live from Boruca

10 may 2009
Hi! I'm still in the Boruca's community and I have some free time to write my next post.It's the may 10 and in a short time we are going to finish our experience in Costa Rica.The last days are the hardest .Everybody is tired and me especially.I have had some trouble with the food and I contracted a virus .So I went to the hospital for 2 days and now I'm getting better.Anyway the last week we werw in Alto Guamy where we gave the toutist guide course for indigenous peoples.The course was very interesting and somepeople made the effort to walk 2 hours everyday to partecipate.It was quiete difficult at the beginning .We had to teach in spanish and we had to find the best way to mantain their attention . Jockes, group's work , theory and discussion allowed us to give the 40 lesson's hour course without big problems.With this course they won't be tourist guides but it's an opportunity to have a basic introduction in tourism and develop some skills that they will possibly use in the future. The last day the differents families organized a good-bye party for us.We cooked pasta and they prepared the rituals of chouali.What's chouali?ehehe...To discover it you have to drink hot chocolate (without sugar) and if the day after you don't feel well , it means that you had it, the bad spirit and now you are ok because the purpose of the ritual is chase away it.During the ritual we danced around the fire.I was so happy to take part in it.About yhe course we are doing the same here, in Boruca and it's easier because people are used to receive courses and volunter aid for many years.This sunday we will leave for Quitirrisi a community specialized in the production of oragnaic cosmetics like soap for skin care problems and they have a " Rincon cosmico" to treat spiritual ilnesses.I'm so excited and interested in it.There, we will have the possibility to have a course in medical plants and a tamascal (indigenous ritual for the purification).Aot of indigenous communties are losing their traditions , languages, tipical food and natural methods used in the past to care illnesses.This is an incredible chanche for us to discover these and learn about them.With reference to that saving the culture is one of gradea ong's objectives.The last year the volunters collected some ancient stories and with the collaboration of the indigenous the y transalate its in Ngobere and Brunka. Finally this year it was possible to print this book and give copies to the school that can be used by the students.For the moment is everything .See you next week!!!!