Discovery C is still hungry for more!!!

Since our last opportunity to access the world’s web our group of 22 has thrived and asked for more and more from each stop along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast and west facing slopes.

Students, leaders and chauffeur (Erick) alike have enjoyed so many things traveling in this remarkable land of “pure life” or “pura vida”.  Rich markets have allowed us to shop and learn much about fresh and seasonal foods (fruits, vegetables, fish, etc). Such mouth watering meals and roadside snacks from such exotic fruits and finger foods remind us of how these are only available during such travel experiences and are little known in our home communities.

Our last day at Manuel Antonio (only a day after our last blog) we enjoyed the beach and bartering with artists and street vendors for a fair price (for both sides) for gifts to take back home and souvenirs to remind us of our time in Costa Rica.

On Monday we arrived to our host village of Herradura where the cool night of the Costa Rican highland was warmed by young brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers waiting for us in the heart of our new home village. Each Tico and Tica and each gringito y gringita nervously waited to see who they would share a week of food, conversation, music and dance, games, early rooster’s ‘qui-qui-ri-qui’ (or cock-a-doodle-doo depending on if you’ve found your inner latina/o) and early evenings bedtimes from both mental and physical exhaustion. all could barely believe that this week of home stay, service (building a community stage and painting the town church and 5on5 soccer field in Herradura’s ‘Salon’) and appreciation for simple pleasures would pass so fast.

A week of fantastic food, hard yet mysteriously rewarding work, hikes, games, dances and more can easily be summed up by a few quotes in Walking Tree journals from the days in Herradura.

“Sin Duda, this is the best comida I have ever ate in my life, because it is 100% local, fresh, organic and homemade.”        -Elliot Mammet

“We returned to the work site to talk with the others and a small group of us decided to hike up to see the waterfall.  Of course, I had to bring some tamales for us to enjoy.  The waterfall was pretty cool but my favorite part was the trek back to our houses in the always present Costa Rican rain storm.  By the time I returned home I was drenched. I ate a few more tamales and played some guitar for my brother and then I was off to bed to rest up for another long day.” Pura Vida   – Billy Weir

“People are already planning their return trip to the village. Speaking from my experience in the village, these people are the kindest, hardest working and most understanding/open people I’ve ever encountered.  My ability to speak and understand Spanish may not have been the best, but that didn’t stop my family from trying to know me.  I’ve learned so much from these people in only a week.  I feel incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to spend the past week in one of the most gorgeous locations I have ever seen with the most compassionate people I have ever met.”                           -Laura Leonard

Leaving Herradura was a combined feeling of achievement with our community service goals, hastened goodbyes to our host families and friends, and curiosity for what would come next.

For our last stop before heading home, an old friend of Walking Tree hosted our stay at Pura Suerte, an organic farm in which our group stayed in jungalow accomodations, learned about the reforestation of what was pasture land for several decades and virgin rainforest for thousands of years before that.  Wrapping up the two week trip in this environment was especially rewarding as we felt we were continuing with our mission of culturally and environmentally stimulating/sustainable travel.  A visit to Nauyaca waterfall and many fun games filled our afternoons and evenings when we weren’t taking farm tours, eating “jungle fusion” food grown right around us, listening to howler monkeys and cicadas, and taking in all the hightened sences brought on from the joungle.

Alas, tommorow we wake up to shuttle to our airport and say our goodbyes.  Our wanderlust comes to an end for now and all of us look forward to more opportunities to see the world through such unused lenses as that which we’ve put on over the last two weeks.  Thanks for reading and keep in touch!

Costa Rica Discovery C: Saludos desde Manuel Antonio!

Hola Parents!

We arrived safely in San Jose on Thursday night and as we’ve been busy exploring Costa Rica, this is the first chance we’ve had to write our blog!  Our travels went smoothly and we are thrilled to see what’s in store for our ecclectic group of students.  

We spent all day Friday battling the rapids of the Pacuare River and are happy to report that no one went overboard!  The students had a chance to mingle and get to know new people, were well-informed by our river guides about the amazing scenery, rainforest life and the Cavecar tribes that live in small communities near the river.  The rafting trip was the perfect way to jump start our experience and gave kids the opportunity to come out of their shells… not to mention a memorable way for Matt to celebrate his 17th birthday! 

Bright and early Saturday morning we piled into our deluxe, air conditioned bus to travel to the glittering beaches of Manuel Antonio.  Along the way we stopped on a bridge to see dozens of enormous crocodiles  sunbathing on a riverbank and the group had a chance to try caseros and naturales, two types of typical Costa Rican foods.  We made one more quick stop at a fruit stand for a bag of mamones: red, spikey and mouthwatering fruit. 

After a quick dip in the Pacific, the group gathered for an All-American feast to celebrate the 4th of July.  They filled up on homemade hamburgers, guacamole, watermelon and ice cream and then gathered around the hotel pool for an impressive display of musical talents, featuring Trent and Billy with their Walking Tree chorus. 

We spent the day today catching waves during their surf lessons at Manuel Antonio beach, enjoying more gallo pinto, fresh fish and chicken, and walking through Manuel Antonio National Park, one of Costa Rica’s most famous.   We were fortunate to enjoy a tropical rain shower while floating over waves at one of the park’s beautiful secluded beaches.   We also celebrated another birthday for Adrienne’s Sweet Sixteen with some decadent chocolate cake!

Tomorrow we head out to the village and are really looking forward to the upcoming homestay and service project experiences.  Students are excited, nervous and beginning to discover their inner latino/latina, but we have no doubts that each one of them will flourish in this authentic environment.  We will send more news via blog as soon as possible, but in the mean time… PURA VIDA!  

-Discovery C