Today, we went on our first adventure outside of Casa Aquaires! After waking up and eating breakfast, the delegation took an hour-and-a-half bus ride to Cartago, the former capital of Costa Rica. When we arrived we were greeted by Luis Diego, our tour guide, who shared with us the rich history and culture of the city. Founded in the 16th century, Cartago was the epicenter of social, political, and religious matters until Gregorio José Ramírez moved the capital to San José in the 19th century. We visited the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles, Costa Rica’s most prominent Catholic Church, where millions make pilgrimages yearly in early August. We ended our tour at the City Museum, where the group admired a large mural depicting the history of Cartago.

After saying goodbye to Luis Diego, we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant on the way back to Casa Aquiares. When we returned, the students relaxed in the pool, played games, and got to know each other more before dinner and reflected on the day at our nightly meeting.

As today was our first venture outside of our base house. It also marked the first steps the students took outside their comfort zone. The students are beginning to appreciate not only the cultural perspective that Costa Rica provides, but also each other as students from different backgrounds. We look forward to watching them grow over the next 10 days and can’t wait for you to hear all the stories when they get home.

View all the pictures from today and past days here!

¡Pura Vida!
Aimee and Jeromie