Final Project

Pics from our final project are on my other site...

click here.

Macaw Sighting

We saw this amazing display of feathers on the way to Playa Samara at a restroom/food stop.  We think they were tourist friendly due to a nice perch out back and a seemingly endless trail of dropped snack foods, and left over lunch.  Still, what an amazing sight of majestic birds.  Probably 10 or 12 of them.  We also saw a family of howler monkeys but our little camera fogged up from the difference of a lower elevation and air conditioned bus.  Cute little guys...(though they can rip your face off)

-Sean

Time to Say Good-Bye

As much as we are ready for the comforts of home, we will really miss the UGA Monteverde campus and all the people here. We formed our little routines and got used to a new culture but maybe we will get to come back someday. Our projects finished out strong as we gave them some good options for a birding area in the botanical garden here. Sarah got to make brownies in the kitchen today from scratch which was an experience trying to communication ingredients in Spanish and no measuring utensils anywhere in sight. They turned out well despite all odds and we took them to the fiesta tonight to say good-bye to our friends on campus and some locals. Whitney had a blast dancing one last time and showing everyone the moves she has acquired. Tomorrow morning we will head to Playa Samara to enjoy the beach and the Pacific Ocean as well as some good restaurants hopefully. We don't know what the internet situation will be like there but hopefully we will be able to update. If not we will catch up when we return to the States.

Work Progress

Here is a sneak peek at what we are finishing up and presenting tomorrow.  I've been blessed with an amazing group that is great to work with.

who knew bananagram tiles could be so helpfun in developing a structural model  

Fountain Design

Base Map and planting prelims

The Art of Napping

Saving the Earth (as Whitney says)

We got to offset the carbon we used to travel to Costa Rica and back by planting trees here. The girls were very excited to dig the holes and put the trees in. Whitney was very glad to be green like Fancy Nancy and help the earth by making some shade.

Half Birthday

Sarah's family passed down the tradition of half birthdays and a fun time to celebrate half way until your next birthday with half a cake. Haley turned two and a half July 23 so we got to celebrate in Costa Rica. The kitchen staff here was sweet to make her half a cake to carry on our tradition and she had the biggest half birthday party she will ever have with about a hundred people singing to her. They even obliged to putting sprinkles on it like Whitney asked them to. Haley was a little overwhelmed and almost broke into tears when it was time to blow out the candle but she enjoyed the cake! It was a special time for our family to celebrate our precious Haley Baley.

Working

Deep into our second project now. Learning a lot about local plants that offer good habitat to birds, birds we hope to see more of with our proposed birding habitat and structure designs. I'll try to snag pictures and post some new updates tomorrow.

Had a great day today, an off day of sorts, but full of outings. We visited a botanical garden and then had some time to tour Santa Elena. Those couple hours allowed us to eat an amazing hamburger, got some pastries, found haley some traditional french fries with ketchup (she was in heaven and so cute as she was dead set on what she wanted, no wavering from her), and then we indulged in some fresh ice cream and milkshakes from the local dairy (founded by quaker settlers dodging the vietnam draft). I was glad to have some time with the family taking in some sweet treats.

Tomorrow is a work day here on campus with an early start of birdwatching at 6am

PHOTOS!

Pics are now available on our other site for your viewing pleasure. It was a great trip to Arenal but very glad to be back to the friendly confines of UGACR.

Balloon Animals

I wanted to learn balloon animals for this trip so Sarah and the girls got me a pump and balloons for fathers day. It has been so much fun to learn the figures and it has been a great fun time for the girls. Nice to have something of my own to involve the girls. My intention was to use it as a ministry tool and it has proven true. Kids, both young and old flock to it and it always puts smiles on everyone involved. I've really enjoyed it and look forward to learning all I can.

Who wants a puppy dog? Flower is on the learning list for tonight!

Horseback Riding

We asked yesterday if the girls could join me on my horseback riding tour and they obliged. What a time! Haley was incredibly brave, putting aside her fear of animals and hoped right on with Sarah. Whitney joined me as we journeyed up the steep hillside to a lookout point called Mirador. From there, the vista provided views of the entire valley, lake, 2 volcanos, and Rancho Margot. Pilson and Favorite, our horses, were kind to us as they worked hard to get us there and back.

