EXPERIENCE: Peru

PTPI is excited to announce that July 13 - 23 will find 20 students ages 16-18 years old EXPERIENCING all that Peru has to offer!

Students may apply on-line by December 7, 2009 to be a part of this incredible delegation.

Please visit the EXPERIENCE: Peru Event Page for full program details, including our itinerary.

Our Final Day

July 25, 2009

Our final day began with a much appreciated 7:00 AM wake-up call, and after a quick breakfast, we boarded our bus and departed for the Aldeas S.O.S orphanage. Anticipation on the bus grew until we finally arrived.

As we walked into the orphanage and witnessed the excited children, we knew exactly why we had an extra hour of sleep. We spent the next few hours laughing and playing with children, who appreciated every minute of it. Helping us at the orphanage were local Costa Rican Boy and Girl scouts. Many of the scouts spoke English well enough to hold a conversation with, but some scouts were a different story. Fortunately, even those of us who had only learned a limited amount of broken Spanish over the last ten days were able to communicate well enough to joke and have fun. The scouts helped us plant trees and supervised activities such as arts and crafts. Though difficult, leaving the orphanage was a touching moment for both the children and us. We made our goodbyes last as long as possible before loading the bus and returning to our hotel.

Our final night came to a close with an emotional closing ceremony. We said our farewells to our beloved leaders and Mary Eisenhower opened the microphone to questions allowing each of us to get to know her a little better. After the Q & A session, we broke up into teams and took an “exam” to see exactly how well we’d gotten to know each other over the past ten days. After learning the… substandard… results, the leaders each spoke about the trip and what it meant to them and some of the delegates also took part in sharing their final thoughts. In keeping with the trip’s rollercoaster of emotion, the ceremonies ended with a final dance party – GYFHC Delegate, David, leading the way and one of our last acts as the 2009 GYFHC delegation, a group hug.

-By Elliott Wall (Mexico, MO)

Back Home

After a long day of travel, our GYFHC Costa Rica delegation has returned and all delegates are making their way back to their home towns. Another successful GYFHC!

"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
--Margaret Mead

At the Airport

All delegates are checked in and through security at the San Jose airport. Our flight to Dallas is currently on time.

Back to San Jose - 7/24/09

Today, we left beautiful Monteverde for San Jose. Our 4 hour, uneventful bus ride took us to the Britt Coffee Plantation where we ate lunch and toured the facility. While on the tour, we learned about the legend of coffee, the different stages of harvesting and roasting, as well as how to tell a good cup of coffee from a bad one; additionally, we learned how coffee is one of the major exports of Costa Rica, and how it helps to sustain the country. At the conclusion of the tour, we all had the opportunity to purchase coffee straight from the source!

Next, we checked in at the Intercontinental Hotel, where we were greeted by PTPI's President and CEO, Mary Jean Eisenhower. The whole delegation had the opportunity to meet with Mary to fill her in on our Costa Rican experience thus far,and to let her know of all the sites we have seen and service projects we have completed.

To wrap up the day, we all visited Pueblo Antiguo, which is a unique cultural center representing historical San Jose. The goal of Pueblo Antiguo is to recreate what San Jose's main square was like between 1880 and 1930, but the coolest part about Pueblo Antiguo is that all of the proceeds generated benefit the National Children's Hospital. During our visit we attended folk show where we were able to experience authentic Costa Rican music and dance and we concluded our time there with an authentic dinner. It was a great evening!

By GYFHC Delegates Alyssa Vigliotti and Sarah Mathiesen

Magical Moments in the Monteverde Cloud Forest

Thursday July 23, 2009

Day eight started off with a rush. After enjoying the blue morning sky, our delegation began our zip lining tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest. The tour started off slowly with the completion of what we had thought to be only three short zip lines. Soon after finishing the first three lines, we found ourselves zipping across tree tops in many different ways: upside-down, backwards, and in pairs. To complete our tour, we each plummeted off of what was likely a 30 ft platform to find ourselves dangling from the “Tarzan Swing.” This was certainly, for me, the best way to start off a great day.
After lunch, our delegation split into two groups to complete our service projects. One group left to join Willow Zuchowski, a famous botanist, and the other to help construct a handicapped-accessible viewing platform in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest for the Monteverde Conservation League. The group that went to work with Willow, the botanist, gathered materials for the construction of a garden and removed grasses in order to create a path with benches to view their hard work.
The other group, who went to build the viewing platform, had quite a bit in store for them. The work mainly consisted of digging 18, 2 foot deep holes in which to place the very large supporting wooden poles of the platform. In addition, delegates cleared brush, moved large rocks, carried wood –and whatever else was needed.
Needless to say, after planting 500 trees yesterday, creating a garden and digging the holes for the poles today, GYFHC Costa Rica delegates are certainly qualified for strenuous yard work. We left the service sites today feeling exhausted but happy for a job well done and knowing our contributions will help the Monteverde Conservation League. This may easily be our favorite humanitarian project we have completed so far.
- GYFHC delegates Madison Taylor & Sarah Mathiesen

