Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

If you've already read about our trip, we're delighted to report that WE MADE IT !  If not, see below to find out what we've been up to !

The trek was without doubt one of the highlights of our trip, and we genuinely enjoyed the whole experience, crossing rivers with crocodiles, dodging waves at high tide along the shoreline, escaping from waves flowing from the sea into river mouths and negotiating the hot, soft sand of the long stretches on the beach.  There's something about that first cold drink at the end of a long hot hike, and we really felt as if we'd earnt it !  We completed the walk in 8 hours, which we thought was pretty good (until our guide told us the locals can do it in 3 !!).  But nonetheless, the sense of achievement was fabulous, and the girls amazed our guide, who I don't think had ever met such small people with so much stamina, determination and cheerfulness to spare even at the end !

So if you've donated already, this is to say a huge THANKYOU from all of us.  And if you haven't yet been inspired to support the cause, please read on....

--------------------------------------------------------

The Reid family went to Costa Rica on holiday over Easter 2010.

We decided on Costa Rica because of it's huge biological diversity and the fact that the country has spectacularly reversed the deforestation

At the end of our holiday we undertook a 19.5 kilometre trek from Sirena to Carate which the Lonely Planet guide describes as: 'a sizzler, following the shoreline through coastal forest and along deserted beaches it involves one major river crossing at Rio Claro, just south of Sirena station'. 

This seven or eight hour hike was an essential part of the trip to get from our lodge in the rain forest to our next destination with all our worldly goods on our backs.  It was a challenging journey for Sheena, Frank and the children Eilidh and Iona who are be 12 and 9 respectively.

We simply had to complete the trip because there is no other way to get out of the National Park other than to walk out, and we're pleased to report that WE MADE IT ! 

The children wanted to do something for Haiti and this seemed like a perfect opportunity.  Our chosen charity, The Haiti Hospital Appeal, was already in Haiti before the earthquake and were some of the first people on the scene.  Here are some the reasons they were there in the first place

• 1 in 4 children die before the age of four

• The average life expectancy is 51 years (men) and 52 years (women)

• 50% of births take place at home without any medical worker

• 70% of the population are unemployed and suffer from poverty

• 40% of the population don’t have any access to primary health care

• For each 10,000 Haitians, there are 1.6 doctors, 1.3 nurses and 0.4 dentists

Find out more more about Haiti Hospital appeal here:

http://www.haitihospitalappeal.org/aboutus.html

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.