Discovery B: San Jose

Walking Tree’s Discovery B program has arrived in Costa Rica in a big way! From mastering Costa Rica’s fancy latin dance steps, to literally getting our feet wet in the rapids of the River Pacuare, we have ambitiously taken on every challenge Costa Rica has thrown at us. Despite being such a large group, we have gotten to know each other well in the first couple of days, and have developed a strong group dynamic. This positive and adventurous spirit has helped us sort through all of the exciting cultural differences we’ve been presented with. Grocery shopping introduced the students to condiments in pouches as opposed to jars, and together we’ve racked our brains to decipher the many street signs and billboards filling the San Jose skyline. An inspiring thing to see has been group members relying not on the group leaders for support, but instead looking to their peers for help. On our whitewater rafting trip, for example, Kenny became the designated mosquito killer, which greatly reduced Olivia Song’s anxiety about bugs, and if vocab is your weakness look no further than Riley who seems to ace any vocab quiz we throw at the group. The great thing is that we have been able to really put our Spanish vocab to use. After a tiring day of rafting the students applied their Spanish skills by ordering pasta and pizza in Spanish at an Italian restaurant for dinner. From talking with the students, the highlights of these first two days seem to have been the fancy footwork of our Costa Rican dance instructor Alex, and our full day spent rafting the River Pacuare, which slices through some of Costa Rica’s most beautiful rainforests. Pepito, one of our rafting guides was an especially big hit on the river by decorating his group’s helmets with leafy plants, I can only assume for the purpose of camoflouge. When asked to reflect on our first two days here is what some of the students wrote:

So far in Costa Rica I have had so many incredible experiences, I could write for pages. really what stands out is the complete immersion in the culture I have experienced. I have been able to interact with people from totally different lifestyles. I try my best to communicate with them and I am so glad so many of them appreciate the hard work that it is. =) I loved the rafting, there was so much scenery and so many new things to take in. I can’t wait to see what else Costa Rica has in store. – Lindsay Cameron

Okay, so my favorite part of the trip so far would have to be river rafting with Pepito. It was SO amazing and it gave us a great opportunity to see Costa Ricaand to be able to enjoy its beautiful sights and nature. -Olivia Cunningham

These first two days have been really fun. It is really exciting experiencing a new culture since the only country I’ve been to is Canada. It’s cool that San Jose has broken the mold for me. Seeing the crazy salsa dancer move his feet was very cool and rafting has been life-changing. -Riley Fitting

yesterday morning I arrived in Costa Rica for the first time. We got into the hotel extremely tired and we all colapsed on the bed for a couple of hours. That afternoon we all took a salsa lesson which was a highlight for me because at first I was thinking the worst but it turned out to be not that hard and very enjoyable. We learned multiple dance moves and I hope to have a chance to use them. The next day we were up early and took a three hour bus drive on windy roads to go rafting. The drive was definitely the bad side of the day. But it was worth it because when we got on the rafts and started down the river, it was one of those events that I will never forget, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Then when we got back we all enjoyed our counselor Jonathan’s pasta dish. -Dominic Evans

Today I went rafting with Pepito! It was SO much fun. The river was really warm and nice and swimming in it was amazing. It felt so cool being right in the middle of the jungle like we were. Costa Rica’s amazing and I’m really excited for tomorrow. – Natalie Kahn

Discovery A: Our Time in Canaán

The small mountain village of Canaán doesn’t appear on most maps. Google Earth hasn’t heard of it. The bus driver had to stop and ask for directions. My cell phone had no signal. All we saw as the bus pulled up to the village were green mountains, passing mist, a lone market, a few houses, a soccer field, and a group of smiling, unfamiliar faces waiting for us. We were all nervous yet excited, as for many this was the first home stay they had ever experienced.

We were greeted by Edgar Burbon, a member of the village council and Walking Tree’s liaison for the village. Soon, we were matched with families from the town, most of which had children and were located within 5 minutes’ distance from the work site. At first, most students were apprehensive about living with another family and using their Spanish. Yet by the end of the week, after celebrating birthdays, baking coconut cookies, milking cows, dancing cumbia, playing Bingo, shooting pool, kicking soccer balls, and playing cards, everyone felt quite at home. Not only that, but everyone noticeably improved his or her Spanish skills by leaps and bounds.

Working in the community was both challenging and rewarding. On the first day, the students hauled sand from the banks of the Chirripó river in order to make cement. I personally delighted in watching the burly Costa Rican men gawk at how much sand some small American girls could carry. We also worked at the site of a future community kitchen, where we dug out ditches for the foundation, mixed cement, carried massive stones, and cleared roots and brush. In addition, the group also successfully painted the town church a lovely shade of off-white. Although we were confronted by many challenges, such as afternoon downpours and occasional low supplies of construction materials, we all felt a definite sense of accomplishment and unity as we worked side by side with Costa Ricans to help improve their community.

