Published on April 10, 2024
On Saturday, March 23rd, roughly 30 students and chaperones left Warwick High School at 12:30 am to head to the Philadelphia Airport to begin their trip to Costa Rica. Throughout the trip, students were fully immersed in another language and culture than they were used to. It was a life-changing trip for many! Take a look at what they did each day:
Day 1 - Saturday
Students and chaperones arrived in Costa Rica around 1:30 pm their time (3:30 pm here) where they checked into their first hotel, Buena Vista Del Rincon. After an exhausting day of traveling and getting situated, they enjoyed a nice dinner and got some rest to prepare for their first full day.
Day 2 - Sunday
The hotel they stayed in allotted them to sleep in bungalows where they were able to witness many wild animals and nature. The hotel had its own sustainability farm where visitors could see directly where their food and other household items were coming from.
Students began the day by taking a tour of the farm where they learned about microorganisms and how to reproduce them naturally to use them as fertilizers rather than pesticides. They also had the opportunity to milk cows, visit farm animals, and learn how worms contribute to composting. One of the coolest parts was seeing how the farm used ox to squish sugar cane.
Next, students participated in both a cooking class and a soap-making class. During the cooking class, students made empanadillas, which are similar to what we know as empanadas. These empanadillas contained corn and cheese.
For the soap-making portion, students learned how to cook the ingredients they were given, pour them into molds, and then allow them to harden to create hard soap bars. Along with these classes, they also observed an artisan making gorgeous handmade ceramics.
Following their classes, they traveled to a thermal spring where they experienced a type of mud bath that was made of volcanic ash and water.
To round out the day, they spent time studying and participating in their daily Spanish lessons. A teacher from Costa Rica stayed with them throughout the whole trip and led each daily Spanish lesson focusing on vocabulary words that they’d use throughout the day.
Day 3 - Monday
On the morning of their third day, students took a walk through a nearby forest using hanging bridges. They explored areas that have Matapalo trees. Matapalo trees, also known as ‘Tree Killer,’ are parasitic vines that grow around an existing tree, feed off it, and continue to grow until they have completely encapsulated the existing tree.
Following the hike, students packed their bags and got on the bus to venture to the Arenal Region.
During the bus ride, students learned about Costa Rican cashews and stopped by a local market called Liberia where they participated in a scavenger hunt that required them to speak with local vendors to figure out what the items on their list were and who sold them.
They ended the day by checking in their new hotel, La Fortuna.
Day 4 - Tuesday
On Tuesday, students toured another farm called Rancho Margot where they learned about ecotourism. They mixed sticks, larger pieces of wood, sawdust, and water together then stored them in barrels to ferment and become microorganisms.
Students also learned how to make their own cheese. This process included stirring ingredients until they curdled, pushing the cheese through a strainer, and then creating the cheese wheels.
The remainder of the day was spent kayaking around Lake Arenal which has a large active volcano in the center of it. Students were able to swim and enjoy the nice weather.
Day 5 - Wednesday
Students packed their bags and checked out of the hotel first thing in the morning to head to their next destination, La Quinta de Sarapiqui Hotel. During the travel to the new hotel, they made several pitstops including a stop to zip-line through the forest and a city-wide scavenger hunt where they interacted with locals.
After checking into their new hotel and freshening up, students enjoyed a dance class with the amazing Joanna and Fabian who led the group in dancing styles of salsa, merengue, and bachata. Following the dance class, it was time to cool off and wind down in the hotel pool!
Day 6 - Thursday
On day six, students used their daily Spanish class to learn about culinary traditions and many food-related terms. They visited another farm that specialized in fruits and vegetables. Students were divided into groups and worked together to grate a number of fresh fruits and veggies to make a large salad - escabeche.
In addition to the salad making, students also competed in a friendly competition. They were challenged to create their own smoothie with the ingredients they were provided and the best smoothie was decided upon by the chaperones.
Next, they traveled to a pineapple farm where they learned that there is only one pineapple per plant and farmers have to put the plant in distressing situations in order for it to bloom. After learning about the processes, their knowledge was tested with a trivia game where students received ‘pineapple pops’ as rewards.
For dinner, students visited a local family’s house (the Melendez Family) where the family cooked a homemade meal for the students consisting of Gallo pinto (rice with black beans), chicken, salad, and ice cream. They ended the night listening to music, playing BINGO, and swapping stories.
Day 7 - Friday
On their final day, students headed to San Jose. Along the way, they visited a store known for their strawberries.
They also stopped at Sarchi, where they took a painting class, visited a cactus garden, and took in the beauty of the La Paz waterfall. During the painting class, students were challenged to mimic the artist's style. Each student followed step-by-step instructions to create their own art to take home.
Lastly, after arriving at their final hotel, Irazu Hotel and Studios in San Jose, they drove to the top of a mountain where they went to a restaurant and enjoyed a traditional dance performance while eating dinner. Following dinner, they danced the night away before heading back to the hotel for a quick nap and leaving for their flight home at 2:00 am.
Overall, the trip couldn’t have gone better! So many new friendships and memories were made and students will forever cherish their time on this trip. But don’t just take our word for it, check out what the students had to say about the trip:
“The Costa Rica trip has changed my perspective on life, as I now have a better sense of cultural awareness and have expanded my viewpoints beyond America.” - Logan Richard, 11th grade.
“Despite the small size of the country, the variety of geography and environments made Costa Rica a truly unique experience.” - Katie Hackman, 11th grade.
‘Life doesn't wait, so do it’ - “The Costa Rica trip challenged me to practice Spanish with fluent speakers and greatly improved my Spanish. This trip brought so many people together and created a strong bond between us that can not be replicated.” - Luci Martinez, 11th grade.
“If stray cats and dogs are your thing, Costa Rica is for you. If not, embrace your fears and remember; it's the journey, not the destination.” - Zoe Wiker, 11th grade.
“Aprenda para la vida y hágalo especial”
“Learn for life and make it special.” - Medy Blanca, trip chaperone.
View pictures from the trip here!