Costa Rica - June 16-23

Rappelling

2010-06-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

Cheesemaking in Costa Rica

2010-06-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

2010-06-24T06:05:00.000-07:00

I am back at home now, I miss all of my new friends, but am happy to be away from those CRABS AND HUGE BUGS!! : P
If you ever go to Costa Rica make sure that you bring extra clothes and an air freshener for you clothes because they will
smell HORRIBLE!!!

Saying, "Goodbye."

2010-06-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

We had our last awesome adventure rappelling down waterfalls. I'm sure there will be another great video soon. A couple of last group pictures before saying, "adios."

Yes, we have no bananas...

2010-06-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

Travel Manager German shows the kids the banana flower...

Zip Lining Video!

2010-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I think this speaks for itself:

Can you believe we only have ONE more day?

2010-06-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

From cheese making (from the cow, to my mouth!) to pineapple planting, to soaking in thermal spas, we had an awesome day!!

The hand holding the "Blue Jeans" frog is Morgan S.

2010-06-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

Tree planting!! So much fun!

"I couldn't get wetter if I tried!"

2010-06-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

So we had a very WET ziplining experience last night at Sky Trek! We had wonderful views of Arenal Volcano all afternoon and then the usual afternoon rains kicked in. Spirits were high, though, as one by one we gathered our courage and jumped off the platform into the jungle mists! We were not able to get a lot of pictures on the ziplines due to the rain, but you can see in the pics below how much fun it was in spite of the 40 mph rain in our faces! :)

We will be posting a video of our experience tonight, so that you can hear from your students what an ADVENTURE we had!

Cows, cheese, pineapple and ....frogs?

2010-06-21T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today we learned how to make cheese starting with milking cows. At the pineapple plantation, we got to help plant them, learn the process of how pineapples grow, and, of course, taste them!

While trekking through the rainforest, we saw poison dart frogs including the blue jeans frog. "I wonder what size jeans they wear?" --Morgan S.

Video from Day Three

2010-06-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

Video from Days One

2010-06-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

And they´re off!

2010-06-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

Who is ready to zip line?

2010-06-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

We are!

Ziplining- Soaked, but Smiling!

2010-06-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

What a great adventure! We flew up to 40 miles an hour, 800 meters above the rainforest floor. Unfortunately, we also got soaked, but everyone was still smiling.

Giving back - planting trees!

2010-06-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

This morning we had the privilege of planting almond tree seedlings - "arbolitos" - in an area near the Tirimbina Reserve where we stayed last night. We were excited to get out shovels and work as teams to make our planet better for our children - more oxygen, more water, more habitats for birds!

Ana and Leah named their five seedlings - "Sara," "Pumpkin," "Sea Slug," "Sassafras," and "Bert." Now they can think about them for years to come! Abby C found a worm and named it "Wormy." Sadly, he died on the bus. RIP Wormy.

After our hard work, we were refreshed by thick slices of fresh pineapple and bananas!

from wynter

2010-06-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

What an adventure we have had. We have eaten lotsand lots and lots of rice ... in a bowllllll
(inside joke)
We have been wet many many times. i missyou all ... mabey.

Georgia meets Costa Rica

2010-06-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

Ready to go in Yorkin.

Claire made a new friend in Yorkin.

The girls found ways to be productive during the bus rides!

Wynter and Abby in Yorkin.

Ready for the trip upriver!

Lunch the first full day at the Sloth Preserve.

Overlooking the rainforest.

Yesterday in Yorkin

2010-06-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

So in lieu of pictures and a recap, we've posted an awesome video of some of our activities on Day Two in the village of Yorkin, on the border with Panama! You will see the students riding in dugout canoes to the village, hiking to our lunch location, and making chocolate, from harvesting and tasting the fruit, to roasting and grinding the beans, to sweetening it and tasting it warm with freshly harvested bananas!

They also had the chance to play in the Yorkin River, which for six kilometers is the border with Panama, try their hands at archery with traditional bows and arrows, and challenge the local boys to a game of soccer, World Cup style! (Leo's team won.)

I have posted a couple of pictures of Claire C and one of the local children in Yorkin. He was so fascinated by her light-up Lego keychain that she gave it to him as a gift! His mom and grandmother thanked me over and over and wanted to let the group know that it made them very happy.

It was a wonderful day, with awesome new discoveries, excellent cultural interaction, and a LOT of fun!

Snorkeling in the Caribbean!