The night before leaving, we organized a fiesta de despedida, or a farewell party. With all of the host families, kids from the community, and Walking Tree students together, we ate, gave speeches, danced, and shared a lovely evening. While some students, after a week of rice and beans, downpours and chilly evenings, were excited to move on to two days at the beach, all seemed a little sad to leave their host families, who within a week had made them feel like a part of the village.

We are now out of Canaán and writing from Manuel Antonio, a well-known beach town with beautiful white sand, monkeys hopping in the trees overhead, and familiar comforts like Internet cafes. Today we had a surfing lesson. Tomorrow we’ll hike through the national park. And within a couple of days we’ll be heading back for the US. I’ve heard more than one student remark that the past two weeks have felt like two months, yet somehow it has all gone by too quickly. For now, however, we can all breathe a sigh of relief – there’s still no signal on my cell phone.

Discovery A: Salsa, Rafting, Jungles, Farms, Waterfalls and a whole lot in between

So we’re on day 5 of our Discovery Program through Costa Rica but it feels like it has been five weeks. In just four days, we’ve gone from gasping at verdant misty valleys to casually taking them in. The bananas, papayas, and pineapples growing in our neighbors’ yards have become familiar sights (and a nice way to top off breakfast lunch and dinner). Unfamiliar faces have become those of smiling friends, and a country that once seemed a distant dream has become a welcoming and exciting reality.

The plan for the morning of our arrival in San Jose was to sleep in after the red-eye flight. That’s what most groups usually do. Not these guys. All most people could do was think about one thing: exploration. Our hotel, located near a plaza, an old church, and a number of stores, was a great place to start. The highlight of the afternoon was a Latin dance class, where after just a short hour these gringos were shimmying and shaking their hips like the best of them. Dinner was typically Costa Rican – rice, beans, chicken, fresh fruit juice, and great conversation.

The following day (Monday) brought us to the Pacuare River, where we were to venture down class 2, 3, and 4 rapids. Most participants agreed that the tepid water, tropical birds, iguanas, cicadas and the ubiquitous green jungle placed the trip on par with any rafting they had ever braved.

The bus rides between sites, though at times long, windy, and slowed by road repairs, have been a great venue for showing off guitar skills, writing songs in Spanish, and playing my favorite card game (now everyone else’s) called cuarenta, or forty. A Christmastime game from Ecuador, this game is played in two pairs and involves strategy, card-counting and a healthy dose of luck. A heated tournament to crown El Rey y la Reina de Cuarenta is scheduled to take place in a couple of days.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent at a lovely organic farm called Pura Suerte (pure luck), an appropriate name since we had the opportunity to sniff among bright flowers, eat gourmet meals (incorporating local, organically grown foods), wake up to the serenades of bird and howler monkeys, and enjoy views of the Pacific Ocean glistening behind green, old-growth jungles. We hiked down a path covered with fallen mangoes and guavas to arguably the most impressive waterfall in Costa Rica, called Niyaca. We first swam in the lowest pool of water and some of the heartier swimmers fought against the current to sat under the falling water itself. Then, after 45 minutes of solo time for reflection and journaling, we hiked up to a second waterfall for lunch. Upon arrival back to the farm, rather than showering and napping like most groups, we grabbed el toro by the horns and played a full, muddy game of soccer with four local Costa Rican girls.

By far our greatest achievement, however, has been the sense of group unity and support that we have developed. At any given time, whether on a hike, at lunch, or in the bus, everybody can be seen laughing with anyone. And of course, while the memories of Costa Rica and our responsibility as unofficial diplomats are of great importance on this program, the lasting friendships developed here may prove to be of most value.

So in one hour, we are going to jump into the greatest challenge and opportunity of our trip: the host village, Canaán. Everyone seems to feel a healthy mix of excitement and nervousness. It’s time to get dirty, to step out of our comfort zones, and to be rewarded. The next posting will most likely come after this village stay – I’m sure there will be all sorts of stories to tell by then!

But enough from us. Let’s hear from some of the students:

“I’ve noticed on this trip to Costa Rica that each day seems to expand into many. We’ve done so many things that I keep forgetting that it’s only the 4th day. It feels like I’ve been here for weeks… and I love it! We see so many sites each day, it’s hard to imagine we can fit them into so few days.”

–Katie Weintraub

“Tomorrow I go to total immersion. I go to live with a family that lives a mile out of the village; total immersion. I wanted to be brave and do this, but I will have my doubts. What makes me feel good about doing this, however, is how much everyone has supported me. I have no fear about becoming an outsider in the group and I feel I will get the best immersion though (unfortunately) the most exhausting (getting up at 4:30 to jog, working all day, and going to bed around 9:30).”

– Matt Abely