CCBS therapist Jacob Hafkin

Well…It has happened!

Five students, two staff members.  A two-hour van ride followed by a 3.5-hour flight, and there we were…strangers in a foreign land.  From the second we got off the plane ride we were hit with the melodic sounds of Spanish and the oppressive heat of Central America. Customs was a painless endeavor. Only Ben G. was singled out for questioning.  I do believe they were confused as to how someone could smile so big after so much travel!

Upon exiting the airport we met our guides, Ormidas and Jake.  Ormidas, a tiny muscular “chihuahua” of a man was born and raised in the very jungle that we were about to enter.  Forever smiling, he embodied the energy and positivity that Costa Ricans (“Ticos”) are known for.  Jake, originally from Wisconsin, has been living in Costa Rica for four years.  Possessing a wealth of knowledge regarding the local flora and fauna, this yoga practicing pony-tailed zen master was a calming force for the boys throughout.

Our first day saw us drive the two hours to Volcan Arenal.  The boys were excited to see that our hotel had a pool, and eagerly washed off the dust that traveling 1600 miles brings.

The next morning we woke up early and drove to the side of the volcano to go zip lining.  The boys were nervous, and as the morning fog cleared I watched each young man zoom off across the valley and through the jungle canopy.  There was some nervousness, and a few of the boys needed some coaxing, but all got through, and there were smiles all around by the end.  After flying through the jungle we spent some time at ground level, swimming and playing at La Fortuna falls.  Winding down more than 500 steps, the steep staircase leads to a 75 meter cascade into a beautiful Carolina blue pool (go heels).  The water was ice cold, and the guys loved swimming as hard as they could towards the base of the falls, getting pushed back by the force of the water.

We ended our VERY active first day with a trip to Baldi Hot Springs.  Lets close our eyes and picture a beautiful union between a hot tub and a water park.  Think of cascades of 100 degree water flowing down rock faces.  Up where the water was at its hottest there were adults relaxing in pools, sprawled out like a coon hound in the sunshine! Lower in the park our boys wore themselves out racing down bathtub temperature waterslides and splashing in steaming hot pools.  It was sublime.  And resulted in all students asleep by 8:30…even more sublime!

Our next day was probably the toughest for the guys.  We woke up at 4:30 in the morning and jumped in the van for a 7-hour drive to the southern part of the country.  Most of the trip was quiet, with boys lost in ipods or books, and sometimes even both.  The drive was broken up by a stop at a bridge over a river known as a prime crocodile sunbathing spot.  I asked the boys to choose a sacrificial victim.  Didn’t plan on them nominating me…

The end of the drive saw us leave one car and head into a pair of off road vehicles for another 2.5 hours of  4×4 low rockcrawling to our first home stay.  Overlooking the Rio Savegre Valley, the Rancho Tiramu was a mountaintop paradise. The patriarch Santiago and his family made us feel welcome from the start. It wasn’t long before Ben and Harrison were plucking feathers off a chicken, the same one we ate later that night.

The boys played soccer with the kids and taught each other tunes on the guitar.  Our bunks were comfy, in the way only a foam mattress in a wooden structure can be.  We fell asleep to the sounds of tree frogs and cicadas, and woke to the crowing of a rooster.  Harrison especially was perturbed to realize that the rooster does not, in fact, crow only once when its time to wake up,  and he had to learn to ignore the fowl noise (see what I did there?? Foul/fowl??…it’s a pun!)

Our day was spent helping the family repair a road that was rutted and washed out from numerous rains and landslides.  Griffin especially enjoyed using a pickaxe, and Lars, as usual, could be counted on to work hard and smile big.  We were rewarded with a  trip to a hidden waterfall pool a short hike away from the homestead.  The boys relaxed in the water and Santiago’s grandson reveled in the opportunity to play with kids his own age.  Through hand gestures, periodic translations and two languages the boys asked him about school and his life, and found that he had been born at the same ranch they were staying. It was a true cross cultural experience.

The afternoon was spent sorting black beans.  Hours of examining tiny legumes for imperfections gave us all a whole new understanding for what goes into our food.

