Costa Rica Community Service Immersion Program | Maleku Tribe Experience

La experiencia de trabajar con la tribu Maleku
Los niños juegan en camino que atraviesa el centro de la aldea, se ríen y saludan con alegría. Hombres y mujeres se sientan cómodamente en los balcones, hablan y ríen mientras pintan coloridos diseños en cascaras secas de jícaras, con lo que transforman simples calabazas en obras de arte. A la distancia, los adultos mayores regresan del bosque con cargas de hojas, muy bien acomodadas en sus hombros. El pueblo de Palenque Tonjibe nos saluda diciendo “Capi Capi”´ y te da la bienvenida a dos maravillosas semanas llenas de de naturaleza, arte, aventura y nuevos amigos.

La cultura Maleku
Los Maleku son uno de los ocho grupos indígenas que aún quedan en Costa Rica y han habitado el norte del país, por mucho tiempo, incluso mucho antes de que los españoles llegaran. Su idioma es Maleku, una lengua muy diferente al dialecto de sus vecinos Mayas y Aztecas. Ellos han podido mantener su identidad cultural a pesar de la influencia de los colonizadores y de los occidentales. A pesar del creciente desarrollo y globalización en Costa Rica, los Maleku continúan aferrados a su rica tradición y cultura, las cuales poco a poco son absorbidas por la sociedad convencional. Actualmente hay solo cerca de 400 personas Maleku que viven en tres comunidades del norte de Costa Rica. Te invitamos a que disfrutes un tiempo inolvidable en este programa, el cual te permitirá participar de ceremonias Maleku, aprender sobre los usos medicinales de las plantas del bosque húmedo, crear tu propia colorida y tradicional obra de arte e incluso aprender algunas palabras y frases en Maleku. Tu grupo vivirá en una casa tradicional Maleku ubicada a pocos pasos del pueblo de Tonjibe.

Enseña, pinta y trabaja la tierra
Durante tu estadía podrás conocer a los Maleku y trabajar en varios proyectos comunitarios gratificantes. Puedes pintar casas y edificios comunitarios, contribuir con esfuerzos de reforestación, enseñar ingles o ayudar en la huerta de la escuela local. Los miembros de la comunidad Maleku te acompañaran en cada uno de estos proyectos y juntos aprenderán y reirán mientras ellos aprenden frases en ingles y tu aprendes palabras en español y maleku.

Explorando la selva
Con tus amigos Maleku como guías, podrás explorar las maravillas naturales del noreste de Costa Rica con las interesantes aventuras que tenemos preparadas para ti. Navega por los humedales del Refugio de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro y observa a los atrevidos monos araña columpiarse sobre los perezosos cocodrilos. Puedes deslizarte en el canopy sobre el bosque lluvioso y cabalgar alrededor del Lago Coter. Aquí podrás pasar la noche escuchando leyendas Maleku mientras te relajas alrededor de una fogata. Camina a una laguna de agua turquesa bajo una cascada de 90 pies y toma un baño en las aguas termales naturales que se mantienen calientes por el vapor volcánico. Descubre la tierra de los Maleku, un territorio sagrado que veras a través de los ojos de las personas que han llamado a este lugar su hogar durante siglos.

Quién debe venir?
Este programa es perfecto para estudiantes que quieren sumergirse en una cultura indígena única mientras descubren las vastas maravillas naturales de Costa Rica. Deberás venir preparado para trabajar en proyectos gratificantes de servicio comunitario que harán realmente una diferencia en esta comunidad. Prepárate para practicar español, aprender la lengua Maleku e involucrarte en una forma de vida muy diferente a la tuya, te aseguramos que la pasaras muy bien!.

Para más información acerca de este programa, escríbenos a: costarica@rusticpathways.com

MALEKU TRIBE SERVICE IMMERSION EXPERIENCE

DAY 1- Tuesday
Depart the United States for San Jose, Costa Rica. All scheduled flights to Costa Rica are non-stop and escorted by a Rustic Pathways Flight Leader. Upon arrival at the San Jose airport you will be greeted by your Rustic Pathways Staff. From here you will head over to the Rustic Pathways Base where you will spend the first night. Good luck and enjoy your stay in beautiful Costa Rica!