2010-06-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

What a fun day so far! Day three has taken us by bike and kayak to a beach near some of the coral formations off the Caribbean coast - students got to choose their mode of transportation. Since they had been asking since they arrived, they were all SO excited to finally get in the water with their new friends!

Alexa, Mariah, Grant, Wynter, Avona, Trevor, Morgan D, Mrs Nemecek, Morgan S., Archer, Greg-O and Jolena all "experienced" the water up close by flipping out of their kayaks!

Right at this moment, we are enjoying some delicious fish and chicken sandwiches with carambola (a local fruit) juice under a canopy of rainforest foliage. The kids are all talking excitedly about their day's adventures.

Tonight, we are headed farther inland to a wildlife reserve where we will spend the night after a late-night rainforest walk to hear the sounds of the jungle, see some new plants and animals, and learn more exciting info from our guides. We will post more tonight from our hotel, including pictures from today's activities, and a recap of yesterday's chocolate making and hiking!

The kids all say hi and that they're having a wonderful time!

Sloths andLizards and Turtles, Oh My!

2010-06-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! We are sorry for the delay in blogs and pics - we have been adventuring beyond the bounds of wireless internet here in the beautiful Caribbean region of Costa Rica! Pictures will be up tomorrow from the last two days, but are loading too slowly to post now.

Yesterday at Aviarios del Caribe we were able to learn a lot about sloths, and how the staff at Aviarios cares for them - we even got to pet one! Her name was Buttercup, and several of the girls tried to sneak her onto the bus. (just kidding.) We did see some very adorable baby sloths as well. (To Ronnie's mom - I didn't let her bring one home, even when she begged. :)

For lunch, we tried the first of many Costa Rican dishes (accompanied by rice and beans, of course) - chicken made with coconut milk. The girls at my table all ate part of their hibiscus flower garnish, and finished off their tamarind juice, except Abby C, who was a big chicken and wouldn't try it. Every day is a new adventure for our tastebuds!

After lunch we took a man-powered canoe ride through the reserve, sighting "Jesus Christ" lizards, herons, crabs, and other local wildlife, while learning their names from our guides, Herman and Leo.

On the way to our hotel, the students played bus games and got to know their new friends from around the US, and have had a great time together!

The evening held more once-in-a-lifetime adventures! After a bus ride out toward the coast and border with Panama, we tried more local fare - fried plantain patties (delicious!) - and heard a presentation about the turtles we were hoping to see on the beach late at night.

The cool thing about nature - weather and animals - is that you can never predict what they will do! We did not get to see any nesting turtles this time, but we did get to see how volunteers care for the eggs, and experience a little bit of what a female turtle would encounter on a very rainy, moonless beach as she tried to lay her eggs. It was fun using our other four senses (since it was so dark), to hold onto each other, feel the sand beneath our feet, smell the salty air and listen to the waves! Grace and Ana had a very exciting incident, falling into a tidepool! (Don't worry, mom and dad, they just got wet.)

After such a long day, everyone was excited to take a hot shower and get to bed and couldn't wait to get started on another day of exciting times! Tomorrow, canoeing the Yorkin river, and making chocolate!

here we go..

2010-06-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

and we are off to the Sloths! Headed out this am at 7 and drove through the beautiful Braulio Carrillo National Park, primary growth rainforrest area. (Featuring the only tunnel in Costa Rica...way to long to hold our breath as we drove through!)

We had a few "nappers" on the way and have arrived to study and meet the Sloths! Pictures to come...stay posted!

Their first night in Costa Rica

2010-06-16T22:23:00.001-07:00

So it WOULD be shocking if we actually made it all the way to Costa Rica without leaving something behind! The prize goes to the young lady pictured beggin' our new found friend, and travel manager, for her items...she left on the bus! (Truth be told, a teacher, who shall remain nameless left their phone in the lobby, so it's not fair to only blame Middle Schoolers!)

Above a group headed up to their rooms, awaiting their roommates arrivals! Pictured above their rooms, BEFORE they unpack!

Looking forward to keeping you posted on the blog! Don't forget to post to us as well...more to come!

and they have ARRIVED!

2010-06-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

welcome to COSTA RICA! Let the fun begin! We welcomed 27 students & 5 teachers to the hotel after a long day of travel. Paired them
off & they headed straight to their rooms...wake-up calls set!

It's up and at 'em, breakfast at 6:30 and then on the road. We'll venture to Aviarios del Caribea unique rehabilitation center for Sloths, to learn about ecology, witness monkeys, iguanas, birds and many plants.