Sarah and I's rears are hurting today as we rode the back of the saddle to make room for our little passengers. Well worth it though. And evidently, them being squished in front of us wasn't too uncomfortable as Haley fell asleep hard! She was out so cold that Sarah had a panic attack trying to wake her up. Nothing seems to kick her from her slumber. One of those mother freak out moments that was well warranted.

God has created an amazing place called Costa Rica and it was an honor to behold its beauty on top of that hillside. I was so happy to share it with my family. Ariba!

Rancho Margot

Rancho....Margot....Rancho....Margot.

Close enough.

This afternoon I am sitting here on the porch of our bungalow at Rancho Margot, an ecolodge alongside Lake Arenal, a hydroelectric reservoir dammed up to produce 35% of Costa Rica's electrical power. The ecolodge is off-the-grid, producing its own power, food, soap, down to its own furniture. Pretty amazing infrastructure to provide for the needs and wants of tourists. I like the idea of self-suffiency (so much so I started to think about taking a 15 month volunteer slot here at the farm) but after being here a couple days, too much concrete, pipe and steel for my liking. They are doing great things here and there is so much to learn, just a tinge bit of artificiality. I think it is a simple product of population. RM has to support a large number of people, putting a strain on realistic self-sustainance. We are talking tourists too so only so much "roughin-it" can be in play.

It was about a 3 hour BUMPY van ride to the shores of Arenal. From there it was onto a boat for an hour voyage to the cross shore where we threw our bags onto a truck and ourselves into another van. A quick trip up the hillside (and I man quick, this driver was not messing around!!!) brought us to the front door of Rancho Margot. Many thanks to the tican angel who grabbed our suitcase and trucked it up the hillside. That 60 pounds was not on my happy list for the day.

Our stay here has been a welcomed change from the UGA-CR campus, if nothing more than a new variety of food. BREAD!!! french toast, pizza, pork, and some new veggies. The Hufnagel bungalow is incredible. A beautiful place tucked away in the regenerating forest. The highlight is a massive porch with a hammock (added mine to make room for 4. The girls continue to like playing in the shower, this one much larger.

The pools have offered a wonderful distraction for the girls. 2 stream fed pools are quite chilly, though wonderfully refreshing in the sun's heat. The little ladies prefer the warm pool (same stream water warmed by the same compost system). No chlorine, JUST WATER! Fun has been had with a couple hula-hoops at the dining area along with a cozy-coupe. That cozy-coupe pics up some major speed down the walking ramps! I think the girls' minds are coming full of nature learning but they still humor us by getting excited about chickens and little piggies.

Sustainability is the buzz word and it applies here. Hot water is created by running pipes through a massive compost system. Power is created from 2 hydroelectric turbines. Soap is created from cooking oils. Hens lay over 150 eggs per day. There is a pig farm, vegetable garden, and of course an extensive dairy. Furniture is created through a sizeable woodshop. It is amazing to see what is involved in making our food and the skilled people who make it appear on plates. Cooking heat is created through collecting liquid waste from livestock and converting it to methane gas. Fertilizer is created through a system of solid livestock waste eaten by redworms with their poop becoming a bio-world like none other.

A major part of the operation here is Yoga. Sarah and I both got a taste of it and it was pretty spectacular. An hour and a half of hard work that felt great. We could both see how doing that every day would really make us whole new persons.

Tough to get pictures up here as the internet is tough to use for much more than email and news. We will upload asap so check back.

Monkey Sighting

I was enjoying a quick hike this afternoon to take advantage of a GORGEOUS day, sun all day (raining now) but there in the trees were frolicking capuchin monkeys.  They are quite entertaining to watch.  Funny little guys.  One nearly peed on me while taking pics, and they started crushing leaves and pulling branches down, chunking them my way.  I ran back to the room to get the girls and we were able to find another pair near the same location.  Whitney, Haley, and especially Sarah were so thrilled to see them.  Was a great moment on a great day.  

