Marissa's First Field Trip/Field Study

Monday, Sept. 29th (oh my gosh, I am sooooo behind....never thought I'd be having too much fun to write in my blog about how much fun we are all having!  Bare with me as I catch up...)

Today, Marissa's 4th grade class went on their first field trip of the year....well, they call them "field studies" at La Paz and the kids get to ride in buses to them (Marissa was, I think, most excited about the bus part!).   It was an all day trip to Santa Cruz (about 1 hour south east of Playa Flamingo) and we all got to sit in a comfy, air conditioned bus for the trip.....

Inside Marissa's classroom...it's open air!

 

Marissa awaiting instructions for the trip...

Marissa's class list...19 kids...Mr. Dodge (from Oregon) is her teacher (19 students)

Loading donations into the bus....

First stop.....arriving at the nursing home in Santa Cruz...

Kid's walking into the nursing home (Marissa 2nd from right)

Delivering the donations (mostly canned goods).....

 

Kid's getting ready for show.....Marissa is there in the middle

Marissa and Grace greeting the residents....

Singing and dancing....Marissa 3rd from left

 

Marissa's teachers....Ms. Claudia, a nun from the center, Ms. Xenia, and Mr. Dodge

Grace and Marissa  (Grace moved here last year from Colorado)

 

Residents wave good-bye

Bus ride to next stop....Marissa is in the back row with Grace and Siena.  Our neighbor and Siena's mom, Lynore is the other mom in the middle there.  They moved here 3 years ago from Pennsylvania.  They also have a son, Liam in Dominic's grade and a son back in the states in college.

Next stop....hike over a local hanging bridge!

Mr. Dodge takes the kids across....

 

A little shaky with so many kids!

 

Mr. Dodge leading the kids on a hike (that is Marissa, Grace and Siena with him)

A hiking we will go....

 

2nd hanging bridge....much older and with many missing boards!

 

Hold on!  Marissa and Grace are behind Mr. Dodge

 

Walking thru the neighborhood...

More neighborhood walking....

 

After the hike and walk thru the neighborhood, we arrive at  Ms. Xenia's house!  She is Marissa's Spanish teacher....she was so proud to show off her typical Costa Rican home. 

One bedroom for 5 people...very typical.

 

Ms. Xenia's kitchen (Marissa on right)

Next we drove thru downtown Santa Cruz...quite a big town with shopping and a big town feel, but still very "cowboy" in feeling, too.

 

Typical store....no dressing rooms and usually no mirrors either!

Tech store/Pharmacy all in one!

 

Next, we gather at a park...Marissa is right in the middle, bottom row

 

The center of the park....

Sienna (also our neighbor) and Grace (lives in Tamarindo) and Marissa

 

Marissa's class again...She's on the ground in middle...

This is the oldest tower/structure in Costa Rica...300+ years old and did not fall in the earthquake!

 

Next, we walked across the street to the church (every town center has a church, park/soccer field)

Marissa and Grace

 

 The kids at a shrine

 



All the stained glass was of various positions of hands...

 

Then we went to a local lunch hangout made possible by Ms. Xenia

The looooong dinner table

 

Sienna, Marissa and Grace

The kitchen!  In case you are wondering....you can drink the water and eat all the food in Costa Rica.  Even in places like this, we have never gotten sick or had problems.  They take great pride.

 

 

A "typico" Costa Rican "casado" dish of chicken, rice, beans, plantains, and salad

Fresh homemade tortillas for pushing your food onto your fork and for soaking up the juice

This is a typical dish with meat over rice, noodles, beans

 

The kids dig in!

One last class photo...Marissa is in the front (between Grace and Siena)

 

And that was a day well spent!  I really enjoying going and getting to know and meet Marissa's teachers and classmates.  What a great bunch they are and now I know why she likes it so much!