Life-Changing visit to a Costa Rican Escuela

Many of our new experiences in Costa Rica were filled with breathtaking views of the volcano or challenging 4km hikes up the steep road known as La Trocha. These were mainly either physical or mental accomplishments and were solely for personal gain. However, if I were to pick a  highlight of the trip that was unique to all the other experiences, it would have to be visiting the kids at the elementary school near La Fortuna. It was unique because it was more of an emotional experience and we had the opportunity to help others.

The school happened on the third day in La Fortuna which was our last day there. I and many others were having a hard time deciding on whether to go to the caves or to the school because, even though they were completely different trips, they were equally as cool! I decided to go to the school and I can definitely say I don't regret it!

SO ANYWAYS...
The look on the kids faces when we arrived at the school was priceless. They were actually all SMILES! When we all saw them we were like 10x more excited then we thought we would be! To start off our visit, we played a few warm up games to get them familiar with us. This included a name game which was hilarious because we all had trouble remembering and pronouncing each others names, but after a few tries we managed to get to know most of the kids. Some of them were so shy at the beginning, but by the end of the games they were STOKED. Another cool thing we did was we had them read a spanish book to them. I was partnered with Juan. He was actually the CUTEST kid. We hung out for the a lot of the visit which was too much fun!

Juan and I playing some soccer :)

AFTER the classroom games, we headed outside to play soccer and a bit of ultimate!! They enjoyed it sooo much and were really good a soccer! After the big soccer game of ninos vs ninas, it was finally time to give them the school supplies, clothes and other cool gifts. They felt so much gratitude when they heard they could grab 10-15 items. They even sang the Costa Rican national anthem to us after which was awesome! You could tell they were really happy we came. One girl was like in love with Lauren and after the visit she came back with a flower and a card. kind of romantic. We had a long walk ahead of us so we decided to say goodbye after a couple of pictures. During the walk it was pouring rain and long but we didn't care that much!

It was definitely a new experience for us to get to know some kids who lived in maybe less fortunate conditions and help them out a bit! Here's a picture of the two groups that we hung out with..

I definitely want to do something like this in the future. Something about getting to know kids and putting smiles on their faces is an unreal feeling. Oh ya and I met a kid named Carlos which was sweeet.

PURA VIDA AMIGOS,

Carlos :)

 Highlights & Lowlights to Costa Rica                             GEOSTUDIES 2012


(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvCMLzuqLrs&feature=youtube_gdata),



This past week we experienced many highlights and very little lowlights, while on our trip to Costa Rica.  I think we can all say that we will never forget the trip to Costa Rica and all of new things we had the opportunity to try for the first time.  For me, many of my highlights on the trip were having so many different chances to learn new things by experiencing them first hand. Things that I’ll remember for the rest of my life about this trip are the things like zip lining over the rain forest coastal studies in Samara, and swimming in the hot springs with the view of the Arenal volcano.  Some more things that are strong highlights of my trip were also the little experiences that we went through on the way. Things like playing soccer in the pouring rain in La Fortuna or playing minute to win at the eco-lodge and winning with Glass’s Family.  There were so many little highlights on this trip that could not be done again based on the people and the opportunities that we got to try.  Like every experience you have in life there are always negative situations as well. On our trip for me the lowlights were the things like not being able to go to the school. Hearing how close our class got to the kids in such a short period of time made me wish I could have done both. Playing soccer in La Fortuna with the kids in the street was a lot of fun and I think the school would have been the same.  Another lowlight for me was not spending enough time in Samara. Personally I would have rather spent another day in Samara than in Monteverde.  As much as I miss being on the beach in Costa Rica, I can’t wait to what the rest of Geo 2012 has in store.

