-
- Meet the team!
Pura Vida and Welcome to Putney Foundations Costa Rica 2012!! While your children are busy practicing local Spanish, zip lining through cloud forests, or snorkeling with sea turtles, this blog will serve as your update into their wild ride through Costa Rica.
It’s been a busy week of preparation here in Playa Hermosa. Greeted by our fearless director, Kelsey Burns, the supergroup of Tristan, Andrew, Jonathan, Nicole, and Danielle descended upon the Liberia airport Sunday, June 24th. After a few hours of sun soaking and pool time with Don Juan, the proprietor our new resort-home at Villa Huetares, we hit the ground running. By meeting local contacts, scheduling excursions, organizing community service tasks, and stuffing shopping carts with enough snacks, sporting goods, and salsa music to satisfy our diverse group of Putney’ers, we’re set up for a great few weeks!
Upon arrival, our charter bus company will escort our students to our program’s home base in Playa Hermosa. A group orientation full of team building exercises geared towards familiarizing everyone to the local community and each other will create open lines of communication, ensure strong group dynamics and set the groundwork for maximum enjoyment of our ambitious 3 week schedule.
After our 3 day orientation here at Villa Huetares, the group will split into 2 for the community service and exploration portion of their adventure.
On the 4th of the month, community service extraordinaires Tristan and Danielle will navigate the 2-hour trip inland, delivering one group of 15 students to the 200 person pueblo of El Silencio. Over the next week they will participate in various improvement projects while familiarizing themselves with the unique lifestyle that is rural Costa Rica. Meanwhile, the other group of students will remain at Villa Huetares with Nicole, Kelsey, Andrew, and Jonathan to receive Spanish language training, explore the local culture, and discover the natural marvels that has made Costa Rica one of the world’s foremost international ecological destinations. A Playa Grande surf excursion, hike around volcano Rincon de la Vieja, and pottery making trip to San Vicente’s Eco-Museo are just a few examples to wet your whistle but its only the tip of the iceberg!
On the eve of the students arrival, all our I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed. Sounds like its time for a dip in the Pacific.
With Putney’s Foundations Costa Rica 2012 team, its always a competition to see who can have the most fun. Lets just hope the students can keep up!
Don Juan runs Villa Huetares like a well oiled machine. Cold air conditioning and a warm pool offer solice from the rigors of community service.
- Andrew and Tristan discuss life’s big questions while strolling the volcanic sand beach of Playa Hermosa.
- Our stalwart leader, Kelsey Burns, toes the line between hard-work and fun like a tightrope walker.
- Pre-trip excursion planning.
- Andrew and Nicole exchange ideas during a stroll through Playa Panama.
Howler monkey.
- Say hello to the Pacific Ocean! Just a 2 minute walk from our home base in Villa Huetares.
- July 9th and 15th. Don’t forget to pack your lunch!
- Locals set the bar high. Now lets see what our students can do.
- Señora Jimenez uses a stone to smooth over her paint job before the pots heads to the kiln.
- A peak at San Vicente’s Eco-Museo workshop.
- Lago Arenal, at the foothills of Volcan Arenal (one of the worlds 10 most active volcanos) provides hydroelectric energy to roughly 80 percent of Costa Rica.
- A view of El Silencio, the home of our community service efforts.
- After 3 days of pre-trip programming in El Silencio, Tristan and Danielle put the rest of the group to task.
- Joseph and Jose examine an infant bird.
