Yanuario Quezada School

Thursday’s trek led us from the jungle and beaches of Manuel Antonio Park on the Pacific coast, to our final destination, the city of San Jose. Last night we checked into the the classic, yet cozy, Britannia Hotel.
After getting some much needed shut-eye, we enjoyed a small but delicioso breakfast that, of course, included fresh Costa Rican coffee! Our trusty driver, Francisco, took us across town back to the Yanuario Quezada School to review the results of our service project we completed last week and interact with the students and staff.


We were greeted by Principal Carmen and fifth grade teacher Nadia, who is the only English teacher at the school and our valuable translator/guide. The entire staff was so appreciative of the work we did. It was rewarding to know we made a valuable contribution to the school by developing an emergency evacuation plan, installing signs and classroom numbers, painting over graffiti, and picking up trash. We hope that we have instilled a sense of pride for the students and they will continue to care for their facility.

As we walked around the school to inspect our handiwork, a few of the older boys were busy squirting Liquid Nails on a couple of the evacuation signs we attached to the concrete walls last week that had loosened. It seems as though the combination of aging paint, humidity, and curious students caused some adherence problems. Not to fear… with a little help, the ambitious young construction workers reattach the uncooperative signs, and all was well.

The whole school was buzzing with students celebrating the on-going matches of the World Cup. That’s futbol (soccer), in case you haven’t been following along. Costa Rica is simply mad about futbol! Fans young and old watch it whenever they can (even though the Costa Rican team did not fare well this time). The performance room near the center of the campus was jammed with students watching South Africa and Mexico play on a tiny TV. Some students were operating a snack table set up in the hallway just outside the cafeteria to feed the hungry sports fans.

The staff at the school had scheduled

an evacuation drill during our visit. This gave us the opportunity to see our plan in action. The basketball court at the north end of the school grounds had areas coned and marked for each classroom. Teachers marched their students from classrooms to the appropriate areas in just a few minutes.

One of the highlights of the visit – and a heck of a lot of fun – was giving the students official ASU tee shirts, highlighters, and pens.

We were quite surprised when the staff arranged for us to be entertained. One of the high school boys played guitar and sang several songs. He was truly talented. We found out later he was mostly self taught, had parents who were musically inclined, also played piano, and wrote his own songs.

Other students, dressed in traditional costume, danced to traditional music - and pulled us off our chairs to join them!

Traditional sights and sounds were just not enough. After the performances, we headed to the cafeteria for a meal of traditional foods prepared just for us, which included yet more entertainment! A female student sang with an angelic voice, accompanied by one of the music teachers on guitar. Then, two young students showed off their talents on the violin. It is quite apparent that music is an important part of life at Yanuario Quezada.

After saying adios to the staff and students at the school, we headed down the street for yet another shopping adventure. While some of us gave up a few hundred Colones to buy snacks at the supermarket (http://www.masxmenos.co.cr/), others found a farmacia to buy hydrocortisone cream to relieve the itch from bug bites (yikes! the jungle is full of small, hungry critters!).

Francisco arrived to drive us back to the Hotel Britannia, where we prepared for an evening of R&R. Some decided to go dancing, while a few of us headed off to the Multiplaza (http://www.multiplazamall.com/), a huge mall just outside of San Jose. Imagine any American upscale mall with many familiar stores but with signs in (mostly) Spanish and prices in Colones instead of Dollars. There were even young teenage “mall rats” milling about, especially in the food court. The Cinimark (http://www.cinemarkca.com/) offered a variety of current films, some dubbed in Spanish and some with Spanish subtitles. At $3.43 (with student ID), it was a bargain! You even get to choose your seat!

Well, just one more day until departure. Gee, I hope it doesn’t rain. Are you kidding? Of course it’s going to rain!

Manuel Antonio National Park

Our second day in Manuel Antonio was just as impressive as the first. In a town full of gorgeous resorts, one of a kind restaurants, warm beaches and plenty of shopping, we were reluctant to leave! We began the day with a short walk to the area's national park. On the way, dozens of vendors lined the street with colorful souveniers. After stopping for awhile and browsing the stands, we continued to the national park. Just as we were hoping, we were able to spot some wildlife once inside.
Sloths and monkeys and bugs, oh my! After about a fifteen minute walk, we arrived at a beautiful beach within the park where many locals and tourist are able to sunbathe and relax. The weather was perfect and the water was warm...a true paradise! For the duration of the day we travelled three hours back to San Jose. All in all, we loved Manuel Antonio and were grateful to make this can't miss stop on our Costa Rican adventure!

