Día 1 - Repaso: Desde San José a La Fortuna

This morning, our student travelers woke up in an unfamiliar hotel room in an unfamiliar country with little idea of what lay ahead. Our students were AH-MAZING!!! There were some small hiccups along the way...which are to be expected...but I am truly impressed and grateful to have such a loving, light-hearted, caring, outgoing, and inquisitive group of students here in Costa Rica. Today they traveled a few hours on some bumpy and windy roads, they met new people, tried new foods, saw new sights, asked thought-provoking questions, helped each other without asking, and started making life-long memories. 

Our day began with our 89 student travelers in the same room for breakfast. After breakfast, they listened to the EF safety guideline, were reintroduced to our amazing guides (most of whom our chaperones have known for years), and split officially into their assigned buses. Our trip to La Fortuna took us out of the San Jose Valley and into prime coffee country. Our visit to the Doka Estate coffee plantation included a step-by-step tour of the coffee-making process along with plenty of tasting and a stop at the gift shop. The visit also gave our students their first glimpse of the abundance of life supported by Costa Rica’s climate and environmentally conscious policies. 






































After the students had their fill of coffee and coffee-related education, it was back on the buses to head to lunch at Pozo Azul before the La Fortuna Waterfall where our students traveled down roughly 500 steps to get to the base of the waterfall. There they swam and enjoyed some downtime before heading alllllllllll the way back up. Whew! 









After the waterfall, we headed back to our hotels for some downtime before dinner and bed. As I type this, all travelers are quietly tucked away in their rooms with strict warnings and taped doors. Tomorrow is going to be a blast as it includes a short hike near the Arenal Volcano, kayaking in Lake Arenal, and some fun at the Baldi Hot Springs. The Baldi Hot Springs will be the first time that ALL three buses are to going to be together. 

¡PURA VIDA!

- Sra. Cuffee


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