We have just returned from one of the highlights of the Middle School Putney Program in Costa Rica: the meeting of the full community of students together at Rancho Margot, a completely self-sufficient eco hotel and farm near Lake Arenal.

Rancho Margot spans a beautiful 600 acres of rainforest and farmland that offers views of Lake Arenal, the largest in Costa Rica, and the Arenal volcano, one of the 6 active volcanos in the country. While there, we had a chance to take part in many activities, including a tour of the self-sustained ecosystem of the ranch and farm, 7:00am yoga by the river, horseback riding on surrounding trails, kayaking on Lake Arenal, fishing in the pond, a merengue and bachata dance class, and even a sunrise workshop on how to milk a cow!

 

Among all of these activities, the top experience for many was definitely ziplining through the treetops. All 30 of us strapped on our harnesses and helmets and zoomed together through the canopies of Costa Rica!

Rancho Margot is more than an opportunity to have a lot of fun and further strengthen our community; it also represents the switching point for our groups. The students that were in Silencio have now arrived in the Villa in Playa Hermosa, and vice versa. On the last night before we returned to our two sites, the students got together at our last nightly meeting to share advice on how to prepare for the next steps: “keep an open mind”, “make an effort to speak spanish”, “don’t be afraid to try new experiences” and “be present where you are” all stood out as exemplary pieces of advice during the meeting. Here’s looking forward to the second half of the program!