Overview
With incredible scenery, an environmental ethic, and a tourism infrastructure, what more could Costa Rica offer? One simple word: people. The amazing people don’t just spout the phrase “Pura Vida”; they live it. Our group experienced that on our people-to-people day.
Many of my articles discuss Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) tours. Their focus on meeting local people is a main selling point for me. In this article, I wanted to highlight some of the meaningful ways our group experienced the people of Costa Rica.
Rural School
We visited a small rural school in the village of Juanilama. The school combines middle and high school. In Costa Rica, students graduate after eleventh grade. I worked for twenty-five years in US schools until I recently retired, and Costa Rican students aren’t very different from US students.
But at the same time, the school was different. I don’t know of any schools with classrooms walled with chain-link fences. Yes, they have a roof; it rains a lot, but some rooms, separate from the main building, use a low concrete block wall topped with chain-link. I don’t know if it was a joke or the truth; we were told it was to keep the monkeys out of the rooms.
One student told us a story about a snake that crawled into one of his math classes. That caused a quick exit when it was identified as a Fer-de-Lance, one of the deadliest snakes in Central America. The worst I’ve ever encountered were scorpions in a New Mexico school.
The students
Greeting us, an eleventh-grade (senior) student explained the school’s history and mission. In the open-air atrium, students paraded by, showcasing art they created with recycled materials. Another pair displayed traditional Spanish-influenced dances. They compete with students from across Costa Rica.
Before touring the school, small groups of students practiced their English with us. In my group, we talked about which is better: iPhones or Samsung. They were impressed by a picture of a tree sloth that our group leader took yesterday and shared with us. Another example of how we experienced people-to-people in Costa Rica
The school buildings
The school’s cafeteria interested me. They serve both breakfast and lunch every day. However, the room’s small size requires students to eat in 10-minute shifts.
Outdoor classrooms make sense when you understand that cooling indoor rooms isn’t economically feasible. Let the breeze cool the rooms.
Juanilama Women’s Association
Founded by Mari, this group works to improve the lives of women in this small village. Beyond using handicrafts to earn money, it supported the village and advocated for rural tourism.
Behind her house, Mari constructed an open-air building with a kitchen, a dining or meeting space, and a few small offices. In that space, the women of the association showed us how to make traditional lunch dishes.
I worked with a woman who spoke no English, and I only knew about three Spanish words. Our job was to make fried plantains. She kept warning me that the plantains were caliente, or hot, as they fried in the oil. After years of restaurant work, my fingertips could handle a lot of heat. I had no issues.
We all gathered for a lunch hosted by Mari and the women’s group. We discussed growing up in our respective countries, the similarities and differences. My wife taught in Catholic schools for forty years, and she shared stories with me. One of the women had attended Catholic schools, and we compared stories.
Conclusion
After lunch, I joined in dishwashing. While others in the group cleaned the tables, a few toured the property. It was a wonderful day. I learned about the Costa Rican school system and shared lunch with locals. I’ve said it before: the people-to-people part of OAT is a main reason why I use them.
