¡Hola desde Monteverde, Costa Rica!
Upon our arrival to San Jose, we were met by Jessica, our group's very own guide from the Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (CPI), which is the language institute providing us with classes, excursions and transportation. Jessica will accompany us throughout our entire trip! Saturday night, we were transported directly to our beautiful hotel, La Condesa in Hereida, a suburb of San Jose.
Sunday after a buffett-style breakfast including the "gallo pinto" at the hotel, we went on a very informative, entertaining tour at Cafe Britt, which is a coffee processing company. We learned a great deal about the history and production of coffee, and even got to try some of the best coffee in the world! After lunch at Cafe Britt, we were transported to Monteverde. On the way, we were able to see the Pacific Ocean near Puntarenas, which was absolutely gorgeous! When we arrived in the hilly, cloud forest town of Monteverde, the students took their Spanish class placement test, which included an interview, then met their wonderful host families.
Monday after enjoying our first breakfast with the host families, we did a walk-about with our CPI guide, Jessica, of the small downtown area of Monteverde, known as Santa Elena. The students participated in a "busquedad de tesoros" (treasure hunt) to familiarize themselves with the area, and even got to talk with some of the locals! After lunch, the students were excited to start their Spanish classes. They were placed into three different classes, which include only students from our group. I am impressed by CPI's extremely small class size, allowing for individualized instruction and progression.
Tuesday morning, we went on a Trapiche tour. We learned that Trapiche refers to the machine that extracts the liquid from the suger cane plant, which is then used to make caramel, candy and brown sugar. The students even got to make their own candy, see banana trees and coffee plants, and ride in an ox-drawn cart on this tour! After the tour, we ate a fabulous lunch prepared by the mother of the family that has owned this sugar cane business for two generations. Then, the students attended their second day of class, and returned "home" to eat and relax with their families.
This morning we went on one of the most amazing excursions so far. After a 30-minute hike through the lush rain forest, we came upon the tallest waterfall I've ever seen, the San Luis waterfall. Many of the students jumped into the pool that forms at the base of the waterfall to find that the water is quite cold, yet refeshing! Although we could have stayed their all day enjoying the beauty of the well-protected rain forest, we hiked back to the reception area of the tour and enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by the older woman that lives on the premisis.
Overall, the trip is going wonderfully! The students are bonding and getting to know each other as they experience the language and culture of Costa Rica together. Everyday, they help each other with their homework and Spanish conversation skills. I am amazed at how much their Spanish has already improved!
The weather here in Monteverde varies daily from sunny and warm in the mornings to windy, rainy and cool in the evenings. Sometimes we even get drizzle and sunshine at the same time! Another great aspect of this town is that it's so small that we can walk everywhere we need to go. The only thing is that walks here are either inclined up or down since it's so hilly, so we are getting a healthy amount of exercise!
Hasta la próxima. ¡Pura vida!
Natalie
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