Dec 2023 – Jan 2024

Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24

Students and faculty from Longwood University will travel to Costa Rica; we will be immersing in the culture, observing the approach to sustainability, and seeing what we can learn from this developing country. Read more

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Footprints
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Trip start
December 26, 2023
Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 12:58 AM
- 🌙 30 °F
- Altitude: 433 ft
- United States Millwood Pond 37.275036, -78.37722837°16’30” N 78°22’38” W
Getting ready for departure
December 21, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 30 °F
Hello friends and family. This is my first post for the Costa Rica 2023–2024 photo journal. I am Melanie Marks, and I lead the Costa Rica program. I will be creating posts for you to view several times a day, as long as I have Internet connection. I hope you will check the journal regularly and add comments. You see me here eating a red banana, which now has different significance to your students who have studied the history of bananas in Central America. By the way, this red banana is incredible--tastes way better than what we normally get in stores. I look forward to getting out of this cold weather and into the tropical climate.Read more
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 1:24 AM
- 🌧 46 °F
- Altitude: 335 ft
- United States Washington Dulles International Airport 38.948956, -77.45024938°56’56” N 77°27’1” W
Delayed in Dulles
December 27, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 46 °F
Flight delays are giving students a chance to get to know each other. But we are hoping not to see any further delays.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 2:24 AM
- ☁️ 46 °F
- Altitude: 292 ft
- United States Washington Dulles International Airport 38.940941, -77.45258338°56’27” N 77°27’9” W
We are off
December 27, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Next stop is Guatemala.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 7:06 PM
- ☁️ 70 °F
- Altitude: 3,038 ft
- Costa Rica Quebrada Cañas 9.998226, -84.2043019°59’54” N 84°12’15” W
We are finally here
December 27, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
We are 12 hours late but we are finally here in a small town outside of the airport. The group is tired, understandably, but they are in good spirits.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 7:45 PM
- ☁️ 70 °F
- Altitude: 3,120 ft
- Costa Rica Parque El Arroyo 10.014943, -84.20900710°0’54” N 84°12’32” W
Cute LaJuela Hostel
December 27, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
We will spend three nights throughout the trip in this cute hostel with my favorite chef, Miss Laura.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 11:02 PM
- ☁️ 70 °F
- Altitude: 3,123 ft
- Costa Rica Parque El Arroyo 10.014847, -84.20948610°0’53” N 84°12’34” W
Walking Tour of Alajuela
December 27, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
We are in a small community near the airport that is cute and walkable. Even though we were all tired, we went for a night stroll to get some fresh air.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 9:05 AM
- ☁️ 75 °F
- Altitude: 3,235 ft
- Costa Rica Geranios 9.997161, -84.1686159°59’50” N 84°10’7” W
Central Market
December 28, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F
The students were set loose in central market where locals go to buy produce, cheese, fish, meat, etc. and their task was to buy ingredients for a cooking competition. And they had a scavenger hunt activity. I think they had a great time. The locals are very friendly.Read more
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 11:21 AM
- 🌩️ 79 °F
- Altitude: 4,301 ft
- Costa Rica Lajas 9.899602, -84.1409369°53’59” N 84°8’27” W
Mask Workshop
December 28, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ 🌩️ 79 °F
We spent the morning with a local mask maker who learned the skill from his grandfather. The process is like paper Mâché, but there are now competitors who use fiberglass because it is easier and much faster. You can see that our students enjoyed putting on the masks and of course dancing around. A few students experienced the first part of the process.Read more
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 11:25 AM
- ☁️ 77 °F
- Altitude: 4,511 ft
- Costa Rica Quebrada Higuerones 9.896425, -84.1436319°53’47” N 84°8’37” W
Local Church
December 28, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F
We had the opportunity to visit this local church. Across the street you see a wall carving depicting the ox cart culture from the past.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 3:20 PM
- 🌧 70 °F
- Altitude: 4,478 ft
- Costa Rica Playa 9.840038, -84.1773089°50’24” N 84°10’38” W
Pal Michal
December 28, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ 🌧 70 °F
We are in the mountains in a small, rural ecolodge. Students are meeting with one of the family members who founded this sustainability project for the community in 1994. Seed money came from the United Nations to build the basic infrastructure. There is a coffee mill nearby that allows local farmers to bypass the middleman. We are in the forest now and it is so green. The conservation projects that protect the springs are responsible for delivering clean water from the mountains for 50,000 people.Read more
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 5:05 PM
- 🌧 68 °F
- Altitude: 4,472 ft
- Costa Rica Playa 9.839987, -84.1777199°50’24” N 84°10’40” W
Cooking Competition
December 28, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ 🌧 68 °F
Students are engaged in cooking competition to make the best pico de gallo and guacamole. We bought ingredients in the beautiful central market and now they are working hard to see what they can come up with. I will post the finished products soon.Read more
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 6:06 PM
- ☁️ 66 °F
- Altitude: 4,472 ft
- Costa Rica Playa 9.840216, -84.1779419°50’25” N 84°10’41” W
Big Bugs
December 28, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
The bugs are big here in the forest.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 6:38 PM
- ☁️ 64 °F
- Altitude: 4,482 ft
- Costa Rica Playa 9.840169, -84.1779069°50’25” N 84°10’40” W
