Costa Rica – Page 3

International Classrooms

21Feb

World Traveler. That is what many call me after my return from Namibia, D.C. and Costa Rica. I have been fortunate to take my educational experience overseas and study abroad with Texas A&M’s Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications Department. These experiences have broadened my horizon by exposing me to different cultures. Although many things are different between those I have met on my journeys, it is our similarities that have me wanting more! I definitely have the travel bug. Who knows where life’s experiences will take me next?

Enjoying the beautiful Namib Sand Sea

First stop: Namibia! What most people think of Africa is not a comprehensive view of the continent. Namibia, a country that gained its independence in 1990, is much like me in age and being on the brink of discovering its potential. Being in the country, I learned of all the beauty and uniqueness the country possesses. The problem is getting everyone else, Namibians and outsiders, to see and harness those qualities for the betterment of the country and the world. From visiting places like N/a’an ku se, Cape Cross, Etosha National Park, Heroes’ Acre, The Ministry of Mines and Energy, Gobabeb Research and Training Center and the Cheetah Conservation Fund, you can see Namibia’s passion for conserving energy and wildlife. Lions, cheetahs, ELEPHANTS, kudu, impala, red heart beast, oryx, rhinos, springbok, zebra, leopards… the list goes on.

Words cannot express the surreal feeling of being away from the big buildings and loud noise, and really being able to take in nature in some of its purest elements. This is what Namibia has to offer. This is what makes Namibia great!

Brooke reaction to seeing elephants in the wild for the first time!

Brooke’s reaction to seeing elephants in the wild for the first time!

After an amazing time in Namibia, and after spending five months in D.C., I asked myself, “WHY STOP THERE?” So off to Costa Rica I went! A different climate. A different language. A different experience. Although both Namibia and Costa Rica are considered developing countries, it is evident that Costa Rica is influenced by America and is a more popular tourist attraction; Jurassic Park could be credited for this popularity.

The first thing I noticed about Costa Rica was that it was extremely green! I loved it. And what I loved more was being able to go into the San Isidro de Peñas Blancas community and experience agriculture and conservation practices first hands. We planted beans for a local farmer, trekked up hills, toured a coffee plantation, saw greenhouses and sustainable farming, and saw a variety of plants, fruits and vegetables. Costa Rican farmers’ motto was to farm things that served more than one purpose to get the greatest use of the land. We got to see all the things we take for granted and all the things we waste on a daily bases. Not to mention, zip lining and hiking through the rain forest to and repelling over waterfalls were perks as well.

Ready to rappel in Costa Rica.

To each experience, its own unique experience. They will forever be imbedded in my heart and I will never forget the things that I saw and the people I met along the way.

I’d like to thank the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation for providing me with study abroad scholarships. It is because of those scholarships that I was able to partake in those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I am forever in their debt.

From these experiences, who in the world knows where I will end up? I’m not sure, but I am up for the task to put more places, more cultures, more countries, more animals, and more agriculture, and more experiences under my belt.

Brooke Brock ’13 is a senior agricultural communications and journalism major at Texas A&M University and will graduate in May 2013. Brooke has always had a passion for people and since being admitted into the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, she has find her niche in connecting agriculture and people who, like herself, do not have backgrounds in agriculture. You can find Brooke AGvocating around campus and in the local Bryan/College Station community. Brooke plans to pursue a career in public relations after graduation.

A Life Changing Experience

6Feb

By Cally Hardwick

As we stood in the airport, I had no idea what I had got myself into. Twenty four Aggies sat anxiously waiting to board a plan to Costa Rica. Five hours later, we got into buses and began what could possible be the most exciting 15 days of my young life.

After traveling all day on twisting uphill bumpy roads, we finally arrived at the Texas A&M University Soltis Center for Learning and Research. It was wonderful! We filed into the bungalows to unpack, went down to the cafeteria for dinner, and called it a night. I do not think anyone really knew what the following day held.

“Breakfast 6:30 to 7:30, make sure you have water and whatever else you need in your backpack, and we are headed out at 8:00!” This became the norm of everyday life pretty quick for us. The first day we were at the center will always be very special to me. We got the opportunity to go on a hike through the rainforest that had a surprise ending. The long muddy journey was a little rough, but was very worth it!

