Just landed

We just touched down at SFO and will be  meeting parents at baggage claim!

Back in USA

Rain!

We lucked out! Just as we made it back from zip lining the rainy season made its first appearance. 

Ir de senderismo - Thursday

We hiked with our guide Steven around the northern side of Sámara.

Friday Fun.

Today was a great day. It was jampacked with activities. We started our day with class and even had an exam. We at lunch ate school and then had a small graduation celebration where our teacher said some nice words, presented us with a certificate and we had a chance to show off our new Spanish skills by sharing some words ourselves. 

After our graduation ceremony, we were shirked off to start our kayaking trip. We rowed out to an island in double kayaks and snorkels around. It was a great time. 

After returning to do some shopping and having dinner with our families, we met up again for an evening of dancing while watching the lightening over the ocean. 

They are drinking mock tails. 

Wednesday Crafts

After a long day of dancing, las alumnas decided that arts and crafts sounded more appealing than Zumba.

Happy Birthday Camille!

August 6 is Camille's birthday so we couldn't let the day pass with out a little celebration. 

Lunch on the beach. 

Fresh fruit juice with milk or water. 

A birthday ice cream with the traditional song. 

Thursday's adventures

This morning we started our day off with a local hike with a guide. In our hike we saw lots of nature. 

For example, we saw some howler monkeys playing in the trees. 

We made our way to a few vista points. 

Latin Dance lessons

After lunch today, we all participated in a dance lesson where we learned the Salsa, Merengue, and another dance perhaps called the Horchata.

Clase el miércoles

Today our Notre Damers had their third day of classes at the SÁmara language school

The most important "rule" here is to always be speaking Spanish. There are reminders posted everywhere. 

Classes typically consist of three hours of instruction followed by a one hour activity outside. Today, students were out on the deck playing "pato pato ganso. "

Why play a game for children? Because this served as a hook to get students thinking about cultural differences, and students had to break down each step and give instructions in Spanish. 

Just before the activity- students learned "Tico" children's games. 

Tuesday's adventures

Today we had some free time in the mornings. Several of us hit the beach to practice our new found surfing skills and others swam in the warm ocean waters. After a shower, we had our cooking class of empanadas. After we enjoyed our dessert, we went out for a delicious meal. 

After lunch we all attended our classes at school. 

When class was done, we relaxed in hammocks and/or swam at the beach. Some did some homework in the hammocks. 

We went home to our host families for dinner, some homework time (perhaps) and to apply more insect repellent before heading back to the beach for a bonfire. We even had one (or two or five) marshmallows. 

All in all, it was a great day. Looking forward to Wednesday's adventures!