Cross-Cultural Solutions

Buenos!

We finished painting the orphanage: the entire exterior, 3 bedrooms, and the living room. Wow! We said our good-byes to the boys and took LOTS of pictures. Afterward, we had free time all afternoon. A few people stayed around homebase and some of us went to the San Carlos Zoo. It was an interesting experience - some animals were allowed to wander around the grounds and trails (armadillos, deer, small rodent-like creatures, etc.) Of course I took pictures. Now we're all getting ready to pack up and saying our good-byes to the staff.

This will be my last post for the Costa Rica trip. It has been an amazing experience and I can't say enough good things about Cross-Cultural Solutions. The entire staff is awesome. If you wonder why you have to pay to volunteer, let me tell you why:

• They provide staff to advise you about which trip is right for you and help you each step of the sign-up process.
• They provide a plethora of information prior to the trip (cultural knowledge, what to expect at your assignment, etc.)
• The homebase is in a safe area with a 24-hour security guard to assist with any problems. (We panicked a little when the water got shut off the day everyone was sick. It turns out a pipe had burst down the block, but it got fixed without any major incidents.)
• There are several cooks who provide 3 meals a day. And the meals they cook are sooooo delicious. They cater to the most specific dietary needs, while still serving traditional Costa Rican cuisine. There is no need to go out and eat when the cooks prepare such decorative displays of fruits & food.
• Housekeeping provides fresh linens daily and keeps the homebase sanitary and clean.
• CCS hires people from the community to give cultural lessons (Spanish, dance, history, etc.)
• CCS works in conjunction with social service organizations to place volunteers where help is most needed.

I highly recommend CCS for anyone who wants to volunteer abroad and would rather transition into a culture, rather than go off on their own.

The rest of my group and I will be exchanging photos and hopefully I'll be posting those soon. :) (Just a side note: I cannot post pictures of the boys at the orphanage out of respect for the nature of their situations.) But I've got 130 pics on my camera, plus whatever the rest of my group has!

See you all state-side.

Love, Laura