Gabriela is a true ‘Tica,’ a native of Costa Rica! She is currently finishing an architecture degree, is a nature lover, and loves doing construction and hands on projects. She has worked as an ESL teacher and also as a leader with several student groups. 
Luiz is originally from the Baltimore-DC Area via Bogota, Colombia and Sao Paulo, Brazil. He graduated from Towson University with a degree in Sports Management and moved to Fort Collins last year to pursue a Masters in Physical/Outdoor Education. 
Julia was born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. After participating on a Global Works trip to Costa Rica in 2003, she continued to study and travel throughout Latin America majoring in Latin American studies and History at Oberlin College. 
Braden currently teaches Spanish to middle school students in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. He possesses an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and a Masters degree in Public Health. 
Crisley first met our students when he was working on his dissertation at the Poco Sol research station in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Since then, he has traveled all over Costa Rica teaching students about the ecology of Costa Rica. Welcome Global Works travelers, parents and friends. We are excited to share with you trip updates from around the world. As our main office receives updates from the trips we will update the page as we receive news from the field.
Welcome from your Global Works Leaders:
Welcome Global Works Costa Rica Language Immersion Summer program 2011!!!!
Get ready for an unforgettable month of white water rapids, zip lines, creative and useful service projects, life-changing homestay experiences, surfing lessons, and a whole lot of Gallo Pinto! We’re going to Costa Rica!
This is entry numero uno of many more to Welcome you and update you on the exciting preparations going on for our forthcoming trip (3 weeks away). Although our lovely Veteran leader, Gabriela McAdam, was unable to attend (she is currently putting together the finishing touches of our trip down in her native Costa Rica), your leaders Luiz Bertolo and Julia Brown-Bernstein have just returned from a thrilling training weekend in Boulder, CO and cannot wait for our departure from Newark. We hope you are all as excited as we are to have you because after only three days nestled in the Colorado Rockies with all the other rocking Global Works trip leaders, we are ever more ready to get our feet wet and our hands dirty on our Tican adventure.
As you all may already know, having selected it as your summer destination with Global Works, Costa Rica is a fascinating and also a multi-dimensional country. Known widely as one of the safest and most bio-diverse countries in Central America (perhaps you have already heard that Costa Rica has no Army) and garnering the reputation as one of the “Happiest Countries” on the New Economics Foundation Happy Planet Index, Costa Rica has, indeed, much to offer. And yet there is aún más to understand and explore about this country that goes beyond Pura Vida. Throughout our month together, we hope to engage, interact, and question how Costa Rica has covered more than half its territory with trees, how it plans to be carbon neutral by 2012, and how its Fair Trade Coffee Cooperatives work to improve the conditions of small Farmlands and their farmers, oh and, HAVE THE TIME OF OUR LIVES!
See you soon!
Saludos!
Julia, Luiz, and Gabriela!
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Update #1:
Day 1 Newark Airport, Newark, NJ Greetings from Newark Airport! 4 hours until we land in San Jose!
As the flight was about to board from Gate 98, the eight of us found ourselves paired in twos, sitting on the royal-blue waiting area carpet. What’s the craziest thing you have ever done? What is one thing unique to you? Even before we took off for Costa Rica, those of us traveling on the group flight had already learned that Xander had gone swimming with reef sharks and Peter has family in India and Mexico. An interesting group, indeed!
We took our seats in rows 23 and 24, proudly wearing our green Global Works t-shirts, and already emanating our ‘Pura Vida’ vibes. San Jose here we come!
Welcome to San Jose!
Upon arriving in San Jose, shortly before midnight, Gaby, our program director, Diego, Crisley, our Country directors, and Randall, our fearless salsa dance instructor were their to greet us and also inform us that our last two groups members would be arriving the following day,due to flight complications. Everyone was tired but eager to chat, take in the sites—albeit in the dark—and, despite intense fatigue, make astute observations, “Walmart is in San Jose. WHAT?!”
We made it to our home base in San Rafael, a mountainside town about half hour outside of San Jose, had some PB&J and mango juice, brushed our teeth and hit the sac. A big day awaits in the morning!
Day 2:
San Rafael, District Carmen, and San Jose City Tour with Chepecletas.
An 8AM Wake-up meant delicious Gallo Pinto, scrambled eggs, fresh pineapple and watermelon prepared by Patricia, Crisley’s wife and coincidentally, also a fantastic cook. With a good nights sleep under our belts, everyone seemed game to start the day and even at 8AM learn a new word, “SANDIA” (Watermelon). Breakfast quickly turned into team building games: human knots, monsters relays, and a “group profile.” In constructing our team flag, “PURA VIDA,” everyone contributed and threw out some key expectations, goals for our four weeks together, as well as other strategies to ensure the most successful trip possible. We all signed the flag and agreed as a group to protect it as our team emblem throughout the month.
