Costa Rican Adventures

On Friday the 20th of August in the Caribbean coastal town of Puerto Viejo a yearly festival called Arte Viva kicked off.  Arte Viva is an art festival that showcases local art, music and food.  It is not only an art festival but also a cultural festival.  Throughout the weekend there were concerts, dances, local restaurants selling their flavors, medicinal workshops (with local plants), bicycle painting workshops, mural painting workshops and so much more.  The actual Casa de Cultura was transformed into an art gallery.  Here, Costa Rican Adventures was given space by the organizers of Arte Viva to present photographs and a slideshow of the community service projects we have done over the past year in the area of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.

 During the inauguration a few of the local students from the Puerto Viejo School played a set of songs on guitar to kick everything off.  Many of these students were part of CRA’s Puerto Viejo school project.  It was so inspiring to see the students in front of the whole town playing music.  After the grand inauguration the ribbon was cut and the gallery open.  When the students entered and took note of the slideshow or the school project the table was surrounded.  Local kids smiling, remembering the amazing intercultural experience, pointing out familiar faces in the photos and asking us “when are the students (from the US) returning?”  

 The local kids in collaboration with CRA students did accomplish something big and our goal is to keep those accomplishments happening.  We want to thank Arte Viva for all the hard work they all put into making such an amazing event fly with Caribbean colors.  Pura Vida.