Tarrah Elam, our International Program Coordinator writes:

“Friday morning, we set off on the Pacuare River. It was a short day on the river, of mostly class II and class III. The river was spectacular – green and pristine. The kids kept saying “it is so green here” over and over and over. Compared to the rivers many have been on in Southern Idaho, it is an observation I would agree with.

That afternoon, we headed up to the zip-line and canopy tour. There was a series of 6 zip-lines, 3 rappels and a walking bridge. The kids were challenged in many ways, but all encouraged one another and came back to camp full of smiles. It was a unique experience for all of them.

Yesterday, the rain hindered our plans to walk up to the indigenous village. The trail was too thin and muddy to feel comfortable with such a large group. We were able to take a cable car across there river where we then walked into 3 different waterfalls, where the kids were able to swim. They continue to ask when they will get to walk in the jungle again. Unfortunately, I think our jungle adventures have come to an end. I was glad to hear that they all enjoyed it as much as I had hoped.

Today, we headed out for the second section of the Pacuare River. It is continuous fun, with places to congratulate one another with a Pura Vida high five paddle. All students performed beautifully, worked as a team and were strong paddlers. The guides were very complimentary of their performance.

Tomorrow, we will return to the orphanage, where we will complete our painting project, which will be a mural created by our kiddos. Most of the day will be spent painting and playing with the kids. We will eat dinner here in Turrialba and then return to San Jose to sleep before the return back to Boise.”

Tarrah Elam, our International Program Coordinator writes:

“We started our morning with a traditional Costa Rican breakfast of rice and beans with eggs, fruit, and juice. It was delicious and filling! We left our hotel at 8:30AM to drive to Guayabo Archeological Park. We learned a lot about the indigenous tribe called the Cavecar, their living establishments, aqueducts, and their way of life. The settlement, which is only 1/4 of the way uncovered, was very impressive. We had a bilingual guide, however, she gave her presentation in Spanish. Our Spanish speakers did a beautiful job translating the information for our French speakers. It was a great morning with some cloud cover and intermittent sun. Before leaving, we had a picnic lunch of pasta, chips and salsa along with more FRUIT!

On our way back to Turrialba, we made our first stop at the orphanage. We PLAYED AND PLAYED AND PLAYED. The 14 students were full of life and smiles. The children of the orphanage and some of our kiddos rode the horses, which was a highlight, but after watching our kids interact with the children of the orphanage – the simple game of cops and robbers (somewhat similar to tag) was touching. It didn’t matter if our students could speak Spanish or not – there is a universal language that was being spoken. Running, laughing and pointing was all that was needed.

We painted the first layer of paint on the shed that was built. Tonight, we will start to design a mural that will be painted on the front side Monday morning. Our students are excited to return on Monday – as am I. I am so happy with the way all of our students represent themselves. They are willing to take risks, and be part of what is happening around them. Each person we have interacted with has nothing but compliments for the group. It is nice to feel a sense of pride being a leader of the group and to be able to say that I agree – they are fantastic kids.”