With the help of one of our volunteers, the kids at Damas had a chance to learn Ultimate Frisbee. She taught them throws, explained spirit of the game, and led them in several drills and a half court game.
She and her team were so successful, that the kids wanted more! So, we are working towards starting an Ultimate team where the kids can hone their Frisbee, leadership and teamwork skills. Great job team!
On September 28th, GVI Quepos and Quepos Bodyboard hosted the Corona Cocaleña, a youth bodyboard competition that took place in El Cocal. This sport is popular with the kids of Cocal, but they often do not get the chance to compete in competitions where they can learn the structure and rules of the sport and teamwork. This competition was the second annual event and it was very successful!
The day will filled with smiles, backflips, arroz con pollo, reggae, and fun. All the money raised from the event went towards prizes for the kids such as new fins, a bodyboard cover, and inscription fees. We hope that any child with talent and motivation to stay healthy and continue in school can be involved with bodyboarding. I’m sure we’ll see some of them at the Worlds Competition in Chile!
On Saturday Costa Rica played an excellent game against the Netherlands! There were several amazing saves and the game went all the way to penalty shots. Even though Costa Rica lost, it was an exciting game! I watched the game from the Marina on a big scene. Interestingly, even before the penalty shots, people started dancing, and even after Costa Rica lost, everyone continued to celebrate.
The reason? This was a historic World Cup for Costa Rica. Never has the Costa Rican team made it this far. Costa Rica may have been elinated from the World Cup, but this series will go down in history. Congratulations, ticos! You played well and made your country proud. I feel very lucky that I could join in on the excitement and celebration.
Costa Rica is still in the game and advancing to the quarter finals! The game against Greece was truly historic because this is the furthest Costa Rica has even come in the World Cup! For this game, every bar in Manuel Antonio and Quepos was packed. People showed their pride by wearing Costa Rica jerseys and painting flags on their cheeks. All around me were locals, expats, and tourists alike cheering for the Costa Rica team. As the players did well we cheered them on. And when they missed a pass and lost a player, we felt their pain. In fact, I believe the entire bar was in shocked silence when Greece made a goal less than 1 minute left of the game, which started overtime and eventually penalty kicks. During the penalty kicks, the stress and anxiety in the room was palpable. With the winning kick, the bar exploded in cheers, hugs for everyone, tears of joy, and even one man giving everyone a hug and saying, “Costa Rica, I love you forever.” I feel so lucky to be in Costa Rica during this memorable World Cup. Be sure to tune in to the World Cup on Saturday for Costa Rica vs. Netherlands! ¡Vamos Ticos!
Cheering on Costa Rica with my fellow staff members, cartoon style.
View from the bar, Barba Roja of Manuel Antonio.
Watching the Game from Barba Roja. I was a little bit hidden by a pole, but I had a great view of the screen!
A bike ride from Monterey towards Seaside on the bike path will take you to the impressive Ford Ord Sand Dunes.
Spring break was a time for relaxing on Donner Lake, downhill skiing in the morning, and cross country skiing in the afternoon.
When grad students need to relax, we play soccer on the beach…and it’s very serious! The primary spectators of this game were sea lions and sea otters at Point Lobos. A few dolphins even stopped by to check out the action.
Exploring the Cloud Forest while Zip-lining in Costa Rica.
We were very excited to be in the Sierra de Madrid and collecting plants for my friends’ biology project.
We escaped busy Madrid for a weekend to ski at Formigal in the the Pyrenees on the Spain side.