Visiting Alto Katsi
 
Alto Katsi is a small, remote community in the mountains of Talamanca, Costa Rica.  There are about 16 houses and approximately 80 people.  I had the pleasure and priveledge of visiting this community with another volunteer, Chiara Nardi, during the early part of May. 
 
The purpose for the trip was to disperse medicines and vitamins to animals. I had been given a donation by family friends to spend during my internship here and chose to spend part towards animals after speaking with a few people here about how it could best be used.  In communities such as Alto Katsi, where people and their animals live in close proximity, animal health is important.  Healthy animals mean healthy people.
 
So, the supplies were collected at the vetrinarian in Bribri, our bags were packed and off we went…let the adventure begin!
 
Life in Alto Katsi
 
Disclaimer:  It has been a challenge to write this part of my experience because life in Alto Katsi is another reality. I have grown up in one reality and one way of living on the planet. Alto Katsi is a different way of living in this world, going through daily life, experiencing nature. It is not fair to say one way is better than the other or place judgement.  So please read the following, knowing that is written through my lens and perspective on the world and I hope I can do some justice to what was an amazing experience.

Life in Alto Katsi is peaceful, beautiful, serene and surrounded by nature.  It is a hard life for residents as there is not consistent work for those who live there.  Most work daily is a matter of survival:  on their farms producing and cultivating for their own consumption.  Harvest is not a source of earnings and savings, for most it is the source of food.  In these times of food security issues, perhaps this kind of knowledge and production is some of the most sound.  What is poverty?  Who defines development?
 
There is no electricity and no running water.  As someone who has grown up in North American culture, with running water and electricity, I first assumed this would be a priority need for people.  Not so.  Living without electricity means there is a peace that comes from not having neighbors blaring music or televisions.  The people I did speak with who have experienced how life is with electricity said they preferred living without electricty. 
 
I found the evenings, after the sun went down and the rooms were lit with lamps and candles, became a sacred time of day for me.  People speaking quietly in Bribri in the room above where we had set up our tents, watching fireflies outside, or learning new words in Bribri.  Everyone went to sleep early, everyone woke up early.  Chiara’s best friend was the family rooster, who was very punctual each morning at 3:00amJ.
 
The source of water for everyone is the river.  The river is to bathe, to drink, to fish, to wash dishes, to wash clothes,….From what I could tell, most houses are located very near the river, perhaps a five minute walk.  On a particularly rainy, muddy day I was feeling grateful that the non-running water situation was temporary.  However, that said, the novelty of this beautiful river did not wear off during my four days there.  Beyond the novelty, however, are people who live here daily and it is not a temporary situation.  It is one full of economic, educational, nutritional challenges as well as limited access to basic needs.
 
 
The Balsa
 
Everyday is an adventure in Alto Katsi…crossing rivers on foot and on horseback, watching with great amusement and pigs, goats and cows were being chased and lasooed to receive their injections, battling mosquitoes, navigating muddy paths, bathing in the river, the kindness and generosity of the people we shared with and last, but certainly not lease the grand finale:  the balsa.
 
How would we get back to Bambu?  Horse?  Bus?  Hmmmm….  Justo told us on Saturday that we would get back by “Balsa” on the river.  I did not know what a Balsa was, but I understood via river so I assumed boat.  Then later on Saturday Justo told us that he and Diego would get up early on Sunday to make the Balsa and that we would leave together after that. 
 
         **Rebecca is thinking “MAKE the Balsa??!!  Ok, what is a Balsa?”
 
Think Huck Finn. Think six Balsa logs tied together with rope. Approaching the river and seeing the Balsa, my first thought was fear.  What the hell were we in for? 
 
Then the fear subsided as I saw the expertly crafted basic transport, the knots, the design and built by people who know the river as well as I know my childhood streets and roads.  Not only that, but a bench had been crafted and tied together for Chiara and I to sit on so we didn’t get wet.  I felt peace as we launched off and was very touched by the thoughtfulness, care and time that was put into this. The ride back to Bambu lasted a little under two hours and it was beautiful.  When we reached the riverbank at Bambu, the knots were untied, the logs were set loose and all that remained of the beautiful Balsa was the rope - to be saved for another use and another day.  There is a lot of wisdom, knowledge and expertise here when it comes to living with nature.
 
I feel most grateful for this four days. Much love and thanks to Diego, Justo, Marina and their family for being such kind and thoughtful hosts, and to Chiara who was a great traveller to share this intense experience with.

