It's Been Two Weeks Already

I got to Portero two weeks ago today and it seems like I’ve been here for a much, much longer time mostly because so much has happened recently. Between weekend trips, my work for AM here, special events and field trips, I haven’t had time to post and update. Here’s what’s been going on:

  

Sunday Boat and Snorkeling:

Last weekend all of the volunteers went on a boat for a birthday celebration. The boat company was giving huge discounts for locals and it is located in the next town over (45 minute walk, 10 minute drive). We sailed out into the ocean for a few miles and then stopped at a spot on the coast that had reefs and good places for snorkeling.  Most of us decided to go swimming off of the boat and followed the snorkel guide a little ways away from the boat. I had never snorkeled before and it was really cool to watch the fish swim under us. Mostly we saw schools of blue and yellow striped fish. Our guide also picked up a puffer fish and sea cucumber for us to look at. He also caught a baby octopus. The octopus was definitely the coolest thing since we got to touch it and would suction its tentacles on our hands.  No pictures from the snorkeling part of the trip. I can see why having an underwater camera would be fun to have!

After swimming in the water for a while, we got back on the boat to have lunch and drinks. We just had turkey sandwiches and fresh fruit, but it was actually really nice to have touristy, non-Costa Rican food. Rice and beans can be prepared only so many ways. After we left the snorkeling spot, we sailed back to shore as the sun set. I wasn’t really too excited about going on the boat when I first heard about it because it did cost a bit for the super fancy catamaran and unlimited food and drinks, but it was a really fun afternoon. We couldn’t have asked for a better day because it was perfectly clear and sunny for the sunset (it had rained all day the three days before that!)

Our boat

Sailing out

Lunch

Sailing back as the sun set

Sun set sequence:

Back at the marina

Work with AM:

Classes are going well and I have begun working on writing the year long curriculum that Omprakash gave me the scholarship to do. It’s going to be a lot of work and I’ve only just started, but I hope that it will be really useful for AM in the future and for other similar schools in other parts of the world.

I’m also teaching English at the public school on Wednesday mornings in a different town. This week we went and were all ready to teach, but found out that our pre-K and K classes had been canceled for the day. Unlike the US, when a teacher can’t make it to school, classes are just canceled instead of having a sub for the day. That meant that we had a free day (most of which I spent at the beach and walking down the beach to buy fruit), but I did get my phone set up since we were in the town where I could buy the phone card. Last week we learned B is for Butterfly in the kindergarten class. The little ones really couldn’t be any more adorable. They love singing songs and are excited to the do the crafts we bring them.

Pictures

We also went to the bastonera performance (baton twirling) on Thursday night. Some of the girls in our classes have been practicing for 6 months with one of the volunteers and they were really excited to perform at the private school down the road. The students from the school also did gymnastics routines.

The girls practicing outside (at the very fancy private school)

Inside performing

Yesterday we had a really exhausting, busy day. AM has a partnership with a travel agency that brings groups of recently graduated high school students to Costa Rica. One of their days is spent here in Portero as their service learning day. They were here from 10:30-3:30, which was a really long time to entertain them and the kids. We did multiple activities during the day including a recycled bottle art project, plaza cleanup, pizza for lunch (paid for by the group and the highlight of the kids’ day), and English class.   The group also brought a whole suitcase of school supplies for the kids and Meradith explained that it’s a good way for more people to learn about the organization and to network with new people.

In the community salon making water bottle animals. Hard to see- the grey shirt people were the visitors

Hot glue station

Plaza cleanup

Bollywood dancing

I’m off to the beach. Today’s Fun Friday event is taking the kids to learn how to play volleyball on a different beach (the little ones will get to play on the playground). A group of us is going early to see the beach and then we’ll meet the kids once they get out of school. It’s been great weather although it’s really hot all the time. It hasn’t rained in about a week except for a little bit last night. This is good news except that no rain means the roads are getting really dusty. I’ve had a sore throat for a few days and I think it’s from breathing in all the dust when I walk from home to the office. Walking on a dusty road also isn’t great for my contacts. I’m pretty sure by the end of my time here it will be raining nearly nonstop so I’m trying to enjoy the sun while it’s still here.

Well I still haven’t gotten to the office to post this so here are some pictures from the beach we went today and all of the kids having a great time this afternoon. After we got back from the beach, the volunteers went to the restaurant on the beach and sat on the sand having a beer and watched the sun set. It has been a pretty good week!

Playa Danta

Fancy building complex on Playa Danta (where we ate lunch)

Volleyball game