Day 8

Day 8

We had scrambled eggs, cereal, juice, coffee, pancakes, and potatoes with ham for our good-bye breakfast from the beach. Lots of kids from the other group (blue bus) were on the beach watch the sun come up through the haze as I went for a walk at 530am. The bus left La Isla Hotel at 8:11am. We went up the coast to Jacó and Sarchi. We stopped at el Jardín, where we were able to buy gifts for family and friends back home and to visit the small butterfly farm in the back. I tried to get some pictures of the Blue Morpho Butterfly, but it is very hard to follow with the camera.

Next stop was lunch in Sarchi. Here we again were able to shop for souvenirs. Lunch was rice & beans (Casado Pinto), spaghetti and read sauce, salad, fried chicken chunks, and strawberry juice. We then had about another 45 minutes to INBio National Park. Here we watched a video about how the Country is dedicated to Teaching about the Biodiversity of their country, working to Conserve it, and discovering how to use it’s resources to their fullest capacity.

We arrived at our hotel at 5:30pm. Although it had a nice pool, it was a bit cool outside and about 20 students walked with me to the local gas station for snacks for the evening and on the plane the next day.

Our dinner was spaghetti & red sauce, rice & black beans, squash in sauce, deep fried chicken (like chicken tenders) and Cas Juice. The desert was the best flan I have ever tasted, which roasted coconut on the bottom.

We said our good-byes to our tour director, Heidy, and our bus driver, Erick. They both did a wonderful job of coordinating our schedule and getting us to places in this Country that are hard to reach—based on small bridges, and winding roads on the mountaintops. The kids hung out with their friends for a few last hours before our 9:30pm curfew. The adults were busy making plans for travel the next day and completing evaluations forms and packing. The kids were really sad to say good-bye to their new friends. We were all very fortunate to have had such good travel companions. We hope to meet again some day!

Day 7

Day 7

Because it was Semana Santa (Holy Week) we needed to get to the San Manuel Antonio Park early. It opens at 7am, and the day before we went they stopped letting people in at 730am because they limit the entrance to 700 people . So we boarded our bus at 6am with a bag breakfast (bagel with bacon and egg, a slice of pineapple, a juice box, and a yogurt). We also had a box lunch (ham and cheese sandwich, juice box, cookies, and tuna/pasta salad). Most students didn’t like either of these options, and the food didn’t last long in our backpacks on the beach. At least all kids brought plenty of water.

Overall, I’d have to say this park, the oldest National Park in Costa Rica, was a highlight of our trip and it’s no wonder they were saving the best for last. On our half-mile hike to the beach we saw a sloth, howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys, and a few blue morpho butterflies. The beach was beautiful and tropical and EVERYTHING you think of when you picture a beach in Costa Rica. It truly met our expectations. The downfall was that there were probably 4-5 other tour groups there, 4 EF ones and another one from Germany. There were also lots of locals enjoying their Holiday of Holy Week as it was Good Friday.

Most of the students enjoyed playing in the waves at the two beaches that were close to each other. There was a path that connected them where one could watch a white-faced monkey show. I saw one jumping up and down on the metal garbage can, in hopes of it opening. Another interesting show was the mother monkey with a small baby clung to it’s neck, and the “dad” in a very angry, defensive stance, showing teeth and all.

I took two hikes to avoid getting burned in the sun while at the beach. They both had beautiful Overlooks of the ocean, and one lead you to a hidden beach. They were both very physical hikes through the forest but were well worth the views, and the avoidance of sunburn that night at the hotel.

We exited the National Park and returned to the bus around 2pm. Several students were able to purchase snow cones for $2 from a vender, who also offered condensed milk on top of the sugary ice. We had a 30-minute ride back to our hotel and an hour to rest and shower before the partido de fútbol—soccer game of blue bus vs. red bus or the BIMBOS. This is a white bread, like Wonder Bread, that is a sponsor for a team down here. Several of the Three Lakes and Red Hook kids bought these BIMBO soccer jerseys for souvenirs for $15. Unfortunately our Red Bus Bimbos lost the game, mostly due to the 40-year old EF Tour Director, Geraldo, form the Blue bus who was a former Costa Rican National soccer player.

That night after our 630pm dinner there was Karaoke and a pool table to entertain the students until curfew at 11pm. Several students also enjoyed going to the beach and walking WAY out due to low tide. Unfortunately the moon was behind the clouds, there was a 20-minute down pour right before the soccer game, but the clouds stuck around until our morning departure.

Day 6

Day 6

Departure from Monteverde and the hotel Atardecer. During morning shower time several scorpions were found in the showers. YES, scorpions.

Breakfast was pancakes and fresh fruit. Our bus took the highest dirt road I’ve ever been on. It was very scary at times and had cows being herded on it while we drove. The views were amazing!

We had a bathroom break when we reached the Pam American Highway. From there we still had about another 90 minutes to the Crocodiles boat ride adventure. On our boat tour on the Carcoles River our boat driver jumped out to feed the two crocodiles to put on a little show for us. It was amazing! Our guide, Hansel, pointed out tiger crabs, so many various species of birds, including the blue heron from the states that migrate down in Costa Rica.

We still had about 90 more minutes to travel to our hotel on the coast. We passed through Jacó, which is the windsurfing capitol of Costa Rica. We stopped along the way at Mini Mercado, a large grocery store, to buy waters and snacks for our beach day on Good Friday—all stores will be closed.

On our trip to the Coast we traveled past the Golfo de Nicoyo. There are several protected island in that golf that are home to several endangered species of marine birds.

We arrived at the hotel late at 4pm. The traffic was bad, as all the Ticos head to the west coast beach area for Holiday. The beach was great! They had spaghetti ready for us, white or red sauce. We immediately hit the beach after lunch. The kids weren’t allowed to swim here (they never allow it, as there are riptides and it is very dangerous). There was also a nice pool that the kids enjoyed hanging out in when the sun set on the beach. Dinner was at 8pm and it was chicken, pork, and beef grilled. Also black refried beans, pico de gallo, coleslaw salad, and a baked potato.

Day 5 (continued)

After our afternoon break with free time in the small, windy town of Monteverde, we took a short bus ride to the other side of town for our Nocturnal Eco Tour. They gave us all flashlights (los focos). Marlo, the guide for the Three Lakes group, has a degree in Ecological Education. He showed us agutes, which are small animals in the rat family. They looked more like big guinee pigs and were feeding on the vegetation under the banana trees. The eco preserve that we walked that night was a banana plantation up until about 20 years ago.

On our night walk we also saw atoles (small lizards), a pigmey rain frog, 2 tarantulas, a family of raccoons, a few birds, several “walking sticks” (grasshopper looking insects), and lots of other spiders and bugs.

At the end of our tour we returned to the hotel for pizza dinner with coke and orange soda. The evening was spent socializing with the other students on tour with us from San Diego (8 students), Red Hook, NY (19 students), and Santa Barbara (2 students).