DAY 2- Wednesday
Wake up for an early breakfast before departing for the town of Palenque Tonjibe in the Maleku Indigenous Reservation. After a beautiful 4 hour drive, arrive in the village in time for a hearty lunch cooked by our friendly Maleku hosts. After getting settled into the bunkhouses, everyone will have an opportunity to tour the village and learn about the service projects. Enjoy traditional Costa Rican cuisine for dinner and an evening getting to know new friends.

DAY 3- Thursday
Enjoy a delicious Costa Rican breakfast before heading to the Maleku village to begin your service projects. Projects may include light construction on a community building, planting a school garden or working on an irrigation ditch for a communal area. In the afternoon after lunch, take a walk along a nature trail with one of the Maleku community guides and stop for a swim at the Rio Cucaracho. You will eat dinner in the village and then break into small groups to learn traditions and stories of Maleku culture.

DAY 4- Friday
Everyone will eat breakfast as a group in the village before continuing work on community projects. In the afternoon, take a trip to view the gigantic Ceiba and listen to legends from your Maleku guides about this mythical tree. Then head out towards the Mirador de los Angeles for a beautiful view of spectacular Costa Rican mountain ranges. Play soccer with the local children in the Lost Angeles Plaza and learn the frog walk with your Maleku guides.

DAY 5 - Saturday
After a nice Tico breakfast, drive 1 hour to Lake Coter for a day of adventure. Embark on a morning zip lining trip that will take you high above the canopy of primary forest and go horseback riding in the afternoon with Maleku guides who will highlight medicinal plants and ancient burial grounds along the way. You will be spending the night in comfortable cabins by the lake, where you can hang out with your friends around a campfire and listen to Maleku stories about this magical place.

DAY 6 - Sunday
Take an early morning hike in the beautiful primary forest surrounding the cabins, and be on the lookout for monkeys, birds, sloth and other species of wildlife. After a hearty breakfast, head out for a boat tour on Lake Arenal where you will have a chance to learn traditional Maleku fishing methods, and maybe even bring home a catch for lunch! Squeeze in an afternoon of souvenir shopping before heading back to your home base in Palenque Tonjibe and enjoying dinner in the Maleku village.

Day 7 - Monday
Everyone will eat breakfast as a group in the village before continuing work on community projects. In the afternoon, we will participate in local art lessons. The Maleku Tribe generates most of the village income by making traditional warrior masks and other crafts which they then sell to tourists in the area. You will have the opportunity to learn their craft, and turn everyday items like jicara shells and old tshirts into works of art. After dinner, enjoy a tasty glass of freshly prepared Machaca (traditional banana drink) with local families.

DAY 8 - Tuesday
In the morning, after breakfast, the group will head to the nearest town of Guatuso for some necessary errands. Here you can visit an internet café or call home and tell your parents about your wonderful cultural experience. You can also shop for snacks and other items to bring back to the village. In the afternoon, continue working on service projects with the local schools and community organizations.

DAY 9-10 – Wednesday and Thursday
You will spend the next two days working on a variety of satisfying projects with community members and immersing yourself in the village life of the Maleku people. You will also have the opportunity to take a Maleku language class, play soccer with the local children or continue working on your art skills.

DAY 11 - Friday
Today after breakfast, the group will head off on an excursion to the Rio Celeste for a couple days of hiking, swimming and service. After an hour long drive, you will arrive at the Volcan Tenorio National Park and work on trail maintenance projects with the park rangers. After a full day of satisfying, environmental service work, relax in a hammock with a cup of hot chocolate as you admire the view from the beautiful lodge overlooking the rainforest.

DAY 12 - Saturday
After breakfast, spend the morning exploring the national park, stopping at different bright blue pools to observe their unique color and formation. Finally you will arrive at a beautiful 90 foot waterfall, where you can relax in the natural hot springs and marvel at the blue lagoon at its base. Return to the lodge and enjoy a delicious lunch, before heading out to a fishing farm, where you will “fish your own dinner.” In the evening return to your home in Palenque Tonjibe.

