Costa Rica: Wildlife Adventure, Session 1 2025
June 23, 2025
As a group, we all very quickly became friends, and our first day in Costa Rica was amazing. We stayed in this really fancy house and played tons of fun card games, everyone is having a great time.
We had a delicious breakfast with the best pineapple I’ve ever had, along with watermelon, cereal, eggs, and toast. Then, after breakfast, we went outside and played a bunch of really fun icebreaker games to help us get to know each other better and start building a group vibe. We laughed a lot playing games like “Skirt” and “Wah,” and also did a fun cup game and a round of telephone in Spanish, it was hard!
After that, we had our orientation where we went over group guidelines and expectations, and together we created our community contract, something we all committed to following to make sure we have a positive and respectful experience together.
Then it was time for lunch! We took the bus to a very cool restaurant with amazing food, including homemade tortillas, rice, and beans. The food was so good!!
When we got back, it was finally pool time! The pool, to say the least, was not warm, and the hot tub—more like lukewarm tub—wasn’t much better, but we still had so much fun. We played tons of games, nearly lost our volleyball, and ended up bonding even more.
To finish off the day, we had a delicious dinner of barbecue chicken, beef patties, French fries, pineapple juice, salad, and zucchini. We wrapped up the night with some packing for our rafting trip and ice cream.
I would say we had an amazing first full day in Costa Rica and I can’t wait for the next 16!
By: Annabell & Stella
June 24, 2025
Today we had a SUPER early start for our rafting, but we really bonded over our jet lag and were excited for the day ahead. We got on the bus for about 2 hours and played games the entire time and then got chocolate snacks (que delicioso!). Halfway through the bus ride we picked up our river guide, Roy, who was very funny and talkative.
We arrived at the Exploradores rafting lodge and ate a delicious breakfast with toast, eggs, rice and beans, pineapple, papaya, and yogurt. To get to the river, we hopped on a tractor and enjoyed a scenic ride to our put in spot. From the tractor we saw a horse, butterflies, and even a snake!
After our animal sightings we arrived at the mouth of the river where our rafts were waiting for us, along with our very fashionable lifejackets and snazzy helmets. We donned our gear and learned our boat commands, our favorite was the “Costa Rican Rescue” where we had to pull our crewmates back onto the boat by their life vests. Then it was river time.
We went through rapids stages 1-3 today and are going to face a level four tomorrow. However, we believe our boat is cooked because Struan (AKA the only freshman on the trip or “freshy”) fell off on a level 0 rapid. One might say Freshy tasted fresh water. Kade then jealous of Freshy and jumped in the water to swim around for a few, but he didn’t even need a Costa Rican rescue to get back in the boat!
We then stopped at a creek and swam around and jumped into the water. We then departed for our glamp site. We took showers and had a Fanta™️nominal lunch of tortillas, beans, beef, veggies, and more pinapple. After lunch we set foot to a waterfall. It was quite a trek, multiple people got muddy but it was all part of the adventure.
Eventually, we arrived to the waterfall and took some very aesthetically pleasing photos and then jumped off the waterfall. Adam broke his Croc strap and we have 15 more days so we don’t know what he’s gonna do but we’ll figure it out surely. We got back to our glamp site but decided to hop by a Water Apple Tree. The apples were small and a very light pink color, they turned out to be edible so we tried it of course! We had very mixed reviews about these Water Apple but overall consensus was they were really good.
We returned to the glamp site after seeing some cows and showered once again. We played more Egyptian rat slap until we had another delicious dinner of rice, chicken, veggies, White Mushroom Sauce, and Fruit Punch. And then we played more group bonding games and cards. We headed off to bed and got ready for day 2 of rafting!
By: Savvy & Adam
June 25, 2025
When discussing nature by its beauty we often talk of the serenity it holds, yet not of the turbulence and challenges of it. Yet there is beauty in this, such that we learned on the second journey of the lustrious rivers of Costa Rica.