Children´s Eternal Rainforest

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Today was probably one of the days that "hit the heart" the most. We began with a delicious breakfast as usual. The delegation then headed to the Children´s Eternal Rainforest. An informative briefing held by the VP, Bob Law, and Mia Robert informed us about about every aspect of the rainforest from funding, to cost, to the volunteer opportunities available. During all of this, the bugs were attacking us and we were all so eager to begin our hike. The delegation split, and the hike began. Personally, our group had an advantage of a $2000 telescope to assist our vision! We were able to see a vast group of insects and birds. It was very interesting to see how different the species are from the U.S.

After the hike, the group reconvened for lunch. We then returned to give the Children´s Eternal Rainforest a "gift" of a bunch of trees. When I say "bunch" I mean 300 plus! We established an efficient system for planting and each individual person played a massive part. (By the way, we all went into this project thinking we were each only planting two trees or so. We were happy to say that we planted many more!)

After covering ourselves in bugs, dirt, vines, etc. the group freshened up for dinner and some cultural interaction with fellow delegate and Monteverde resident, Daniel Vargas´ friends. That was most definitely a good time as we played all sorts of teambuilding games that Daniel helped facilitate.

The food is great here, the environment is fantastic, but most importantly the memories we are creating will stay with us forever.
By GYFHC Delegates Stephanie Rodriguez and Gen Montreuil

On Our Way to Monteverde

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

After waking up to the sounds of the birds chirping, cows mooing and monkeys chattering away, our delegation left LaFortuna for Monteverde. We traveled through the windy roads and lush jungles and farmlands to arrive at our hotel. Though the rain kept us from our second ziplining adventure, instead we had the opportunity to come together as a delegation and get to know one another through some rainy-day activities. It was indeed another amazing day in Costa Rica...

Costa Rican Adventures

Monday June 20th

After chilling our room to a wintry 16 degrees we scampered off to breakfast early only to discover that yet again we were the last ones to arrive. Sitting by ourselves like loners we enjoyed yet another delicious breakfast at the Volcano Lodge. The coffee was FANTASTIC and their fruit is like nothing you can imagine! To our utter shock, there was blue sky and for the first time we could almost clearly see the peak of the volcano that we previously thought was a conspiracy for tourism.
We then transferred to the large bus and headed off to the Sky Tram and Sky Trek zip lining outdoor adventure zone. After harnessing up and being attached to heavy metal zip lining equipment we headed off to the gondolas and began our 12 minute ascent to the top of the tour. On our way up we learned that the lake we were so avidly taking pictures of was actually man made. It supplies over 70% of Costa Rica’s energy needs while wind turbines provide close to the other 30%. Once at the top we enjoyed delicious strawberry smoothies before learning how to properly descend the mountain. In order to complete the excursion we had to learn how to get into the correct position which required leaning back into the fetal position so that you had enough speed to make it across the valleys. Although many of us were petrified to take the leap of faith off the ledge we put those fears on the back-burner as we were more concerned about escaping the swarm of beetles that seemed to stalk our delegation down the lines. The zip line trail consisted of 8 lines, two of which were practice lines. Many of the lines took over 30 seconds to cross and one was nearly a mile long and took us at speeds that topped 30 mph. One trail was over 550 feet in the air! The views were breathtaking and nothing you can ever imagine unless you have personally zip lined down yourself!

After we completed the ride down we ate lunch and were fortunate enough to see multiple howler monkeys hanging out and playing in the trees. Our guide Fernando, who is totally awesome, made calls to the monkeys which were thoroughly entertaining. We then got onto the bus and headed out for our hike near the Arenal Volcano. We sat at a lookout point and listened to hear the rocks that fell from the volcano. While some of us were eager to collect volcanic rocks, many of us were tired and enjoyed the relaxing view. Unfortunately and unexpectedly a fierce rain storm blew in and drenched all hope we had to go on our hike.

