sat around the table and went to enjoy the different meals and drinks that our host families brought to us. Then we got back to work for a few more hours of work before we finished up for the day. If it were not for the constant upbeat Spanish music that we listen to while we work I do not think we would be able to make so much progress each day. Then we cleaned up our paint brushes so they could be used again in the morning for more painting. We then took a break for a couple of hours and we explored the river that runs through our village. We climbed down the rocks that surrounded the river and sat next to the cold water for a while. The water made a nice breeze that was able to cool us down before we went on to our next activity. Many of us just talked about everything that was going on while some people had fun skipping rocks or dropping in rocks to see which ones would splash to the others the most. Then we climbed back up the river bed and went to the basketball court where we got to play a game with the town’s girls basketball team. We warmed up a bit before they showed up along with other members of the town. We may have lost the game but we definitely put up a bit of a fight. But the girls team is legit, we were pretty intimidated when they started to do their practice drills before the game started, while our warm up was very unorganized compared to them. We definitely had a lot of laughs from the sidelines watching eachother slip because our shoes didn’t have enough grip or because we would completely miss the net. It was cool for me because my host sister plays on the team so Lily and I got to play alongside her and our entire host family came to watch the game. After the game we all went our separate ways to have dinner with our families and continue to just be a part of the family. Down below are more quotes from kids about their experience so far. See you in the next post! Pura vida

Kyleigh said “We played against the girls basketball team and even though we weren’t the best, everyone gave a lot of effort and we had lots of fun! During dinner, my host mom gave Ari and I gifts which was super nice! It’s getting easier to communicate with our family and I’ve learned a lot of new words!”

Ariana said “Yesterday went by kinda quickly mostly because we were working most of the day. I woke up and greeted my host family like always with buenos días. Then we ate breakfast which was rice and beans and it was really good. It’s definitely interesting to see that they eat rice with beans for breakfast because In the US that is more of a lunch or dinner food. After breakfast we left and got to work pausing halfway in between to eat lunch. Then we played in a basketball game which was super fun. Finally we headed home and ate dinner and for dinner we had chicken and potatoes. We were pretty tired so after dinner we showered and went right to bed.”

Lily said “We were able to play against the girls basketball team which they were much better than you could even think. And because my host sister was on the team afterwards it was fun to have their coach and some of the players over for dinner and we joked about our playing abilities. They even called me Lebron James, it may have been a joke but I will take it”

Blog 3

Hola! The other night we spent  with our host families eating dinner and getting to know them more. We have interviewed different kids about their experience last night and this morning which I will include down below but first I wanted to share my experience. At first I was nervous that I wasn’t going to understand but my host family is super understanding and will repeat stuff or reword it so we can understand. Lily and I got to lay in hammocks last night before dinner and we had a super cool view of the mountains and the soccer field. Then we went to sit with the family while our host mom made dinner and our host dad and sister taught us how to dance. We sat down for dinner with our host family and just got to know each other. It is cool because our host family has two daughters and one is our age so we were talking about our favorite musicians and it was cool to see we had similar taste in music. Also it is super helpful because the eldest daughter’s boyfriend somewhat speaks English so he would help us say stuff or correct our Spanish which is nice because I feel like I am already learning so much. Then we had an early night because we were so tired from all of the travel. We woke up, had breakfast with our families and went to work at the community center. We are painting the walls and fencing that surrounds the building. We worked for a few hours and then went back to our families for lunch and spent the afternoon with them because it is Father’s Day and Sundays are typically more of a rest day. Some of us explored how sugar was made with their families and I got to go to my family’s farm and to see a beautiful waterfall.

Then we met up as a group to play a few games and talk about the different activities that we did with our families. We went back to our homes for dinner and more time to get to know the people who we will be spending the next few days with and also play games. Then off to bed for another day of work tomorrow. Below are some quotes from students about their host family experience so far. It isn’t going to be all the students but by the end of the trip I will include quotes from everyone. See you in the next post! Pura vida

Parker said  “we got there and there were four generations of people there which was cool and both of the grandparents don’t speak English so it was a bit more difficult to communicate but we are making it work. One of the women is an English teacher there so it is cool she helps us to understand. They told Bernie and Jolene that we are practically their kids already which was super cool. There was one small bed for both of us but they were super willing to help us get two beds and want to make us as comfortable as possible”

