Costa Rica Middle School Service Adventure 2023

June 22, 2023

We started the day off with a delicious buffet breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, rice and beans, and fresh pineapple. We then boarded the bus for a 2 hour ride to the rafting base camp. A wave of emotions filled us all as the rafting adventure began. As we descended the river the nerves went away and we all realized there was nothing to be afraid of. We stopped half way through our journey down the river to climb a 5 foot ledge that we then all took turns jumping off of. As the rafting came to an end, we came to a picnic table that was filled with numerous types of fresh fruit. We then got back on the bus for an hour and a half ride to our lunch spot, where we were met by an amazing meal of chicken, rice, beans, etc. with the company of playful monkeys. We all took tons of photos along with watching them eat bananas and swing from tree to tree. After lunch we were all exhausted, so some of us took a nap on the sort bus ride to our new hotel. When we reached the hotel, we are split into 6 groups of 3 to share our cabins. We had a few hours of free time before dinner where most of us enjoyed relaxing in the beautiful pool. Dinner was served delightfully along with a gorgeous sunset and a family of ducks and chickens. For dinner we had chicken rice salad and fresh mango juice. After dinner we all had a beginning of our trip orientation, where we played fun games and got to know one another. To end this tiring day, everyone went to play and relax before going to bed.

Pura vida!

Maren S. and Layla R.

June 23, 2023

We started the day off with delicious pancakes. We took a quick drive to La Lucha, that’s the school that we are volunteering at, they gave us a warm welcome with cute gifts. We then split up into groups, one of which painted the new bathrooms and the other cleaned vines off the fence . After saying goodbye to our new friends we made our way to a delicious meal where we enjoyed tacos, chicken nuggets, and burgers. We then made our way to the animal sanctuary. After a little background on the animals, we chopped fresh fruits and vegetables to feed the adorable monkeys. The sanctuary was so dope we couldn’t stop talking about it. After arriving back home to our tropical paradise we ventured off into our ideal evening activities. For example some of us went on a pleasant evening stroll through a hiking trail, while others took a nap. We had some fun playing relay races before heading up to dinner. We ate some immaculate fried rice. After our bellies were stuffed with goodness we trotted down the steep hill, slithered into our sheets, snuggled up tight, and fell right asleep.

Cassidy, Olive, Hamish

P.S. We added some more photos from yesterday’s rafting adventure!

June 24, 2023

In the morning we woke up and had a delicious breakfast that contained, delicious pancakes and some tasty local fruits. After we all headed to the busses to checkout a cheese farm. It was a once in a lifetime experience where we got to make the fresh cheese. Some of us were not a fan of the smell of the cheese, we also took a tour of the farmland that included tasting starfruit and raw sugar cane. Our favorite parts were hanging out with the local children and playing soccer/football. Most of all we loved the tiny puppies we got to hold (they melted out hearts). We were very flexible with the rain stopped us from being able to go back to the school but instead went back to the hotel and played some games as a group. All and all we had an awesome day full of delicious food and experiences. Pura vida!

Struan and Yasahmin

June 25, 2023

Hola! Today we got to sleep in, and had a delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast. Afterwards, we went to go zip-lining! We were all a little nervous, but also very excited. The views were a once-in-a-lifetime experience, flying 1200 feet above the forest floor. We were flying above the canopy, flying so fast. Below us was the puffy tops of the rainforest trees. For lunch we went to a restaurant and ate a variety of foods such as nachos, hamburgers, chicken nuggets, and roast chicken. It was very energizing and tasty. Once we finished we got to go around and look for souvenirs. Many of is got ice cream as well, which was very nice and cool in the heat. At the hotel we got some free time before having a dinner of fish and chips, a nice, easy meal. We did some reflections of the day as a group before heading to our cabins for bed. Adios!

Amelia & Sophie

June 26, 2023

Hola! Today we woke up at 8:30 for a pancake breakfast. After that it was straight to the school in La Lucha to continue our community service. We started by putting a second coat of paint on the walls in the bathroom and painting other parts of the school. We then headed inside the classrooms to teach the students English. We taught them greetings and numbers 1-20 and played head, shoulders, knees, and toes. While we made a lesson plan the prior day, we quickly realized that teaching a language is difficult and that we had to teach at a slower pace than anticipated. We also played field games with the students. We then had lunch in the cafeteria at 12:30 which was chicken and rice and began to paint again but it started to rain very hard. So we made tortillas and ate them with beans. After the rain had settled down, we headed back to the hotel. After some free time, we had a dance lesson led by our trip leader Randall. Where we learned multiple dances including salsa. Then after some more free time where some of us went in the pool we had dinner. Tonight it was a burrito with French fries. Tomorrow, we head down to the Pacific Coast to check out one of the amazing beaches that Costa Rica has to offer.

Brady & Jack

June 27, 2023

Going to the Beach: Today, we got to sleep in a bit. We then ate a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast before our long ride. We got in the bus and started our trip. Randall put on the playlist we had prepared throughout the trip. There was music we all liked, so it was a good time. All of us took in the green mountain views as we rode through the countryside. We ate lunch at a place called El Jardin. It was a buffet style place, with ice cream, smoothies, souvenirs, and more. We had a tasty lunch, then got some “chunches” at the souvenir shop. We got back in the bus for the second leg of the trip. There were awesome views of the sunset over the ocean. We finally got to the hotel and settled in. We had a bit of free time and then ate dinner. After dinner, we played a fun game with maps of Costa Rica. We had a bit more free time, then went to bed to prepare for our big day tomorrow.

Pete & Brayden

June 28, 2023

After our latest wake-up yet we got to start the day to a nice breakfast of eggs, waffles, and fruit. After our meal we strolled down to the beach and dipped in the water for a while. The tide was too high to swim in due to the danger of rip tides. We then returned to the hotel to rest up for our big day of surfing. When we got back to the beach the surf instructors taught us the essentials. Everyone proceeded to get in the water and try out what we learned. Everybody understood the fundamentals and we had an amazing fun filled few hours of surfing. It was very fun to feel the wind blowing by us with the smell of salt surrounding us, we did however swallow a lot of water in the process. After surfing we had lunch and some down time to regenerate energy after our tiring surfing lesson. Then we got together as a group and went to the supermarket for our long drive back to Alajuela tomorrow. Afterwards we played some games and relaxed until dinner. For dinner many of us got to have pasta although there were some alternatives for people who didn’t want it. Post dinner we had our nightly meeting and we all went off to pack, prepare for the long drive, and sleep after our exhausting day of surfing.
– Liam & Banks