The surprise ending: Two waterfalls. A picture can’t adequately do this sight justice!

Double Waterfall!
Photo courtesy of Samantha Alvis.

The next day, after hiking to a local farm, we returned to the center, had class, cleaned up and headed into town for New Year’s Eve. It was really neat to be able to experience local culture first hand.

We sat on the church steps waiting on the fire works show!

While sitting on the front steps of the church, I got the opportunity to play jump rope with two little girls. Even with our language barrier, I was able to communicate with them and have a really good time! I hope they always remember the New Year’s Eve that they jumped rope with the group of Americans!

Playing jump rope outside the church.
Photo courtesy of Tori Clay

Throughout our trip we visited several different agricultural operations. From small family-owned farms to larger corporate-scale companies, I learned so many things and have a greater appreciation for modern technology after visiting each one of them.

One morning we hiked to a local farm to help a family plant their bean crop. They had a field of coffee plants, but need to plant rows of beans between them so that the beans would put nitrogen in the soil for the coffee plant to utilize. 24 Aggies grabbed milk jugs that were cut in half and filled with seeds, sticks to poke holes in the soil where the beans would be planted, and hiked to the field to began working. We planted the entire field in just a few hours; a job that the owner said would have taken him and his son a couple of days. I walked away from this experience with a new found appreciation for farm equipment to say the least. Poking holes, bending over to place three bean seeds in, and continuing through the heat was definitely hard word, but the feeling of accomplishment and helping the family was well worth it.

Photo courtesy of Samantha Alvis.

We also go the chance to visit with several large-scale farm, two of which were organic operations. It was really interesting to learn about things such as biodiversity on farms. This practice means that every thing present on the land contributes in some way. Wither it be pigs used for turning over the soil like plows, animal waste as fertilizer, or specific plants planted so that others could benefit from what they deposited into the ground, everything effects at least one other aspect of the farm.

Now that we had explored the rainforest, hiked through the mountains, learned about many different Costa Rican agricultural practices, it was time to face some fears!

The first adventure led me the beginning of conquering my number one fear- Heights! We spent the day zip lining over the rainforest. It was amazing! The view of the top of the canopy looked like plush green carpet, and the volcano was unlike anything I have ever seen. There was also a large lake nearby that was really pretty as well.

The second day was when I would really tackle my fear head on. We went rappelling! The trip had a series of cliffs and waterfalls to rappell down, but the first was quite scary. I honestly thought I was about to start crying I was so scared as I looked over the edge and realized what I had got myself into. It was so much fun though! After my first trip down, I was walking right up to the edge, spinning around, and flying down the side of the cliffs. I am very grateful for this opportunity. I am very glad I tackled my fear and actually enjoyed it!

Costa Rica taught me many things. The love for Mother Nature was felt everywhere, and the respect they had for natural resources were really inspiring. As Americans, we generally take simple things like turning the water off when washing our hands or brushing our teeth and enjoying long showers for granted. To see not only a community, but also an entire country be “green” was amazing. I think that out of all of the things that my time studying abroad taught me, the lesson of giving back to Mother Nature, and only taking the very minimum was probably the greatest.

It’s amazing what you miss while traveling in a foreign country. Lack of wifi for communicating with friends back home, long hot showers, AIR CONDITIONING, and ice in your drink were all some of the things we missed while studying in Costa Rica. I cannot speak for everyone, but the experience I gained was life changing. I would definitely give up these things and much more to be able to experience my study abroad trip again.

*****

About the author: Cally Hardwick is a senior in agricultural communications and journalism. She’ll graduate in May 2013 and hopes to start a career in public relations. She is a member of the Fighting Texas Aggie Rodeo Team and enjoys traveling and competing in both college and amateur rodeos around the state. She loves the world of agriculture and wants to give back to it in any way possible.

A long days journey for caffeine

9Jan

By John T. Tyson
Photos by Samantha Alvis

The day is Tuesday January 8, 2013 and it is our tenth full day in Costa Rica. Today we toured a coffee plantation and it was worth the three hour bus ride. The majority of our travelers had not experienced how a coffee plantation operates. As we toured, we were able to see how the coffee is grown from a seedling to a mature coffee tree.

Jose, our tour guide, then explained how the coffee berries are removed once ripened and taken to the mill.

