Once upon a time, there was a small village called San Andrés

After my long-awaited arrival in Costa Rica, and after two weeks in the hustle and bustle of city and beach tourism, I went to the small village of San Andres de Leon Cortes. Despite the fact that buses pass by the village on a daily basis, no one appears to be aware of its existence. In fact, some people only know the direction to the village when they hear the words "Zona de Los Santos". Paola and I have both been very warmly welcomed by our host families and by the entire village. By now, there are hardly any people whom we can't wave to, and we're always greeted with honks in return. However, especially the beginning, was quite difficult, as we could only understand Spanish to a limited extent, let alone speak it.

Our host families, in particular, but also the project itself, aided us in swiftly learning Spanish.

The project focuses on sustainable coffee cultivation and the construction of a seminar house. In the beginning, we were mainly engaged in the care of avocado trees, since the coffee harvest was not supposed to start for several months. Then, in early November, the construction of the seminar house began. Ever since, it has been my responsibility to assist on the construction site during the week, as well as to look after the volunteers.

With the help of eight other volunteers, I have already been able to accomplish much in four weeks: At first, a lot of our work consisted of simple hauling of materials, because the finca was not being built on a road. As time went by, we were able to assist in the installation of water pipes, the painting of welds, and, finally, the construction of a bridge.

Of course, a day does not consist solely of work. Besides taking care of my younger host siblings, I had the opportunity to climb three waterfalls in the village with Paola and Janik. These have been some of the most beautiful places in Costa Rica for me so far. The complete absence of tourism contributes to their uniqueness. In fact, this is what makes the village and its nature such an accessible and enchanting place.

Thus, "Los alemanes" or "Macho" (meaning blond) are the only ones who go on a weekly trip to the village. For the three of us who spend our year here, the weekly trip is always a lot of fun. So, despite its remote location and small population size, San Andres became the unofficial center of the volunteers. I can therefore only look forward to the next nine months in this enchanted village.