(please see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URiB40HAg9c&feature=youtube_gdata)

J.Crew

Oh The Air Travel

On April 17 the Geostudies class of 2012 left for Costa Rica and what better way to travel there than by plane. For one of the students in our class it was their first time flying, Emily, and for others is was their second or third; which is rather exciting. We left the Toronto airport at around 6:30 that morning after leaving our school at 3am and were headed towards Atlanta, our lay over stop, on the smallest airplane I have ever been on. It had 20 rows, 4 chairs in each row and 3 chairs in the first class rows. Needless to say our group took up over half the seats on the plane. Personally, I had not been on a plane in almost 3 years and had forgotten the odd occurance of your ears popping as the plane is taking off or the slight rush you get at the realization that you are no longer on the ground. I would have to say that at this point everyone was incredibly excited to be leaving, smiles galore. We had the fortune of taking off just as the sun was rising which made for some incredible sights once we were above the clouds. During the 2-3 hour flight everyone played cards, talked, or got what sleep they could possible manage. Everyone's hopes were high with the anticipation of the next 9 days ahead of them.  Once landed in Georgia we all went through the motions of the airport, surprisingly there wasn't many on this layover, and then we found the food court. Many took the time to indulge on the cheap American food there was to offer, others took use of the facilities but eventually we all ended up at the same place, the gate, where we waited with even more eager anticipation for our next flight that would bring us to our destination. During our wait most of the class was transfixed by the garbage cans there that would grumble and moan after objects were dispensed in it, but after a quick look most moans the trash in the can seemed unchanged. Most of us were perplexed by what the noise was, and we never did end up finding out what it was doing. At the gate a few ladies took noticed of two incredibly attractive young men also waiting at our gate, who I later managed to get a picture with. After some time waiting it was finally time to board our next plane. Fortunately this plane was comparably larger than the last plane we took and it was much comfier. With my good fortune and being at the bottom of the class list I got a whole row of 3 seats to myself, Simms later joined me and we, along with Abby and Phillips, played a dice game Simms taught us. Many on the plane enjoyed Sherlock Holmes II and before we knew it we were landed, through customs and on a bus with the newly acquainted Horge, bound for Eco Arenal and the beginning of our adventure. After a jam packed 9 days the class returned to the Liberia airport to board our second last flight home. We made it through customs okay and waited patiently for our flight. Again, some of the ladies spotted a very attractive young man and his brother. We all boarded the plane and after a minute or two I became acquainted with the boy, who I would apparently be sitting beside for the whole flight; the ladies were quite envious. His name was Devon and beside him sat a very nice woman named Jamie and I had the pleasure of conversing with them the whole flight. We talked about Canada and the States, comparing the two when it came to school and weather, politics and money, and everything else under the sun. In all honesty I could not really tell you how the flight went since I was far to caught up in my conversations with my seat buddies. Although I could tell you they played the new mission impossible movie and everyone seemed quite content enjoying the ride or filling out our little green pieces of paper with something to say for everyone who went on the trip. I also learned just how incredible the American passports our, I was so intrigued with the different pictures on each page and a meaningful quote, It almost puts ours to shame. With some slight turbulence, as we had on each of our flights, we were landed in Atlanta once again going through customs and waiting our turn in lines. Ironically after getting through customs we ran into Dylan and his mother Charlette Pratt, 2 intriguing people we befriended on our trip. After a final good-bye to them we went our separate ways. The class once again took advantage of the cheap American food and indulged to their hearts desire, let me be the first to say just how different the food is in comparison to Costa Rica and I'm not sure which I prefer. After that many did their last minute shopping, some taking advantage of the duty free and others checking out the souvenir shops. For the last time we waited at our gate to get home. Everyone had their envelopes lined up for the little green pieces of paper. After each was filled they were sealed for us to open after our flight. Finally, it was time to board our final flight home. It was almost a bitter sweet feeling, another chapter of our Geo lives coming to an end and yet still much to look forward to. On the last flight many played cards and just remissnessed  about the trip. We had a very social-able flight attendant who kept things interesting and before we knew it we had landed in Toronto. For the final time we made our way through customs and had our final Spanish countdown. We all went out to Terminal 3 to meet up with our parents and go our separate ways home. Upon leaving we were handed our little envelopes full of those little green pieces of paper and everyone headed home. It was an amazing trip with travels of all sorts and I wouldn't change a single thing about it.

