Cartago y Caribe: Updates from the Field
We have just finished the first week of our AMIGOS Cartago y Caribe project, and our volunteers have been able to participate in many fun activities and service projects so far. Our volunteers arrived in Costa Rica on Thursday, June 15th, and that night were able meet everyone and have dinner at a hostel near the airport. The next morning they traveled to the CATIE where they would be staying at for the next 6 days. The first day there, the volunteers were able to get settled in and learn more about the program’s rules and expectations in some interactive briefing activities. They were also able to have their very first Spanish class in which they were able to learn more about Costa Rica and practice their Spanish!
Acabamos de terminar la primera semana de nuestro proyecto AMIGOS Cartago y Caribe, y nuestros voluntarios han podido participar en muchas actividades divertidas y proyectos de servicio hasta ahora. Nuestros voluntarios llegaron a Costa Rica el jueves 15 de junio, y esa noche pudieron conocer a todos y cenar en un hostal cerca del aeropuerto. A la mañana siguiente viajaron a CATIE, donde se alojarían durante los siguientes 6 días. El primer día allí, los voluntarios pudieron instalarse y aprender más sobre las reglas y expectativas del programa en algunas actividades informativas interactivas. También tuvieron su primera clase de español en la que pudieron aprender más sobre Costa Rica y practicar su español.
Next, the volunteers traveled to Volcán Turrialba where they were able to have a nice breakfast and take a hike around the volcano. The next day we traveled to the Nortico Chocolate Farm where the volunteers were able to both make their own chocolate and take a walk around the farm to learn more about how the chocolate is made. Then, the volunteers were able to garden as well as visit goats. They were able to interact with the goats as well, including milking and feeding them. After that, the volunteers were able to travel to a school in Costa Rica to meet pen pals they had written to on the first days of the project. It was a very fun experience, and the volunteers were able to practice their Spanish as well as learn more about Costa Rican culture.
Después, los voluntarios viajaron al Volcán Turrialba, donde disfrutaron de un buen desayuno y luego participaron en una caminata al volcán. Al día siguiente viajamos a la Granja de Chocolate Nortico, donde los voluntarios pudieron hacer su propio chocolate y dar un paseo por la granja para aprender más acerca de cómo se hace el chocolate. A continuación, los voluntarios pudieron cultivar un huerto y visitar a las cabras. También pudieron interactuar con las cabras, ordeñarlas y darles de comer. Después, los voluntarios viajaron a una escuela de Costa Rica para reunirse con sus “pen pals”, amigos por correspondencia, con los que habían hablado por cartas los primeros días del proyecto. Fue una experiencia muy divertida, y los voluntarios pudieron practicar su español y aprender más sobre la cultura costarricense.
The volunteers were then able to do a project with Southwest Airlines – they were taught how the airline is able to recycle expired plane seats by using them to make all kinds of accessories like purses and bags, and were then able to make their own bracelets out of some of the airline’s recycled seats. Right before leaving CATIE, the volunteers were able to participate in one last service activity by traveling to RETUS. There they were able to take a tour to learn about the farm and participate in many interactive activities like making their own cheese, milking cows, and gardening.
Luego, los voluntarios pudieron realizar un proyecto con Southwest Airlines – se les enseñó cómo la aerolínea es capaz de reciclar asientos de avión viejos utilizándolos para hacer todo tipo de accesorios como carteras y bolsos, y luego fueron capaces de hacer sus propias pulseras con algunos de los asientos reciclados de la aerolínea. Justo antes de irnos de CATIE, los voluntarios pudieron participar en una última actividad de servicio viajando a RETUS. Allí pudieron hacer un recorrido para conocer la granja y participar en muchas actividades interactivas como hacer su propio queso, ordeñar vacas y cultivar un huerto!