We faced very fast rapids that nearly flipped our raft, and swam within the cool, refreshing river. We refueled on the juiciest of pineapples the world can offer. While on break, the group scrambled to a tree as the guide pointed out a large, fluffy sloth. Unfortunately, I could not see it without my spectacles.
One of the final things we saw before we left the floatation devices was the eroded sides of the river, with trees collapsing ever closer to the gaping jaw of the river.
Now, hear my plea: after we left our floatation devices to the their own devices we partook in the entrance of a van of gargantuan stature an hour in we came to the realization that our escapade would soon destroy our rumps (how dreadful).
Seeing the lightning storm dance across the the sky satisified my deepest desires. After the ride we stretched our legs and arrived at a very demure hotel with hot springs! We ended our day with a scrumdiddlyumptious supper and an evening swim (it wasn’t lightning anymore!)
By: Nick & Kade
June 26, 2025
We began with a breakfast that filled our stomachs and hearts which included eggs, bacon, melon of water, pineapple, cereal (Frugal fluffs) and (Flakes of Corn). Then as soon as our bellies were full we departed to our ziplining adventure extravaganza. We all had different feelings such as being nervous or excited, showing the duality of humans. I started out really really nervous but then as soon as I did the second one I was very chill and comfortable for about the next five.
We left around 12 pm, our hearts full of the excitement of jubilant flies dancing around a corn meadow and we ate godlike food that transcended the very heavens. We went shopping in groups and explored the shops of La Fortuna, a very touristy town with a beautiful view of Arenal Volcano. As we departed from the shops we started on our way home and the van got stuck in mud just before we got to our rooms. We had to walk in the rain for a tiny bit but that was fun because then we went to go to the pool after. We had an amazing dinner that consisted of chicken nuggets, fish nuggets, fries, spaghetti bolognese, yummy peach tea and orange juice (we are eating so well!). We spent our evening hanging out in the pool, the hot springs and played lots of games as a group before we depart to the amazing biological reserve Pocosol tomorrow.
By: Nick & Annabell
June 27, 2025
We reminisce upon the events that transpired today from the comfort of a balcony overlooking the rainforest at Pocosol Biological research station. The thunder storm has calmed and we can hear cicadas buzzing over the sounds of card tricks.
We started the day with an amazing pancake breakfast and a gallivant in the pool. Volleyball, relay races, Marco Polo, and colors. Then to the volcanic hot springs! The sun finally came out and we enjoyed a late checkout, Jenga, hacky sack, and a yummy lunch of chicken rice and vegetables before beginning our journey to the cloud forest.
Once we arrived we were informed of the (not smashing) beasts that roamed the area such as serpents, spiders, and tree frogs. We even saw a monkey off the balcony! After a delicious pasta creamy mushroom dinner we went to the classroom to play a heated charades match, a horrifying game of night at the museum, and animal noises. We have some impressive Michael Jackson impressions. Service starts tomorrow. Hee Hee!
By Adam & Kade
June 28, 2025
We woke up to the blissful sounds of cicadas, bringing us to be immersed once again within the serene wilds of this fantanominal place. We gorged ourselves on the most exquisite cuisine—juicy pineapples and eggs—while looking out at the rainforest, our hearts bursting with excitement at the opportunity to help preserve an ecosystem in a world that yearns to converge all manner of life for the convenience of humans.
Once done, we adjourned to a room in which a park director educated us on the state of the land. Such lessons remind us that so many important ideals befall us in the eyes of modern society. Once fulfilled with knowledge, we moved to the trails to undergo a feat of gargantuan proportion: shoveling dirt to pave trails, preserving safety for rangers that strive to protect this land. Struan and Nick pushed through this task together, weaving 60-pound bags of dirt through the sun-struck sky.
After refueling on chicken, we continued forth on this journey and successfully carried the duty with honor and integrity. These laborious tasks reminded us of the fleeting nature of the human existence. Such important endeavors may remain forgotten, but will still ring true within decades.
