2024 Costa Rica Updates

Days 5 & 6 (January 19th – 20th) by Ms. Árce

We spent the last day at Rio Villa Mar getting ready to depart for San Jose. After a morning meeting where we sang the “Chi Chi a Wa Wa” song three final times, people had the option of visiting the shops and river in the small town of Dominical and/or chilling around the hotel for games and packing. Before and after a savory lunch of fish, potato wedges, salad, and juices, students ordered sodas, smoothies, shakes, and snacks. Indeed, this was a hungry crowd, grateful for the abundance of sustenance. 

We boarded three Kermit-the-Frog green tour buses for the long ride to the Holiday Inn in the capital. The ride provided time to sleep or chat for many hours along a two-lane highway banked by green hills, blue skies, and small towns. Traffic wasn’t bad, though we stopped for some time due to an accident. We took a break for more snacks and souvenir shopping at El Garden, then drove on for another couple of hours. (Max Machle and Indie Briggs spent at least 1/3 of the bus trip fervently debating and discussing the top cultural cuisines ever – and also best individual meals – as we rolled through verdant valleys and bid adieu to the sloth-slow descent of sun). 

Finally we arrived at the  casino hotel. The breeze refreshed us, but it was humid. Our intrepid bus drivers helped unload hundreds of carry-on luggage onto the front grass and we waited to get room assignments. After a late boxed-meal dinner, we gathered around the kidney-shaped pool. Airplanes rumbled above us and the stars were barely visible in the big-city light. Yet, we sat and reflected on the serendipity, hospitality, personal and collective discoveries of our many  adventures. By then it was nearing time to get in the rooms, shower, go to sleep – or watch satellite t.v. – until our wake-up calls at 3:00 a.m. 

In the early morning we found our way onto the buses and to the airport. We were tired and ready to head for home. The security lines were extremely long, but we made it to the gate with plenty of time to have a coffee, close our eyes, and watch the night turn to day. Pierce Quigley passed a random security check, in which all his belongings89

]\ ‘was a  were thoroughly checked for contraband, with an surreptitiously pleasant smile. Then we boarded. 

This blog is being written amidst the Atlanta flight to SFO. Everyone made it through customs and Chick-Fil-A. We’re excited to see our families and friends soon. We’re tired, but we’re incredibly overjoyed. What a gift from our parents, our chaperones, our peers, our exquisite Costa Rican hosts, the biodiversity of our journey’s setting, and the Pura Vida vision of Dr. Krejcarek! 

Quotes

I thought being at the beach all together on Thursday was a great bonding experience for all of us and on Day 6 we were given the opportunity to go into the town of Dominical where we could interact with local vendors and explore Costa Rica on our own. 

This trip allowed us to truly embrace the well-known “pura vida” lifestyle and connect as a class without the usage of technology and forced us to be independent and responsible. We practiced being considerate of a new culture and ultimately enjoyed the grandeur of Costa Rica’s nature, beauty, and down-to-earth way of life. – Heidi Yeung

Day 4 (January 18th) – by Cabot Dick, Luke Spalding, and Garrett Hoffman

After a restful night’s sleep, we awoke to a new schedule following the end of our three day rotation. Today, we started with breakfast and a group meeting. We were then separated into our three morning activities, a cooking lesson by the hotel’s chef on a traditional Costa Rican dish, a nature tour with one of the groundskeepers and a wade down the nearby river. After lunch at the hotel, we boarded the buses to a picturesque Costa Rican beach. After arriving the lifeguards took us through two caves that connected to the warm ocean. Everyone spent time playing in the water, relaxing on the beach or drinking coconut water from the local vendors. After a few hours we headed back to the buses to come back to the hotel. Following showers and some light packing for our trip back to San Jose tomorrow, we had the Convent & Stuart Hall Talent Show and the final Salsa competition. The talent show was filled with Irish dancing, singing, stand-up comedy, flips, and a creative poem. Then, after much practice from our salsa instructor Mr. Flores, a show was performed for all the students, chaperones and hotel staff nearby. After the impressive dancing, a couple was awarded by judge Alejandro, a hotel staff member. We ended the day with packing and playing pool. 

