This Saturday, our first batch of Summer Expedition students were greeted with the exhilaration of the World Cup as the small airport pickup area came alive with Ticos celebrating the unprecedented win of Costa Rica versus Uraguay. Upon arrival to the rainforest base students were welcomed by local instructors Diego and Danny and descended down the mountain to begin orientation.
Sunday morning the Rainforest, Hike, & Homestay students headed into the nature reserve behind base to complete their first service project helping with an ongoing initiative to improve the land and water. Later on that evening, students participated in the “duffle shuffle” where instructors prep’d students on how to correctly pack their backpacks with common hiking essentials including tarp tents, traditional dried food, and head lamps.
Students got a head start at 4:30 Monday morning when they were dropped off at the trail that would lead to their camp sites and eventually, their homestay families. As they set out on the most physically demanding part of their trip and deep into a part of the jungle that few outsiders ever experience, the journey commenced. The trail to Piedras Blancas is one that takes students through varying terrain and for two days, the group traversed through flog-filled cloud forests, open fields and past towering waterfalls.
Throughout the hike, instructors Diego and Danny use their Costa Rican knowledge to introduce the group to medicinal plants that bloom alongside the trail and point out endemic species like the curious cloud-forest crabs that reside in flowers and leaf piles rather than sandy beaches. Students pitched their first tarp-tents and practiced back country cooking skills for communal meals and learned how to properly clean up camp while “leaving no trace.”
On Wednesday, students trudged on in hot pursuit of their first homestay experience (and comfortable beds!). While there they learned about rural Tico life and prepared for the next days solo. Thursday was spent honing their camping skills and reconnecting with nature with one more night under the stars. This morning the students headed to their second homestay, “The Lopez House” where they will be diving deeper into rural Tico culture and enjoying the tranquility that surrounds Piedras Blancas.
Check in next Friday to hear more about the student’s adventures and make sure to share this update via facebook and twitter with friends and family eager to know how the experience is going! Since students are currently deep in the jungle, we here at the rainforest base haven’t had access to the photos they are collecting along the way. Check back next week for more pics and click here to watch a video from the families who the students are staying with!