Tiempo libre, Español, Futbol. Oh my!

This morning began with some free time. Most of us opted for a final trip into Heredia for some shopping. Others went on a tour of a Costa Rican coffee plantation. Some enjoyed some down time with their host families. We all met at school for our second cooking class. Today´s menu included arroz con pollo y ensalada. Estaba muy bueno! After cooking and eating lunch,  we had our last Spanish class. The classes have been excellent and we were all sad to say goodbye to our teachers. We had a little graduation ceremony to celebrate our Spanish studies in Costa Rica. Graduation was fine but I´m pretty sure there was one thing on our girls´ minds- FUTBOL! Who would show up for our soccer game? The always-up-for-a good-time-Muni had arranged for a soccer game against some neighborhood boys we met walking home from school one day. There´s only one thing to say-Pura Vida! The Costa Ricans were good but I assure you that SGS came to play! And did I mention Creed played goalie?  There was some serious soccer in Costa Rica tonight. Sadly, the game had to come to an end. It was fun and once again our girls reached out to others and were open to new experiences. It also helped that there was a really cute boy playing! Es todo de Costa Rica. Hasta mañana!

A few Costa Rican pics...

Today´s post includes several photos taken by Katherine, Gail Tanaka and Ms.Jessica. I tried to include pictures of everyone so hopefully you´ll find your daughters. Today we went to La Carpio to support the kids, mothers and teachers involved in la Fundacion Humanitaria.  We spent the morning interacting with  kids from extreme poverty. Half of the group was working with a kindergarten class and the other half was in the daycare. All of you would have been very proud of your daughters. They were warm, kind, loving and fully engaged with some children who desperately needed some extra attention. We are all a little more appreciative of what we have tonight and we are all missing you just a little more as well.

An unexpected ride in a panga!

An age appropriate welcome toast!

Pura Vida!

Pura Vida!

Our school -CPI

La Carpio

Pura Vida!

Fun with host family

1st cooking class with Muni on the left.

Pura Vida!

La Carpio

La Carpio

La Carpio

La Carpio

La Carpio

La Carpio

La Carpio

Having fun. Wish you were here!

Tuesday began with a delicious breakfast of fresh fruit, gallo pinto, huevos and other delicacies. We met at our meeting point at 8:00, excited for our trip to San Jose, la capital! At our meeting point, the girls and chaperones shared their adventures from the previous evening with their families. It´s fun to hear the stories of  dancing, walking, playing Uno, talking and just generally taking in life in Costa Rica. After a brief orientation from Muni, about what to expect in San Jose we boarded the public bus. A 30 minute drive brought us to the bustling San Jose. They say it´s the livliest city between Mexico City and Bogota. We explored the center on foot checking out the Metropolitan Cathedral, el Parque Central, and the Teatro Nacional. The girls had some down time where they got to do some shopping and hanging out in small groups with their chaperones. It was a low key morning and I´m pretty sure the highlight for most was indulging in some really tasty sweets! Caramel filled churros anyone? It was very interesting to see a bustling Latin American capital but soon it was time to head back to San Joaquin de Flores, our home. When we arrived back at school, it was time for cooking class. We did some outdoor cooking (you can´t beat that!) where your lovely daughters prepared a delicious meal of picadillo de papas, arroz, tortillas y ensalada. You´ll have to ask them what that means but I can tell you it was really good.  After lunch it was time for the class we were all waiting for. BAILE! We had a blast learnimg Salsa, Merengue, and Cumbia with Luis, our instructor. I think they were pretty impressed with my Latin moves! Spanish classes followed which the girls continue to love. They are all making progress and it is amazing to see what being in a Spanish speaking country can do for their motivation. Tomorrow is our day of service learning. The girls are excited to make a difference for some kids in a country that has been very good to them. Es todo de Costa Rica. Buenas Noches.

!Meeting las familias!

It´s hard to believe that any experience can top our visit to the beautiful and relaxing Manuel Antonio, but I believe we´ve surpassed it! Meeting our families last night and seeing where we would be spending the next four days was very exciting. We arrived to San Joaquin de Flores ( the small town outside of Heredia where we live and study) at about 5:00 pm. Muni, our wonderful guide from the school gave us a brief orientation to staying with Costa Rican families and then we went to the meeting place(a soccer field in front of a church) to meet them. Nine smiling families greeted 18 smiling SGS girls and off we all went for our first night with our families. After wonderful dinners followed by sleep and delicious breakfasts with our host families we met again at the meeting place. I was so happy to hear all of the exciting stories from our students and chaperones. They seem to be really enjoying their familias ticas and their homes. All of them reported kind families, many puppies and lovely interactions. We spent the day with fabulous Muni and another guide named Klara. We took the city bus into downtown Heredia, where Klara led our tour. We visited an important sports facility, a lovely artisan market ( I can assure you , you are all in for some wonderful items!), el parque central, the casa de la cultura, and a very large market where we had lunch. We all enjoyed the lively yet relaxing vibe of Heredia. In the afternoon, we returned to San Joaquin de Flores to get ready for Spanish class. The girls were tested and placed in groups for class. It was so fun for me to talk with the girls after Spanish class. They were sooooo excited about their teachers and what they were learning.
I can go home happy! Luckily I have three more days to enjoy Costa Rica. Tomorrow, we are going to San Jose to check out some important sites and then return to school for our classes; cooking,  tropical dance and Spanish. Pura Vida!