You may have heard about some of the trips run by region to volunteer in another country, but may have been previously afraid to apply. I am here to tell you that you shouldn't be. As a recent participant on the 18-26 region trip to Costa Rica, I can say that if you are given the opportunity to partake in a trip such as this jump at the opportunity. Not only will the trip offer you the chance to test your limits whilst embracing new challenges, but also the chance to have new adventures and fun whilst at the same time giving back to a local community or country. Your contribution can make a small difference and also be the start of a bigger change which can make a big difference to a local community in your short 3-week stay.
Whilst in Costa Rica we spent two weeks in Barra Honda National Park where as a team we participated in many community action projects such as planting and measuring trees, litter-picking, learning how to make concrete from scratch which was to be laid down as the base for a local community hall. We also took part in a monkey project observing the different species of monkeys (and how they identify themselves through their different sounds) as well as building an organic garden from scratch. Furthermore, we also participated in general activities such as a traditional cooking class in which we learnt how to make tortillas from scratch along with the basic steps to the Costa Rican style of dancing Salsa! We also met up with some local Girl Guides and attended the 100-year celebration of Rovers, Costa Rica's version of Rangers, during our short stay in San Jose with a local host family.
Some of the high points of the trip I would say were learning how to make concrete from scratch, partaking on the massive zip line course, and the volcanic mud bath and hot springs which we did on our days off. As well as our group banter of trying to wrestle bugs out of our room before going to sleep, where sometimes once we managed to successfully get the bugs out of the room they somehow seemed to find their way back in! Another time, our teammate was having a shower when she was interrupted by a toad who wanted to pay a visit, making a dramatic entrance and appearing to be playing a game of hide-and-seek, jumping out from the plug hole trying to scare her.
These are some small snippets of what we did whilst in Costa Rica, which on the whole was a really fun and rewarding trip which has provided me with memories which I will treasure forever.