DAY 13 - Sunday
Enjoy an early morning breakfast, before heading out for a day trip to the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. From Guatuso, hop in a boat that will take you up the Rio Frio and into the reserve, where you will learn about the wetland ecosystem and admire monkeys, crocodiles and caimans along the way. Once in Cano Negro, you well get a personalized tour of the turtle conservation project and learn about the community’s effort to preserve this beautiful creature. In the evening return to Palenque Tonjibe for dinner and a relaxing evening with your friends.

DAY 14 - Monday
Break into small groups and rotate between working on service projects in the community and taking a cooking class with local women from the Maleku village. You will learn how to make delicious traditional meals that you can prepare for your family back at home. In the evening, you will also have the opportunity to participate in a traditional Maleku ceremony, an amazing and unforgettable cultural experience.

DAY 15 - Tuesday
Awake for breakfast and embark on one last nature walk through the primary forest surrounding the village with your Maleku guides. After lunch, say goodbye to the village that has been your home base for the past two weeks, and head back to San Jose for your last night in Costa Rica.

DAY 16 – Wednesday
A sad departure for the USA or onto greater adventure with Rustic Pathways

*** PLEASE NOTE: The itinerary described above is typical but not set in stone as work and optional activities vary depending upon the needs of the various communities, as well as the weather. This itinerary is designed to give you a good, general idea of the day to day schedule and activities on this program but may be changed during the summer as staff see fit. Students will work hard on this program, and will probably get wet, muddy, and bug-bitten in the process. This is all part of the rural Costa Rican service experience and is a small sacrifice when compared with the positive impact this program has on local communities and on RP participants. ***

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-Latin America
MALEKU TRIBE SERVICE IMMERSION EXPERIENCE

1 - How long is the flight to this country?
1A – Direct flight from Newark to San Jose takes approximately 5.5 hours.
Direct flight from Houston to San Jose takes approximately 3.5 to 4 hours.

2 - Will there be a flight leader to this country?
2A – Yes. All flights between Costa Rica and the USA will have a flight leader starting in both Newark and Houston. Return flights to the USA will also have a flight leader as far as Newark and Houston. Flights between Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua are also escorted by a Rustic Pathways guide. Flights from Costa Rica to Peru and Mexico will not be escorted.

3 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
3A – Students from the United States and Canada will be automatically issued a 90 day tourist visa upon entry into Costa Rica.

4 – What Costa Rican province(s) does this program pass through?
4A- During the Maleku Tribe Immersion, students will briefly pass through provinces of Heredia and Alajuela during their travel to the Maleku community, the village is located 20 minutes from the town of Guatuso in the northeast Alajuela province.

5 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
5A – Rustic Pathways does not make recommendations regarding immunizations. We strongly suggest that you consult with a travel doctor or your family physician for medical recommendations based on the area where the student will be traveling (as listed above). You can also check the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov for more information. Yellow fever vaccinations may be required to enter Costa Rica if you have traveled to some international destinations including Peru prior to your trip to Costa Rica. Please check the Center for Disease control website for more information.

6 - How does this program connect to other programs?
6A – On Tuesday afternoon students will depart from the Maleku village. They will stay that night in Heredia at a base hotel. Wednesday morning students will meet with their new group and guides at the same hotel where they stayed and go off to their new program.

7 – How long is the drive from San Jose to this program?
7A—The drive from San Jose to the Maleku village is approximately 4 hours depending on weather and other driving conditions.

8 – What is the climate in the region where this program takes place?
8A—The Maleku program takes place in the north of Costa Rica, a very green, tropical area of the country. Students should be prepared for hot, humid weather in the 80s and 90s during the day with occasional rain showers.

9 - Is this a good program for students interested in practicing their Spanish?
9A—The Maleku program does not include formal Spanish language instruction; however students will have multiple opportunities to practice Spanish with people from the village. Children at the local schools are especially eager to help Rustic Pathways students with their conversational Spanish. Students will have the opportunity to learn vocabulary from the Maleku indigenous language.

10- What service projects will I work on and how are the projects identified?
10A- Rustic Pathways works with local community leaders to identify and prioritize the needs of each community. In the Maleku villEdad, students will work on small scale construction projects that will help improve community and school infrastructure. Students will also facilitate educational and cultural projects with local children and youth and be involved in environmental projects with the community. During the first two weeks of Julio, Costa Rican school children are on vacation, so students should expect to work with students in more informal environments.

