In 2009, my family went to Costa Rica for a wedding; little did we know what would transpire. After the earthquake, Tio Aaron found a water jug; my mom, Tia, and I found some yogurt and snacks while others carefully went into the hotel and grabbed forks and hot dogs to cook for everyone. My Abuelo built a fire to cook and keep the wild animals away. Through the afternoon, the night aftershocks continued. There were about 100 people or more waiting for help. While cooking, sad stories were shared, homes that were now gone, and people at the waterfalls were washed away, so if we hadn't gotten hungry, we would have been as well. Saying a prayer for the lost ones, we fell asleep wondering what the next day would bring.

Earthquakes are typically common in Central America, specifically Costa Rica. However, the 6.1 magnitude earthquake my family was involved in was near Poas and Irazu, two active volcanoes in Costa Rica. The Poas Volcano National Park was particularly damaged due to landslides in the earthquake's aftermath. The La Paz waterfall roads were ruined due to…, trapping around 300 people, locals and tourists. This led many people to be forced to sleep in the Vara Blanca’s valley, waiting for rescue to come, as well as other places helping people affected. Unfortunately, due to aftershocks, rescue efforts became more difficult. Damage included collapsed hills and destroyed buildings. 

The earthquake caused lots of harm to structures, caused land to collapse, and caused cars to be buried by debris. Most of the deaths were due to landslides. The U.S. Geological Survey wrote the quake “was 22 miles northwest of San Jose near the Poas Volcano National Park”. A known fault didn't cause the earthquake; pressure built up from the Cocos plate falling under the Caribbean plate. The quake happened about 2.8 miles below the surface, so noticeable shaking was seen throughout the area. The town of Cinchona was destroyed due to the earthquake's strength, and the debris could be seen.

We arrived Wednesday night, ate dinner, and went to bed early. We were picked up in the morning; my Tio Alejandro had chartered a bus for the whole family; the ride was about an hour and a half. Then Tio Ale made a joke about Costa Rica having earthquakes, but being from California, we should be used to them. We arrived at the beautiful La Paz Waterfall Park. We entered the atrium with all the birds, the orchid and butterfly garden, and finally, into the cave that housed all the poisonous frogs and viper snakes. We were about to go to the waterfalls, but my Abuelo, brother, and cousins wanted to ride in a driven carriage.

 My Dad took my brother to the bathroom; I was in a high chair next to my mom, and my cousin Izzy was in a chair to my mom's right. Everyone else was either eating or in line to get their food. Suddenly, the earthquake hits. Izzy's high chair falls over; bottles fly off the walls past my mom's and my heads. My mom grabbed me while my Tia and Tio grabbed my cousins, and we all ran out of the restaurant. The hills and paths had all slid about a foot down.

 Once we reached the parking lot, we saw massive cracks into which cars had fallen. The hotel had ultimately come off of its foundation, which led to severe damage to the buildings. We had heard that the wildcats' cages had broken, and they had gotten loose, as had all the frogs and snakes. My family met back at the bus to make a game plan for the night, unsure how much longer we might’ve had to stay. A Spanish tourist and his wife had to spend the night on a bus before rescue reached them, which my family also had to do. 

While most of my family was asleep on the bus, my mom had to stay by the fire, where She met a lovely couple. They had told her there was one more spot on the helicopter for a morning pick-up from the mountain. Once morning arrived, the last of the diapers were used. My Tia was crying, handing my cousins to my mom, asking her to keep her babies safe. We were stopped as we approached the helicopter; the tour guide gave up his spot for Tia. Back at the mountain, Tia Sofia's mom and Abuelo were picked up by the Red Cross. Tia Sofia, Tio Ale, Tio Aaron, and my dad began the hike. After a long day of hiking, a couple of ATVs showed up, bringing them to a truck to take them to an ambulance for hydration. Eventually, Tia Sofia's family picked them up, driving them to our hotel. The next day, we woke up exhausted but enjoyed the Wedding we came for.