2024 Oakwood Costa Rica Service Adventure
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Blog 7
We began our day bright and early with a quick breakfast at 6 am, to get some energy for our longest day yet. When we were done, we made our way to the Savegre River for a fun day of white water rafting. The drive took a few hours, but we were all excited to begin our descent down the river. After about an hour in the river, we stopped by a beautiful waterfall to swim and snap a few quick photos. Then, we resumed for another hour before stopping for a delicious linch prepared by the locals. Another half hour on the river concluded the last leg of our journey. Another quick change, and then we were back on the bus and hit the road.
A very long road trip ensued with a few stops for bathrooms and souvenirs. We visited El Jardin to buy gifts, food and drinks, before resuming our journey, which concluded at the city mall in Alajuela. There, we would all spend 3 hours wandering the mall and eating our final dinner in Costa Rica.
At 9:30, we boarded our bus for the last time and drove to the Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José. We bid a bittersweet farewell to our group leaders, Celia and Carola, and entered the airport to return home. At this point, everyone has been awake for at least 18 hours, and we are all exhausted, but nevertheless excited to go home. Adiós, Costa Rica; we’re headed back home to the golden coast.
For the final time, Pura Vida!
Blog 6
We woke up in the morning and had our final breakfast with our host family. We made our way to the meetup site and said goodbyes as we packed up and made our way to the next hotel to drop off our baggage and get keys to our rooms. After dropping off our bags we had time to have lunch at a restaurant. The food at the restaurant was really high quality, especially the fajitas which came in steaming pans. We took our departure from the restaurant to go to a small market near the beach where we had time to souvenir shop where we bought a variety of items from shirts to small instruments.
After buying souvenirs from the open air gift shops, we traveled to the nearby beach to take surfing lessons. We learned how to carry the surfboards and tied leashes to our feet to keep the surfboards from floating away. We learned how to mount the surfboards and the positioning of our bodies. We were then taught to paddle and stand up on our surfboards. Bending the knees was important for balance. We then went into the water to practice with the instructors and we were set off on our own to surf. After we finished surfing we drank water and ate pineapple and watermelon and bought snow cones and ice cream. We left the beach in the bus to travel to our hotel.
At the hotel we swam and played water games in the hotel’s pools. We ordered and ate dinner at the hotel which included items such as burgers, sandwiches and salads. We then wrote letters to ourselves to read in a few years when we come back to Costa Rica. We then left to our rooms which were very spacious and we were separated into groups of four people. There were small lizards in some of the rooms. After taking showers we went to sleep.
Blog 5
We began the morning with yet another lovely breakfast provided by our host families and prepared for our last day of work. We all met up at the project site to finish up. Today included scrubbing and cleaning, repainting large parts of the altar, painting trees to protect them from insects, and cleaning up the construction site. Unfortunately, we were unable to finish the roof and tiling the pavement, but know that it’s in capable hands (which are honestly more capable than ours). We ended the day a little early to celebrate Kelly’s birthday with some ice cream!Soon after, we returned back home to spend the afternoon with our host families.
In the afternoon, everyone did something a little different. Some went to church, some visited other families, but all enjoyed a bittersweet final afternoon with our Costa Rican families. Today was also Father’s Day, (Happy Father’s Day, by the way!) so we had the honor of witnessing some Father’s Day celebrations with the whole family. It was truly magical see.
To end the last full day that we would spend in Pueblo Nuevo, our second home, we all attended a wonderful party at the community center. Food, drinks, and a delicious cake were there for all the enjoy. We began with some opening remarks where we acknowledged our host families for all of the hard work that they put in to take care of us. The night featured music and dancing, an intense round of musical chairs, and a soccer ball shaped piñata. It was a delight to everyone, including students and families. We then adjourned for the night to enjoy a full night of rest before waving a tearful goodbye to the Pueblo Nuevo de Rivas community the next day, and heading to the beach.
Blog 4
Today was our second day of work. We worked on mixing cement, planting flowers, and cleaning up the school. Even though we were eager to keep working on our project we had to stop early due to heavy rain. While inside we ate lunch, conversed with each other, and played soccer. Afterwards we had a dance class where learned two different types of dances and danced with each other. Some of the families came by to give us cake and other delicious treats. We ended the day off with getting to know our host families a little more.
Blog 3
Today, we woke up after a fitful night of sleep with our lovely host families and had a delicious breakfast together. After breakfast, we all walked down to our service project, which is cleaning and building un Altar de la Reina de Los Angeles. We made good progress by pulling weeds and building a retaining wall, expanding the walkway to the altar. Tomorrow, we’ll finish the wall and begin construction on the roof.
In the morning, we also visited Escuela Maria Mora Ureña and played some fun and enjoyable games with elementary students. We played “Pato, Pato, Ganzo!” (Duck, Duck, Goose!), “Quesito Stop” (Red Light, Green Light), and “Telefono Chocho” (Telephone). It was a welcome break from the hard work in the morning sun. Upon leaving the school, we given little Soccer ball chocolates and resumed our work.
At noon, our host families brought us all lunch that we all enjoyed, and few of us enjoyed playing some indoor soccer. The afternoon consisted of more brick laying, cement mixing, and weed pulling, but was cut short by the heavy rain. The latter part of the afternoon was spent at Margarita’s house to make some tortillas, and then we all retired to our homes to clean up, rest, and prepare for another hard but rewarding day of work. Pura Vida!
Blog 2
We started off the day with sadly leaving our beautiful jungalows. After breakfast, we hiked our way back up to the bus which was gorgeous. We then, got into the bus and drove half way down the mountain to the Nauyaca waterfall tour company. At arrival, we were welcomed with star fruit juice. After, we took two cars down to the hiking trail where we started our journey. It took us about 25 minutes to hike down to the waterfalls where the scenery was breathtaking. After taking pictures and videos, we all enjoyed a swim in the lower part of the waterfall. As we started to wind down, the guides told us to take a few minutes to ourselves and reflect on the trip so far. Then we had a delightful packed lunch that included burritos, cookies, and an apple. We then packed our bags and headed back up the mountain. After a two hour bus ride, we arrived in a small town called Pueblo Nuevo where we were greeted by our host families. Each of our families drove us to their beautiful homes where we enjoyed different types of activities and a yummy dinner. It’s truly a blessing to have such wonderful families taking care of us.
-Gianna
Blog 1
This morning, we started off our day with a meal of beans and rice with eggs. The beans and rice were delicious and full of flavor. After breakfast we set off to a farm called Pura Suerte.
On the way to the farms, we had multiple short adventures. To start, we stopped by a river to view the sunbathing crocodiles. It was unlike anything we had ever seen before. The crocodile was so still it looked like a statue. We admired its powerful jaw open and ready to catch prey.
Next, we approached a small restaurant to enjoy lunch. It offered many meals such as chicken and rice as well as casados. Our fellow peers said that the food was delectable. It was a new cultural experience that we definitely all enjoyed.
Finally, we arrived at Pura Suerte, a small humble farm. At this farm they have many animals such as guinea pigs, chickens, pigs, and cows. They grow many produce like coffee beans, cocoa beans, mangosteen, square bananas, etc. After our tour of the farm, where we learned about the inner workings of the farm, we settled down to make empanadas. This was a great opportunity to immerse ourself in a unique culture. Afterwards, we ground coffee beans to make extraordinary coffee which we enjoyed with our empanadas. Although it was a long drive to the farm, our experience was definitely worthwhile. The memories made today will be cherished and unforgettable. The skills learned and experiences had will be so practical and necessary in our everyday lives.
⁃Georgia, Kate, Kelly