Community Service and Homestays

When I met with Jennifer this morning she told me the kids were a bit nervous about the homestays. We were able to change that very quickly. Being nervous is a small part about a Costa Rica adventure but often an important part. We introduced all the kids to their families in a presentation that made everyone at ease. We were all at the kindergarden where the EastRidge kids had just finished buidling 2 recycle bins for the schools. The local students put on a show for us of local dance and then the EastRidge kids went to work. After the work was done all the mothers from each homestay was there waiting where we introduced each group of kids to their families. The mothers from the homestays welcomed each member of the group with a huge hug and a smile. Everyone seemed happy to be on their way to the homestays. I asked the kids if they were still nervous and they all assured me they were not. The mothers here do an amazing job of helping the kids feel comfortable. Each group of kids returned to their homestay where they enjoyed lunch and will be with their homestays until 3pm when we start the soccer game. We have all the houses located in two sections of which each house is very close to the other. We have staff members in each section helping with the translation to break the ice and get the ball rolling on the social time they have now.

The community service was a huge success. Jonathan the guide made the comment that we set a record today and building that this group was faster than any group yet. All the kids were painting and nailing and working hard until we finished. It was a hot sunny day so we did most of it in the shade and then let the paint dry in the sun. Jennifer Roth said if you need your decks painted when they get home the kids should be ready.

Also in the last blog their were comments about chocolate and if Costa Rica makes their own chocolate. The answer is YES. The cacao fruit was very important in Costa Rica because it was the main link between Costa Rica and meso-americas . The Cacao fruit was also used at one point in Costa Rica as the currency. Now cacao is used to make chocolate for student tourist to bring home to their chocoholic parents!!!!

Also there was a question about the Turrialba volcano and the volcano in Iceland that is happening now. There are a lot of different types of volcanos with many different activities. The activity that we see in the picture of the Turrialba volcano is fumarolic activity which is just the release of gases and water vapor. It is a column of water vapor that you see which makes for a nice picture. There is no concern of the Turrialba volcano erupting as we see in Iceland. Sorry for not explaining this earlier and just posting a picture of a smoking volcano but this should help. I just read the book on the history of Ridgefield. The Soyak's brought a book down as a gift on the history and we are sitting with one of the homestays and enjoying looking at the pictures of all the old houses in Ridgefield that are about 50 times the size of the house we are sitting in. Take a good look at the pictures from the hotel at Casa Turire. This is one of the main hotels we work with when planning a Costa Rica Vacation or Costa Rica Adventure package. All or our guest fall inlove with this place.