Sloths on The Move!

Dear Families,

Hello from Day Two!  Let me begin by saying that a colleague helpfully suggested that while the first blog photos were terrific, they were not of Sloths!  Seen and fixed.  Now that we are fully on our way as a group, you should now only see your own happy children!

Today was a busy day.  We started with a delicious hot breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast, followed by a short drive into the interior of downtown San José.  There, our two guides, Sergio and Frank, walked us through the historic district, showing us the important sites for Costa Rica’s 1896 democratic revolution, the 1920s-30s art deco era, and also some of the 1960s Cold War architecture spurred by American investment in Central American democracy and the banana industry.  Viraj, Kimya, Michelle, and Rachel took some beautiful photos of the local art and architecture in the process.

After, we traveled two hours into the Costa Rican rainforest, crossing the Continental Divide in the process, before stopping at a small primary school called Huetares.  There, students learned about Costa Rican culture, decorated the school with arrangements of plants and handpainted rocks, and played a mixed game of soccer with the local children.  Sam J, Sam G, and John gave the school a gift of school supplies, and James, Linus, Jake, Riya, and Angelina learned and performed the “toro” dance with the local children.

After a delicious lunch of local cuisine, we re-boarded the buses for a trip even deeper into the rainforest, to a small butterfly and wildlife preserve.  There, and in Spanish, students learned about the varieties of Costa Rican butterflies, walked the grounds, entering an immersive butterfly enclosure in the process, and saw toucans, tree frogs, praying mantis, a nest of parrot chicks, and a live sloth!  Upon returning to the learning center, students sampled passionfruit and spearmint agua fresca, and many students, including Ashley, Aryav, Sam J., then took turns holding a live boa constrictor. Wow!

Finally, we checked into the truly beautiful La Quinta Sarapiqui Lodge, set among the jungle (and between two large pineapple plantations), where students swam in the pool, and toured the grounds, which include a live caiman preserve.  A good day!!

Tomorrow comes bright and early with a 7 a.m. wakeup.  Your children miss you, of course, but they are having an amazing time!  

Reflections today from Yuto Kimura, James Crawford, and Saahil Joshi:

Yuto:

“Yesterday, I got some much needed rest and a shower after spending much of the day traveling.  This morning, I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to explore.  Breakfast was great and we just finished a mini-tour of San José.  We saw historic buildings, sculptures, and murals that dotted walls all around the city.  As I am writing, we have exited San José and are heading to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.  On the way, we will be passing through the national park, and later in the day we will be going to an elementary school.  So far, everything has been great!”

James:

“Day number one was a success.  We did not lose anybody and everyone only got a few mosquito bites.  The morning was so cool.  We went to the Esperanza Primary School and the students there showed us their dances.  It was a lot of fun, and they even showed us how to do a dance.  All of that dancing was followed by a soccer game.  We then planted a tree and made our way to the butterfly garden.  We got to see exotic butterflies and even frogs.  Right before we left some of us got to hold a boa constrictor around our neck.  We are now heading to a new hotel.”

Saahil:

"Visiting the school was definitely the highlight of the day. We got to paint rocks, play soccer and talk with the kids. Esperanza Primary school may not be as clean or as nice as ours, but it was definitely as fun as ours. The kids there had lots of energy and were really excited about showing us their dances. Playing soccer with them was also very fun. We were shocked by how good the first and second graders were and tied 1-1 until I had to leave. We also planted a tree and did some gardening at the school. At the butterfly sanctuary forest, we went on a one hour hike and at the end, I held and carried a boa constrictor. Today has been a long day, and I can't wait to sleep."