Patacones
December 28, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
Students are making fried green plantains which are delicious when salted and served with guacamole. They've done an excellent job trying new foods and volunteering.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Friday, December 29, 2023 at 9:35 AM
- ☁️ 66 °F
- Altitude: 4,846 ft
- Costa Rica Playa 9.842986, -84.1738059°50’35” N 84°10’26” W
Walk to Coffee Farm
December 29, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
Our first activity today is a visit to a coffee farm. But it is far up the mountain. Along the way students see examples of the illegal deforestation to grow coffee.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Friday, December 29, 2023 at 9:38 AM
- ☁️ 66 °F
- Altitude: 4,820 ft
- Costa Rica Playa 9.842493, -84.1740089°50’33” N 84°10’26” W
Finca Pareje Bendicion
December 29, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
The coffee farm is stunning and the views are fantastic. The picture of deforestation is not the farm we are on. But you can see the line of deforestation clearly.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Friday, December 29, 2023 at 9:57 AM
- ☁️ 66 °F
- Altitude: 4,820 ft
- Costa Rica Playa 9.842495, -84.1740249°50’33” N 84°10’26” W
Coffee Picking
December 29, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
Students have been assigned to rows of coffee plants and their job is to pick only the ripest coffee cherries. After 30 minutes of coffee harvesting, they will look at their cups of coffee quite differently now. Normally immigrants come from places like Nicaragua to harvest the coffee in Costa Rica. Costa Rica focuses on boutique coffee as opposed to lower quality bulk coffee that we see in places like Columbia.Read more
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Friday, December 29, 2023 at 3:01 PM
- ☁️ 70 °F
- Altitude: 4,472 ft
- Costa Rica Playa 9.840087, -84.1778059°50’24” N 84°10’40” W
Homework Time
December 29, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
Students are spending the rainy afternoon working on homework. In small group they are reflecting on what is involved in building an economy with a thriving tourism sector and what challenges there might be. They also thinking about how government might be able to make certain investments to promote development of tourism.Read more
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Friday, December 29, 2023 at 4:31 PM
- ☁️ 70 °F
- Altitude: 4,219 ft
- Costa Rica Playa 9.839225, -84.1839389°50’21” N 84°11’2” W
Pizza Making
December 29, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
Students visited the home of a local family who has a Pizza project. Today students are making their own dinner in this beautiful homemade pizza oven.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Friday, December 29, 2023 at 8:02 PM
- ☁️ 64 °F
- Altitude: 4,472 ft
- Costa Rica Playa 9.840002, -84.1777969°50’24” N 84°10’40” W
Latin Dance Lessons
December 29, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
Students are hard at work learning the Salsa, Bachata, and most likely we will add the Cumbia or a Costa Rican dance. They are very good sports.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Friday, December 29, 2023 at 10:30 PM
- ☁️ 63 °F
- Altitude: 4,472 ft
- Costa Rica Playa 9.84001, -84.1777279°50’24” N 84°10’40” W
Smores Plan B
December 29, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F
When it rains and you cannot have a bonfire, you improvise with the four burner gas stove to make S'mores. This German student ate something like 10. Glad we could bring him all the way to Costa Rica to learn this American tradition.Read more
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 7:53 AM
- ☁️ 70 °F
- Altitude: 3,901 ft
- Costa Rica Río Negro 9.834935, -84.2010949°50’6” N 84°12’4” W
Campaseno Breakfast
December 30, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
Students visited the family farm of our local host to enjoy the type of breakfast someone would pack for their day of work in the fields. The farm is small, about 1.2 acres, and grows coffee, bananas, citrus, etc.Read more
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 1:06 PM
- ☁️ 75 °F
- Altitude: 4,180 ft
- Costa Rica Quebrada Sucia 10.303095, -84.8342310°18’11” N 84°50’3” W
Monteverde
December 30, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F
We have arrived in MonteVerde, founded by the Quakers who were dodging the draft. You can see just how lush and green the mountains are. We will be exploring a lot of wonderful Ecotourism and adventure tourism activities while here. But we are also learning how a country can create an economy tied to tourism while also preserving the natural environment.Read more
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 8:41 PM
- ☁️ 64 °F
- Altitude: 4,393 ft
- Costa Rica Santa Elena 10.317728, -84.82457710°19’4” N 84°49’28” W
Macaws
December 30, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
These are macaws that have been domesticated but they are still really beautiful. At one point, people were mixing breeds because that was a loophole in the laws. You cannot traffic or buy wild animals in Costa Rica. But for a while, the mixed breeds did not have legal protection.Read more
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 8:46 PM
- ☁️ 64 °F
- Altitude: 4,393 ft
- Costa Rica Santa Elena 10.317792, -84.82449310°19’4” N 84°49’28” W
Horseback through the Mountains
December 30, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
Students had the opportunity to ride by horseback through the incredible mountains and we caught such a nice sunset.
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Melanie Marks Longwood in Costa Rica 23/24
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- Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 8:54 PM
- ☁️ 64 °F
- Altitude: 4,393 ft
- Costa Rica Santa Elena 10.317777, -84.82450810°19’4” N 84°49’28” W
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Incredible Sunsets
December 30, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
And here are some pictures of our incredible sunset that we enjoyed while finishing up our horseback tour.
Traveler Beautiful!
12/31/23Reply
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