(photo coming soon)
Off to San Jose for our city tour with Chepecletas, an organization promoting the arts and life in the city.Although San Jose has over the years conjured the reputation as a city with far less cultural prowess than other Central American cities, Chepecletas’ project seeks to reclaim this conception through walking tours of different neighborhoods. During our tour,we visited Barrio El Carmen, Barrio Otoya and Barrio Amón, Barrio El Carmen is the oldest district in San Jose and also where the most important government buildings like the Congress and Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones are located. We learned that San Jose was one of the five first cities in the world to have electrical and public lighting, and debated whether it, in fact, took third place after Paris and New York City.
(photo coming soon)
Among our stops on the tour was theoriginal national liquor company production and warehouse. Our guides pointed out that the liquor company was the first industry in Costa Rica and it’s success greatly contributed to thedevelopment of the city. Currently, it is home to the National Cultural Ministry and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Suddenly thunder roars reverberated in the skies and we knew that Costa Rica’s daily pour was imminent. Although the rain began to engulf the city, we proceeded with our tour and ended up seeking shelter under a building built completely out of metal, which is also the school of nearly a 1000 students from around San Jose. Finally, the rain stopped and we made our way to Casa 927, a converted home, which now houses various artist studios and hosts cultural events. We enjoyed a delectable pizza lunch in Costa Rican style and tried the tamarindo juice one of the best tropical juices going.
(photo coming soon)
After an interesting walk trough the city, we came back to our San Rafa hostel where Randall was waiting to give us our salsa, merengue and cumbia dance lessons. The night ended with a delicious dinner again prepared by Patricia and now we are getting ready for our two-day trip to the Pacuareriver, one of the 10 most beautiful rivers for rafting in the world.
Hasta Mañana! (we will send another update in 4-5 days!)
Update #2:
Bastian, Day 1 Rafting
The alarm clock went off at 6 AM, finally a good nights sleep. I couldn’t rest in the bus, the view and the discoveries were too spectacular and wildly unattended. The road was in bad condition but everything seemed so amazing and different.
“Have you ever made fun of things that mother nature put on our planet like bamboo, things that are cool to view, or flowers that make you go atchoo.”
Every moment here, every event, whatever you do is remarkably amazing, everything leaves you speechless, no words could describe what each of us feel. From trees to common grass, everything seems better than back at home. The weather, the view, and the people, the way they are and how they live is and should be an inspiration to all of us. They call it “la pura vida”, there are no exact words to translate that because it is a motto of life and it has a personal meaning to each person. When you’re here, you’re different, there are no impressions to be make, new day, new country, new start, you don’t have to be anyone but yourself, no one’s here to judge or make remarks. We don’t know it yet, but there will be memorable moments, we will remember this journey throughout the country of Costa Rica all our lives.
Day 1 and this is what I already have to conclude and say of this. I can’t wait to see and discover the rest of what this country has to show us, from wildlife to civilization.
Rafting with Xander
I woke up to the sound of Bastian banging on the door at around eight. My first thought was the little girl that the guides had told us about, but I quickly cast that thought away. Luca and I walked down to breakfast, and I was extremely excited to see pancakes and eggs! The food smelled so good and the sweet syrup tasted delicious. I finished eating first and I soon became very restless waiting to start the 2nd day of our adventure. We tracked down the steep hill wobbling and trying to not slip, finally though we reached the rafts. The “fun” raft (my raft) started down the river first. We soon hit the big rapids, here we struggled to keep our balance and battled the fierce waves. Gaby insisted on falling into the water at every opportunity she had, and I missed practically every high five our team did, I was disappointed at how awful I was at it! Bastian and I heroically lead our raft team down the río, until we were flushed and Gaby fell out… again!
Poco Sol: Carrie
We began our 5th day at 8 o’clock at our home base in San Rafa. After a long, but scenic 3 hour drive, we arrived at our starting point for our first hike in Costa Rica! Everyone eagerly began to walk on the rocky road until we approached the first big hill. After conquering what we thought was the hardest obstacle we’d face, hill after hill kept appearing ahead. Like most afternoons in Costa Rica during this time of year, rain began pouring down, of course just as the hills became steeper and increasingly difficult. Although the rain did feel pretty good on our sweaty skin, it didn’t take long for our shoes to become filled with water and our backpacks to become weighed down and soaked. To keep it short and sweet, the hike was brutal, between never ending hills and drenched clothing, I don’t think anyone had really expected that’s how our first hike would be. When I say this, I think I speak for everyone, the view we saw when we reached Poco Sol was completely worth all the blister, throbbing legs and wet clothes and shoes. The view is something that belongs on a postcard; all you see is lush plants, trees and miles of jungle that looks as if it extends forever. I can’t wait to begin the service projects and explore some of Costa Rica’s most beautiful land.
