Forty-eight South Delta Secondary students, along with Spanish teacher Laurine Dane and five chaperones, travelled to Costa Rica over spring break where they engaged in several days of humanitarian service work, followed by extensive travel and exploration.
After a year of planning and fundraising, the group left in the wee hours of Sunday, March 16, arriving late that night in San José. Members were up early the next morning to head to the three elementary schools where, over the next three days, they transformed walls with beautiful murals, broke up and moved concrete and mounds of dirt, and worked and played with local children.
While still in San José, the group visited the Reserva Indigena Quitirrissi and La Carpio, a very poor area. The group then headed to the Caribbean coast, to Tortuguero National Park, where in the lush tropical rainforest they saw sloths, caimans, toucans, three kinds of monkeys, iguanas, countless varieties of birds and other amazing creatures.
After two days, they flew back to San José and headed north to La Fortuna, to the Poas Volcano in the Arenal region. Hot springs, ziplining and waterfall hikes were all part of that leg of the journey.
Then it was south to Quepos/Manuel Antonio, the famous Pacific Coast beach region, for two days replete with sailing and snorkelling, beach, more sloths, iguanas, monkeys, crocodiles, and beautiful sunsets. All in all, it was 12 days of marvel, beauty, eye-opening experiences, new friendships and team-building that the students will not soon forget.