Ziplining

On our day off with nothing planned our group of students decided that we
wanted to fulfill the ziplining experience that everyone had said to
do. We decided to have our personal driver from the previous week help us book
the excursion, since we had to plan this trip on our own. We started out our day
at 7am to head to the ziplining platforms.

We were all excited to go on this tour because we were giving the chance to
have an ariel view of what we had already hiked in the past few days. It felt as if we were flying through the trees and being able took down at the jungle floor. As we were gliding from tree to tree we were able to see a few different types of wildlife,
from poisonous frogs, to even bats.

There were a few times where we felt that our lives were going to end when we came to certain platforms. The stairs were attacked to basically nothing, only holding on to the smallest part of tree. Cindy of course, being the klutz that she is, lost not her first glove but her SECOND glove. She dropped if off a platform into the wild jungle trees never to be seen again. It was definalty something that was awesome to expirence and was something to look back upon as a fun day.

Horseback Riding in Arenal

Today our group got up bright and early to pack our bags then head to one of our planned tours, horseback riding. Many of us were looking forward to seeing a jungle from a different point of view. As we rode into the jungle little did we know that there was to be a surprise for us at the end, a giant water fall where we would have to climb hundreds of stairs, cross a suspension bridge, wade through a river and climbed over boulders to reach our destination. However once we reached the massive waterfall all the work we endured in order to arrive there was completely worth it.

During our experience many enjoyed their time while riding through the jungle and not having to walk while others were frightened. Just like us the horses as well had many different experiences on journey. Some of the horses always had to be in front, while others were always in the back and others would nip at the other if they tried to pass one another.

After this thrilling adventure we then headed off to what was suppose to be a five hour bus ride to Manuel Antonio but what turned into a seven hour excursion. But safely arrived at our hotel which was conviently located right on the beach.

Repelling

Today was the day that a few members of our group were going to test themselves with their personal fears. Today we would be repelling off waterfalls and cliffs. There were many different emotions running high before we started the adeventurous excursion. A few of us needed a little moral support when they finally realized that we would be hanging from ropes and clips a few hundred feet above the ground.

When we arrived at the house that started the tour, we got into the appropriate gear needed and listened carefully to the correct way to repel, since only one or two of our group memebers have done this amazing sport before. Once we were all ready to go we loaded the car and drove for a few more minutes to where we would begin our excursion.

We were told that if we didn't get soaking wet while we were repelling and hiking then the tour guides were given the right to make sure that we ended the tour with not even an inch of dry clothing, and boy did they make sure that happened!

There were a total of four repel obstacles that we had to complete.Two of them were short while the other two made me even nervous to look over the edge of the platform. As we were repelling on the first set of rocks when one of our tour guides, Ronny, decided to splash us with the freezing cold water. The groups then started to break down into about five or six people. That was when my group plotted against him and got him completely soaking wet. We had just climbed down a small ledge and before he knew what was happening we all were splashing him and laughing. Little to our knowledge the next ledge that we had to climb down we had to jump into water up to our necks. We thought we were so smart, but found out we were all getting wet no matter what.

After three or four hours of repelling and hiking through the jungle we finally reached the end of our tour. On the bus ride back to our hotel we started singing songs that the tour guides requested. It ended with the ten of us students at the kareoke club singing to out tour guides later that night.

Costa Rica has proven to be a continuous learning experience for all of us. Whether we are experiencing new points of view from the people we meet, discovering new ways of life that is very different from what we have known in the United States, or just observing the places, people, and interactions that occur around us our group has been constantly engulfed in new ways to experience all aspects of life.

Not only are we constantly learning things indirectly, the tours and activities planned for us prove to be extremely informational as well. Today we visited Arenal Volcano and our tour guide taught us the various facts of the volcano. The group learned things like, how it grew, when it last erupted, and informed us of the different types of lava and volcanoes.

The scenery was beautiful and different from anything I have ever seen. I was born and raised in Phoenix and I am incredibly used to the dry, brown view of the desert. Here, it is green, flourishing, and full of constant life that I had only known through various National Geographic shows and science classes. Actually experiencing and being apart of the life and beauty today was mesmerizing. Looking from one of the closest observation areas toward the grand volcano was truly breathtaking. I could hear various types of animals and birds in the distance, could feel the soft drops of rain accompanied by the intensified humidity, and could, of course, see all of the bugs the Costa Rica has to offer. While observing the volcano in the evening, our group was privileged enough to see some lava come out of the volcano. The vibrant red color stood out against the brown of the volcano and the dark of the evening. It was an amazing way to end our tour of the day.

In addition to learning and viewing the amazing volcano, we took a guided tour of the rain forest. The group saw different types of wildlife such as snakes, plants, and monkeys! Our guide was determined to have us see a monkey and tried to increase our chances by making a loud monkey noise that might attract specific kinds of monkeys toward our group. We all laughed while trying to mimic the sound, unsuccessfully. Luckily, Gary was able to get a great photo of some monkeys in a tree. We also were able to see different types of bug life and a toucan as well!

