Our Service Program hours run from 8am to 4pm. Despite the ample work service schedule volunteers find time to enjoy local attractions.
Ya no quiero vivir con los temores/ I don't want to live with fears anymore
que prefiero entregarme a la ilusión/ I prefer to surrender to the illusion
y lo que creo defenderlo con firmeza/ what I believe I will defend firmly, without a history that drags me
Y si un dia me siento transformao´/ and if one day I feel transformed
y decido reorientar la dirección/and I decide to change direction
tomaré un nuevo rumbo sin prejuicios/I will take a new path without prejudice
porque en el cambio está la evolución.../because change is in evolution
Evolution ...in change their is evolution
Que mi camino se encuentre iluminao´/Hope the path is always illuminated
y la negrura no me enturvie el corazón/ and never hold darkness in my heart
y el sentimiento al escoger entre los frutos/ the feeling of choosing between the results
decisión para subir otro escalón,/ a decision to take the next step forward
vivir el presente hacía el futuro/ live the present towards the future
guardar el pasado en el arcón./. leave the past were it belongs
Trabajar por el cambio de conciencia/ Work for a change in conscience
dibujar en el aire una canción....una canción./. to Draw a song in the air!
A Job well done is better than a something well said .....Maayan and Atula, Mother and Daughter team, proudly grace the Canitas walkway that will allow kids to walk safely to school.
Our team gets ready to say good bye and signs a soccer ball that will be handed publicly to the Canitas Community for all the kids to play.
Cement mixing starts ...with an automated cement mixer no less! WOW! Jose Luis dropped by with that baby as Nicho directed operations. Andrew is assisted by Atula as the first batch gets mixed!-Nia
There aren’t words that can describe the day we’ve had today, in Spanish, or English. I have experienced so many new things, seen so many new animals, and watched so many faces brighten as they smile. So here is my modest attempt to describe our adventurous day. The first thing in the morning, I woke up to the bright sun of Costa Rica, and it is hard to believe, when you see how bright it is, that it is the same sun we may see in America (or especially Canada). We had a breakfast of pancakes, and I loved it so much that I would fly around the world just to taste it again. I could already tell it was going to be a good day.
Upon arrival at our volunteer town, Cañitas, we were greeted by our soft, scruffy, local friends, the dogs (los perros de Cañitas). Soon, after heavy sunscreening and putting on gloves, we walked briskly to a large pile of rocks, where we shoveled mounds of dirt and sand and smoothed them onto the ground. Laughs from everyone were heard as we aggressively papparazzied a tiny little plastic cow on the rocks and in a small ditch we’d dug yesterday. Another very important piece of news was that Native American leader, strong Judy, resigned her position to strong Andrew, as he pulled a giant redwood tree out of the ground with his bare hands (with a tiny bit of help from Riel and Ronald).
Later, Maayan, Jericha, and I were assigned to cook in the kitchen. The old women that we worked with were so nice, and laughed at one of Jericha’s small mistakes with an egg, as she smashed it on the side of the oven with a little too much force. We were impressed by our own courage when we tried what we thought to be goat, that turned out to just be pork. My Spanish did not cover this area of subjects so well, apparently…
At lunch we ate pleasantly, with tea, watermelon juice, and massive amounts of Lizano salsa as the main staples. The delicious Costa Rican traditional foods seemed to bode well with everyone. Maayan seemed a little angry though with her ancestors, for making rice pudding, with the “interesting” texture it has.
After lunch, we had our daily game of soccer, that involved species from dog to human, and humans from Costa Rica to Canada. Riel though, seemed to be a close second to Spot (the name we gave to one of the dogs) in soccer. They barked with their approval.
Later, after much more digging, wheelbarrowing, and looking for “palas”, or shovels with Keilor, or Elena, we went home to see Jesse and my mom. Unfortunately for Jesse and my mother, Jesse was sick and could not come to this day of work.
Finally, we went on a nature walk in the dark near Santa Elena. We saw a beautiful array of animals, including kinkajous, sloths, toucanettes, tarantulas, and so on. It seemed like the perfect way to end a perfect day. But oh no, it wasn’t. At about 8 o’clock, we pulled back into the Mar Inn driveway, thinking silently, and aloud of the animals we had seen. When we came inside, we watched some Spanish dubbed Dog Whisperer, and played an extremely enthusiastic game of Parcheesi. After about half an hour, everyone started yelling at me to go up and write this, so, here it is; a day in Monteverde.
Chris Rose is in to the second week if his first Global Volunteers trip in Costa Rica. After enjoying a well deserved weekend of suna nd relaxation, he is up to his 24? repaired chair. Jessica assists while he secures the back of the seat today. 
