🌟 Day 2: Orphanage, Cooking Classes & Soccer in the Rain... Oh My!

What an AMAZING first day! When we met the students at 9am, we heard stories of getting woken up by the sounds of roosters, horses, donkeys, dogs, and even some cows! Definitely not the alarm clock they are used to :) Everyone had breakfast at their homestays and then met at the soccer field to depart for the orphanage. We were greeted by the gates with ~20 small children, smiles across their faces (and ours!), and a little bit of nervous energy as our large group approached. We were able to donate several small backpacks and a bunch of adorable stuffed animals (Thanks, Charlotte, for bringing your sister's creations for the second year in a row!). The best part about the visit was being able to interact with the kids, who ranged from ages 1 - 12, and despite the language barrier, all of the Ridgefield students jumped right in with playing with the kiddos... or trying out the seesaw! 


Following the orphanage, we visited the local school in Sitio that will be the site of our community service efforts tomorrow. There was some prep that needed to be done in order for tomorrow to run smoothly so we grabbed some shovels and brooms and got to work! While walking around the town, we enjoyed the views and saw how bananas grow, too! 


After students returned to their homestay for lunch, we split up the group for cooking classes! More eating - yay! Students ventured around the town, visiting three different houses in order to cook three traditional Costa Rican staples -- gallo pinto, arepas, and corn tortillas. Take a look below for the chefs at work! They will certainly be coming home with some new recipes to share! 

After nearly 3 hours of the grand food tour, we began the annual Ridgefield soccer game and, as always, the weather gods were listening to our requests because it started torrentially downpouring as soon as we got started. There was mud, grass, and smiles EVERYWHERE! Safe to say it will be a core memory of this trip because all of the kids truly embraced the pura vida and be in the moment lifestyle. The joy was infectious and it was one of the most fun games we have experienced in a long time... all thanks to the spontaneity and carefree attitudes of our group this year!









Comments

  1. Jen KlemmJuly 3, 2022 at 8:43 AM

    Day 2 looks like it was a ton of fun! Maybe it's time to plan a return trip with all the parents instead for next year.

    ReplyDelete
  2. N RoyaeeJuly 3, 2022 at 9:13 AM

    These are great pictures! Thank you for the updates.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MillaJuly 4, 2022 at 7:20 PM

    Oh my gosh, they all look so happy and the food looks amazing! Please remind Ava P to take home the recipe for the arepas!!!! ;-)

    ReplyDelete

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