11 – How physically strenuous is this program?
11A- The Maleku program is appropriate for most physical activity levels. Students should be prepared for light physical activity including short hikes and some manual labor during the service projects.

12- What costs are not included on this trip?
12A—The majority of costs associated with the program are included on this trip. Students should have extra allowance money if they wish to buy souvenirs of their stay in the Maleku village as they will have opportunities to buy artwork and handicrafts from local artisans. Students should also bring extra money if they wish to purchase additional snacks or soda from the local grocery store.

13 – What are the optional activities available at an additional cost on this program?
13A-The only activity that comes at an additional cost is fishing at Rio Celeste. The following activities are INCLUDED in the program cost:

Zipline
Horseback ride
Guided night hike
Boat trip
Maleku art Class
Maleku language Class
Boat Trip to Cano Negro
Entries to Wildlife refuge
Cooking class

Occasionally Rustic Pathways staff identify new opportunities throughout the summer that we feel will enhance the students overall experience and we will offer students the opportunity to participate at an additional cost. Optional or included activities may also be canceled at the staff’s discretion.

14 - What kind of food will we be eating? Where?
14A—Students will be eating traditional Costa Rican food prepared by local women’s groups that provide catering services. Breakfast may include gallo pinto (a mix of rice and beans) with eggs and bread, fruits and cereal. Lunch and dinner will be the traditional “casados” which consists of rice, beans, salad and a meat/seafood dish or well cooked Maleku dishes.

15 - Can we cater to specific diets?
15A-Rustic Pathways can cater to most dietary needs on this program. There will be ample access to fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, and grains for those who are vegetarian. Vegan diets can be accommodated, but with a little more foresight and planning as this is not a diet commonly encountered in Costa Rica. Please know that while we are happy to accommodate alternative diets, many of the special diets common in the United States are not common in other parts of the world and travelers must be patient and understanding in having these needs be met. Please contact costarica@rusticpathways.com with any questions regarding special diets or allergies
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16 - Will the kids be drinking bottled water?
16A—Tap water in Costa Rica is generally potable, however there will also be jugs of purified water available to the students in the community kitchen. Bottled water is available for purchase at local supermarkets and grocery stores.

17 - What will the accommodations on this trip be like?
17A—During their time at the Maleku village, students will stay at a traditional bunk house, located within walking distance of the village. Between four students will sleep on bunk beds in each of the rooms. Boys and girls will sleep in different rooms. The accommodations are rustic but clean. Outside of the village, students will stay at comfortable lodges or cabins, depending on the excursion.

18. What are the bathroom facilities?
18A- The bathroom facilities are located in a separate building directly next to the students’ rooms. They have running water and American style toilets. Showers are rustic and no hot water is available.

19 - How many girls and boys are usually on this trip?
19A – There are typically more girls than boys however the exact numbers vary from week to week.

20- What is the ratio of guides to students?
20A- Rustic Pathways generally strives to maintain a ratio of approximately 1 guide for every 5 students. In the program, there will be two American guides and two Maleku guides. Our guides go through a rigorous selection process including interviews with our program managers and a full background check.

21-Is your staff qualified in First Aid?
21A- Because safety is our number one priority, all of our programs have guides that are certified with First Aid and CPR training. Many of our guides are also qualified Wilderness First Responders, EMTs, Wilderness EMTs, or Life Guards.

22 - How often (if at all) will students be able to do laundry on this program and what will it cost?
22A—Students should pack enough clothes and personal items to last through the end of the Maleku program. Laundry is not available in the Maleku village, however there may be one or two opportunities to do laundry in the local town of Guatuso. If students are connecting to another Rustic Pathways program, they will have the opportunity to do laundry on their new program.

23 - How often will they have access to phone and internet?
23A-Students will have limited access to internet during the program. On their 8th day (Tuesday), students will be able to visit an internet cafe Guatuso. They will be able to purchase international phone cards in Costa Rica from the guides, which can be used to call home from the public phone in the village.