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Chanel Jencks writes

...about her experience while volunteering in the Costa Rica Volunteer program.

Diary Entries:

· I made it!!!!
· Spanish - Whew!!
· Playa Buena Vista

I made it!!!! (7th January 2008)

So it's my first day here and it's already been an adventure... I had found my ride Carlos to the rescue!! with a beat up old diesel puke green manual Mercedes. By this time it is Midnight and when we barge in on my homestay she is nothing but nice and speaking not one word of English. I had my first Spanish lessons this morning and am studying with a girl who came from Switzerland and will be going to the turtles with me how awesome is that!
Ciao
Chanel

Spanish - Whew!! (10th January 2008)

I am here at ESI - the school where I am taking lessons- and it is going well in only a week I am able to converse with the locals and my host family well. My problem is not the talking, it is understanding what they say back to me - as they talk sooooo fast here... It's amazing what 4 days does. Tomorrow is my last day of Spanish lessons and then it is off to Hostel Pangea in San Jose for 2 days on my own and Anna gets here on sunday afternoon. On Monday morning we will both take the 5 hour bus ride to Samara where we will arrive at our project after a half mile walk... well I need to go to my homestay to get lunch.
Ciao
Chanel

Playa Buena Vista (20th January 2008)

We are all doing fine. It is really hot today at 7.30 am it was 87 degrees!!! We are doing a lot of back breaking work. The first few days we moved sand bags that we got to choose how much sand was in them . let me tell you I was not happy about that. But it got better. Then we had to move the big sand bags that were pre-filled that are used as barricades- those are some HEAVY things. It took two of us just to lift one of them. We all have blisters and sand everywhere.

The food is actually good. And I am enjoying the people that are here with me. We met these two girls from Australia that are really awesome. My first day here we dug up a nest and we got 95 turtles. They are so cute but I will have to send you pictures later. I am in the town right now that is not far from the project. It is called Samara. You can probably google earth it. We literally live in a shack that has bunk beds and some mattresses on the floor. Everything is very primitive but liveable.

Last night on hatchery duty Karina (from Australia) and I got 67 turtles and another 6 from another nest. It was really awesome. I have not seen any mamma turtles but might soon as I have not gone on patrol yet. We will be here for 1 more week then maybe a little travelling and then to another project - maybe in the rainforest. Ciao for now.
Chanel