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San Joaquin
The church in the central plaza of San Joaquin is a 4-week summer study abroad program that gives university students the opportunity to experience Costa Rican culture first-hand. Participants in the program earn six credits in Spanish by living with a family and studying at
el Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (CPI). Students spend the first three weeks of the program at the CPI location in the typical Costa Rican town of San Joaquin de Flores, just 30 minutes from the capital city of San Jose. Everyone learns to use the public bus system to go to San Jose or to the closer small city of Heredia.
Morning classes are held from 8:00 until noon, with a leisurely break at 10:00, during which students enjoy lots of tropical fruit, coffee, and typical Costa Rican snacks. Students spend the afternoons exploring on their own, contacting home at the local internet cafe, playing soccer with local kids, relaxing in their host family homes, or taking planned excursions. In the Central Valley, where San Joaquin and San Jose are located, groups in past programs have taken excursions to a variety of fascinating locations, such as Poas Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, the Orosi Valley and Cartago, the Sarapiqui
CPI
CPI (Centro Panamericano de Idiomas) in San Joaquin is a beautiful and comfortable location for learning Spanish River, San Jose, and Cafe Britt. The groups in 2004 and 2005 were even lucky enough to be in Costa Rica at the right time to attend a soccer game between the Costa Rican National Team and national teams from Cuba and El Salvador. The 2006 group experienced soccer-mania in a different way, enjoying the festivities surrounding the huge occasion of the Costa Rican team playing the host German team in the opening game of the 2006 World Cup.
The sightseeing highlight of the program is a weekend excursion to Manuel Antonio National Park. The group spends the weekend swimming, hiking, and spotting wildlife such as monkeys, sloths, brightly colored crabs, and numerous lizards and iguanas.
Back in San Joaquin, there are lots of other cultural activities to enjoy. Students take Latin American dance classes, Costa Rican cooking classes, and have organized soccer games against local Costa Rican children's soccer clubs. It's amazing how those little kids, raised playing soccer from birth, always crush the much taller and larger "gringo" opponents!
Maybe the most important part of the program is the chance to meet and build relationships with Costa Rican people. I like to think that my
What's this?
We don't grow plants like this back in Arkansas! students can help to show people from this small and peaceful nation that young people in the United States can be very loving, caring, and respectful individuals.
For the final week of the program, the group moves to the rustic, cloud forest area of Monteverde. Even though many tourists visit this area, there is one dirt road. Period. But the views are gorgeous and there is plenty to do in Monteverde during the week. Many of the students choose to go horseback riding and to have a zipline adventure at Sky Trek. It is safe but amazingly thrilling to zip high above the rain forest on a series of cables separated by platforms built into the mountain.
The CPI building at Monteverde is just as comfortable and pleasant as the one in San Joaquin. Since it rains so much in Monteverde, students have the clear, sunny mornings free and attend classes in the afternoons, while it is usually raining. As the program winds down, everyone begins to look forward to the food and comforts of home, yet everyone realizes that the group has shared something truly unique and unforgettable. In Costa Rica, "Pura Vida" isn't just an expression!
Teatro Nacional
The 2005 ASU group at el Teatro Nacional (the National Theatre) in San Jose
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Harry Hogue
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Memories!
Dr. O, this sure brings back memories! I'll have to get back there... but it'll never be the same. Buen viaje!