Day 4: History and Culture/Aid and Development

Our day began by waking up at 5 am, which was hard for most of us, followed by breakfast where we had rice and beans, eggs, bread, fruits, and a choice of strawberry and blueberry yogurt. After, we got ready for departure and headed to Cartago which was an hour and a half bus ride. Once we arrived, we met Gloriana. She was our tour guide and carried positive energy throughout the tour. Gloriana is very educated on the history of Cartago we learned about the Ruins of Santiago which was very intriguing. Then, Gloriana took us to the Central Market where we had a competitive activity between two groups; both groups had to find the best deal for bananas, and each group was given a mystery word where they had to find the meaning through the locals. We then headed to the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles, where Gloriana informed us about the Cartago pilgrimage, La Romeria when they walked for a week to the church to give their blessings and thanks. The delegation now said our goodbyes to Gloriana and headed to the souvenir shop where many got gifts for their friends and family back home. The ride back home was tiring for everyone (with most people taking naps) but for lunch, we ate a traditional Casado from Costa Rica that represents marriage. After lunch, we met our guest speaker, Rodrigo, who taught us about sustainable development. Rodrigo put us into groups to come up with ideas on sustainable solutions with some of our interesting drawings.

During downtime, many got to rest and play in the pool which had wasted some of our energy. Dinner was wonderfully made by Diego and Emilia consisting of lentils with pork/chicken and a side of rice and salad. Finally, our nightly meeting wrapped up our day as leaders, passing the torch to Mariah and Estrella. The quote of the day was “True development must be in harmony with the needs of the people, and the rhythms of the natural world.” Our thoughts on this is that in order to have development there should be understanding of the people within their community. Our question of the day was “How important is history in the development of the country, and what role does history play in current affairs?” Gloriana taught us how history is important because it’s how people strive.

Hola ma y pa y Diana ? -Ariana

Hey poopy and mama I miss you guys and I’m doing well having a really good time. Also to any other loved ones I miss you and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. :)) -Brandon