Unable to begin our hike in the typhoon style rain we headed off to LaFortuna for a shopping extravaganza. After an hour and a half of shopping we returned to the hotel and met with our small groups to continue our discussions about our sustainability projects. Each group met for an hour and discussed and fine-tuned their projects with the readily available assistance of our gracious leaders! During our free time before dinner many of us went down to the river to play in the water and climb on the rocks. Elliot and Daniel, the monkeys that they are, crossed the river and explored a cave that in reality was a four foot hole in the side of the bank wall. Many stayed near the shore while others watched a waterfall.
We went out to dinner for the first time tonight outside our hotel and everyone dressed for the occasion. Instead of our regular baggy t-shirts and shorts, we wore our “fancy clothes” and dined on delicious steak decorated with a carved cucumber and melon ball. Many delegates ordered (non-alcoholic) pina coladas which were presented in whole pineapples! While we dined, a man played a metal xylophone. During dessert one of the waitresses even grabbed David to dance to the music --which was totally adorable and cute.

After a long day of sun and rain we were relieved to see a crystal clear sky with millions of beautiful stars lighting the sky! Although we couldn’t see the lava flow from the volcano its eerie black silhouette still made a powerful statement. Though we hit some sour notes, and I’m not talking about the star fruit, the day was an overwhelming success! Our experiences here have truly been life changing and they will stay with us forever.

GYFHC Delegates, Katie Pearson and Alice Whitten

Making a Difference for the Maleku's

An interview with Daniel Vargas, our delegate from Costa Rica and resident translator, revealed that the highlight of today was “dancing with the Maleku kids.” His opinion conflicted with mine; I believed the days’ highlight to be the hot spring surprise.

Today began with another early morning wakeup call – 6:00 AM. We all gathered for breakfast and gazed upon the roosting iguanas joining us for breakfast, for the last time. It was our last meal at the Tilajari Hotel. Butterfly gardens, memorable talks, and unripe star fruit are all things that remain in our memories from the Tilajari.

Our bus departed at 7:30 for the Maleku Indian school. New friends and old friends greeted us with, a now common, Costa Rican amiability. We arrived sporting yesterday’s painting clothes. Blue was the dominant color of our work. Blue doors. Blue walls. Blue hands. Blue stains. Everyone worked together and, at the end, we finished painting the entire school which consisted of three buildings. Due to the overnight drenching of the land and descention of many “gatos y peros,” at times “la pintura no quiere pagar.” I learned the phrase from one of the local community members who got his hands dirty with us and helped us in our efforts to beautify the school. We did what we could to saturate the wall in paint, hoping it was a sustainable coating. Ourselves saturated in blue paint stains, we departed our friends of the Maleku tribe.

Shrouded in whisps of cool, grey clouds, the renown and active Arenal Volcano was shrouded from our view. We arrived at the Volcano Lodge and ate lunch in Styrofoam containers. I didn’t realize the material our lunches were served in until Daniel Vargas made a comment about the millions of years of decomposition required. I later regretted the container of the tasty and small, avocado, cheese, and tomato sandwich served to me.

My moment of the day occurred in our next activity: hot springs - a surprise that our tour guide, Fernando announced! The cascading water rushed down waterfalls. 10 different pools awaited our wading pleasure. Volcanic rock and undisturbed habitat surrounded us. The air smelt of faint sulfur. The hot springs made for an incredible afternoon. We also tried strange fruits without English translations. “Cas” and “Sour Sop” were the delegate favorites. Our stay was not to be spoiled by the intrusion of a snake onto one of the numerous palm trees; however, it was shortly removed.

Today, I had time to reflect and realized that all the people so foreign to each other three days before, were now a tight knit group of companions. The rain began to fall as I thought about the nature surrounding us. We are so fortunate to experience Costa Rica like this.

After we returned to the Volcano Lodge, we had a buffet dinner and headed into our second Sustainability Session. Our awesome delegation leader, Rod Hister, gave an empowering presentation entitled “Making a difference: What I can do.” Our discussions ranged from fundraising to addressing needs. We will meet more in the next few days to develop a project about how we can make a difference; we will then present this to the group.

Undoubtedly, the day was filled with a variety of inside jokes that classify as, “you had to be there” moments. Just an idea of our inside jokes of July 19th for those not on the trip and incapable of fully understanding the meaning or humor – cottage cheese, lemon lime, woods to grandmother’s house, and Patrick is an accessory. You can only wonder!
- David Hines

Day Two in Costa Rica: Jacob's Thoughts...