Once done with the work, we devoured scrumptious brownies and took blissful showers, preparing for the vital tasks that remain in the days to come. Afterward, we spent time playing cards and chatting. Dinner, chickpeas and chicken, was followed by a wildly fun session of charades and mafia, where laughter echoed through the night.
By Struan & Nick
June 29, 2025
Once upon a time 11 adventurers arose to a foggy view. They traveled to a tavern to fuel themselves with a glorious plate, containing… eggs, pinto gyo, mystery meat, and a tasteful mango. From there, their quest began. They headed down a treacherous path littered with roots, rocks, and insects sent to enhance the adventurers’ bug karma. The 11 of them came to a dreamy lake; their task: shovel the glittering sand from the bank of the lake to scatter throughout the dangerous trails. They powered through—but only with an Oreo break, of course.
The adventurers eventually sat down to refuel. Their grub included beans and rice, pork cooked in its own fat, and a colorful watermelon. After some much-needed recharging and cleaning off, the adventurers set off to their awaiting carriage and onto their next voyage. A short carriage ride later… they came upon a farm. When they arrived, Chrislie the farmer informed them of the farm’s purpose… making cheese! He led them to the origins of the cheese and bravely showed them how to create it.
Afterwards, the adventurers had become famished once more. The farmers graciously provided another meal for them, starting with starfruit juice, a chicken and rice dish, beans, and a fresh salad. Although the adventurers were faint, the farm had more surprises in store. Multiple dancers wearing vibrant dresses performed a masterpiece for the adventurers, who then joined in the dancing, or as Annabell would say, “danced all night.”
We also played musical chairs with the children from the community, it was highly competitive, but extremely funny and fun. The night ended with us turning the dining hall into our very own dance floor.
The end!
By: Hanna & Savvy
June 30, 2025
Nuestro día inició a las 7 con una caminata por la granja en la cual aprendimos a ordeñar a una vaca y luego las alimentamos, Kade descubrió una forma mas facil de beber leche, después de eso cominos un delicioso desayuno con gallo pinto, huevo, queso, yogurt, sandía y jugo fresco de carambola (star fruit).
Después del desayuno Crisley nos enseñó más sobre su granja, nos enseñó cómo cultivan sus propios alimentos como arroz y frijoles, diferentes tipos de tubérculos, y muchas verduras, frutas y plantas medicinales.
Luego, vimos diferentes diferentes tipos de animales, vimos gallos, gallinas, cerditos bebes y cerdos grandes, toros y vacas con sus terneros, perros y una perezosa con su bebe en brazos, también vimos una especie de rana muy colorida y un poco venenosa que se llama “rana de pantalones azules”, aprendimos que es la única rana en Costa Rica que no necesita de lagos o ríos para reproducirse por que la mamá pone sus huevos en las partes bajas de los árboles, y además es la única rana que tiene cuidado parental, es decir que el macho y la hembra cuidan de sus crias hasta que se conviertan en adultas.
Luego de ese gran recorrido, llegó la hora del almuerzo, comimos pasta con carne, salsa y queso, tuvimos un reposo de 30 minutos y luego nos trasportamos a proyecto asis! Proyecto asis es un centro de rescate animal y rehabilitación para especies que han sido sacadas de su hábitat natural y tratan de domesticarlos como mascotas o algunos de ellos son atropellados y maltratados, y no pueden volver al bosque por su estado de salud o por los grandes desafíos que enfrentan, en proyecto Asis los alimentan y cuidan hasta que puedan volver al bosque con normalidad, para eso tienen ayuda de veterianos y especialitas en seguridad animal.
Hoy pudimos alimentar algunos monos del centro, para alimentarlos se utilizan juguetes hechos con bamboo. Aprendimos que hay 4 tipos de monos en Costa Rica, algunos de ellos son el cara blanca y el mono araña, tambien alimentamos diferentes tipos de aves como guacamaya azul y guacamaya roja, pericos, loros, un buho y tucanes, también vimos cerdos sainos, un caucel, un caiman, un coati y con un telescopio pudimos ver más de cerca una peresoza con su bebé y el famoso mono aullador, que realmente estaba muy muy cerca de nosotros, y muchísimas especies de animales más!