Since the night hike lasted longer than normal, this is a continuation of Day 3. Our journey took place in and around the same place as the waterfall we went to earlier in the morning. We boarded some safari trucks and headed down dirt paths to the trailhead. After turning on our head lamps, Juan Carlos led us down the trail and we spotted poison dart frogs, cicadas and spiders within a few minutes. Later on we saw snakes, butterflies, turtles and countless other insects. We ended the hike at one of our guide’s houses on the top of a hill where we were rewarded with Costa Rican treats & drinks provided by his family along with beautiful views of the night sky and surrounding valley. 

Quotes:

The talent show was a very good experience, I just wish Mr. Farrell’s song was a bit longer. — Ross

I’m quite glad I could bring happiness and jubilation to my peers and teachers with my backflip during the talent show. The hours of hard work I put in to be able to perform this dangerous feat were all worth it when I saw the smiles on everyone’s faces. — Saul

One thing I’ve realized today during the river walk is that silence is okay, being in the moment is okay, and you don’t need to worry about what you can’t control. Costa Rica has taught me that the past is unchangeable, and to live a pura vida life every day. — Scarlett

I’ve had so much fun over the course of this trip and have very much enjoyed all of the new experiences throughout, from performing in the talent show to going on the night hike. — Sterling

The night hike allowed us to see Costa Rica through shadows and creatures only experienced in silence. In a similar way, experiencing my students in unfamiliar contexts allowed me to appreciate the best—and often overlooked—aspects of these persons: kindness, care, and openness to others. — Mr. Campos

Day 3 (January 17th) – by Ryker Fringer and Cabot Dick

The day started abruptly with a pounding at the door at 6:45, but with a delightful bacon and eggs breakfast. First thing on the agenda was a group meeting with all of the students and chaperones. Next, we climbed onto a green bus heading to horseback riding and waterfalls! After the short ride, we stepped into three pickup trucks with 10 open-air seats. We then descended down to the ranch where the horses were saddled waiting for us. There, we split into two groups (~19 in each); one group would go back into trucks and the other group mounted onto the horses. This was my (Ryker Fringer – Student) first time ever riding a horse! The two groups then met at the waterfall where they changed into their bathing suits and hiked down to the plunge pool. There was an amazing view! The plunge pool turned into a river, which was completely surrounded by boulders and rocks. To be able to jump off the waterfall (~30 ft), one…

This report was interrupted due to Salsa dancing, surfing, snorkeling, and a night hike, but Ms. Árce will add a couple of sentences… To be able to jump off the waterfall (~30 ft), one “swam across the plunge pool into the thrashing cold water from above. Then one had to climb up onto the slick rocks, get pounded by the river thrashing us, all the while being pulled up by the strategically stationed, brilliant Nauyaca guides.”

It’s 11:20 p.m. and we are all pretty tired. This message will be continued.

Day 2 (January 16th) – by Rebecca Alba and Chiara Ferro

We began the day by heading down to the dining room for breakfast which consisted of rice, beans, eggs, potatoes, french toast, and fresh pineapple. After the meal, we made our way into the common room, where Dr. Krejcarek led us through an exciting new song called “Chi Chi Ri Wa Wa”. Next, we split up into our day groups and headed to our respective activities. My group and I went to a local school in a town called El Silencio, and painted a new hopscotch game for the kids to enjoy. The activity was fun and exciting, but came with many challenges along the way.

Despite the humid and warm climate, we played soccer or “fútbol” with the local kids. One girl that I especially connected with, named Ana, was the daughter of someone who has been working with our community for a long time. It was really interesting to see a glimpse into the life of a Costa Rican teenager and understand the cultural differences and similarities in our lives. The language barrier challenged me when talking to the owner of the school and while receiving directions on what we needed to do. But I was given the opportunity to use my Spanish skills to connect with her despite the language barrier.

