Back to San Jose

Unbelievably, today was our last full day in Costa Rica. It feels like yesterday our students arrived wide-eyed and nervous, but their newfound worldliness serves as certain proof we had a most excellent adventure. 

Our students had a mercifully late wake up this morning as our only plan for the day was to travel from the beach to San Jose with stops in Esparza and Sarchi. In Esparza, our students were treated to a folk dance performance in the town square put on by local students and the artisan cooperative. The setting was idyllic and I could not have been more proud of our students’ interest and willingness to join in the dancing and fun. In Sarchi, a hub for handcrafts and artisans, our students had their last taste of souvenir shopping. 

After some time at the pool, some of our students traveled to the outskirts of town for a professional folklore dance performance and dinner with a view of the entire San Jose valley. This group will return to the hotel late, but we already have pictures and they are having a great time. 

Tomorrow, our first flight of students will meet in the lobby at 3:15 am, with the remaining flights leaving at more reasonable times. We look forward to seeing all our parents at baggage claim (on time) tomorrow! Although we know you will be excited to pick up your babies, please make sure to check them out with a chaperone before whisking them away. 

Beach Day! Manuel Antonio and Jaco

Vamos a la playa! Our trip crescendoed today as our students enjoyed a long morning at the pristine national park beaches of Manuel Antonio. Any fantasies our students held of palm trees, monkeys, and white sand were fulfilled today and our students took full advantage. Our time at the beach almost felt like a reward for our students’ impressive handling of everything new the experienced this week.

After a morning on the beach, we all returned to our hotels exhausted and sun-kissed (don’t worry, warnings to liberally apply and reapply sunscreen were mostly heeded). This afternoon was spent mostly at hotel pools, with some particularly energetic and adventurous groups walking to the beaches of Jaco. For the first time this trip, our students have retired to their rooms 30 minutes before the mandatory bedtime, a testament to a day well spent.

Tomorrow our students will enjoy a cultural exchange with a local school and a visit to the town of Sarchi, known for its artisans and colorful, traditional coffee carts. These stops are on the way to San Jose, where we will sadly end our trip. Our students haven’t noticed yet, but the reality of our adventure’s end will start to hit them tomorrow. Thankfully, there is still lots of fun in store before we have to return!

You’ll notice there are fewer pictures from today’s fun... Please understand that us chaperones are not immune to the draw of a beautiful beach and we may have put our phones down a moment (or two) to soak it all in.

To the Beach!

Today, our buses descended from the central plains and mountains of Costa Rica to the Pacific coast and the beach town of Jaco. Our students were ecstatic to once again find all five buses in the same location as we moved to the beach. On our travel day, we stopped at the Tarcolez River for a bird and crocodile safari (successful on both fronts) and a gondola canopy tour. While both activities are a blast, our students tired quickly in the coastal heat. The hotels in Jaco are more closely matched to our students’ experiences with hotels and they were pleased to find pools and functioning AC. While some travelers took a walk to the beach for sunset, most students stayed at the hotel pool or snuck quietly to relax in their rooms.

If our students were tired today, they will be flat out exhausted by the end of tomorrow. Our upcoming beach day at Manuel Antonio is always a highlight of the trip, but our 6:30 am departure time causes more than a little zombie-like grumbling.

The pictures below are mostly from today, but I know a handful from yesterday snuck in as chaperones sent me their favorites. Enjoy!