Will post pics soon.  

Completed the first phase of projects today.  Presented them to the local townspeople with warm responses.  We hope to seem some part of them completed in the years to come.  Felt like home today with an incredible smoked pork dinner tonight.  Topped it off with a good ole coke.  The girls had a special treat of an orange fanta all to themselves.  So funny to see them sip on a bottle nearly the size of their head.  Enjoyed some family dancing at the restaurant, watched them catch that night's tilapia, and celebrated our work completed and back in the tube.  

There was an actual sunset tonight along with a beautiful display of stars.  A wonderful spectacle that I've learned to not take for granted here.

Great news in that we confirmed Sarah and the girls will be able to join me at Rancho Margot for the next couple of days.  Sarah is super excited and I think it will be a nice change of scenery for mis ninas. We leave at 7 in the morning.  We hope the internet is more reliable there to enjoy some google talk with the family. So stay tuned.

New Routines

We are slowly developing new routines and traditions here.  We wake up and hang out a bit before breakfast then usually head out to the days activity or play around campus. Then we have lunch at 12 and head back for books and naps. They get up so early they usually take a pretty good rest and I get some reading time while Sean is at class. Then we play around some more until dinner at 6. They have a little library here with some children's books and games which the girls have enjoyed a lot. After dinner they serve a small dessert and some delicious hot chocolate made with the milk from the morning. The girls have hawk eyes waiting for it each night and tell me when it is put out so I can pour them a mug. Then they retire to the porch to sit in rocking chairs and sip it while they tell jokes to make everyone laugh. I think this is their favorite time of the day. Then we head back to the room for showers which they now love and put them down for the night. Being in one room is kind of tricky so they usually get a good back rub to put them to sleep at which point Sean and I are so tired we clonk at as well around 8:30 or 9. Here ar some pictures of us on the porch and the girls sipping their drinks and laughing.

Cultural Activities

Last night we got to attend a truly cultural experience. The local school in this village was having a festival as a fund raiser and we were all invited to attend. The girls fell asleep briefly on the bus ride back from the ziplines and were in decent moods so we let them skip naps and headed up after lunch. They started with horse races in which they hung a rope across the road with three small rings clipped on. You could place a bid on a horse and they would call your name and the horse and the rider would attempt to ride quickly under the rope and spear the ring on a little stick. It was amazing to watch the agility and speed at which they did this. They missed a lot more than they succeeded but they were amazing. Especially the small boys who played. After this they had a contest to climb to the top of a greased wooden pole to retrieve some colonnes (their currency). No one was able to do this but it was hilarious to watch. We got to get a slice of pizza and a brownie to which Whitney replied, "Now that is more like it!" I don't think she appreciates the rice and beans three meals a day. We got to watch a presentation the school kids did in which they performed English songs and plays. I really don't understand why it was all in English but brings some interesting questions I have been searching for answers to. I thought at first it was an English school or bilingual but it isn't. They learned these things for the fundraiser. Next we played Bingo and after 27 long rounds, we didn't walk away with a prize. Whitney was very upset but it was a good chance to learn life lessons. After Bingo they were having a community dance. We had planned on staying for a little of it but at 8:30 we had pushed the girls all we could push them without naps and meltdown mode began. We ended up carrying two crying girls on our shoulders for the fifteen minute walk back to campus. When we got back to the room they were different kids and laughing. Think they are having some culture adjustments and just were overwhelmed and tired. Whitney is really having a hard time not being able to talk to any of the kids here beyond the basic phrases she has learned. They will come and start talking to her and she is clueless. I know how she feels! The language barrier is such a strong one. We are trying to learn some but it is hard with the little exposure we have to locals. We are still mostly surrounded by American college students on a daily basis. It was fun to see how their community works and how involved everyone seems! So thankful we had the opportunity to have another small window into their lives.