Bobby and Cole said “we showed up at the house and we had to drive up a huge dirt road and we showed up to a really cool house where you can see everything. We met our family and they were super nice and at first we were super nervous that we were not going to be able to understand but we got super comfortable and they were nice and helped us understand and we were able to speak a lot of Spanish. We also got to teach the daughter how to play poker which was cool”

Stella said “our home is very nice with so many plants and our host mom is super nice and her sister has helped us a lot with explaining stuff to help us to understand.We have no one who speaks English but they are super understanding. The food we had is the best we have had this entire trip. They have so many animals, bunnies, fish, cats dogs and so much more which is cool”

Sophie said “I was a little nervous at first but they are very nice and the morning was so nice to just sit down and have a good breakfast. It is simple living and I really enjoy it and everyone is so sweet”

Sierra said “I really liked meeting my family and how even though there is four people living in the house we met so much of the family because they kept dropping in to say hi which was super cool”

Blog 2

Hola todos! The day began at 8 o’clock in the morning. We had breakfast at the hotel and all tried our first cup of Costa Rican coffee and ate fresh fruit. Then we were out the door and walked down to the street to the beach we’re we took surf lessons. We started in the sand to get the basics and then split up into small groups to tackle the waves. Many people were quick to get a hang of it and were able to stand up almost instantly. We spent a while in the water and then got out for a break we’re we ate local fruit which included the cutest little banana. Afterwards some went back into the water to catch a few more waves before we needed to go while another group went looking in the trees for iguanas and sloths but were unsuccessful with finding sloths. Then we had a walk back to the hotel and thirty minutes to shower before we were back on the road and off to our host village. We stopped for pizza at the cutest restaurant along the way. Then we were on the bus for a two and a half hour ride up the mountains. At one point we all had to get out of the bus and walk across a bridge due to the weight limit on the bridge but then we were back on the road for a few more minutes before we arrived in our host village of Herradura. We met at the community center and then we were parred off into our host families. We were greeted with warm welcomes and then we were on our way to our homes for the next few days and to meet the rest of the members of our Costa Rican families. See you in the next post! Pura vida

Blog 1

Our trip started with saying goodbyes at Logan airport and beginning our long journey. We had the assumption that we would gather our tickets and be on our way through TSA. This was far from what happened. After over an hour and a half of struggling to get our tickets due to seating changes we finally made our way to TSA and made it through rather fast besides one student who had their birthday typed wrong on their ticket. After running through the airport to fix it and falling in the middle of the airport in front of everyone in the process they made it in the perfect time. After some more problems with the tickets we finally boarded the plane last, to El Salvador. The five and a half hour went by rather fast with many falling asleep or watching the sunset from their window seats. We landed in El Salvador. It was a quick turn around and before we knew it we were on our final flight to Costa Rica. This flight was just over an hour and we landed just before midnight. Then we luckily flew through customs just beating the very large line that formed behind us. We made it through with new stamps added to our passports. Vernie met us outside the airport for a rather fast bus ride to our quick stay at Hotel La Rosa. We separated into our rooms and went to bed fast after a long day of travel. We met for breakfast in the morning before we hopped on the bus for a long day of road-tripping to the coast. We stopped at a bridge where we looked over a river to see crocodiles. We watched the crocodiles swim and also walk on the land. There was this one specific one we took interest in because we could only see that head of what looked like a huge crocodile that we patiently waited to see walk out of the water but we never saw it. We also got plantain chips and limón chips and got coke (which is the good one made with cane sugar). Then we were back on our way for our next stop. We stopped in the town of Jaco to walk around and collect more snacks and other souvenirs. Then we got back on the bus which is starting to feel like a second home in the best way possible because our rides are filled with laughter, stories or trading our favorite Spanish songs. We were off to lunch and stopped to see some brightly colored macaws and take pictures. Lunch was rice and beans, something we are all excited to eat a lot of this upcoming week. After lunch we started the drive to the beach seeing monkeys in the trees along the way. Once we got to the beach many headed straight to the ocean and spent almost two hours in the ocean jumping over waves or diving under them before they crashed. We were practically dragged out of the water. Many of us felt like we could spend the night in the ocean. Then finally after a long day of travel and many different adventures we finally took our last ride in the bus to our hotel for the night. We showered and got ready for dinner and finished our night laughing around the table and singing our favorite Spanish songs. Tomorrow is another day full of just as much fun and adventure consisting of surf lessons and meeting our host families. See you in the next blog post. Pura vida