Before the trip...
I know Costa Rica will be amazing. I am looking forward to learning some new Spanish words, and getting opportunities to use the little Spanish I know. I am, of course, very excited about the monkeys! I never really thought that I would be excited about seeing monkeys, but this isn’t in a zoo, this is real life. The diversity of the land in Costa Rica should also offer some beautiful photo opportunities. I expect to have a fabulous trip and have no doubt that my expectations will be met!

Day 1:
I’m sitting in the bus, absolutely amazed at what is on the outside. I don’t know words that can serve to describe the view. We have already seen two types of monkeys, and a beautiful type of bird. We stopped off at a tiny little cafe on the side of the road and I was able to use my Spanish. The driver and I got into a conversation in Spanish as well. I am already having a wonderful time, and we haven’t been here an entire day. This trip is an experience that I will never forget.

-Gwen R.

Editor’s Note: With these two first entries from teacher Stickle and student Gwen we know the Internet connection is working. Now we look forward to daily bulletins and digital images. Thanks, Summit High School, and bon voyage!

It was a totally different world! At first, for a little while, I thought it was similar to the temperate forest at the Delaware Water Gap in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but then I saw a howler monkey in the trees. It was amazing! There were birds everywhere that were so different. We saw a White necked Puff Bird, and our guide had an excellent telescope so it seemed as if the bird was right there! We could hear its call and see its feathers and it was all so real! We moved on, ignoring the heat, all the way to the ocean. Washed up on the shore was the carcass of an Olive Ridley Sea Turtle. It was sad, but still wonderful to see it so close up.

Out in the sea we were able to see Witch's Rock: a huge mound of rocks standing high in the middle of the ocean. On the other side there were some rocks and a moutain that we were able to climb. The view was spectacular! Walking back to the bus took a bit of effort. The ocean was beautiful. There was a wide variety of shells, and an even larger variety of animals in the Dry Forest. It was hot, and my shoes are still full of sand, but it was sure worth it!

-Gwen R.

The hike itself was amazing. There were many sightings of toucans. The trees were outstanding! I had the opportunity to climb two of them. From the top of one tree, there was a spectacular view. I felt like I was on top of the world! The most interesting plants I saw today would have to be the century plants. The century plants are plants the resemble the pineapple family, however, they bloom only once in their life. They shoot out an enormous flower that, once dead, looks like a dead tree. The flower is huge! It was spectacular!

-Gwen R.