Despues de alimentarlos y tener un descanso con galletas y limonada, volvimos a la granja y tuvimos una clase de baile, nos enseñaron a bailar salsa, merengue y bachata, primero aprendimos los pasos y bailamos de forma individual y luegos aprendimos a bailar en parejas, fue super divertido y aprendimos muchos movimientos nuevos.
A las 6 ya era la hora de cenar, nos esperaban deliciosos “enyucados”, una comida tipica de Costa Rica hecha con cassava molida y queso y luego, tuvimos un paseo nocturno por la granja, vimos muchísimos animales como buhos, pajaros carpinteros, una matis religiosa, muchos tipos de ranas, insectos y hongos fluorescentes! el caminos estaba algo humedo y con mucho barro pero eso no nos impidió tener una caminata divertida y conocer muchas cosas nuevas!
Después volvimos a nuestras habitaciones a hablar sobre el plan para manaña mientras comiamos un snack y hacíamos una larga lista con nuestras canciones favoritas preparándonos para 7 horas de viaje en bus que tendremos mañana.Y asi finalizo nuestro muy divertido día, buenas noches!
By: Nicole & Adam
English Translation:
Our day began at 7 a.m. with a walk around the farm, where we learned how to milk a cow and then fed them. Kade discovered an easier way to drink milk! After that, we had a delicious breakfast with gallo pinto, eggs, cheese, yogurt, watermelon, and fresh star fruit juice.
After breakfast, Crisley taught us more about his farm. He showed us how they grow their own food like rice and beans, different types of tubers, and many vegetables, fruits, and medicinal plants.
Next, we saw many different types of animals: roosters, hens, piglets and large pigs, bulls and cows with their calves, dogs, and even a sloth with her baby in her arms. We also saw a very colorful and slightly poisonous frog called the “blue jeans frog.” We learned that it’s the only frog in Costa Rica that doesn’t need lakes or rivers to reproduce, as the mother lays her eggs on the lower parts of trees. It’s also the only frog that practices parental care, meaning both the male and female take care of their young until they become adults. After that amazing tour, it was time for lunch. We had pasta with meat, sauce, and cheese. Then we had a 30-minute rest before heading to Proyecto Asis!
Proyecto Asis is a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center for animals that have been taken out of their natural habitat and kept as pets, or injured animals that have been hit or mistreated and cannot return to the wild due to their health or other challenges. At Proyecto Asis, they are fed and cared for until they can return to the forest. They receive support from veterinarians and animal safety specialists.
Today we got to feed some monkeys at the center, using toys made from bamboo. We learned that there are four types of monkeys in Costa Rica—some of them are the white-faced monkey and the spider monkey. We also fed different types of birds like the blue macaw, red macaw, parakeets, parrots, an owl, and toucans. We also saw wild pigs (sainos), an ocelot, a caiman, a coati, and—through a telescope—we got a close-up view of a sloth with her baby and the famous howler monkey, which was really, really close to us, along with many more species!
After feeding the animals and enjoying a snack of cookies and lemonade, we returned to the farm for a dance class. We learned how to dance salsa, merengue, and bachata. First, we learned the basic steps and danced individually, then we learned how to dance with partners. It was super fun and we picked up a lot of new moves.
By 6 p.m., it was time for dinner. We were welcomed with delicious enyucados, a typical Costa Rican dish made with grated cassava and cheese. Then we went on a nighttime walk around the farm, where we saw many animals like owls, woodpeckers, a praying mantis, many types of frogs, insects, and even glowing mushrooms! The trail was a bit wet and muddy, but that didn’t stop us from having a fun hike and learning lots of new things.
Afterwards, we returned to our rooms to talk about the plan for tomorrow while enjoying a snack and making a long list of our favorite songs to get ready for the 7-hour bus ride we have tomorrow. And that’s how our super fun day ended. Good night!
