On our first full day in Costa Rica, we did many fun things. We started off our day with a two hour drive to Santa Maria de Dota. On the way there, we stopped by the San Rafael school and saw some of the work that had been done by other volunteer groups.

After looking at San Rafael School, we stopped at a cafe named Coopedota. We all got milkshakes (except for Mae, who got coffee), the most popular one being a cookies and cream milkshake called the fiesta.

After that, we made our way to Cabinas Cecilia, where we will be spending our next six days. Cecilia, the owner of the Cabinas, built everything herself and decorated it as well. There are mosaic designs on the tables, and hand painted baskets and tiles.

After settling in, we played some games to get to know each other better and to practice our Spanish. Then we took a hike down to a local park, where we were on the search for a tree called a Strangler Fig. A Strangler Fig is a type of tree that grows around another tree, called a host tree. The Strangler Fig wraps around the host tree and takes all of the nutrients from the ground, which will eventually kill the host tree, leaving a giant hollow tree like the one we stood in.

In conclusion, Mae would like to tell her guinea pigs, “I love you and if my brothers are not feeding you, just eat your own poop.” We also want to tell everyone happy Father’s Day! We all miss our fathers very much! Wait until tomorrow for a new entry in our trip blog.

Love,

Jordan Miller and Sydney Shilts