Team #2 Costa Rica | Day 1

The following article was contributed by a Global Village trip participant.

It was a bumpy ride from San Jose to Biolley with picturesque sites of lush green mountains and a calm ocean coastline. Twenty-six people from the Twin Cities area and beyond have come together to experience the Costa Rican culture and take part in a life changing experience to help our brothers and sisters in Central America. Our seven hour bus ride allowed us to see a large portion of the country while trying authentic Costa Rican cuisine along the way. We dined on rice and beans, ceviche, fresh fruit, and (my personal favorite) fried plantain chips with lime juice. Seriously, I will never look at Lays Potato chips in the U.S the same.

Although as close to perfection as one can ever get, the beginning of our adventure was not met without its setbacks - most notably, a flat tire a few miles outside of our destination. It was here that our new family of 26 was met with our first test of team work. Ken fixed the tire, and as a team, we stood in the background and watched... In our defense, the remaining 25 of us were saving our energy for the work to come! (By the way, thanks again Ken.)

Once our tire was fixed and our mini vans trudged up the gravel roads, we were met by our home away from home, the Asoprola hotel. The beauty of Costa Rica had once again managed to take our breath away. From the quaint, wooden cabins, to an outdoor lobby area with floors and a bar designed purely of tiled mosaics, and greenery in all directions, we knew that we were in for an unforgettable experience. Our views from the cabin and lobby consisted of mountains of varying species of trees in every direction with a fresh smell of rain in each cabin room. It was a site that you could only see in a movie or postcard, or as Tariq so articulately stated, “it looks like Tarzan.”

In the evening of our arrival, we were met with hospitality and enthusiasm from the people of Biolley who served us sopa de lentejas con pollo (lentil and chicken soup) with, of course, fried plantain. Following dinner, we relaxed in the lobby, enjoyed the view, and played a few rounds of cards. The evening ended in a full fledged hearts tournament and yours truly took the crown. It seems only fitting that the “Queen of Hearts” start the blogging entries to set the stage for the rest of our journey! Until tomorrow, readers!

Sincerely,

The Queen of Hearts