Last post :(

Saturday we had pickups starting at 7:30 but between tying up our luggage and people forgetting things and saying good byes, we didn't get in the road until about 8:30. It was about a 4 and a half hour drive but what a beautiful drive! We learned about the provinces of Costa Rica, main exports, and other facts about this beautiful country. Although it's a small country, it has many microclimates and holds about 5% of the world's biodiversity. It's also the world's number 2 exporter of coffee. Coffee used to be the main source of income for the country but now it's tourism. As we traveled we passed by a wind farm and a hydroelectric plant. Did you know Costa Rica uses 100% renewable energy for their electricity? It's awesome how much they care for the land and the planet, with so many protected habitats and animals and everyone doing their part to take care of their country. Their education is also excellent because they don't have an army. They use the money instead on their students. Ok - teaching moment over but it really is a beautiful and interesting country! We stopped at a popular stop that was a cafe, restaurant, souvenir shop, and also a small wildlife refuge. We got to see some parrots, but that was about it. The next leg of our trip was beautiful - we traveled around Lake Arenal and were able to see the volcano almost totally uncovered! Every other time that I've traveled it has either been partially or totally covered by clouds. We stopped on the bridge to take some pictures. Although Arenal had some activity and lava flow in 2008, it's been dormant since 2010. Finally we arrived at our hotel to drop off our luggage and get our things for the waterfall. We ate at a wood fire grill which was delicious! We then went to the waterfall and walked down 491 steps to see it! In the summer we would be able to swim right by the waterfall but since it's winter it's too dangerous so we were going to swim on the other side. (Winter is the rainy season - May to November - and summer is the dry season). However since we were going to be swimming at the hot springs and really wanted to get there, we decided not to swim but to go straight to the hot springs. Up we went, back up the 491 steps to the top - great exercise! Then headed to the hot springs, my favorite part :) Baldi is a resort that has 26 pools of varying temperatures all heated by the geothermal energy from Arenal. It has 3 super fast water slides and many places to just sit and relax :) We relaxed and explored for a few hours before heading to eat a buffet dinner. After dinner we could have gone back to the pools, but the kids wanted to just go back to the hotel. After a short ride back and a little time to socialize, they were in their rooms by 10 since we had to be up, packed, and ready to eat breakfast by 6:20. This morning was beautiful and clear and we were able to see the peak of Arenal - something I have never seen before! So beautiful and impressive! We ate either a typical Tico breakfast or an "American" breakfast. The Tico breakfast had Gallo Pinto (rice and beans), eggs, toast, cheese, and sweet, ripe plantain. The American breakfast had eggs, toast, jam, and a "sausage" that looked just like a hot dog. We are currently en route to the airport, which should take about 4 hours. The kids are tired and quiet :) See you back in the States!

Rain is not good for Internet...

Because of the rain, the internet here has been pretty spotty. So here's the latest update and I hope it gets posted today! On Wednesday, we helped out with an after school program called CREAR. We were driven to El Torito about 3 km from Samara. There, we met the kids (about 12 of them) who ranged in age from 2-10. We had a relay race with balloons, played games like 1,2,3, STOP! (like Red Light, Green Light), Capture the Flag, and Tiburones (like Sharks and Guppies). Afterwards, some helped to cut up fruit for a mini fruit salad for everyone and then half of us left to go play some soccer! The plan was for half the group to go and start playing and for the other half to come in the second trip. Unfortunately, we in the first group got to the entrance and saw that it was so muddy we would have to walk up. Our driver turned around so that he could go pick up the rest of the group and got stuck in the mud! Some of the strong guys in the group tried to help push him out but it was too stuck. So we went up to play soccer while he waited for a car to come help him. The second group did get there eventually but could only play for about 20 minutes :( After a sweaty day, that cold shower felt great! Speaking of weather, it has been decent. With all the rain we've been having it hasn't been as hot as it could be. It's really sticky with lots of mosquitos and sometimes the rain makes things tricky (like having a bonfire) but I think we've been fairly lucky to not have it rain hard while we are at activities. Thursday was an easy morning since we didn't have cooking and dancing class until 10. The kids (and chaperones) needed this slow day! Even with the extra sleep, they were still pretty tired but seemed to enjoy salsa dancing class and cooking class where they made empanadas. After lunch, we had class, then supper with families, and then came back to school to watch a movie. We got to eat popcorn and drink some juice as we watched our movie. Finally - Friday! Since our school has classes both in the afternoon and morning, on Fridays it's different because everyone needs to be done by noon. The teachers are double booked with cultural classes and tests. While one group takes a test, the other group has class and then switch. I'm happy to report that all the students passed and we had a mini graduation service for them at noon. They were given their certificates and had to make a tiny speech :) After graduation, we went to eat before our hike. We hiked up a mountain and then down to a hidden beach full of rocks, lots of waves, hermit crabs, and a hidden waterfall. It was hard work, but worth it! After supper with families (and showers!) we went to a local restaurant on the beach and got virgin cocktails as we listened to some live music (classic rock from the US). During his break, we were able to put our dance lessons to use and danced some salsa on the tiny dance floor. We even inspired 2 couples from Holland to dance with us! It was so cute to see most of the students on the dance floor cheering on and interacting with them :) We didn't stay super late because of their curfew and because the next morning some would have to get up early for zip lining! Today, we got to go zip lining on 8 cables and 2 rappels. It was an amazing tour that lasted about 3 hours. Thankfully for the first group it didn't rain too hard and even though it downpoured on the second group, it wasn't terrible since we were in the trees. It was wet and muddy, but gorgeous with all the trees and plants and streams that we got to cross. We even had one where we could see the ocean and little island that we had kayaked to earlier in the week. Our guides were fantastic and it was exhilarating flying through the trees. After zip lining we had the afternoon free to shop and enjoy our last day. Unfortunately, it has been raining on and off all day. We had planned to have a bonfire tonight (which had gotten postponed from Tuesday) but with so much uncertainty about the rain, we decided to cancel it and rest up and pack for our early departure tomorrow morning. Tomorrow we leave Samara. We are sad to leave the generous and easy-going people who live here. Their phrase "pura vida" (literally pure life - but is used for everything!) is a perfect motto for the town. Tomorrow we head to a town near the base of Arenal, a dormant volcano. We will get to hike and swim near a waterfall and then go to a resort that has hot springs heated by the volcano. I'm not sure when I'll get to post again - it may be when we are back!

