¡Pura vida mae!
We woke up to the sound of howler monkeys at 5am and tried to go back to sleep (a futile attempt at best). After breakfast, we split into two groups. One group made its way to the Linda Vista elementary school, while the other made its way to Daniel's Ara Macao farm. The aim of these two visits was to investigate the two places and find out what their needs are, because soon we will be starting projects where we'll be helping the community.
At Linda Vista we met kids ranging from Pre-K to 6th grade. This elementary school had about 20 kids. In Costa Rica they are incredibly proud of their schooling systems, as they get free education and meals. Throughout the visit, we played soccer with the kids, got tours of the school by the kids themselves, and played a lively rock paper scissors game. Regarding our project, we chatted during lunch and later interviewed a teacher about the specific needs of the school.
The group that visited the farm took a tour and looked at all the crops. More specifically, they tried homemade chocolate, peppercorn, bought some vanilla, and learned to make compost. After much thinking and discussing, they came to the conclusion that Daniel mostly needs more staff members to help him out on the farm; he also wants to put his story on the packaging on his products and spread awareness of organic farming.
When a student came back to their dorm, they found a whipping iguana in the sink! They came out running and screaming and fortunately got a picture of the iguana!
Later, with Randall and various members of the community, we learned to dance salsa, make tortillas, milk cows, make a delicious yuca dessert, and got to experience what it was like to fall off a white water raft, turning over the boat. All these experience were the perfect way to bond with each other as well as get an idea of the area and community that we'll soon be staying with (homestay families).
¡Hasta mañana!
Itzel y Ana :D
