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Location: Pizote Hotel - Puerto Viejo
Parents, Friends Families,
As many of you have heard, isolated parts of Costa Rica have experienced unusually high amounts of rainfall that has resulted in isolated flooding throughout the southern Atlantic coast. Unfortunately, our projects have put us in or near some of these areas, and as a result, we’ve had to make small adjustments to our itinerary to keep the safety of your children in mind. Let me first be clear, however, in assuring you that everyone involved with our group is safe, happy and healthy. Our changes involved canceling a two-day cultural immersion visit to the Bri Bri indigenous tribe, where we were to help build up and reinforce the educational systems they currently have in place. Because this involved a river crossing that was affected by the rainfall, we scrapped the trip and instead spent a day at the beach near Punta Uva in the sun, and enjoyed a dinner at a local restaurant. Some of you may have seen images online or in the news of bridges being knocked down and widespread floods overtaking roadways. While this is true in a few parts of the country, these images do not reflect the area as a whole, nor do they depict routes we are planning to take. At Lifeworks, our priority is always your child’s safety, and at no point would we ever attempt to travel if there was even the slightest possibility of danger. After forming travel plans with our in-country coordinator, Gail Nystrom, our driver with 25 years of experience, and the Costa Rican Red Cross, we will be leaving Puerto Viejo today to return to San Jose. While we expect to travel to be slow, we also expect it to be safe. When we return to San Jose and have consistent internet, we will be sure to immediately post all blogs from the students so you can keep up on the excitement with our travels and service projects. Rest assured we will keep you updated with any further changes or developments, and we thank you for your trust in our leadership and your understanding in these circumstances. Sincerely, Rob Green Lead Guide – Lifeworks Costa Rica NREMT