Day 3 and half of 4

Day 3 - we got to school by 9 to get ready to kayak! We were taken to the south beach in little trucks. There we got our life jackets and a quick tutorial on kayaking before we were off! Jared was the brace one who took the single kayak while the rest of us used the doubles. We kayaked a mile out to Isla Chora and once there went swimming. Thankfully none got sick in the way out so we were all able to enjoy the island. After drinking some water and swimming, the guides got out the snorkel equipment and gave a quick lesson on snorkeling. Everyone snorkeled around and we saw some fish, a starfish, and an octopus! There were lots of rocks too. We then headed up to the island to have a snack of fresh watermelon and pineapple before hurrying back to the mainland. We still had to eat lunch and change before class, but I knew we weren't going to make it on time, so the kids got a bit of a shorter school day :) After classes, it was threatening to rain pretty hard so we postponed the bonfire but decided to watch the big game between Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago which was at the same time that our bonfire would have been. We missed the first goal and had to leave before the end of the game (because of curfew) but it was a fun experience and Costa Rica won! Today we had class at 8 and all the kids are super tired! It was nice that we had a long lunch break before our volunteer session with CREAR. We will be leaving for that soon and then heading to play some 5 v 5 soccer . Here's hoping that the rain is done for the day as it rained all morning and for much of the lunch break. Tomorrow we will get to sleep in and have a lazy morning as our dance and cooking classes don't start until 10! Hasta mañana!

First 2 days

I must say that our travels were quite smooth, gracias a Dios. There were no problems in the airport (other than me almost forgetting my carryon), no delays, no need for running through the airport. When we arrived in San Jose however, we found out that they sent the busses to the other airport! A quick call to our director (who happened to be in the same airport at the exact same time!) got us a bus within the hour. We made great time to Samara, met our host families, and headed off to eat and sleep after a LONG day of travel. Day 2 also started off a bit early with our placement tests at 7am. We each had to talk with a teacher and then we were placed into groups to start school at 8. With 2 15 minute breaks during the morning, 4 hours doesn't seem so bad :) After classes, we had orientation where we learned a little more about the school and the town. Then we went off to lunch before heading to surf lessons! We had a lesson on the beach where we learned the name of the parts of the board, techniques, and steps to surfing. After a practice of the techniques on land, we were off to the water to actually surf! I put pictures of most of the students surfing on Facebook but I apologize if I didn't get everyone :( After surfing we broke off to go explore the town and then head back to our host familie' houses for the night. Tomorrow is kayaking in the morning (the company will take some pictures so I won't get those uploaded for a while) and then classes in the afternoon with a tentative beach bonfire at night. The weather has been pretty great so far. It is currently raining as I sit in the comfort of a hammock swing and it trained while we were surfing. Other than a few other little drizzles, it's been pleasant. Hot and sticky, but pleasant. Look for more updates tomorrow or Wednesday!

Here we go!

In just a few hours we will be leaving for Costa Rica! Check back here for updates! Here's a Facebook group where I will be posting lots of pictures :) https://www.facebook.com/groups/520493947969205/