AAAAAAAHHHH AAAAAAAAAHHHHH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

Hear that? It must be Tarzan!.....

Oh wait, no! It's GARY! Swinging from an actual Piranha plant like the ones Tarzan would swing on!

Not only would I say that today was a fun filled and full of laughter, it was also an experience that will last a lifetime.

Tomorrow we are off to repelling! 200 foot drops don't scare us!

Service Project

Today was our service project at Yanuario Quesada. Together we developed an emergency evacuation plan in case of an earthquake. We made signs, and posted them all over the school indicating the evacuation route. Also, since the school had no signs at all, we gave each classroom numbers, female and male sings on all the bathrooms, and posted signs over the library, office, and front entrance. After buying all the supplies, we realized we had some left over money in our budget. As a group we decided to put it to good use, and bought gallons of paint, to cover up the graffiti on the walls. In addition we also bought trash bags and cleaned up the school grounds. We are so excited to know that the students will return to school on Monday and notice the significant differences on their campus. After all that hard work, we came home and relaxed in the hotel room. Tomorrow we are leaving Escazu, and heading to Arenal for more exciting adventures.

Preperation for our service project.

Half of our group began their day today with a taxi ride to the hardware store, EPA. We're in the beginning stages of our service project for Yanuario Quesada and have a lot of work ahead of us. While at the store they bought spray paint, tarp, a saw, and all the necessary supplies to complete the project. When returning from the store our group gathered together to discuss our plan of action. Tasks were separated into three different groups consisting of the reconstruction of the school map, preparation of the signs, and designing colorful and decorative signs for the main buildings.

Now our day comes to an end as we add the finishing touches to our project. Sleep is necessary because tomorrow our day starts early and we set off to complete our project.

So just as we were finishing up the blog and getting ready for bed RAUL THE BEETLE fell from Kelsey and Bri's ceiling!

There were three of us in the room at the time and we screamed bloody murder. That was probably the loudest and fastest moving creature we have ever seen. Cindy and Amy leaped across the room and out the door with one thing in mind, that RAUL was going to kill them. Just as we got outside the rest of the group came over to see what all the commotion was. Caroline and Maci came to the the room brave as ever but as soon as they saw RAUL they screamed just as loud as us. Everyone then crowded around the doorway and the epic battle between Maci and RAUL THE BEETLE began.

"Maci put on shoes" , "Why?"-Maci "I don't know it just seems like you should !!"- Cindy

P.S. we have no idea where RAUL ended up after Maci put him into a bag and carried him over to Gary. Gary said he's in the witness protection program and we're all hoping all that bug spray didn't cause the transformation of RAUL THE BEETLE to RAUL THE MUTANT BEETLE!! Because we all know if that happens he will definitely seek revenge and in the words of Kelsey he will "recognize her face and come back for revenge."

Montessori School

We began our morning with a visit to the Montessori school here in Escazu. Catering to students from birth to five years old, the mission of this school is to provide an explorative classroom environment through guided learning. Restored from a large house 22 years ago, the school and grounds were absolutely beautiful! In what seemed like an endless grassy space, students could roam and play on nearly a dozen different swing sets and jungle gyms. With the natural rainforest-like landscape surrounding us, I had never seen anything like it!

We each were assigned a classroom and began the four hour school day with songs and snacks. The administrators prepared a delicious breakfast of tortillas and mangos for us while we had the chance to interview Montessori's principal. It was the perfect opportunity to get a unique perspective on private education in Costa Rica. The facilities and resources available to these children were truly amazing. Even in such a cozy atmosphere, the students had the opportunity to experience all sorts of learning tools and exercises.

All in all, we were very impressed with the entire atmosphere of the Montessori school and many of us agreed that we would be privledged to be able to send our (future) children there. What a unique and memorable learning experience for both the students and us!

Later this afternoon, we had the chance to visit Yanuario Quesada, the school where we will be executing a service project later this week. The school displayed a sharp contrast to Montessori, although only less than two blocks away. The buildings and structures were clearly much older and received minimal attention and care. Because it is a public school, limited funding and resources are available. We saw the results of this with graffeti walls and broken down equipment and classrooms. The administrators spoke very little English, so it was a challenge just to get acquainted and on the same page.

With students out of school today, we were left to focus on planning our upcoming project. The school is in dire need of an efficient and effective evacuation plan in case of emergency (aka earthquakes). Therefore, it is our job to create permanent signs for each classroom and also map out an updated strategy for getting students to various "safety zones" throughout the school. It will be a big task but a much needed one! We are looking forward to spending the next two days focused on creating the best way possible to benefit these deserving students and teachers!