It's a full day ending with the turtle walk, hopefully witnessing Leatherbacks laying their precious eggs!

2010-06-16T08:45:00.001-07:00

I can not wait. In just a few min. we will be going to the airport!

2010-06-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

I just came back from Hershey Park in Hershey, PA, right before that I got back from New York, and now I'm going to Costa Rica tomarrow!!
THE FUN JUST NEVER STOPS!!!!!!
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^ ^
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Small world cont.

2010-06-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

The two boys are gonna be in Landon with me

Can't wait!!

2010-06-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to leave from Roswell, Georgia this Wednesday! It'll be awesome!

2010-06-14T18:33:00.001-07:00

I can't believe we're leaving Anchorage tomorrow. I can't wait to meet everyone!

WISE words of advise from Costa Rica...

2010-06-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on! I am anxious to greet you all as you arrive to San Jose! At our last dinner together tonight, the students from Amarillo, New Orleans, and DC had some words of advise...

DON'T leave home withOUT
Madison...dry-fit clothes
Alan...spending money & a way to call your mom to deposit MORE money!
Joe...more than one pair of shoes
Nathaniel...extra socks

Brenda...pants, NOT jeans, to wear through the rainforest
Desiree...pepto chewables
Miranda...travel detergent
Alex-the Driver...OLD shoes, they will get EXTRA muddy & EXTRA wet!
Danny-OUR AWESOME Travel Manager...your best dance moves, with your Idol voice (poonchi, poonchi, poonchi)
Ms. G **especially for the teachers... everything that your wonderful students will FORGET...
Alix (me)...a flashlight!

and the WHOLE GROUP says..."bring your appetite for BEANS & RICE!"

From our new found love, Costa Rica....Pura Vida!

2010-06-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

I am so siked for this trip I especially cants wait for the zip line
I heard that it's 2miles long.

Small world

2010-06-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

I just found out that two boys from another school are going to be in my class
who are going on the trip

Excited for trip

2010-06-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Cant wait for trip 2 days before

Costa Rica 2 days before

2010-06-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

woo HOO!

2010-06-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

Hey, Hey, Hey Costa Rica June 16th group...can't wait to meet you all on the 16th. I will be anxiously awaiting your arrival! I leave tomorrow from basecamp to meet with a group that's already on their adventure. Keep your eyes peeled for news on our trip, check their blog out as well! My bags are packed, sunscreen, bug spray, an extra memory card, & my Discovery Student Adventure gear...happy travels!

2010-06-09T15:51:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! I am so excited about going to Costa Rica! I've been out of the country a bunch of times, but not to a place this exotic! I can't wait to do all the exciting things we will do.

First Follow Me Contest Winner Announced

2010-06-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Madison M.! She is our Follow Me Contest winner for our June 8th trip to Costa Rica. Way to go, Madison! Students, you too can earn a chance to win a free iPod Touch. Just get as many people as you can to register to follow your blog by directing them to DiscoveryStudentsAdventures.com/destinations/blogs. Let them know what dates you are traveling and ask them to register to follow you on your adventures this summer. Good luck!!!

2010-06-02T16:25:00.000-07:00

Aren't these animals cute!

I AM GOING OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR MY FIRST TIME!!!!! I AM GOING TO

COSTA RICA WITH MY TEACHER, HIS SON, AND THREE OTHER KIDS FROM MY

SCHOOL. I CAN NOT WAIT TO MEET EVERYONE WHO WILL BE GOING ON THE TRIP

WITH ME!! :) I WILL GET TO GO ZIP LINING, SEE TURTLES, SLEEP UNDER A

VOLCANO ECT.! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE ALL OF THE ANIMALS AND WILD LIFE! I just finished

packing !!! I <3>

I <3>

Grace B-) : ) : 0

Can't wait!!! : P
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((")(") (bunny)
MM
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(")(") (hamster with a crown)

Hey Everyone from sunny North Carolina!

2010-05-31T05:30:00.000-07:00

My name is Amy Pace and I am bringing 4 wonderful girls with me to Costa Rica in June. We are getting more and more excited as the days pass. Its hard to believe that we are only about 2 weeks away!! We are looking forward to meeting each and every one of you and having the time of our lives! See you soon!

Hi to everyone from the group in Georgia!

2010-05-28T16:32:00.000-07:00
Hi everyone! My name is Holly Oran and I am leading a group of 5 amazing kids to Costa Rica June 16-23. We are all really excited to go and to meet all of you and share this adventure with you! See you soon!