1. Pura Vida – /POOR-ah VEE-dah/ Pronounced “poo-rah vee-dah”, this is the most widely used phrase in Costa Rica. This isn’t just an expression – it’s a way of life here. “Pure life” or “simple life” are the literal translations of this saying but Ticos use it in a number of ways. It is used […]
The greatest cultural experience of my life I never imagined my first experience out of the U.S. being a one-way ticket to go live in a different country where I did not speak the language. But little did I know that accepting an internship with Outward Bound Costa Rica would provide the greatest cultural experience of my […]
SCUBA & SEA TURTLE ADVENTURE #3 During their time on course, the Scuba & Sea Turtle Adventure #3 participants had time to bond in Bocas del Toro, Panama, and drank coconut water from coconuts just cut with a machete near the jungle and the beach! The girls tried trust falls where they had to trust their course […]
Merry Christmas from all of us at Outward Bound Costa Rica! Curious what the holiday season is like for us on our rainforest base? We scripted this poem to give you some insight. Enjoy!
Our Outdoor Leader Semester students recently completed the rafting phase of their course, spending several days forging the Pejibaye and Sarapiqui rivers while learning about the leadership elements of raft guiding. “Changing rivers was awesome because we got to see the differences between them,” said Pedro S. from Caracas, Venezuela. Their exploration of the rivers […]
Our Coast to Coast Expedition Semester students are in the thick of their 24-day hike through Costa Rica that will lead them from the Caribbean to Pacific coasts. We have shared their photos on Facebook and are excited to provide more updates here. At a recent check-in point, our staff joined them for a […]
Having lived in Costa Rica for a staggering four weeks, I’m going to be bold in honor of the coming year – I’m going to define what perhaps one of the most ubiquitous national expressions really stands for. But first, let’s review pura vida in its fundamental form. Literally translated, it means “pure life.” In a way, […]