Museo De Los Ninos

We left Corazon de Jesus around 11am, and walked back to our hotel to grab a quick snack and get ready to head to the Museo de Los Ninos, which is located in San Jose. Upon arriving, we grabbed a real lunch at the restaurant located inside, and proceeded to start to roam around the facility. All of us had so much fun it was almost unbearable, and learned a great deal about having fun and learning at the same time. From learning about the solar system to understand the history of the banana, Museo de Los Ninos gave us all a special one of a kind experience to forever treasure inside our hearts.



Pura Vida!!!

Maci and I hold hands with the children follwing the rainbow!


I find out I can get along with a human sized toothbrush!



Gary makes sure the molars are clean before taking a seat on them! Flossed and polished!!





Kelsey arranges features for brand new monsters.

Our group photo!!!

PURA VIDA!!!!!

Corazon de Jesus

Maci and Anarosa!! She was such a sweet and funny girl.















Josue and I!!!! He was such a wonderful little boy!!!

















Maci talks to the students about what they like to do at and after school.

Some of the girl students at Corazon de Jesus. They were so nice!

This is the company that donated several thousand dollars to Corazon de Jesus. This sign reminds them all of how good fortune can come to anyone.

The children were working on math problems, they were kind enough to show us a few!

Maria helping Josue.

Today was an experience that moved all of us profoundly. The entire day was an amazing adventure, and one of my favorite parts was learning that even though two people can speak different languages, they can still communicate effectively with one another.

We arrived at the breakfast tables at Costa Verde Inn around 7am. Anxious and excited, we filled ourselves with Costa Rican coffee and toast, juice, rice, cereal- whatever each of us fancied, and then prepared for the walk to the school.

The walk was completely uphill, and for those of you in Arizona who are following us on this blog, let us tell you that walking at a steep incline in a tropical environment leaves one feeling energized and very very hot.

We all arrived at Corazon de Jesus excited and a glistening a bit, but were welcomed with open arms and warm eyes. Maci, Jennifer and I went into Maria's 4th grade classroom, and were immediately swept into a kind, loving environment.

We walk in, and the students are clean cut and well behaved. The room is clean, softly lit by natural lighting and bears large windows on the far wall. There is no air conditioning, and while there is a fan in the room, it remains off. The teacher, Maria, is wonderfully nice, and though she does not speak a word of English, she made us feel welcome.

The students begin their day by singing a song, which is not intended for us, since we know that this school has no phone and they were unsure of what time of the day we would be stopping by. The children sing exhuberently in unison. As they finish and settle down, they start taking turns reading from their Spanish grammar book. The class seats 25, and the desks are arranged in a circle. There are only 24 students, so Maria takes a seat among them. Though she often does not ask questions to the students, she does correct them and smile encouragingly at them as they read.

Maci saves the day with her impressive acquisition of the Spanish language, and after asking the teacher if it is okay to take photographs, we begin to snap pictures. I notice that Maria is amazingly well dressed. She wears heels, slacks, and a blouse with a blazer. Her hair has been straightened and coiffed, her make up beautiful from her bronzed eyeshadow to her red lipstick. She carries a dominance with her that takes control over her class, and still emits the grace of a motherly figure. The students respect her, and pay attention to her.

**As a side note, I'd like to mention that one of my favorite parts of the day was telling the professor (in very chopped Spanish unfortunately) "Yo quiero hablar Espanol muy mal", which, I had hoped would equal out to "I want to speak Spanish very badly". Her response was "Yo quiero hablar Ingles!". I thought it was so special that two people attempting to make a connection would say that they wish they spoke each others language, as oppose to wanting the other person to speak theirs. But I digress**

While sitting there, I realize every once in a while that the children become chittery and rowdy. This makes me smile. It reminds me very much of my own elementary school, Cielo, and shows me that regardless the differences in a culture, or the intricacies of a society- regardless of where you find yourself in the world, children are children. They are bright, eager, and funny, constantly willing to adapt and learn something new, and socially blooming into the world around them.

As I converse with a fellow student of Arizona State University she tells me that a quote on the wall of the classroom she was observing says: "Nosotros fuimas creados por amor y para amor a los otros", which translates into: "We are created to love and be loved in return." This makes my heart sing, and as I discuss this with Maci and Caroline, I realize they feel the same way. My experience at Corazon de Jesus is one that will stick with me eternally. Everyone in our group met so many wonderful people, teachers and students alike, and Maci and I had the luck of meeting two wonderful children named Josue and Anarosa. Their pictures are noted above.