Rebecca Uncles, volunteer of Tropical Adventures

Visiting Alto Katsi
 
Alto Katsi is a small, remote community in the mountains of Talamanca, Costa Rica.  There are about 16 houses and approximately 80 people.  I had the pleasure and priveledge of visiting this community with another volunteer, Chiara Nardi, during the early part of May. 
 
The purpose for the trip was to disperse medicines and vitamins to animals. I had been given a donation by family friends to spend during my internship here and chose to spend part towards animals after speaking with a few people here about how it could best be used.  In communities such as Alto Katsi, where people and their animals live in close proximity, animal health is important.  Healthy animals mean healthy people.
 
So, the supplies were collected at the vetrinarian in Bribri, our bags were packed and off we went…let the adventure begin!
 
Life in Alto Katsi
 
Disclaimer:  It has been a challenge to write this part of my experience because life in Alto Katsi is another reality. I have grown up in one reality and one way of living on the planet. Alto Katsi is a different way of living in this world, going through daily life, experiencing nature. It is not fair to say one way is better than the other or place judgement.  So please read the following, knowing that is written through my lens and perspective on the world and I hope I can do some justice to what was an amazing experience.

Life in Alto Katsi is peaceful, beautiful, serene and surrounded by nature.  It is a hard life for residents as there is not consistent work for those who live there.  Most work daily is a matter of survival:  on their farms producing and cultivating for their own consumption.  Harvest is not a source of earnings and savings, for most it is the source of food.  In these times of food security issues, perhaps this kind of knowledge and production is some of the most sound.  What is poverty?  Who defines development?
 
There is no electricity and no running water.  As someone who has grown up in North American culture, with running water and electricity, I first assumed this would be a priority need for people.  Not so.  Living without electricity means there is a peace that comes from not having neighbors blaring music or televisions.  The people I did speak with who have experienced how life is with electricity said they preferred living without electricty. 
 
I found the evenings, after the sun went down and the rooms were lit with lamps and candles, became a sacred time of day for me.  People speaking quietly in Bribri in the room above where we had set up our tents, watching fireflies outside, or learning new words in Bribri.  Everyone went to sleep early, everyone woke up early.  Chiara’s best friend was the family rooster, who was very punctual each morning at 3:00amJ.
 
The source of water for everyone is the river.  The river is to bathe, to drink, to fish, to wash dishes, to wash clothes,….From what I could tell, most houses are located very near the river, perhaps a five minute walk.  On a particularly rainy, muddy day I was feeling grateful that the non-running water situation was temporary.  However, that said, the novelty of this beautiful river did not wear off during my four days there.  Beyond the novelty, however, are people who live here daily and it is not a temporary situation.  It is one full of economic, educational, nutritional challenges as well as limited access to basic needs.
 
 
The Balsa
 
Everyday is an adventure in Alto Katsi…crossing rivers on foot and on horseback, watching with great amusement and pigs, goats and cows were being chased and lasooed to receive their injections, battling mosquitoes, navigating muddy paths, bathing in the river, the kindness and generosity of the people we shared with and last, but certainly not lease the grand finale:  the balsa.
 
How would we get back to Bambu?  Horse?  Bus?  Hmmmm….  Justo told us on Saturday that we would get back by “Balsa” on the river.  I did not know what a Balsa was, but I understood via river so I assumed boat.  Then later on Saturday Justo told us that he and Diego would get up early on Sunday to make the Balsa and that we would leave together after that. 
 
         **Rebecca is thinking “MAKE the Balsa??!!  Ok, what is a Balsa?”
 
Think Huck Finn. Think six Balsa logs tied together with rope. Approaching the river and seeing the Balsa, my first thought was fear.  What the hell were we in for? 
 
Then the fear subsided as I saw the expertly crafted basic transport, the knots, the design and built by people who know the river as well as I know my childhood streets and roads.  Not only that, but a bench had been crafted and tied together for Chiara and I to sit on so we didn’t get wet.  I felt peace as we launched off and was very touched by the thoughtfulness, care and time that was put into this. The ride back to Bambu lasted a little under two hours and it was beautiful.  When we reached the riverbank at Bambu, the knots were untied, the logs were set loose and all that remained of the beautiful Balsa was the rope - to be saved for another use and another day.  There is a lot of wisdom, knowledge and expertise here when it comes to living with nature.
 
I feel most grateful for this four days. Much love and thanks to Diego, Justo, Marina and their family for being such kind and thoughtful hosts, and to Chiara who was a great traveller to share this intense experience with.

