Archive for July, 2009
Amusement Park – June 28th
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The students had fun going on rides at the amusement park and interacting with the locals. The water rides where especially popular and everyone had fun splashing each other on one of the rides. Also, the students were given tokens to play electronic games and one group had an air hockey competition. It was a fun and thrilling day.
Poás Volcano and La Paz Waterfall – June 27th
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We took a guided tour to Poás Volcano and La Paz Waterfall. We were able to see the volcano with minimal cloud cover and learned a lot about the local vegetation. On the way to the volcano, we stopped to sample gourmet coffee. While traveling to La Paz we stopped at a fruit stand/tourist shop to support the local economy that is still recovering from the destruction of the earthquake a few months ago. At La Paz we not only saw the beautiful waterfall, but also lots of interesting animals. It was especially exciting to pick-up the butterflies and stand up close to the toucans, monkeys, and ocelots.
Barbecue – June 26th
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We had a fun barbecue at the school New Hope. The students played basketball, volleyball, board games, and went swimming. It was a fun time to relax and hang out as a group and enjoy a traditional Costa Rican barbeque.
Cooking Class – June 25th
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The students made a traditional Costa Rican dish in cooking class: rice and beans, chicken, salad and two types of juice. After working hard in preparing the meal, they were rewarded by eating the delicious meal they had prepared. After eating, the students played cards, frisbee, and just hung out and talked.
Karaoke and Dancing – June 24th
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The students went out to Piros Discoteque and practiced their new dance moves. It was a fun time to bond as a group and interact with the locals. A few of them took the microphone and sang along with the popular songs that they knew. One of the most popular songs was Solja Boy and everyone danced the popular steps together.
Service Learning – June 24th
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Today we volunteered at a Retirement Home and a Recycling Center. At the Retirement Home, we cleaned the windows and the outside walls, prepared the fruit snack, played cards, dominos, Bingo, and danced with the residents. At the Recycling Center, the students sorted the recyclables and learned more about recycling in Costa Rica. The students had a great time and especially enjoyed interacting with the residents at the Retirement Home.
Coffee Tour- June 23rd
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We had a wonderful tour of the Britt Coffee Plantation. Actors lead us through the process of how coffee is manufactured and then put on a play about the history of coffee. Part of the play included audience participation and two students were given the opportunity to learn how to properly taste coffee. The tour ended with a fabulous lunch.
Indoor Soccer- June 22nd
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The students loved playing indoor soccer! We used two fields and invited members of host families to play with us. The soccer players in the group especially enjoyed playing against the Costa Ricans because it challenged them. The rest of the group loved the exercise and chance to socialize.
Dancing Class- June 22nd
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We learned how to dance Meringue and Salsa from our fabulous instructor Aysha. The students even learned some complicated turns and had a great time.