Poco Sol: Ashley
Gaby walked quietly into our room at 6:45 AM for and early breakfast. Her soothing voice was a nice way to wake up. I glanced out the window before heading down stairs and the sun flickered off the hills. After breakfast we got ready for our day of service work. Hiking up a beautiful mountainside with rakes in our hands and sweat on our foreheads, we cleared leaves until we finally reached the waterfall, a great payoff for a hard days work. We walked home to Poco Sol feeling accomplished.
Lunch came and afterwards we quickly got ready for cleaning the old classroom getting it ready to start painting it!
Poco Sol: Emily
I woke up today in the best mood. The birds chirping are so much more peaceful then the ones back home. There are so many noises that you can hardly focus you attention on one. I’m sitting outside watching the fog come in over the mountains, the trees and sky and everything here only reminds me that I cant se anything like his back home ant hat I need to appreciate every second of it, especially in a place like this, where everything is alive and constantly changing. It makes me aware of the beauty of the uncontaminated things in the world.
Sometimes I find that the best way to take it all in is in silence. Today we finished painting the old classroom, it was nice to see the completed project and see what we have accomplished from our work. I found that I actually enjoyed painting and that it is relaxing in a place as beautiful as this. I’m excited to see how it will be put to use. We are leaving this place tomorrow morning, and although I am sad to leave, I am looking forward to what’s ahead of us!
Photos:
Update #3:
Rinconcito Lodge, Guanacaste: Tuesday-Wednesday
On Tuesday morning, we left our tree house perch in the Poco Sol station and hiked out of Bosque Eterno de los Ninos (BEN) preserve. After a long hike, a rejuvenating bus ride, and a delicious BBQ dinner prepared by Luiz, Julia and Gaby in the evening, we headed out for Guanacaste province early Wednesday morning.
Cloud storms passed and sun rays beamed on the windshield as our bus made the long journey from Escazu to the national park Rincon de la Vieja in the Northwest corner of Costa Rica. The journey was meditative, as many of us turned novel pages or grooved to familiar tunes. But as soon as we reached field after field of giant windmills, reminders of Costa Rica’s commitment to clean energy, we knew we were close to Rinconcito. Nestled among cattle ranches and fruit trees, Rinconcito Lodge was a delightful oasis to spend a few days and reflect on our travels thus far.
Thursday-Friday:
There are so many emblematic images to recount from our time in Rinconcito; from whipping through the canopy on extensive zip lines on Thursday morning to cascading like pinballs down a chili dusted slope on Thursday afternoon or even to marinating in thermal baths on Friday afternoon, it’s difficult to sum up our time in Guanacaste with one single moment. The staff was beyond accommodating, even allowingmany of us to milk cows for the first time(and at the crack of dawn!) on Saturday. Indeed Rinconcito solidified our team mentality and helped us all prepare for our forthcoming homestays. We learned our homestay pairs, wrote letters to our families, and discussed strategies for making the most out of our time in Cedral. It’s name certainly says it all: Rinconcito was the little, unexpected, cornerstone to our trip.
Saturday morning: Adios Rinconcito, Hola Cedral!
Somewhere along the Costanera highway, some four hours into our cross-country drive from Guanacaste to Cedral, I looked back to our bus full of transfixed students. Their eyes glued to the palm trees that lined the concrete coast, I wondered what memory of the trip had lodged its way into their expanding minds. What image or lesson would they carry with them after our fleeting time together had commenced? What were their concerns as we entered the ten day homestay? I wondered if our students had any idea of just how meaningful the relationships they were about to cultivate would become in a short ten days…. Over ten years ago I sat in their same place, eagerly anticipating my first homestay experience–my entry into the illuminating world of cultural exchange, of travel with purpose.
The drive was long, but the milkshakes at Monteverde restaurant were creamy reminders of the sweet life we’d soon come to know. We arrived later than expected to Cedral but our families waited patiently in the center of town, eager to meet their new hijos/hijas. Although the sun had set an hour prior to our arrival, the excitement was contagious. We unloaded our bags and circled up as a large group during which many bilingual introductions ensued Luiz, Gaby, and I beamed as our students went off with their new familias, embracing the dark forest night.
Sunday morning: Tour of Cedral!
