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Well, we came to Monteverde for various reasons. The biggest one was our work at the CEC, and that work came to a conclusion today. We were picked up at our usual stops, but this time we had our luggage with us.
When we arrived, the students were lined up with their classes for a parade honoring women. Sunday, March 8 is International Women's Day, and the CEC celebrated it today, as they won't be in class on Sunday. Not many school gatherings have a view like this one. The students and teachers then marched up to the soccer field, proudly displaying the posters they created.
You can also watch the minute-long video below, which shows pretty much everyone at the beginning of the march.
IMG_8275.MOVWe painted plenty this week, and we raked a bit. But we did a lot of raking today. It's honestly amazing how much space this group covered back in the forest. While we still worked hard and ended up sweating plenty, we enjoyed mostly shady conditions and didn't have to travel with paint all over ourselves.
The CEC will hold a fundraising race in a couple weeks, and we're taking steps now to get the course prepared. For all the runners out there, this is not the type of course that you'd expect. With major elevation changes and unsure footing, nothing about it seems easy. That's why there's even more need to get the leaves out of there. This race has been going on since 2015 and is a big deal for the school.
Then came the tough but rewarding part - the farewell lunch. But first we were asked for a group photo. It's shown below.
We gathered with our families to eat food that they made. Some of us said some words, but we all enjoyed the food and the company. Jenia even thanked his family in Spanish (shown below), and he did a great job doing so. You can read his thoughts below.
While there is no photo to show it, we handed Emily, the director of the school, a check for $4000, which was raised from sales of banana bread on campus this year. The hope is that we'll be able to make similar donations each time we travel. This money will go toward scholarships, and it means a lot to us to be able to help a school we love so dearly.
When Emily spoke to the boys, she told them a story about how one boy - who tends to be more anxious and has trouble departing his family in the morning - ran toward our boys and left his family without hesitation. It was a simple but heartfelt reminder of the impact that they can have on these children. And we were also told that most of the CEC teachers are women, so having some positive male role models on campus is even more important.
We said our goodbyes and hopped on our bus.
The trip to La Fortuna was pretty uneventful, but we did have the privilege of seeing a sloth on the side of the road. We'd stopped at a supermarket for a bathroom break and a snack, and our driver received a tip about the sloth. (Yes, he got a phone call about a sloth and offered to take us there.) So we drove about a half mile out of our way and there it was. It didn't move at all. Until we drove away.
Unfortunately, the weather was mostly overcast and rainy. While it wouldn't ordinarily be a big deal, this drive is filled with amazing sights of Arenal Lake and of course the Arenal Volcano. We did manage to see the volcano at the end of our trip, and hopefully we'll see a lot of it this weekend. We're right down the road from it.
We arrived at our hotel and were able to settle in and enjoy an hour of down time and cleaning ourselves up. We walked down the road and grabbed some dinner. After a quick stop at the supermarket, we went back to the hotel. Most of the boys went for a swim. The pool and hot tub area of the hotel is pretty awesome.
We have one student reflection today.
Coming to the U.S. from Ukraine felt like entering a completely new world, almost a different dimension from what I had experienced before. But Costa Rica has turned out to be even more different from anything I had ever seen. Everything has felt new and fascinating to me.
Nature is amazing. I was literally admiring every unique leaf, the banana or palm trees, and bamboo. Everything feels alive and colorful. I also really enjoyed the food at my host family’s house, which was made with so much love and care. What surprised me most was that much of the food people in Monteverde eat grows right in their backyards. My host family had plantains (green bananas), mangos, and even a huge avocado tree in their yard. People that I have met in Monteverde, in the school or in my host family, really showed me a lot about their culture. They are all so genuine, happy and open. Everyone wants to get to know you and listen to your story. Even when my Spanish skills were not enough to explain something, my host parents (who only speak Spanish) waited patiently for me to find some words and try to understand me. I loved hearing their stories, every night during dinner, while petting the cutest lil doggo ever “Luna”. A fun fact I noticed: almost every house in Monteverde seems to have a tiny Chihuahua. In summary, this trip was not only about volunteering, but also about learning a new culture, sharing stories, and meeting new people. Me gusta Costa Rica :)
- Jenia Stryzhakov '27
Tomorrow we are back to the adventure game, but we'll start the day by sleeping in. This will be the first opportunity all week to sleep past 7am. Our first event (ATV Tour) isn't until 10:45am. We'll go to the hot springs resort tomorrow night.
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