Lick-Wilmerding H.S. Costa Rica 2018

June 9, 2018
I was walking to the pool this afternoon after getting settled in to the Heliconias Nature Lodge room. The rest of the students were all talking about something and I soon find that the subject of conversation was a toad. A toad that was found swimming in the pool water was now safely on land. I went to see it, about the size of a small croissant but green and brown. Later while swimming, some students decided it was a good idea to pick up this toad and bring it to the pool. It was at the same time cute but unnerving to hold. It’s belly was soft while it back was hard and bumpy. Everyone was passing it around and admiring the creature. It was amazing to see the toad swimming around and quite an entertaining experience!
Pura Vida!
-Aleigha B.

June 10, 2018
Today we encountered quite a variety of wildlife and we also made cheese. We started off the day by milking a cow (we can check that off our bucket list!) at Crisley’s Lácteos. We also met a lizard and baby chickens. There were quite pungent smells on the dairy farm, especially near the pigs (there was a giant one – it was the size of a horse!). (One pig decided to relieve itself and the other took the opportunity to rehydrate…) Interesting to watch. We then went to the supermarket and then went to meet our host families. Our family has 3 dogs (one’s a puppy) and they have baby bunnies. They also have 3 birds! We played many games with our host siblings!
Pura vida!
-Regan F. and Quincy P.

June 11, 2018
Today we worked a lot and had some amazing food. We started off the day with the roosters squawking outside. After eating a breakfast consisting mostly of rice and beans, we walked with our host mother to the work site. We painted fences, monkey bars, wall panels, and a water tower. Then we had a lunch consisting of beef, fried plantains, and rice and beans. After lunch, we had a game of pick up soccer with some locals (they were really good!). Soccer became a challenge because it was extremely hot and humid. Immediately after soccer, everybody went to the community kitchen for dinner/tortilla night. At the kitchen, we made oragami and string bracelets. Dinner was really good! We had many tortillas stuffed with beans, rice, meat, eggs, and cheese. Overall, we did a lot today and had a lot of fun!
Pura Vida!
-Julian M. & Oscar W.

June 12, 2018
After our delicious homemade breakfast this morning, our host mother and brother took us to see their cows and lambs. We were having such a good time in the quiet serenity of the mini farm that we lost track of time and were quite a bit late to the meeting…oops! We worked really hard on painting in the morning and afternoon, with a nice break for an amazing lunch in between. Before our dance class, we all played a lively game of pick-up soccer with each other and some of the kids. After that, we had a spicy dance lesson where we learned lots of new dances like salsa, bachata, and merengue. Back at our Homestay, we wrapped up the day with another delicious meal and a long talk with our host mom!
Pura Vida!
-Sofia M. and Abby A.

June 13, 2018
Today we began the day at 8:30am with some delicious breakfast. We then went and executed our day of service at the school continuing to paint and did some strenuous manual labor. We then returned to our homestay and ate spaghetti with some rice and beans and some delicious ice tea. We then walked back to the school and all painted. We then played soccer with Fabiana and Jergy, but then Monica saw lightning so we played an intense game of soccer inside and Raji, Oscar D., Quincy, and Julian won 19-18 to the opposing team. After we shook hands, we walked back and had a delicious dinner of rice and beans and fish with the best ice tea in the world!
Pura Vida!
-Raji D., Oscar D., and Sam L.

June 14, 2018
Today, we were supposed to go zip lining, but due to the storm last night, a major landslide caused a zip line platform to fall down and it was shut down for repairs. Instead, we took a gondola up to the top and hiked down. Although we didn’t run into a snake on the trail, we did see stick bugs and caterpillars. My favorite part was crossing the two hanging bridges because the view was amazing. After our hike, we had lunch and got to walk around the main square of La Fortuna. The mango ice cream I had was delicious. Tonight we are going to a despedida to say goodbye to our families. We’re excited to dance and have fun, but are very sad to say goodbye to our family.
Pura Vida!
-Elena S., Aleigha B., and Lillie A.
P.S. The dance was dummy lit after we created a dance circle with some of the kids. I (Lillie) got laughed at multiple times but I knew that my dancing made the other kids want to join in! We danced in battles and in pairs throughout the night and felt a wave of excitement and acceptance we will never forget!

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