En el Campo

Sorry for the serious lack of time that has been spent on the blog! I have been very busy starting my research. So, I have moved on from the beloved ACM building. I had an amazing time during that first month. I made new friends, I learned so much Spanish, and visited some awesome places. Before I left ACM I  enjoyed cooking with my conversation group. Our lunch consisted of gallo pinto, picadillo, squash soup, and sweet plantains. It was not as good as our host mothers food, but we tried to mimic their recipes the best we could. Costa Rican food is sooo good!

Here we are in the ACM Kitchen

The ACM building treated me well and it was sad to say good bye. Yet, the excitement of arriving at my research site was overwhelming me.

My ACM Home

A lot of ACM students went out on our last Friday night to a salsa club. We got to practice our newly acquired dance moves from the ACM dance classes, it was quite an impressive site if you ask me. The next morning I was woken up by Gato and he drove me to the bus terminal. From there I headed to Ciudad Quesada in the San Carlos Region. The bus ride was about 2 and a half hours, but I slept the whole way. I was picked up by my host brother from the bus terminal, and he took me straight to the family animal reserve! The reserve has 300-400 animal ranging from lions to emus. Oh and guess what?? I get to volunteer at the animal reserve on my weekends!

When I got to my know house, I was surprised to find another zoo of sorts! My mother, Doña Elida, rehabilitates wild Macaws. I got to feed them and pet them. So many animals; let me tell you!

Macaws!

On monday I arrived at the office of the CEN-CINAI, which are the institutions that I will be researching for the next two months. CEN-CINAI institutions are daycares that are government funded for families that live at or below the poverty line. My research is to describe how the public institution has an effect on early childhood development. I will be visiting the daycares all over the San Carlos region as well as describing the nutritional delivery programs that operate through the CEN-CINAI. Lots of data to gather!

 Part of my Research 

As for my adventures in Costa Rica, my next post will be more oriented towards my cultural experiences in San Carlos and fun outdoor activities! Until next time.