Our sixteen Notre Dame Academy (Hingham, MA) students arrived in Costa Rica on Friday morning, and jumped right in to the Pura Vida lifestyle! Just a few hours into the trip, they caught this incredible rainbow. Can you think of a better welcome?!
The first weekend was spent in the breathtaking San Isidro area, where the girls hiked through the rainforest and swam in the Nauyaca waterfall as they dove into the program orientation.
Later, they donned helmets and harnesses for an exhilarating canopy experience, ziplining and crossing bridges above the rainforest!
Our fearless trip leader, Liz, and the incredible NDA staff members Maddie and George, report nonstop singing on the bus and unanimous delight about the lush mountain views. They also said that students have loved learning from and getting to know their three local guides: Pablo, Lucia, and Greto. From identifying flora and fauna to sharing stories about their homes and families, our three tico guides have shown the group the utmost Costa Rican kindness and hospitality.
The NDA group arrived at their host community on Sunday and settled in to their homestay families. They’ve been hanging out in the town plaza with host parents, siblings, cousins, neighbors and everyone in between, and jumping into the neighborhood soccer games too!
The students can’t wait to get to work on their service project this week! We’ll be working on three different projects in a 3-group rotation (a rock wall, a cement ramp going into the community salon, and painting the beams inside). There are a lot of kids in the community who are so excited to play with their Massachusetts sisters. There’s a beautiful view of the Cordillera Talamanca mountain range and Mt. Chirripo, which is the highest peak in Costa Rica. It’s a typical agricultural community, and many of the community members work for the sugar cane and pineapple farms close by.
We’ll share much more info about the community and the progress of service projects on our next post this coming week. Until then…Pura Vida!!