A 9AM rendezvous meant a late Sunday morning start for the kids and their families. Whispers of life in a Tican household filled the air of the overcast dawn: (“our mama made us the best breakfast”, “our hermanito killed us at UNO,”). Roberto, one of the community’s leaders led our group on a tour of the rich landscape that he and his fellow Cedraleños call home. We dug our heels into muddy grounds and made our way to the top of the mountainside in order to plant Sota trees, a small contribution to Cedral’s larger project of reforestation.
Sunday afternoon meant family time as we all headed back to our respective homes to watch some of Copa América, devour our gallo pinto, and finish the evening with some of Cedral’s natively grown coffee. Querico! What a privilege it is to be welcomed into this community, where the values of cooperation, commitment, and conservation emanate in every corner of the town–from the rolling river to the guayaba trees. Hasta mañana!
Monday morning: Work day # 1
For some, the day began at 4AM when the rooster crowed; for others it began an hour later with a plastic bucket and a cow to milk; and for yet others, it began at 7AM when we all ascended on to Cedral’ssoccer field to begin our first day of work. Joined by dozens of Cedral community members—including Carlitos, aged 5 in his pajama bottoms and fire engine red rain boots—we grabbed our rakes and got to work cleaning the field of unwanted rocks and unlevel dirt mounds. The morning sun reflected off our work tools as sweat beads rolled down our dusty forearms, but we continued chugging all the way until 11AM, when our madres or hermanitos brought us our lunch. Packed in tubberware as meticulously as a jewelry box, our first work-site lunch was yet another example of the undying generosity of this community and its members.
After lunch, we returned to the field and our respective positions. But in lieu of kicking soccer balls, we raked rocks and helped carve out a mote on the edge of the field’s deep right corner. Suddenly, thick, ominous rainclouds overwhelmed our noon sky and we went running for our home refuges. Cold showers were capped off with coffee or hot chocolate and we settled in for an evening at home. The rain persevered all night as the drops fell on our roofs like tap dancers on a tin can.
Update #4:
Work days and afternoon activities:
Our second day of work started at the local “Microbeneficio”, a small plant where the coffee that is grown in the foothills of Cedral is processed. Our task for the day was to begin help in building what will become the town’s first coffee shop, where locals and tourists alike could come and enjoy a freshly brewed (as well as locally and sustainably harvested) cup of coffee and learn about the way in which the hardworking men and women of Cedral produce their prized crop. We would quickly come to learn that building is not as easy as it seems, as our first task was carrying planks of wood produced from a fallen tree down a steep, muddy hill side from their cache deeper inside the forest. It became evident that the people of Cedral have a deep affinity for the land from which they depend on so much, always with great respect and responsibility. Needless to say, the adventurous process of gathering the planks and stilts that would form the foundation, floors and walls of the new coffee shop was far removed from what would have been a trip to the Home Depot back home.
Throughout our time in Cedral, woodworking at the coffee shop was the predominant project. In just a few short days as we hammered and sawed, placed and measured, we witnessed the conversion of what started as just some stilts and wood pieces become a real building. Although construction of Cedral’s café was the main event of the week, we quickly realized that much goes into the birth of a micro-benfeicio—far more than meets the eye. After spending an entire day digging up dirt for a space that would eventually house a coffee toaster and yet another two days putting the finishing touches on the green houses where coffee grains will be dried, we were all reminded about the behind-the-scenes work that all too often goes overlooked. To be sure, when one oversees the entire process of coffee production—from collection to commercialization—the tasks can feel infinite. But as we were fortunate enough to dapple in all the different facets of Cedral’s micrio beneficio construction (even mixing cement for a future water pump!) we all gained much-needed perspective on the triumphs of self-determined production.
The afternoon activities throughout the week were as diverse as they were culturally rich. On Thursday and Monday half of the group went on a tour of the coffee plantations around the community, getting the opportunity to learn from a local naturalist about the plethora of species that inhabit the surrounding forests. On Wednesday, we learned from the experts how to make homemade corn tortillas as we all perfected our own technique. Thursday evening was time for “Manualidades Reciclables” in which we all participated in a workshop on how to make arts and crafts from recyclable products. And finally, Friday was movie night as dozens of Cedral’s kids joined us in a special viewing of Ace Ventura and enjoyed stove popped popcorn (courtesy of our homestay moms). While our afternoon were action packed, the Scouts Rally on Sunday morning organized by the leaders of Cedral’s boys and girls scouts programs, took the top prize as the most thrilling community activity. We all ran around the mountain and riversides, from station to station, completing different tasks including passing water-filled balloons through our legs. Another example of Cedral’s contagious cooperation, the Rally was a huge success and ended on an even higher (or muddier note) as we finished by cheering eachother on as we rolled through the “Mud” bed.
