Day 3: History and Culture (No. 4)

Hello to family and loved ones back home!

Today we had our first day trip to the city of Cartago. Cartago was once the capital of Costa Rica and we were able to see the history of the city and country on a walking tour. Students were woken up to the soothing sounds of Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop the Feeling at full blast.

We had a delicious breakfast of french toast, fruit, and cereal. Then we took a bus to Cartago. When we arrived at the Plaza Central, we met our tour guide, Gloriana. She took us to learn about the history of the city and country by showing us the ruins of the first cathedral in Cartago and the main plaza. Next, we toured the Basílica de Nuesta Señora de Los Angeles. We saw the differences in the construction over 200 years ago and learned about the religious and cultural practices here in Costa Rica. We also visited the main market where the students had an opportunity to haggle prices for bananas for the group and had the opportunity to try local fruits including jocotes and mamones chinos.

We had lunch at the amazing Cocina del Santuario which included a buffet selection with rice, beans, soups, salads, and juices. Everything we could ever want! Then, we visited a souvenir shop where students could buy souvenirs.

After arriving back home, some students enjoyed the pool while others rested and enjoyed nature before we ate burritos for dinner. During the nightly meeting, we passed the torch to our first student Leaders Del Día (Leaders of the Day) who are David, Josselyn, and Elianny. They will be fearlessly leading us tomorrow for our Community Day.

Stay tuned for Day 4! We’ll be spending the day with local families.

Don’t forget that you can see more photos from our trip at this link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/U6VvxuNvmyM2fjC67