Costa Rica Teacher Trip Journal

Student travel to Costa Rica: a journal of brilliant adventures.

Another group we would like to spotlight from Montana. Last month, these adventurous and eager  8th grade science students ventured on a Gtrek: Science and Adventure trip with their awesome teacher Ashley. She led the way, we took care of the details, and she took care of writing everything down! She also took a lot of pictures. Read on to discover the inside scoop about a Gtrek: Science and Adventure excursion:

Day 1: Travel
This was our travel day! I caught a ride from another friend who was going on the trip, and headed to Bozeman. Once at the airport in Bozeman, we were able to get checked in and pay for bags. Since we only had 3 on the trip that checked a bag, this process was very easy. We talked a little about what we were the most excited for and what we looked forward to on the trip. The most common responses: Zip Lining, Beaches, and the wildlife!

Once in the “big” airport of Denver, you would have thought that students had never seen a horizontal escalator in their lives! The kids played on them until we finally made them stop! After that, we sat as a group in a circle and discussed the latest school gossip. Needless to say, I knew it would be a fun trip! The next part, was the hardest part of the entire trip! 5 hours on a plane, in the middle of the night, and being a person that cannot sleep on the plane, this was the biggest struggle of my life, but my saving grace was knowing what was to come!

Day 2: Coffee, Volcan Poas, and the Beach!
This was our first experience for everyone in Costa Rica! To walk outside at 5:30  in the morning and have it be sunny and warm, was an incredible feeling! Manuel, our guide, was there waiting for us and got all of our luggage loaded into our bus that we would be traveling for the next few days.

After loading up, we took a scenic drive to the Doka Estate to learn about the process of coffee making. I never knew how much went into it! We also got our first experience with Costa Rican food (aka rice and beans and fruit for every meal) One of the neater aspects of the coffee tour, was actually the grounds that the coffee estate was on. We got a chance to go into the butterfly garden, but also take in some amazing views.

My least favorite part of the whole day (and looking back, the whole trip) was next. We took a very windy road up to Volcan Poas. While the views driving up were stunning, the higher we climbed, the worse the weather got. By the time we got there, and then walked to the top, it was freezing and we couldn’t see anything! The next time we do this trip, I could do without heading here.

After Volan Poas, we headed to what we had been waiting for…. THE BEACH! Along the way, we stopped for lunch and also to view some Cayman crocs as we crossed the bridge. I never had any idea that there would be so many crocs in one spot. And to have everyone know they were there and make it a tourist attraction!

Finally, the beach!! We had so much fun here! Our hotel was absolutely AMAZING, and we were only minutes from walking onto what felt like our own private beach. It was incredible, and the best part was being there for several kids experience their first time in the ocean. We all played in the water for quite a long time and really enjoyed the warm weather, the amazing views, and the water!

Continue reading this Costa Rica Trip Journal!