After learning during last summer's Global Works trip that she can indeed surf Beth is ready for another adventure! This is her fifth year with Global Works and her second year directing a Costa Rica trip. 
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. 
After learning during last summer's Global Works trip that she can indeed surf Beth is ready for another adventure! This is her fifth year with Global Works and her second year directing a Costa Rica trip. 
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. 
Originally from Memphis, TN, home to the world's best barbeque, Emily now calls Salt Lake City home. She returns to Global Works this summer after taking a few years off to live in 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.
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Update #1:
Day 1: Here we go! Fifteen of us met in Newark, NJ to fly to Costa Rica with two of our trip leaders. Everyone was excited to meet new people but slightly nervous at the same time. In the airport we played various icebreakers so we could start getting to know each other. We touched down in San Jose, Costa Rica a couple hours late because of weather delays. After we got our luggage, we met four other kids from our group who flew directly into San Jose and loaded onto a bus for the ride to La Dehesa, our bed and breakfast. After our first introduction to some yummy Costa Rican snacks like Chickys we settled into bed, excited for what awaits us the next three weeks. Bienvenidos a Costa Rica!
Day 2: We awoke to the crows of the rooster just outside our bed and breakfast La Dehesa at a very early hour. After getting to know each other better while playing some games, we headed into San Jose for a walking tour of the city. One stop on the tour was a park that was full of people enjoying the beautiful Saturday afternoon. Vibrant music could be heard on every corner and art made from recycled materials hung from the trees. We came upon a public dance lesson and watched from the sidelines before the instructor encouraged us with a hearty “Come on tourists, you can do it too!¨” It was an amazing experience to share the outdoor dance floor with ticos in the middle of San Jose, Costa Rica! Despite the language barrier, we soaked up more culture in that one act than anyone could by reading a travel book. We stopped for lunch at a wonderful art gallery that displayed works for Costa Rican artists and sculptors. Back at La Dehesa moe dancing! Our teacher Randall was super energetic and enthusiastic as he taught us the meregue, salsa, cha cha cha, and other typical dance styles to Costa Rica. It´s hard work, this cha cha cha! Happily worn out from dancing, we sat down to a delicious homecooked meal of arroz con pollo y platanos fritos. Today was so exciting and only the beginning of our Costa Rican adventure. Tomorrow rafting!
Day 3: Today we woke up bright and early and got on the road to head to rafting the Pacuare River! Before loading into our rafts, we fueled up on an awesome breakfast of gallo pinto (the yummy traditional Costa Rican breakfast), eggs, toast, sausage, and fruit at an open air restaurant. We hiked to the river and got into our rafts and headed downstream. We faced and successfully rafted through class I, II, and III rapids surrounded by beautiful Pacuare rainforest. Our first stop was a short hike to a waterfall where we swam in a pristine pool. We reached our jungle camp and had a delicious lunch and relaxed in hammocks overlooking the stunning Pacuare River and rainforest. We spent the late afternoon playing fun games outside then had time for relaxing. Dinner was as yummy as lunch. We slept in screened in bungalows perched above the river, happy and tired from a rocking day on the river.
Day 4: Today we woke up to the sounds of cicadas, birds, and the river right outside. After a yummy breakfast of pancakes, eggs, toast, and fruit, we and the guides got back on the river. Everyone was anxious and excited for the class IV rapids we could have to conquer. With the help of our experienced guides we were rafted each rapid with success! Lunch was on the river where we watched a heron fish for its lunch. We stopped for a refreshing swim by a waterfall and then let the current take us as we floated through a breathtaking canyon with high rock walls covered with bright green moss. Once off the river we changed into our dry clothes and loaded into the bus for the ride back to San Jose. We made one stop to buy snacks, which were enjoyed everyone! Back at La Dehesa we settled in, took showers, and packed for our next adventure, environmental service project at Volcan Tenorio. Pizza for dinner was yummy. Our rafting trip on the Pacuare was exhausting and great!
Update #2:
Day 5: Today we slept until 8:15am! The smell of breakfast was amazing. We ate eggs, pancakes, and delicious fruit. We packed our bags quickly and hopped on the bus. We had to travel five hours to our next destination, Parque Nacional Volcan Tenorio. From the bus, we saw amazing sights – volcanoes, lush rainforests, and Lake Nicaragua in the distance. Once in Tenorio we hiked to a beautiful river that was clear and a vibrant blue. Some of the boys decided to get out their energy by running up a few hills. We learned about the environmental service project we’d work on for the next two days and the importance of the work in regards to the national park. We’re pumped to being our service work tomorrow!