-  Ann-Marie Traynor

Costa Rica 2012

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 

The Never Ending Highlights


Costa Rica 2012 was full of highs. I bet you thought I was going to say highs and lows didnt you? BUT NO. The smallest moments held the most beauty while the largest moments held just as much meaning.

The moments that should of discouraged us only made us want more. Having towels swept into the oceans, ipod's destroyed and bags soaked by the tide only made us more curious of the ocean. Losing sunglasses seemed like a small price to pay to enjoy a full on frontal attack on other rafts.

There were moments you could literlay freeze and just soak up the beauty. The nautral beauty of the waterfall had the ability to mesmarize us all the sun gleamed off of it.

 

There were moments were we used every emotion possible. But whether it be Cailean having a full on heart attack over a bug, 4 people throwing up throughout the night, Ann shedding a few tears at an abnormal cricket, or Bailee football tackling the football coach. We were always there for each other to bask in the moment and than of course offer a helping hand.

  

 There were moments that seemed to go in slow motion and can be played in our heads over and over again. Seeing fists being thrown into the air at completion of hiking La Trosha or seeing heads glance back and flash the worlds largest grin as they zipped away.

 

There were moments were sheer joy was so obviously written on people’s faces. The look Mauricio has at being reunited with the ocean, the look Will hadwalking on the back at sunrise or the look the school children had had receiving new supplies.

 

But there were also moments that tested al our courage and agility. Whether it be squezzing through the birth canal or zip lining we all stood tall and proud at completion.

 

These experiences may only be once in a life time. 100 new experiences.

Second day in Costa Rica

Our first day waking up in the Arenal Villa was very exciting because we couldn't wait for the day to begin.  We got on the bus and drove to a river where we were split into groups which would be the groups you would "float" down the river with. My group was Megan Stev, Stubbs, Natasha, Cailean, and Simms; we called ourselves "the imagination station" because Natasha and I always thought we spotted different animals but really it was just our overly excited imagination. I'm pretty sure that it was our group who started the splashing, pushing and throwing people into the water.  Natasha still holds hitting an unsuspecting log responsible for her graceful exit from our raft! That was my rose for the night. Not surprising that our group won because Simms would pounce on the other boats and throw them into the river.  Our group also found a rope swing that we attempted to swing off of, except me, who was busy getting swept down the river by the current.  HELP! Towards the end of the river all the groups met up on the side of the river where we enjoyed some nice juice, watermelon and pineapple.  Here we all jumped into the river which was hilarious because it was so hard to swim back against the current to get to the shore.   We were so disappointed and exhausted when the river came to an end.  It was time to get back on the bus and look forward to our next amazing experience.  It was always hard to think something could ever top our last adventure...but somehow the next day would.  

Lauren

Swimmin' Day

Well today was a pretty great day (=
Started off the morning with Simms. We had a work period on our seminars, which was very worth it... Got educated about Keith Urban or something by Christy... and was shamed that I didn't know who he was by Megan.
Was very cool learning about volcanos and how AWESOME it's going to be when one errupts while we're in Costa Rica.

Charles showed a really cool video this morning of these teenagers who sent Darth Vader into space... (seems a little ironic)


But was really funny when he totally spun out of control on his way back to the ground! Then he ate the ground...
Thouroughly enjoyed that (=

Later that day we ventured to East Bayfield Rec Centre where we partook in a swimming test. Was sooooooper fun! Very exhausting but... totally worth it! (=
We practiced swimming in clothes, treadin in water, putting on lifer jackets and falling into the water.
I wish we could have gone over what to do in a situation such as this...

But i'm sure we'll be just fine in Costa Rica...
(Lauren- no offence intended) (=

Was awesome of Ms.A to let us go home right after the swimming test. Wouldn't say no to that! So, we had a shorter day than usual and after those EXHAUSTING swim excercises; who was going to argue with that.

Today I felt the group bonding as a family- from dealing with Courtney peeing in the pool to helping eachother out doing whatever activites. I feel as though we are ready to go to Costa Rica!


Geo 4 Life <3