Chiara Ferro adds, “I thought that the service work we did was impactful towards me because it was so fun to speak Spanish to the kids and create a bond with them despite the language barrier.“

Our art teacher Ms. Martin, who assisted us during this project, says, “the service work today at El Silencio was meaningful and powerful. It was incredible to see students jump right in and connect with the purpose of the project. We were able to execute a hopscotch painting that will be utilized by primary school students. I am grateful that we all had this experience to give back in a lasting and meaningful way.”

Overall, I’m so glad we were given the opportunity to participate in this experience and connect with people of different cultures, and it’ll be something I remember forever.

Day 1 (January 15th) – by Ms. Julia Arce, English Faculty

Amidst a prolonged downpour, we ate a breakfast of eggs, toast, sausages, cereals, juice, and coffee in the outdoor gathering area. With daypacks and water bottles, we boarded the three Kermit-green tour buses for our concurrent activities, highlighted briefly below. Dinner was shared as a whole class at the hotel, followed by a serious game night and some free time for pool, swimming, and hanging out. 

The first group, Barat, spent the day horse-back riding through lush jungle to the family-run Nauyaca Waterfall Park. We departed the trust plunge and rode to lunch. The family prepared a traditional lunch with rice, beans, marinated chicken and potatoes, salad, and pineapple lemonade. While we refreshed ourselves together, regal peacocks meowed at us with screeching, shrill calls. Upon return to the hotel, students went swimming, played pool, drank smoothies, showered, and chilled until it was time for salsa dancing. Hector Flores, one of our chaperones, taught us the steps, Then we had a dance-off. Fia Douglas and Henry Wang were voted as winners. 

Quotes:

Azalea Scavullo (student): The waterfall was honestly a little bit terrifying. We all just sort of stared at it for a while. It was buckets of water. But, we had a lot of fun! 

Heidi Yeung (student): A lot of beautiful scenery. The horses were so nice. The waterfall was very dynamic. Everything was run by one, sweet family. 

Mr. Campos (chaperone): When you’re standing under the pressure of the water from the falls, you don’t see anything. All you feel is the speed and intensity of something trying to push you down. It’s exceedingly loud. Then you climb up rocks and put your balance in places you also cannot see. You’re forced to trust in the care of the guides and the experience. 

The second group, Stuart, spent the day doing service work in the community of Silencio. Activities were interspersed with some serious soccer matches. In the afternoon, the group went white water rafting in the Savegre River.

Quotes: 

Graham Woods (student): We did some service at a school where we got to paint hopscotch games, which was really fun. Then we went white-water rafting, which was really fun. Our guides were really great…we got to jump off…into the river!

Tanner Parent (student): I was clearing some big weeds around the base of a tree with a machete. It was a lot of work. For the white-water rafting, I was kind of anxious, but it turned out to be really fun. Swimming was relaxing and a nice pairing with the fast rapids. The view was the best part of it. 

Quotes: 

The third group, Duschene, hiked through the Hacienda Baru Biological  Preserve for an eco-tour. After lunch back at the hotel, they split into two smaller groups, either to surf at Playa Dominicalito or snorkeling around Palm Island at Ballena National Park.  

Emilie Fæste (student): The eco-walk was very fun. We saw a lot of animals. Forty monkeys. Then we went snorkeling and saw the beautiful sunset. It was a lot of fun.

Chris Chow: I enjoyed watching the monkeys climbing, as well as the long boat ride and beautiful view when snorkeling. 

Elizabeth Fox (student): I went surfing for the first time. It was my favorite activity! 

Mr. Bryan Lorenz (chaperone): We saw wild pigs…leafcutter ants farming leaves…and as we walked along the trail, we heard something come crashing down through the canopy. A small monkey had thrown a stick. Then a few more threw more sticks our way. We were in their home and they were being themselves. About 30 monkeys (monos) appeared today. We were part of something so much bigger than ourselves.

A quick update from Dominical!

Hi Families,

The flights were on time, and students are excited to be getting into their rooms to settle in. The weather is beautiful, and we are excited to begin our rotations tomorrow. We have shared space together as a full group to discuss the trip ahead, and our adventure begins now! Photos and reflections will be posted to the blog tomorrow and the following days. 

¡Pura Vida! 

The Costa Rica Chaperone Team