Day 3: Culture day
Student Trip Blog
We started the day with a lazy morning, the sun shining through the dusty windows of our cabins. Glimpsers ate gallo pinto, scrambled eggs, and Costa Rican cheese straight from the farm for breakfast with signature Costa Rican coffee to wash it all down.
We took the bus down to the city of Turrialba and dipped our toes into the rich cultural melting pot. Memo acted as our tour guide for the day and took us to notable locations, including the central market, an American thrift store, a farmers’ market, and a historical museum cafe that felt frozen in time. At the market, we saw a variety of unique produce that isn’t as common in the States. A kind coconut vendor gave us a sample of cajeta de coco, a Costa Rican sweet treat that consists of coconut shavings bound together with sugar. We then traveled to the base house, where we enjoyed a delectable meal consisting of pork in gravy, mashed potatoes, and a salad with blueberry juice.
Unfortunately, due to the heavy downpour, we were stuck in our accommodation and left to figure out how to spend our afternoon. Glimpsers played board games, ping pong, went hiking in the tropical forest, or just loomed around awaiting the anticlimactic dinner. One notable brave glimpser protected his friend during their hike, where they encountered a wild snake, and the brave glimpser kicked it out of the way to save his terrified friend. This altruistic act, however, was met with consequences as the savior ended up slipping in the process and getting mud all over his fashionable clothes.
The hungry glimpsers had greens and white chicken for a salad dinner. After the delicious dinner, the leaders of the day, Lucas Zuo and Xiqian Zhang, passed on the torch of leadership to the upcoming leaders. As the night calms with the pouring rain, the glimpsers took a shower to clean the dirty grime of the day off their sore bodies. The new leaders check each cabin, ensuring safety throughout the night for all the inhabitants of the accommodation, and Costa Rica says good night.
