Pura Vida Costa Rica — First Blog Update
After smooth sailing across the skies and seas, our group of 12 has arrived safe, sound, and wide-eyed in the midst of new people and place. We easily made our way through a gauntlet of taxi and shuttle drivers who hopefully urged us to make use of their services. Yet we continued on to find the welcoming smile of our shuttle driver — and now trusted companion — Don Jose.
The first 5 minutes of the drive were filled with chatter and laughter as students enjoyed finally being united as a whole unit. Soon, those voices got quiet. New sights, smells, and sounds enticed their senses, and the reality began to sink in…
We’re doing this… We’re here… I’ve left home, and here I am in this new place I had before only dreamt about…
A 40-minute drive brought us to our first lodging destination: Villa Pacande. Villa Pacande sits amidst a tropical setting and, like everywhere in Costa Rica, and to the absolute shock of the students, brings bugs of all shapes and sizes. Soon after arrival and after rest the group gathered on the lawn for our first “chow circle.” First meals consisted of casados and arroz con pollo, two traditional Costa Rican dishes. With full stomachs, and as the long travel day turned into night, our tiredness set in. After a short “Howling of the Moon” evening meeting, we headed to our rooms, laid down our heavy heads, and closed our eyes — Buenas Noches!
Waking up to the sun and sights of Costa Rica was amazing! The “pura vida” (translated as: “pure life,” a kind of local life philosophy espousing optimism) is settling in and it is dawning on us that our adventure has begun! Today we are traveling to San Isidro and settling in at the Hotel de los Pinos. The group has been in high spirits and we are soaking in the surroundings — new foods, lush forests and trees full of oozing mangos, and the sights of animals on the side of the road. Off we went to San Isidro, via “Cerro de la Muerte“, a peak rising 3,800 meters (11,000 ft.+) above sea level — the highest pass in Costa Rica. Our eyes were peeled and our cameras recorded the breathtaking views — mountains, clouds, and huge plants and trees covered the side of the road — a scene straight out of Jurassic Park.
Then, Don Jose brought us to one of his favorite lunch spots — a Costa Rican buffet with an astounding view and a front row table! We each went through the buffet wondering what the different dishes were, practicing our best Spanish while ordering our food, and enjoying the company of a group that has really started coming together! We even ran into a family from the community who will be hosting us — what a treat to see and meet Don Rodrigo and his family!
We journeyed onward by bus and through clouds — a first for many of us!  We opened the windows and felt the clouds’ cool air fill our bus, our bodies, and our souls! Arriving at our home for the night, we had an afternoon full of activities in which we acted out different cultures created by our leaders, Liz and Jeremy! After a dinner (and a yummy desert), we went back to our rooms and started packing for our journey to the Rainforest Action Center, where we will climb Ceiba trees, rappel waterfalls, and meet the warm and hospitable Fonseca Family.
