The food was very different than I expected. However I enjoyed practically every meal. Dona Isabel as well as the restaurants gave me the full experience of Costa Rican dishes. Most of the food and juices came from natural fruits and vegetables. I even tried fresh pineapple and mango for the first time.
Staying in San Ramon also helped us get a feel of the lifestyle of the average Costa Rica citizen. Everyone seems very friendly and embracing to “gringos” or foreigners. Despite their circumstances and financial instabilities everyone seems happy and good spirited. The community looks different from the States because of the tress, slope -like streets, dirt and rock roads, and walking stray dogs.
Working with both the Community Center and the Construction site also made my experience worthwhile. Even though I do not have good Spanish Skills the children still played and had fun with us. They really enjoyed playing basketball, playing tag, and taking pictures on our cameras.
The construction was also memorable as well. I underestimated exactly what it would entail because it was actually a lot of hard work, but it was enjoyable as well as for a good because.
We were actually helping build a home for a single mother and her daughter and we got to meet her, which was good.
Our off day activities were very fun as well, which consisted of going to a water park, zip lining in the Rainforest, and attending Church. All of my experiences were well spent and made my service much more enjoyable and I would absolutely recommend anyone interested in volunteering abroad to come to Costa Rica!
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