July 1, 2025
We started our day with a delicious, nutritious, and filling breakfast to prepare for the 7 hour trip ahead. We had packed the night before, so we were able to leave shortly after breakfast, around 9 am
On our long bus drive to Uvita, we stopped for lunch at this amazing place called El Jardín, it was like a buffet. Some of us had smoothies and coffee milkshakes, they were bombbbb!!!! After we finished eating, we went to the souvenir shop next door and a lot of us got some really nice souvenirs for ourselves, family, and friends.
Then we got back on the road to our hotel in Uvita. We settled into our really nice rooms, got ready for our incredible dinner, played some super fun games with all our friends.
This trip has been such a fun and amazing adventure. I’ve loved it so much and all the friends I get to make!!!! We’ve learned so much about plants, trees, and animal species… and the best part is yet to come: the turtles! Tomorrow we drive to Latin American Sea Turtles (LAST). We’re super excited for that part of the trip to begin and can’t wait to learn more about them!
By Annabell + Nicole
July 2, 2025
We started off nice snd rested at a casual 8am. We had buss breakfast that consisted of waffles, pineapple, gallo pinto, and watermelon. Then we hopped back on the bus for a quick 3 hours, listened to some fire music, and tried new Costa Rican candy. After the car ride we arrived to Osa peninsula and visited the lil market across the street for more snacks.
After a beautiful walk on the beach, we got ourselves some fantanominal pizza and a gigantuious mango smoothie that was so gas. Now it was time for a stellar swim in the pacific and handstand competitions!
We returned to oue hotel and hung out for a little while to brainstorm our game, ASSASSIN. Finally it was time for some dinner that we grubbed down on. Delicious salad sith chicken, gallo pinto, and potatos. After our bomb dinner we got our targets and got hyped for the game (and turtle day ahead) Off to bed soon. Ciao!
By Stella + Savvy
July 3, 2025
The mangroves stood tall in the midst of the early sunrise, which is when we awoke. We ate light in the morning, beans and eggs, as we knew the journey was a hard day of work. Right after we ate, we had an amazing presentation which illustrated the elegance and beauty of the noble trees called mangrove. Some are endangered, associated with mud and filth, yet despite this, there was so much beauty in its life and how it lives. With our enlightened minds, we adjourned to the mangrove, where we engaged in fruitful work: watering baby mangroves, putting up signs, filling bags with mud so we can plant mangrove seeds, and digging holes to put up the roof of a nursery to make it look prettier. We also helped to fulfill the structure of the wall and worked on fixing and beautifying the nursery roof.
Then we took a swim and a lunch break. Most of us took naps, we were deprived of our energy so we had to sleep on it to fulfill it back. Then we journeyed back out so Annabelle and her gals and HB could find more mangrove seeds in the roots. Nick, on the other hand, had an amazing experience doubling mud and carrying the wheelbarrow. Nick also talked to a couple of the research folks so that he could fulfill his interest in knowing about them.
As we finished up, we went to swim in front of the mangroves, and with the heavy rain pouring down, it was an incredible experience, what we called a full aquatic adventure. We laid back floating in the water, listening to the sound of the rain from beneath the surface while feeling the huge raindrops land on our bodies.
Then we came back to shower, the girls did their nails before dinner. We ended the day with an amazing dinner and a snack tasting right after, to try out Costa Rican snacks, yummy! We played some games and went to bed, we have an early morning tomorrow.
By: Nick + Anabell
July 4, 2025
We started our day with a painfully early wake up at 5:45. We tumbled out of our beds and headed to breakfast. We enjoyed gallo pinto, pineapple, eggs with sausage, and a mystery juice. After breakfast, we met with the turts research assistants, helped gather the supplies, and headed for the beach.
We boarded the boats with high hopes of finding many turts. We set some nets and then hopped off the boats to set up camp on a small beach overlooking a bay. Immediately, we got our first turtle! After a short presentation on how to measure and hold the turts, we began inspecting it. Shortly after releasing the first one, we had already caught another.
