Pura Vida- Costa Rica

Last we saw you we were at BART at 5:00 AM April 6th. Since that time we have flown over 10 states, played endless trivia games on the plane, and finally arrived in Costa Rica 7:45 PM local time. We were then taken out to dinner in San Jose before settling into our digs for the night. Everyone was tired but excited to be here. There were a few moments of uncertainty about the size of the insects but this morning the world looks more manageable.

This morning one over zealous room was up at 5:00 AM. " Oh...we didn't know what time it was...it can't be that early- its light out!"- welcome to life nearer to the equator. After the early burst of energy and showers it was back to bed for a few more hours rest. Breakfast was eggs, black beans and rice accompanied by large amounts of fantastic sandia y pina (watermelon and pineapple). We have met our guides (Molly y Crisley) and are all trying to speak Spanish as we make our way through the day. When in doubt, pantomime goes a long way! After our orientation meeting this morning we will pack up and hit the trail for Palmichal- our home for the next five nights.

Palmichal is a town of around 4,ooo people and is in a coffee growing and farming area. We will be visiting the farms and coffee plantations during the week . We will also be working to help build a recycling and composting center, help in a local school, play futbol, teach local kids ultimate frisbee, learn to make tortillas and kick up our heels with a salsa lesson. We will be very busy and will have may stories to share when we return. The internet access is very limited so we will not be able to post each day- maybe only twice- but will try to catch you all up when we can.