Since returning from our excursion to La Cusinga at Playa Uvita, we have been hard at work in Biolley. We have been constructing a room to house the coffee hulls which are a by-product of the toasting process. The women at ASOMOBI use these hulls as fuel to power the toaster, so the process comes full circle in the end. This work has involved moving literal tons of earth to create a floor and mixing and pouring concrete to create a wall about four feet high. Have a look at the photo: we built that wall and then filled it in with earth! Those are homemade tampers we have used to pack down the earth. This has been some tough work. We have struggled together and we are nearing the phase when we will pour the concrete floor and erect the walls. We will start this phase when we return from our excursion to Hacienda Baru – we are there now, soaking up the sun and enjoying our break! Our next post will include an update on all the goings-on of Hacienda Baru and lots of great adventure pics!

Students have also begun their independent projects in Biolley. These side projects are an integral part of our experience here and students are excited about starting them. Laura and Adi are running an arts and crafts class in English for the kids at the local school. Zack is designing, building, and installing a swing set across from the school for the kids to use. Ethan has a couple of exciting garden projects to help beautify the grounds at ASOMOBI. Nick and Juan are weaving soccer nets for the soccer goals in the village center. Ali is working alongside our chef to create a recipe book of traditional Costa Rican dishes. Emma is building and painting a set of benches for villagers at the local soccer field with the help of our foreman, Miguel. These projects have given the students many great opportunities to practice and improve their Spanish. They have also enjoyed interacting with the local community during this process. Check back soon for our excursion post and pics!

-Sasha & John