Seize every opportunity you get in your life, because sometimes it only happens once.
Vera traveled to Costa Rica for six months with WanderWorld Travel and took part in four projects there. She looked after baby turtles in the Turtle Protection Project, helped reforest the rainforest in the Rainforest Reserve Project, contributed to helping wild animals get back on their feet in the Wildlife Rescue and supported the cocoa farm. A true experience, which she would like to share with you in this experience report. Look forward to exciting insights.
In September, the time had finally come. Full of curiosity, I flew alone to another continent for the first time. I hardly slept as I was very excited and had a lot on my mind. What would await me there?
We met up with the other volunteers at the airport exit in San José, Costa Rica. There we were picked up directly by a large shuttle and driven to our hostel. As everything was organized by WanderWorld Travel and there was a very relaxed atmosphere, I immediately felt at home.
Before the volunteers went to their first project in Costa Rica, there was an introductory day with our contact person Lisa. This gave us the opportunity to get to know each other and familiarize ourselves with the country and the area. In order to be fit for this and to get used to the rhythm, I went to bed early on the evening of my arrival. The next day, we strolled with her through the well-kept parks of San Jose and visited a well-known market. We rounded off the day in a typical Costa Rican restaurant with live Latin American music and received our SIM cards for mobile data. Now our adventures in the various projects could begin!
For my second project, I went to a nature reserve in the middle of the rainforest in Chirripó National Park. At an altitude of around 1,500 meters, we lived there together with other volunteers in shared accommodation. It is a very idyllic place to live and work in, surrounded by waterfalls and waking up every morning to the sound of birdsong.
I particularly remember the joint games evenings and the movie nights with all the participants, which we organized together in our common room. There was also a traditional weekly "potluck" where everyone prepared a snack and we ate and chatted together. It was very sociable and also varied, as at the time of my stay there were not only Germans but also Americans, Ticos (as the inhabitants of Costa Rica are called) and Dutch people at the table, and we worked from Monday to Friday for around 4 to 5 hours a day. We were able to take on various tasks. For example, we were given the opportunity to take part in various tours and guided tours in the nature reserve to get to know the flora and fauna in the rainforest. Our other tasks also included observing birds, documenting the behavior of the species and photographing them for further documentation. We also built hiking trails and helped to create space for the reforestation of young trees.
For my penultimate project, I went to Cabuya to the Wildlife Rescue Center. The work there was very rewarding, as I loved looking after and caring for the animals. The animal welfare project provides a temporary home for animals, some of which have suffered severe strokes of fate. With our support, capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, macaws, squirrels and skunks were nursed back to health so that they could later be released back into the wild. Although I was only a tiny part of the team that prepared the food for them, fed the animals and cleaned the cages, I was able to make a difference.
We received a new work schedule every week, which tells us whether we are on the early or late shift. This means you can plan your free time quite well and decide what you want to do on each half day. That was really good, as I was able to use my time intensively to do something together with my new friends in Cabuya or Montezuma. We participants were accommodated together in different rooms in a large house and had both a yoga deck and a pool. For this reason, I was only able to enjoy the volunteering activities, but also the free time associated with them.
My best experiences definitely include those with my new friends and my parents, who visited me on site. I will also never forget the visits to the various waterfalls, the sunsets by the sea and the numerous nature reserves and national parks with their diverse flora and fauna. I am incredibly happy and grateful that I was able to experience this time and shine like a ray of sunshine when I think back on it. A time in my life that I will carry in my heart forever.
The fact that I have now spent six months in a foreign and new culture on a continent I have never been to before has taught me a lot of new things. I really enjoyed every moment and every stumbling block, no matter how small, made me more confident and self-assured. In short, it made me the person I am today. This half year was indescribably beautiful, simply an unforgettable time. I am so glad that I chose Costa Rica as my country. I was able to experience first-hand what pura vida means and the lifestyle that goes with it. I was able to make new friends and collect moments for eternity that no one will be able to take away from me.
Sophia, founder of Wanderworld Travel
Lisa, Coordinator & Participant Support
Amanda, Support and advice before departure
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