Day 6: “A piece of sand in the beach.” Yesterday Elomar, the Tenorio Park Ranger, told us our service work is small like a grain of sand, but it’s important. We hiked through the jungle to the work site where we carried wood planks that would be used to construct a new bridge that park visitors will use to cross the beautiful, bright blue Rio Celeste. It was a workout for many of us, but at the end of the day, we felt good because of our hard work. We hiked to a spectacular waterfall and blue lagoon. The best part of the day was knowing the work we did will help the world be a little better. This experience of working together will not be forgotten because of the mud stains in our pants, shirts, shoes, and gloves, but also because of the things that we learned about each other as we talked and worked. The work we did and nature that surrounded us made us realize how important it is to maintain our world in good condition. Our work today will hopefully help protect the amazing Rio Celeste.
Day 7: Our second work day in Tenorio consisted of moving heavier and larger wood planks towards the river. After moving wood, we collected river rocks to line the bridge path. Next, we formed a long assembly line to move loose sand from the river to the bridge path. By the end of our work time, we had created a sand path that leads to the river’s edge and the site of the future bridge. The path looks great! After working we swam in the river to cool off and the hiked to the Aguas Termales (hot springs) and soaked our bodies. This was the hottest water we’d been in since arriving in Costa Rica! It felt like hot tubing. Back at the Tenorio ranger station and volunteer guest house, we hungout together, talked, played cards, shared stories. We practiced our Spanish and brainstormed conversation topics for our homestays. Our evening ended with an intense rainstorm and yummy dinner.
Day 8: As our trip to Tenorio came to an end, we were excited to prepare for our homestay. The bus ride back to San Jose was very amusing. Our bus driver Chicho let us plug in our iPods and we listened to a varierty of music like 80´s rock and roll, hip hop, rap, pop, and Spanish music. The music really pumped us up an helped us bond even more with one another. We stopped at a Costa Rican restaurant for lunch and soon after we ate our pizzas, hamburgers, and pastas, our leader Beth treated us to delicious ice cream. It was the perfect treat for the hot day! Some thought mango was the best flavor! After lunch some of us took funny pictures in front of the restaurant´s giant dinosaur (it´s fake). After creating fun memories, we got back on the bus and enjoyed the ride to our bed and breakfast in San Jose. From our bus, we saw cows, horses, diverse plants, mountains, and Ticos making their way through towns. After the long bus ride, we were happy to have a homecooked meal prepared by Global Works´Costa Rican staff and reflect upon our great time in Tenorio. All is all, today was a simple day, and enjoying the simple things is what life´s about.
Day 9: One thing is certain in our Costa Rican adventure, we are covering a large portion of the country. Following our service work in Tenorio and bus ride back to San Jose, we relaxed, ate, and slept at the Global Works bed and breakfast in San Jose. Today at the B & B we woke up to fresh coffee and fruit with eggs and toast. We then packed our bags and got on the bus for a rugged country ride to the province of Buenos Aires. During the ride, we took a bathroom/snack break before driving over a mountain called Death Hill, which we successfully conquered. Lunch was at Bazookas, where the menu included traditional Costa Rican casados as well as hamburgers. Before arriving in Las Bollas, our homestay town, we had an opportunity to pickup toiletries, gifts for our families, and snacks. Upon arriving in Las Bollas de Buenos Aires we gathering in the Salon Comunal and were welcomed by our families. Each of us was introduced to the group and met our families. We walked home with our new families and began our week homestay. It was an evening of excitement, nerves, and Spanglish.
Day 10: No need for alarm clocks in Las Bollas, we awoke to roasters´ calls early in the morning. After a nice breakfast and fresh coffee, we met up as a group to talk about our first night with our families and the service work we will do this week. Everyone was glad to be able to converse in English after a night of Spanish introductions. After catching up with each other about our families, we took a tour of the town and saw what previous Global Works groups have done in the past in terms of service and what we will work on this week. Our service projects include building a sidewalk near the Catholic Church in town and a bench that spectators will use to watch the soccer games on the town field. Las Bollas is small and easy to navigate. There are several small stores and a couple of public phones. The kids in Bollas are on school vacation this week. After our tour, we went back to our houses for lunch with our families and then a rest. Later in the afternoon we taught our Tico hosts to play ultimate Frisbee and then we played a game of futbol (soccer for us gringos). Normally it rains in the evenings but tonight the skies were clear and we saw a beautiful sunset. Great way to end our first day in Bollas. Trabajamos manana!
