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Location: Central Valley Costa Rica
Today we experienced an eye-opening tour of La Carpio, one of the largest slums in Costa Rica. Many of us from the group was expecting a very depressing scene, but we found the positive attitude of the people of La Carpio extremely inspiring. The children were very welcoming and lively. It was amazing to see so many people genuinely enjoying life even in such tough conditions. We also witnessed a dog crossing an extremely mangled bridge over a river and surprisingly most of us were rooting more for the dog than the humans. In the afternoon we got the chance to visit an indigenous shaman spiritual medicine man who enlightened us on the culture of the few remaining indigenous Costa Ricans. Deep in the forest, he demonstrated a tribal ceremony that cleansed our souls. All in all, it was an incredibly empowering, enlightening day.