You Can Take the Canadian out of Costa Rica,
But Not the Costa Rica out of the Canadian
By: David Miadovnik
CWY Global Learner Program Participant 2005
Sometimes in life we are presented with opportunities that seem so rare and amazing that passing them up would be considered
unthinkable. This March I was fortunate enough to experience one of these infrequent enlightening moments. I, along with 15 other
participants from Alexander Mackenzie High School, partook in a unique global education program organized by Canada World
Youth and its Costa Rican counterpart ACI (Asociación Cultural de Intercambio).
Our group would be living with Costa Rican families and working in their community; all the while immersing ourselves in the beauty
of both the natural environment and culture of their stunning country. I find myself unable to think back to my arrival in San Jose
without laughing, for the group behaved in a typical Canadian tourist manner. We relished in the warm tropical Costa Rican climate
after just hours ago wrestling with a bitter Canadian winter and gazed at palm trees as if they were godsends.
It was in San Jose where we met our guides Mauricio and Edgar plus the ever loveable and wacky bus driver, Quique (pronounced
kee-kay). We were driving to an ecotourism facility in Uvita for two days of orientation, a briefing on Costa Rican life and history plus
dancing lessons. It was here where we had our first encounter with a Costa Rican beach and both the salsa and meringue dance (to the
amusement of the cotourism facility’s staff).
The 3rd day of our program was perhaps the most nerve-wracking for us all. This was the time when we would leave Uvita for
Pedregoso de Perez Zeledon and be introduced to our host families. We drove into Pedregoso and were welcomed by a celebration in
the local primary school’s auditorium. The children at the primary school performed a special dance and the locals sang for us a
patriotic Costa Rican song. The Pedregoso residents and the Canada World Youth participants sat on opposite sides of the
auditorium, as Mauricio read out the names of the families we all would be staying with. Greetings were exchanged when we met our
host families and we would sit with them for the rest of the ceremony.
The time spent in Pedregoso, our host community, was undoubtedly the highlight of the program. We communicated with our
families through what little Spanish we knew and body gestures. At first we felt awkward and made numerous mistakes, but as time
passed the skepticism at our own abilities was replaced with confidence as everyone became more accustomed to the language.
During this time, we learned about cross cultural communication. While in Pedregoso our group participated in volunteer communal
work. We sanded and painted the walls of the town’s renovated church plus hauled around mounds of cement and dug through a
pre-made pit in the primary school’s yard which we would assist turning into a gymnasium. During this time, we learned about some
of the communities development objectives.
However, not everything in Pedregoso was related to working under the hot Costa Rican sun. We traveled to a nature reserve called
Fudebiol, where we saw the native butterflies of Costa Rica, climbed up vines, crawled down steep hills, photographed beautiful
waterfalls and completed a highly rewarding 900M hike up-hill. Our journey also led us to Corcovado National Park, a place famed
for its rich array of biodiversity. We traveled to our remote lodgings by boat, slept in small huts and dined in a cabana nestled under
the rainforest canopy. While in Corcovado, we tried boating on the ocean and went on two hikes through the wilderness, which gave
us plenty of opportunities to photograph the local critters and giant waves. What better way for young people to implement
environmental education than by allowing us to experience the environment first hand!
One of the stops on the Canada World Youth group’s program was a coffee factory. We came here to learn about a major Costa
Rican industry and that there is more to coffee than simply decaf or a medium double-double. Much like the grapes in wine,
everything with the coffee bean affects the finished product and the communities around it. In the Costa Rican coffee industry, no
stone is left unturned. My personal favourite moment throughout our time in the factory was when we were all taken aside to actually
smell and taste several different types of coffee for ourselves.
When we returned to San Jose, the group visited the city’s national theatre, a landmark which was hundreds of years old and featured
astounding designs, artworks and sculptures that gave it a distinctive European feel. However, in my opinion the highlight of our
learning was the Poas Volcano. Never in my entire life had I seen such raw, powerful and natural breathtaking beauty. Decades ago
the volcano had erupted with such a magnitude and force that it exploded and formed a bowl-shaped alcove called a caldera. We all
watched with amazement as sulfur clouds floated over the volcano’s crater lake.
I had only spent two weeks in Costa Rica, yet I had done, seen and experienced more things in that time period than I had ever in my
whole life. However, what struck me as remarkable was how we all bonded with our host families. We came to Costa Rica as
strangers in a different land, divided from its people by culture, language, nationality and geographical distance. Yet, when we had to
leave Pedregoso we all began to shed tears. Our host community welcomed us into their homes and lives with open arms and the
utmost of hospitality and warmth. For ten days, we shared their lifestyle, taught and were taught customs, culture and language.
Despite our limited time in this small Costa Rican town, our group persevered and proved that behind all the trivial differences on the
surface there lies an inherent humanity connecting all of us. We came to this country as foreigners, but left as family.
I would personally like to thank Mrs. Kim Earle and Ms. Jennifer Alexander our teachers and chaperones on behalf of the entire group
and myself. Their time, effort and diligent planning and organization made this life changing trip possible. Likewise, I would also
recommend to all the readers that they should encourage their school boards to support Canada World Youth programs. My group
and I are evidence that Canada World Youth is a worthwhile endeavour, and that though we are no longer in Costa Rica we still hold a
bit of Costa Rica in our hearts.