Update #3
Day 11: Nothing could have prepared any of us for the amazing road that lay ahead during our amazing Costa Rica adventure! Our service projects in Bolas have been even more challenging and rewarding than our time in Tenorio. Today began with an early start at 8:00am. We were divided into 2 groups which commenced work on two projects. One is to create a sidewalk to provide better access the community church and the other project is to make bleachers overlooking the soccer field. The prospect of helping the community and a delicious meal helped motivate us through the day. After work we made preparations for the evening events. Tonight was local games and dance lessons. We all left the dance with smiles on our faces and hit the hay exhausted!
Day 12: The day started early thanks to the rooster alarm clocks! After a yummy breakfast with our families, we each left our new casas at 8:00am for the worksite. Today, our groups switched projects to experience both. After our hard work, we celebrated Gloria’s 17th birthday with ice cream!! After a break we wit the soccer feild for a spirited game with the locals. The game was super fun and bonding for all of us. After the game, we gathered in the salon comunal to play with adorable kiddos.
Day 13: Today we split up the make up of our work teams. The morning shift was particularly great because we were noticing some great progress. We energetically belted out “don’t stop believin” to keep spirits high and the group inspired. After work, cut short by the rain, we headed home to rest before the talent show. Almost the entire community came for this event. We made s’mores for the community and they made rice pudding for us. We played tag with the kids and after a number of awesome acts we finished with the cha, cha slide and invited the ticos to join us. This was a serious highlight!
Day 14: Today we began our 4th day of service. Tasty breakfast and coffee fueled the effort. At each site, we began on time and accomplished alot. It rained again which was a welcome reprieve. The evening activity featured a game night where we exchanged games like freeze dance and calles y avenidad. The empanadas cooked by the local madres were delicious!! It was another great night of activities!!! Everything is Pura Vida in Costa Rica!
Update #4:
Day 15: Today was our last day of work! Finishing the side walk was a great reward for all. We worked hard and achieved our goals then had a nice cold shower at the end of our hard work. Bonding with our families has been a great experience over these past 5 days, and everybody is sad to have only one day left!”
At the salon for the evening activity we watched Spanish skits and even did some of our own for the community. We are all really excited for the baile (dance) tomorrow. This is one experience we will never forget and will always cherish!
Day 16: Today was by far one of the most amazing days – we didn’t work today! We finally got a chance to sleep in a bit. At one o’clock here was a futbol (soccer) game. Most of us played, while some of us went to the local store to purchase soda and food. After the game, we went to the pool . Playing and swimming with everyone was so much fun! Soon everyone left and went to their houses to get ready for the baile. The baile began around 5:30 and everyone looked fantastic! We were all eating and dancing with the locals. It was a night worth remembering, chasing around the little kids, congo line, and dancing with friends. At the end of the night we celebrated our Costa Rican/American union by setting off a lantern of friendship into the night sky.
Day 17: This day was filled with mixed emotion. Leaving our families and leaving Bolas was definitely sad, but I think everyone is excited to leave for the beach. It was a nice surprise for all of us when the bus stopped at our favorite restaurant, Delucas. Then we got back into the bus, and made our way to Hacienda Baru Eco Reserve by the beach! There was a sloth sighting on way, which excited us all. We settled into our rooms, a very comfortable change from Bolas – then headed out to the pool for a refreshing start to our final portion of the trip. Finally, we went to dinner, had a group reflection about our homestays and went to sleep knowing that we wouldn’t be awakened by a rooster!
Day 18: We awoke to the sound of silence. The silence that exists only with the absence of roosters. It was quite a lovely change for us all! After this amazing start of breakfast, we hopped on the bus and were off to surfing lessons. After being filled with knowledge by our instructors, we headed into the waves! I think we would all agree it was much harder than expected. We experienced many falls and countless wipe outs! However, by 11:30 most of us were riding the waves like pros, while others were, well, less than accomplished…. But, never fear, we still have a chance to get it tomorrow! Back to Hacienda Baru for lunch and some chill time until dinner. An amazing day!
Day 19: We woke up to our final day of activities. Sad that the trip was coming to a close. But still excited for a day of zip lining and surfing. We had a delicious breakfast at 8am, and then immediately harnessed up for zip lining. Our guides were very experienced and spotted wildlife such as monkeys and sloths. We all had a great time sliding down the 8 cables. We even got to go backwards on one of them. We came back from our tour to eat some lunch and hit the waves. We are all happy we got clear skies for our last day of surfing. The photographer took some incredible photos! By the time the horns sounded (our signal to leave the beach), we were all sad in our last day of activities, but also eager to be heading home. We had dinner and some time to take a dip in the pool. Certainly a lovely day!