Community Service and Kayaking in Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica

As the title suggests, our eighth day in Costa Rica was one of community service. After breakfast we walked downtown to meet the students at the grocery store. Sara took some pictures of houses along the way.

From there we all walked to what used to be a convent for the local church. The walk was only a mile or so, and we were able to see more of the town along the way.

The convent had not been used for many years and had fallen into disrepair. We helped some local church members to clean the windows, floors and walls as well as the yard. What would have taken them weeks to do, we were able to accomplish in about three hours.

The work was not easy, but we played games to keep it fun. Working in groups also helped to make the work more bearable. None of the students ever complained, and they all worked hard until we were done.

In one of the bedrooms, I found an old file and gave it to Gustavo. He immediately used it to sharpen his machete.

I also found a spider in one of the eaves. It was hard to take a picture that would give you an idea of the scale, but she was at least three inches long. Eric threw a centipede into the web, and we all watched the battle that ensued. The centipede did not give up easily, but I do not think that he ever had a real chance of escape.

Before we knew it, the work was done. The gardens looked especially nice.

We said goodbye to our hosts and headed back to Eric’s house for lunch.

On the way, I took a picture of some cows. I just could not stop myself. These buzzards also caught my attention. I am not sure what they were eating because they covered it completely.

Back in town, we stopped by the park that we cleaned on our visit in 2013. I wanted to show the students what the other students from their school had done on their community service day. I was so glad to see that the community had maintained the park in good condition after we left.

Jonathan had prepared lunch for us back at the house. I wish that I had taken more pictures of Eric and Yessenia’s house, but I think that you can see from these that the architecture is unique.

Here is the house rooster. He might have been the one that was waking us up every morning. We were staying just down the road.

After lunch we walked around the corner to the beach to go kayaking. On the beach I took a picture of this iguana and had to wonder if it was perhaps the same one that I took a picture of in the exact same spot in 2013. This webpage says that Costa Rican black iguanas can live up to twenty years in the wild.

We did not have enough kayaks for all of us. Eric was not able to go, and poor Kira had to sit in between Margaret and I in a two person kayak. It was not very comfortable, but she was a trooper. Everyone else had a proper seat.

It was the same trip through the mangrove that we took in 2013. I enjoyed it just as much the second time as I did the first. It did rain again this time, but not as hard as it did last time.

The mangroves are so beautiful. It makes me sad that they are in danger of disappearing.

On the way back we stopped to swim on a beach.

On the way back, there was water on my camera lens, but I like how the pictures turned out.

Back at the beach by Eric’s house, Jonathan and Kira used drums to fish. I had never seen that method of fishing before. It was fascinating.

That evening, Margaret, Sara and I went out with Eric and Yessenia to relax and talk amongst ourselves. (Please say that in the churchlady’s voice if you know what I am talking about.) I didn’t take any pictures while we were out, but I did take one of this frog on our walk home.

If you have missed any of the previous Costa Rica posts, you can catch up here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6 and Day 7.

Happy Travels!