Once in the factory he explained how the coffee was roasted and cooled to be prepared for bagging. It was interesting to discover that the coffee they sell with their brand name is only 5% of the entire crop.

On the trip back to the Soltis Center we stopped in a small community, San Ramon. We enjoyed many local snacks such as ice cream and other “dulces” or sweets. The church in the center of town named after San Rafael was one of the most ornate building I have seen the entire trip. The ceilings had incredibly detailed murals and the walls were lined with vibrant stained glass windows.

I can not wait to see what tomorrow brings. Pura Vida!

Si Se Buethe?

8Jan

January 5, 2013

Today was one of the most exciting and frightening days. Why do you ask?

Well today was the day we went canyoning. When you hear the word “canyoning” your heart automatically sinks. The thought of throwing yourself off of a perfectly good cliff does not sound like a good idea. However we did it. Chanting “si se buethe” (yes we can) at the top of our lungs is the routine that got us through the adventure. This innovation has been diffused all over the world, but it took getting to Costa Rica for most of us to even try it out!

Sam, Jules, and Christy: “Everyone’s ready face”

Taylor: “Is it too late to go back?”

The group: “Ready to go again.”

Milk. It does the body good!

8Jan

By Jules Henry

We awoke bright and early Sunday morning to visit a dairy farm. Instead of pushing our fears to the limit like the days before, today was a day to treat our tummies!

We arrived at Crislee’s farm at 6:30am to be graciously greeted by him and his five year old daughter. Our first task was to milk cows. Being a city girl with no background in agriculture, this was a new adventure for me. I must say that milking a cow is not as easy as it looks. Some of my peers were either naturals or had previous experience. It was pretty entertaing. But it was really enjoyable to see every one’s smiling faces and laughter so early in the morning.

Jules milking her first cow!

After gathering two full buckets of milk, it was time to learn the process of cheese making. It was very interesting to learn how certain temperatures and how long the milk cooks will determine the type of product that will come out. For example, it takes four hours to make mozzarella cheese, but in less time, you can produce palmito cheese, which is popular in Costa Rica.

As we watched Crislee show us the process, we were able to make cheese ourselves. Some students stirred and kneaded the cheese in salted water. You repeat this process up to three or four times until the cheese became elastic and stretches out to about 12cm.

Jules showing John how to roll the cheese

Let me tell you, the cheese smelled amazing as I rolled it up to a weight of .5 kilos . . . it reminded me of a buttered croissant, which would have been a lovely addition to the cheese. I love cheese and this was some of the best tasting cheese I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.

We even learned the process of making yogurt. I’m not a big fan of yogurt, but the stuff Crislee gave us was ahh-maziiiing! Everything was fresh, with no preservatives. I think today was one of my favorite days since it was very different and we had my favorite food, cheese!

To finish out the weekend, we returned to the Soltis Center for class meetings. Later in the night, we had dinner and were treated to a special music fiesta. Everyone joined in and danced their hearts out in this big circle outside the center. It was such a pleasant experience and a nice way to finish out our last weekend here. WHOOP!

Let the Wind Blow

8Jan

By Meagan Ghormley

January 4, 2013

Today was a thrill seekers paradise. We started of the morning early and headed to the adventure of a lifetime, where learned about the innovation of ziplining.

We had a little over an hour drive past the beautiful volcano, up a few bumpy hills and finally to zip line over the rainforest canopy. Let me tell you it was a wonderful experience. For someone who has been zip lining before, this was the best adventure I have ever been on. Once we got to our destination, we geared up and headed up on a sky tram. Then from there we had the time of our life.

Tori and John are ready to get geared up!

Our view from the tram on the way up

And then we were off!

Taylor comes flying in on a cable they call Big Momma.

After an exhausting, but fun, day of zip lining, we headed off to Los Lagos. We had a wonderful dinner and watched the Aggies BTHO OU.

Hunters and Gatherers

4Jan

By Erynne Treptow

I would like to describe day five in Costa Rica with three words: hunters and gatherers. Today started off like the rest, Costa Rican breakfast with rice and beans. Afterwards I was able to lead the second go around of the ab workout. I don’t know why everyone is excited to join in in this exhilarating ab circuit, but those who are involved are exciting.

