This September I'm going to be in Costa Rica and I'm going to be helping out a group of doctors there for a few weeks. It costs $1000, and I'm paying my own way, I can hardly wait, it will be the experience of a lifetime. I'm getting my passport and everything now so I'll be ready. I'm not getting paid to do any of this, and I'm going to be eating the same food as the locals, it's not going to be a vacation either, I'm going to be working for a good 12-14 hours a day. Of course, once I come back I'll be sure to share my experience with everyone here. The only other country I've ever been to is Jonathanland, and I reckon this will be a vastly different experience than visiting a first-world city-state. Anyone have any words of advice or words of advice?
I've done the same kind of thing many times in Peru along the Amazon River. It was/is a great experience. Advice, hummm well I ended up adopted two boys from the area and raising them here in the US, so watch your heart for one thing! Thoughts? Hows your Spanish? How much do you know about the area youre going into? How do people make a living or survive? Figure out what kind of things make good gifts that are useful and not harmful. I often took small flashlights, fish hooks, cloth type fishing line, sewing kits toothbrushs/paste. For kids I took squirt guns, balloons Tee shirts and shoes. I often used to advertise in our small community that I wanted GOOD used clothing and shoes. I was swamped with stuff and rewarded my donors with pictures of people wearing the cloths Depending on the climate, you can take candy, I found M&M's good because they don't melt. Jeez, man you got me exciterd to go again myself. Please let me know if this helps. you could be in for an life changing and enriching experience!
where in costa rica you going? i was there years ago..looking forward to heading back thru there next year and staying for a while. locals are pretty friendly and helpful there and i hope you like beans and rice and corn tortillas lol busses are cheap of course....if you take a cab, make sure you agree upon a price beforehand if they don't have a meter. oh yea...and watch your shit on the beach so it don't get jacked