By the end of the day, we had caught 7 turtles, which was a new all time record!! Five hawksbill turtles and two green turtles. One of the turtles we found had been previously rescued and taken to the center for emergency care due to a shark attack, it had lost parts of its fins, but now it was fully healed and living well! We released all the turtles except one 100 pound green turtle that had a large fishing hook stuck in its mouth. We brought the turt back to the research center, where the head biologist carefully removed the hook. The turt is spending an extra night at the center and will be released tomorrow. Along with helping the turtles, we swam a lot in the bay and enjoyed a delicious lunch. It was a very special and fun day.
By the time we returned to the hotel around 3 pm, we were quite tired and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and making trips to the store to get snacks. Around 6 we enjoyed a delicious pasta dish with pineapple and bread on the side. We ended the day with some fun activities, including a drinking game!!! (Water, mom!) Then we got some ice cream and finally tucked ourselves into bed, dreaming about saving more turtles!🐢
By Hanna + Nicole
July 5, 2025
Today was an eventful day we woke up bright and early at 7 and ate breakfast to prepare us for our beach clean up later that day. After breakfast we watched the wholesome release of the green turtle we caught the previous day.
After watching the turtle swim back into the open ocean we headed back to listen to a presentation about waste and plastic polution before venturing out to clean up the beach.
After a tasty lunch we painted signs to post along the beach and helped to renovate the rehabilitation center. Dinner was gas, and after we did skits about sustainable and non sustainable service. They were incredible. After we got ice cream for the people who collected the most trash [Nicole] and who found the biggest peice of trash [Annabell]. Tomorrow we are headed to Uvita for our surf days. See you soon!
By Kade & Struan
July 6, 2025
6:15- Extremely early to wake up, but we had places to be!
6:30- We made it to the beach for a morning swim.
7:00- Life was good. Pura Vida.
8:00- Ate down on some breakfast (some meaning we gorged)
8:30- time to pack up the rest of our bags
9:00- Bus came to pick us up to take us to Uvita
11:20- We made it to the hotel and immediately hopped in the pool.
12:00- We had some lunch that we found way to scrumptious and played some cards.
12:30- Everyone got settled in and we got ready for a relaxing yoga class.
1:00- We did some card games and then decided to juggle a soccer ball.
1:40- Somehow we ended doing handstands and Freshy (Struan) still has a lot to learn. Bonus points for trying!
2:00- We hopped on the bus to go to a Yoga Class.
2:10- We realized this was not going to be any ordinary Yoga Class.
2:50- We quickly realized we all had not stretched in a while and all of us were in pain.
4:00- We returned relaxed and refreshed ready for some pre dinner downtime.
4:15- Back at the resort, we went straight to the receptionist and asked if we could review the surveillance camera footage to rewatch and record Freshy’s funny handstands.
4:30- IT WAS POOL TIME PART 2!!!!!
6:30- After a long and relaxing swim, it was time for a delicious and scrumptious dinner.
7:00-8:00- We played group games such as: Poison dart frog, Wah, Duck-Duck-Goose, Bang, and a few others.
8:00-9:00- We hung out and played cards until lights out .
9:30- Bed time.
By Stella & Savvy
July 7, 2025
Today we woke up and had a surftaculous breakfast of eggs, gallo pinto the rice was exquisit. Afterward we headed out to go catch some waves. The surfing was imaculate, we hit some gnarly waves (shaka). After the banger surf sesh we swam and gorged our selves on some banger pineapple. We then walked back to the hotel for some grub. We then took a short break where we got to swim in the pool, paint with some watercolors, and take well needed naps. Once we were ready to roll we headed back to the waves. We played games in the ocean, some beach volleyball, and went for some walks. After our beaching we came back to the hotel for dinner. After we munched we prepared our talents. We all gathered at the stage to preform. Some of the preformsnces included singing, haki sacking, drawing, gymnastics, and some magic. Nick took the win with two amazing monolouges. We then finished the night writing letters to our selfs in 6 months.
The end!
By Struan and Hanna
