Costa Rica arrival!

 The Costa Rica group arrived safely at SJO.  Stay tuned....

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Wednesday, June 5

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Hey Menlo Parents, It's us again, Jilynnette and Justin. We are currently in Cahuita on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. The students needed this break after shedding many tears this morning, saying goodbye to the places they have called home and the people they have called family for the past few weeks. It was especially hard on the host families who adopted all of our students with loving, kind, and open arms throughout the entire trip. We are looking forward to the next day and a half of relaxing, but more importantly, the students will spend a lot of time reflecting on their experiences. They will reflect on the hardships they have overcome, the frustrations of cultural differences they encountered, and celebrate all the wonderful and fond memories that will stick with them for a lifetime. Pictured below are all the students with their host families. Unfortunately, some of the host moms and dads had to leave for work early in the morning and are not pictured. Nos vemos, Jilynn...
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Thursday, June 6

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As I (Kirin) banged on doors at 5:00am, I was greeted with a variety of delirious, sleepy, and angry faces. Thankfully, the sunrise — the reason for our early rise — quickly brightened the sky and our moods. Then at a much more reasonable time — 9:30am — we finished our breakfasts, ready to depart for the well-earned last (activity-filled) day. First up, we visited one of Eric's favorite nature reserves awing at the monkeys, and stunning lookout points overlooking the ocean. Gazing out, we watched the waves lapping against the rocks. After our walk in the park, we made lunch — consisting of peanut butter, and Gauva/Strawberry/Pineapple jam sandwiches, chips, and cookies. Everyone was ecstatic at the food selection Kirin and Melina made at Megasuper for the picnic. After eating, we frolicked in the water and beach. We swam, suntanned, and harnessed our inner Pura-Vida, enjoying the much-deserved break after our stays here.  With smiles from ear to ear, we were all prepared to go sho...
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Friday, May 31

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 Hola!  We were all excited for a change in our routines. Taking a break from our homestays, we jammed out to music on the long, but fun, drive to La Fortuna. Our excursion began with a visit to the Maleku tribe, a group of indigenous Costa Ricans. We enjoyed another good local meal, with an appetizer straight out of a termite nest on our hike prior, which had everyone curious to try. The excitement calmed as we focused on painting jicaras with our favorite animals just like the artisans in the Maleku tribe. In the evening on Thursday, the hot springs and a nice three-course meal were a perfect way to end our first day away. Enjoying our first warm showers in over a week and a lazy morning, we felt energized and ready to conquer the three-mile hike around the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna. Surprisingly, the hike felt shorter as we were awed by the wild animals, lagoon, and gorgeous views.  Hunger got the best of us, and we had a very late lunch. Devouring our food, we were...
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