Today I woke up, got dressed, went outside to another cloudy and rainy morning, but man it’s beautiful. I went down by the river right by the hotel. I ended up chilling down there for about an hour, listening and singing to my I-pod and watching the rain come down. After that, the whole group went to breakfast, which was muy bien!

Then we took off to go visit with a tribe indigenous to Costa Rica, called the Maleku tribe. This group has about 600 people in it and they have been trying and working very hard to sustain their culture. They live entirely off the land and make masks and various items such as cups out of a vegetable called a gourd. The tribe has absolutely the nicest people I’ve ever met before. Then, after we met and they talked about their culture, we went not far away to their school. Right by their school, we planted trees and we also painted the school. We met and donated to the students of the school; it was a really great experience. So far I personally LOVE Costa Rica. Even though it’s only been a couple days, it’s a magical place.
Peace,
Jacob Lichtenberger

The Perfect First Day-- Pura Vida!

Pura Vida! Once again, People to People International starts a GYFHC off perfectly. Our delegation began our day with a bus ride through the Alajuela Region to the Arenal Region of Costa Rica. The three hour bus ride gave us plenty of time to get to know our fellow delegates as well as getting familiar with the Costa Rican culture. Our tour guide, Fernando, was very eager to share with us the meaning behind the Costa Rican Colones (the local currency) and popular Spanish phrases used throughout the country. Our delegation listened carefully to Fernando as he spoke about the diverse climates, cultures, and people who make up Costa Rica. Costa Rica is similar to America in a way because it doesn’t matter what skin color you have or where your family originated from. Fernando explained that even though his grandparents came from Jamaica he is still 100% Costa Rican. The pride Fernando for his country made it very easy for him to share with us all Costa Rica has to offer. I know my group is very lucky to have him for our tour guide.

In the afternoon our delegation arrived at the Arenal Volcano National Park. Everyone came prepared to face the ever so changing Costa Rican weather. After trekking down 650 steep stairs, we finally were able to see the spectacular view of the LaFortuna Waterfall. At this moment it finally sank in that I was in a different country. The sparkling water and vibrant green environment made for great pictures and even greater sight seeing. After our waterfall visit our group hopped back on the bus and headed for the Tilajari Hotel.

The first activity at the Tilajari hotel was a team building scavenger hunt. The leaders split all 31 of us students up into three teams, the green frogs, the blue monkeys, and the red toucans. Our teams were faced with different challenges, including building a small traditional ox cart, recalling Costa Rican facts we learned earlier in the day, and looking for parrot figures in the trees. Participating in these challenges was not only fun but it also gave students a chance to use their leadership and communication skills. All three groups worked well together, and in the end, the blue monkeys won! The prize for the group was that each student received a Costa Rica t-shirt. After the scavenger hunt our delegation had dinner at the hotel. Me gusta comida de Costa Rica!

The last activity of the night was a dialogue interaction with local students. Delegation Leader Brandon Wiley did a great job bringing together us American students and the Costa Rican students. We were able to discuss our culture and typical lifestyles. Brandon also posed a question to us that let us share what we love about our country and if we could change one thing what would it be. Later we found it difficult to keep the conversation going between the local students because we did not know much Spanish and they found it difficult to keep up with our fast American speaking habits. Music proved to be the key for all students to open up to each other and bond over a common interest. Despite the language barrier we all became close and were excited to find out that we would see each other again the next day. People to People’s mission of peace through understanding was achieved tonight through smiles, laughter, dancing, and friendship. I am anticipating an amazing trip with this delegation of 31 diverse individuals.
- Maddie Fumi,GYFHC Delegate (Lansing, Illinois)

No Cell Phone Service

We had a great day visiting the beautiful LaFortuna Waterfall, and are now checked in and having dinner at our tropical Arenal Region hotel, The Tilajari. As an FYI, there is no cell phone reception at the hotel. In case of an emergency, please call the Tilajari directly and asked to be connected to your students room, or to Sarah and Katherine´s room.

We plan on posting more details of the day (along with photos!) later tonight, so stay tuned!

In San Jose

We are safe in San Jose! All delegates have checked in to our hotel, and we anticipate getting a great night's sleep. More to come tomorrow as we travel to the Arenal region!

Waiting to Depart!

GYFHC delegates are all through security and awaiting an on time departure to San Jose!

The Final Countdown!

Our delegation of students is set to depart next week for PTPI's Global Youth Forum Humanitarian Conference to Costa Rica. Check back during our travels for daily updates. In the meantime, feel free to check out this press release about the exciting adventure we have ahead of ourselves!


News Release Details

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