Today we also got a break from the mountainous trek we have usually been taking. Surprisingly there were no complaints about taking the bus! Our first destination was Finca Estudiva San Juan, an educational organic farm. We were able to see more of Costa Rica’s farm products. I don’t know the exact names but I can tell you what I call them: red die fruit, musty underarm fruit, cacao not to be mistaken with caca, many herbs and flowers, yuca, banana plants, and sugar cane.

We also milked a cow, tried some edible plants, sugar can juice, pure sugar cane, and candy that tasted like molasses. Our gathering skills came in as we pulled the yucca (cassava) for our lunch, which we helped prepare!

Up next was a tilapia farm. To our surprise, we were able to relax our sore bodies in the pool and fish in the tilapia pools. The real excitement came when the fish slapping began. We had to rangel up the fish we would have for our AMAZING dinner! Several student got in the pond and netted the fish, while getting belly and face slapped. This was truly my favorite day and at 7:30 I’m already ready for bed!

Rewarding Experiences

2Jan

By Christy Jones

What an amazing day we had on the last day of 2012!

We started our morning off by hiking to a local farmer’s property and helped him plant his crop of beans. Young coffee plants were already growing and we planted six to seven rows of beans in between. We poked a hole in the ground with a stick and placed three beans in the hole.

We were told that there were three reasons for planting the beans in with the coffee. One reason was to add nitrogen to the ground. Beans are a legumes and which are filled with nitrogen, which the coffee beans benefit from. The second and third were to prevent erosion with a cover crop and to keep the weeds under control. We only did half of the field at first. As a whole we decided to continue and plant the rest of the half-acre. What would take the farmer two or three days to plant we planted in two hours.

ALEC students planting beans for a local farmer.

It was a lot of hard work but one of the most rewarding experiences I have had thus far. Selfless service is my favorite of the core values. And it was an amazing feeling to know we worked together as a team and helped this farmer. This country has been such an eye opening experience for me.

That evening we all got ready to go to La Fortuna to ring in the New Year with the locals at block party with music, food and dance. It was amazing. My favorite part of the evening was dancing with an older gentleman. I love to dance and it allowed me to feel like I was back in my element. He had to teach me a little of the steps, but I caught on quick. The fireworks at midnight were beautiful. The last day of 2012 was one of my favorite days out of the whole year as far as memories and friendships go. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this trip has in store for us!

HIKE OF DEATH = beautiful discovery

1Jan

By Jules Henry

Word to the wise: Exercise on a treadmill with a 30 degree incline setting! This was the warning given to us by Dr. Strong to prepare for our study abroad in Costa Rica. A majority of us should have taken that advice more seriously.

I wish I had. Hmm…best way to describe it … MUD MUD MUUUUD! Add in steep hills and you got yourself a death hike.

However, I must say this was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever been able to experince. I saw a…A LEGEN…wait for it…DARY waterfall!!! (Hehe, a reference for fellow How I Met Your Mother).

You Spin Me Round

1Jan

By Jules Henry

Imagine, 24 faces made up of two professors, a TA, 10 graduate students, and 11 undergraduates. . . BOY HOWDY, what a great combination of individuals! This is the group of ALEC students participating in the wintermester study abroad to the Texas A&M Solsis Center in Costa Rica. Graduate students will be mapping out the community while the undergraduates are learning about how change happens and innovations are diffused.

Many of us left the airport in Houston on Saturday full of anticipation for what would lie ahead in the next two weeks.

We arrived in Liberia, Costa Rica and started a day full of traveling on winding roads and epic hills (no joke!). We traveled on the Pan-American road, which is being expanded to two lanes. How cool is that?!

The scenery was full of life and deep green colors. From the very beginning, there were many cultural differences like money, stop signs (they look like the ones at home but have ALTO on them) and even bathroom labels for men and women. The people are very welcoming and polite; it is nice that they try to converse with us even though we may not know the language. I should have been prepared! Other than that, what a welcoming community and country!

As expected, I think many of our heads were spinning from all the new sights and information that our brains were absorbing when we made it to our final destination, the Soltis Center. With that said, our first day was quite a whirlwind! And the wheels on the bus go round and round. . . haha, the buses are quite impressive for they are able to carry so much weight and go up very steep hills. I’m surprised we didn’t slide down!! Until tomorrow, keep on chuggin’ along!