Costa Rica 2012 was the trip of a lifetime. Everything we did was such an adventure and so different from what we did yesterday so it was always a new experience! As a class we were exposed to a lot of new species of plants, animals, and insects, as well as a different culture and way of life. We got to see first-hand the biodiversity we learned about in class leading up to the trip and the differences of a more tropical climate.
Overall it was an awesome learning experience, but it was also a lot of fun! Personally, I am now able to check off several experiences off my "100 new experiences" list for Geo Studies, as well as a few on my bucket list! For instance, zip lining above the rain forest? That was an awesome activity! As well as hydro-logical coastal studies in the Pacific ocean - that was a major highlight of the trip
Some other really cool things we did that showed us a bit more of the Costa Rican culture was visiting the kids' school and having dinner with a local family. We got to spend time with them and learn more about what they eat, what sports they play, their language, and how they live. For instance, my extended family visited a family that lived in a small house with a little kitchen connected to their living room which had only two couches and a small tv. These two rooms together was about the size of my bedroom at home - which shows you the difference between Canadian and Costa Rican standard of living. They also fed us a very different dinner than what we are used to which consisted of squash, corn, rice, chicken, and small tortillas. I thought it was good but some of us had trouble eating it...and Simms helped out with that. Overall the family visit was a lot of fun and we all learned a lot!
All of the activities we did in Costa Rica were so much fun and I loved every single one. However, my favourites would have to be the river float, the caving tour, and Baldi hot springs.
We had some awesome guides for the river float which made it a lot of fun, as well as the trees and all the nature surrounding us was just so beautiful and breath-taking. It was cool to float down the river and look through the foliage looking for monkeys and lizards and other animals while learning about all the different species in the area from our guide.
In the caves I saw so many interesting insects I had never seen before, as well as a good amount of bats! Crawling through the small tunnels and through the birth canal was also a new experience that I thought was really fun.
The hot springs were really cool because they are heated by the volcano and are actually very hot! I thought it was pretty impressive that the volcano was capable of heating that much water to temperatures above 100 degrees Celsius.
Another thing I really liked about the trip was the different families. I was in the Glass family with Laura, Emily, Courtney, Mauricio, Jonny, Tyler, and Mr. Glass of course. Being in a family together helped me toe become closer with these people because we spent time together away from the other families during the potluck dinner, the Minute to Win it activity, our dinner out in La Fortuna, and a couple other occasions. The families also made it easier to splint into groups quickly as needed such as when travelling in small groups. I thought the families was a great idea and helped the trip run more smoothly.
If I had the chance I would do it again in a second, as I'm sure the rest of Geo would too! This trip was such an awesome experience and I will never forget everything I saw and learned. Thank you Mr. Simms for EVERYTHING and making me very happy for deciding to take Geo Studies! Pura Vida
- Ally
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