The next morning we woke up and hiked the three miles to our next homestead.  After winding our way down the mountain we climbed in twos up to a platform and stepped into a cable car.  Suspended over the Rio Savegre, the slightly terrifying contraption of welded scrap metal allowed us to hand over hand work our way across.   This next home stay was a lesson in kitchen skills for our boys.  We made chocolate bread and banana bread.  We made our own cheese and called in the cows.  We cut and pressed sugarcane, and the boys tasted Tico Gatorade (sugar cane water).  After the inevitable sugar rush/crash we tucked in to bed.  More foam mattresses on the floor and another early morning.  The guys learned that 5 am is not, in fact, an early wakeup if you went to sleep before 9 the night before!  Lars, however, was still not a fan of mornings.

Our final home stay was reached after a 4-mile hike. Turns out that “flat” is a relative term in Costa Rica.  Harrison dropped his hat in a cow pie, and Griffin and Lorcan made sure we knew they weren’t happy.  All was as it should be.  Ben grinned goofily, and Lars cracked jokes.  The boys all rallied around struggling group members, and we really came together as a team.

Our final home stay was a gorgeous setup.  8 bunks, 16 beds in total were built into a wall that overlooked a covered “living room”.  Just over the railing was a sheer drop down to the river.  Across the river was a cliff.  We were told that in the rainy season there’s a waterfall, but we had to make do with beautiful orchids and a green scene of dreams.  This site was the home of our rappelling adventure.  All the boys were active participants, and those who were nervous were able to conquer their fear of heights.  Our tree climbing was canceled due to rain, and instead we visited a traditional sweat lodge.

Three times we went into the sauna.  First for the body, next to cleanse the mind, and finally for our spirits.  In between we dipped our bodies into the cold river.  We were told to maintain silence and remain introspective.  I was proud of the guys, as they took the opportunity seriously.  Nicholas laughed afterwards about feeling a frog jump across his hand and having to stifle his squeal.  On our way back we were reminded of the cycle of life, when we saw a snake in the process of swallowing another.  After a meal (guess what…more rice n beans!) The guys learned how to make chocolate.  From grinding the beans to adding milk and sugar we were taught that chocolate doesn’t taste all that terrific before we add the necessary ingredients!  That night, after a few games with the kids the boys tucked into their beds.  Griffin was excited to sleep in his hammock!

Our last section of the trip was a journey down the coast to Playa Matapalo.  Our accommodations were right off the beach, so the location was stupendous.  Nick and I managed to snag a room with AC, but the boys had fans (totally a teachable moment…life isn’t always fair ☺).  We took surf lessons, and the next two days were an adventure of crashing waves, repeated spills, multiple applications of sunscreen and finally getting the hang of it!  I am so proud of all our crew.  Every single student was able to stand up on the surfboard.  Lars, Ben and Griffin were our water babies, and had to practically be dragged out of the water!  Lars rocked a headstand on a surfboard (can you believe it?!)  and all had a blast.

Our final day was a nature hike through Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio.  We saw bats, we saw howler monkeys, we saw deer and we saw toucan.  Spiders and sloths and lizards OH MY!  It finished at a gorgeous beach…what a way to say goodbye to the Pacific!  Our drive back to San Jose was painless, and we celebrated our final night with a visit to the celebrated Machu Picchu restaurant. (Cause Peruvian food in Costa Rica makes sense!)  The guides and staff took part in a traditional ceviche and lomo salteado, and the boys ate more cheeseburgers and pasta.  You can lead a horse to water!…

The next morning we woke up and jumped on our plane back.  The boys were sad to say goodbye to Central America,  and as we stepped off the plane Harrison turned to Nick and said “This is the best trip I’ve ever been on.”  I feel the same way, dude.

We did it.  Cherokee Creek Boys School stepped (way) outside of our comfort zone.  We jumped headfirst into a foreign country and navigated the unfamiliar language, culture, food and terrain.  Our boys went from exclaiming about the poverty to exclaiming about the locals’ eternal happiness and positivity.  We built confidence and overcame obstacles.  We lived with authenticity and we thrived in the moment. And in the process discovered what is real and true about ourselves and the world around.