Rebecca Uncles, intern for Tropical Adventures

I arrived in February, not really knowing what to expect. I was going to do my marketing internship in Costa Rica for a volunteer organization. I knew where Costa Rica was, that Tropical Adventures a non-profit volunteer organization was and that Manuel not only the driver was who was going to meet me at the airport but also a beach.

So without to many expectations I arrived at the airport in San Jose. Manuel was waiting for me outside together with Susan, the tour coordinator for Tropical Adventures. They were going to take me and my “heavy” labeled luggage to Paraiso. On our way down to Paraiso Susan and Manuel told me all about Costa Rica. Susan kept saying that we were going to the coldest part of Costa Rica, where the weather was really bad and that I just had to follow a big grey cloud if I ever got lost. The only thing I thought was: “I’ll be fine I’m from Holland, no way the weather in Cartago is worse”. Well I have to say I’m really happy I brought some warm clothes with me to “Tropical” Costa Rica.

After a while we arrived in La Castilla, Parasio. The place where I was going to be staying for the next 5 months. After a warm welcome from Scott (Executive Director) and Isaac (Director), I went to bed. Totally overwhelmed by my first two hours in Costa Rica.

 I had to get up very early the next day, as we were going to Arenal for the weekend. It was Scott, Susan, Ray (Operations Manager) and me. On our way to Arenal we stopped to have breakfast, my first time “out” in Costa Rica was breakfast at McDonalds. We had a great weekend. We saw amazing hotels, we visited our projects in Arenal and the Wildlife Rescue center, near Arenal, we laid in Jacuzzi’s and I got to meet a lot of people. Only one disappointment, we didn’t see the Volcano. Not even once! It’s suppose to be one of the most amazing things to see in Costa Rica and in 3 days the only thing I got to see were clouds. A good laugh for my colleagues and I still have to go back to see it. Of course I can use this as an excuse to come back to Costa Rica.

So that’s how my adventure with Tropical Adventures started. A great and unforgettable adventure. It wasn’t hard to adjust to the “Pura Vida” and “Manana, Manana” culture. The Tico’s (Costa Ricans) are the most welcoming people I’ve ever met. “Mi casa es su casa” is a fact in Costa Rica. Big hugs and kisses when you meet someone, always a helping hand when you get lost or need help and everybody always greets you.

My work for Tropical Adventures was also an adventure. Being a marketing coordinator for a non-profit is not easy, but very interesting and I think the best way to learn to understand what marketing really is about. No big budget, just a good story.

I don’t think it’s possible for every non-profit to be able to get that far without a big budget. But I think that that’s it; Tropical Adventures is not just a non-profit, not just a volunteer organization or a tour company. It took me only a few days to see it; they are different. Scott and Isaac are the founders of this organization and it won’t take you long to realize that their hearts are in this organization. I’ve never met such hard workers. Everything they do, 24/7 has to do with Tropical Adventures.

After my first trip to the projects in Puerto Viejo and Bambu I really got to see what they are doing. It’s amazing to see what a big difference they have made in the last few years, but there is still so much more they want to do, to help out. The people are so thankful for everything Tropical Adventures is doing for them and they are so happy to see them. That’s when I realized: Wow they are doing a great job and I can be a part of it for a few months.

Before working for Tropical Adventures I always wanted to volunteer, but I never really go the idea of paying for it. Why spend so much money, when you just want to help. There is actually a pretty simple explanation, well for Tropical Adventures there is. How can you help people when you don’t have the resources to do it? How can you take care of volunteers when you don’t have the money to do that? How can you make sure everything is taken care of and volunteers have an amazing and unforgettable experience, without money? What can you do when a volunteer gets sick or something happens and you don’t have money? How can you make sure there is always someone around to take care of the volunteers, when you don’t have money to pay them? But the most important thing: How can you make a difference in so many lifes, without money?

Without all the volunteers and the money they paid to volunteer, Tropical Adventures wouldn’t have made such a big difference. It’s really simple; money is needed if you want to make a difference and have an amazing experience at the same time.

Having been a part of the “Tropical Adventures Team” was an amazing, unforgettable and great experience. They offer a wide range of internship positions in different parts of the country and I would suggest it to anyone who wants to have an instructive and at the same time an unforgettable internship. I will never forget it and I am sure I am coming back to Costa Rica, the country you’ll fall in love within no time. The people, the culture, the nature but most of all Tropical Adventures and its amazing people are reason enough for me to come back to Costa Rica.

Thank you all for making this experience such a great one for me! I will miss you all and never forget you!!!

Pura Vida!

Lisette