Rainy Day

On the schedule for Saturday morning was the zipline but seeing as the girls aren't quite ready for that, I took them to the suspension bridges at the same place. It was pouring down rain so we decked out in our rain pants and coats and headed with the tour guide to the bridges. I guess our legs were moving a little slow because they quickly told us they were going to separate the group and sent us out our own tour guide. It turned out to be perfect because we got to go our own pace and stop to show the girls things. Unfortunately, the rain didn't slow so it was hard to see anything and the poor girls were getting soaked anytime they tried to look up at anything. We only made it through three of the five bridges because we were just all cold and soaked. It was amazing to think of how high up in the forest we were and we got some pictures to prove we were there. We still haven't seen any monkeys because it rains too much any time we get anywhere they usually are! Sean had a great time on the zipline despite the rain and I was told he was up there doing spins. Doesn't surprise me in the least.

Amazing Beauty

We got to experience some awesome beauty of this Earth with a morning hike to a breathtaking waterfall on the edge of the Monteverde reserve. We had heard how amazing it was and Sean was scheduled to go with his class. I really wanted to go but after talking to a lot of people decided it wasn't safe with the girls. It included several small bridges, slick rocks, and other dangers for little feet. Even carrying them with our backpack carriers was a no go because if one of us slipped, it could be disastrous. Thankfully God placed an incredible group here at the campus the same time as us that I will forever be grateful for. They are from UGA as well and mostly early education majors. We went to an English camp they taught at the school when Sean was at his home-stay and the girls bonded with them. They were going to be having the camp here at the campus the morning on the waterfall hike and basically playing games with the local kids. They offered to watch Whitney and Haley so I could go on the hike with Sean! How amazing is that! I don't think they will ever know the gift they gave me until they are married and have kids of their own. It was amazing to be able to hike without carrying or dragging anyone along. I got to see and enjoy so much more than I would have with the girls. I didn't have to worry about anyone touching or eating anything they shouldn't. We got to swing from a branch like Tarzan too. The waterfall is the second tallest in Costa Rica and it was freezing cold. Sean and I both jumped in although I didn't dive off the rocks like he did. It has been fascinating to learn about different plants and see God's creativity. The girls had a great time at the camp and now want to do everything with these sweet girls. So thankful for God's amazing beauty in so many different forms.

weather...

It is raining.

Posting on my other site.

Loading images and video is tough on blogger so on post that have a lot of media, we are doing it here. Should be better quality and much more efficient for us.

So, check out both sites to stay in the loop.

Click here to check out the posts!

First Project

We have been assigned our first project so it was back to work these past couple of days. We have been challenged to bring an existing community soccer field greater life by adding seating and solve some circulation issues. Should be a great little charette project. Here is a look at the site.

Girls Days

Well we have made it through two days without Sean with us and we did quite well. Monday after he left the girls took a long nap so I got a nap and some reading time which as delightful for all of us! Then we just hung out around the campus and played games, colored, worked puzzles and met new people. After a great dinner of fish (Whitney had three pieces) we sipped hot chocolate on the porch and called it a night. I am so thankful for my girls being great eaters and trying so many new things. Everyone comments on how well they eat everything and it is a true blessing. Tuesday morning the girls rose again with the sun at 5 and we played away two hours until it was finally breakfast time. Since we wouldn't see Sean all day we were looking for something to do. There is another student group here during from UGA and Auburn doing cultural studies and they are leading an English camp at the elementary school in the village. They invited us to come and it was incredible. Whitney jumped in the activities and was teaching the kids some English words and making friends with the college students. They were all so sweet to her and it was great for them to be able to interact with someone besides me. They played some fun games in the gym and the girls loved it. I was so thankful for their willingness to let us hang out with them this morning. Whitney is attached to a few of the girls now and she found one named Whitney and another named Grace which she thinks is amazing. They are all doting on Whitney and Haley and they are eating it up. After naps and dinner tonight we got to do some salsa dance lessons with their group. The girls were adorable and had fun letting loose. I feel like they are settling in to our temporary normal and accepting it with better attitudes as the days go on. We have had fun on our girls days but are looking forward to seeing our man again tomorrow!