Dear Family and Friends,

Dear family and friends,

Thank you for following us on our journey to Costa Rica. I will update this blog daily with pictures and videos as we travel through Costa Rica's cloud forests, along its spectacular beaches, on our excursion to the breathtaking Fortuna waterfall, and throughout our homestay experience in the quiet, rural town of Nicoya, the cultural center on the Nicoyan Peninsula.

We are excited to create memories that will last a life time.

~Theresa





Friday, June 15, 2012

Night walk tour in Monteverde

Day 2:  We took a night walk through the cloud forest and saw a lot of neat things: stink bugs, frogs, tarantula, and a sleeping toucan!  We had an amazing tour guide, Marcos, who was a lot of fun.








Monday, June 11, 2012

Adiós, USA

See everyone in two weeks!!


Bienvenidos a Costa Rica





Canopy tour in Monteverde

Canopy tour was a success!










Rio Tarcoles

On our way to Manuel Antonio we stopped at the Rio Tarcoles to see the crocodiles.  We had a great view from the bridge.




Manuel Antonio National Park - The 'jewel' of Costa Rica

Popular because of its white sand beaches backed by an evergreen forest that grows right up to the high tide line, Manuel Antonio has quite the varied fauna with 109 species of mammals and 184 species of birds. The park includes 12 little islands just off the coast, where dolphins and, at times, migrating whales can be observed.













Transfer to homestay families - Nicoya, Costa Rica

The homestay families enjoy hosting students, and many time life long friendships are realized.  The families come from all walks of life and their incomes vary.  There are families of modest income and other families who are relatively affluent, but where ever you get placed the families welcome you with open arms. 


Nicoya is home to the prominent Iglesia San Blas, the nation's oldest church, which dates back to the 17th century.  Although the adobe church is under constant renovation, a collection of pre-Colombian artifacts can be observed within.

Unlike the nearby beaches on the coast, Nicoya offers no resorts or tidbits of North American culture, only authentic Costa Rica culture.

Nicoya is comprised of a well educated population.  Nicoya has two public high schools, several public elementary schools and one Catholic elementary and high school, San Ambrosia.








Spanish classes at Academia de Español Nicoya




Pura Vida

We spent the day at Samara beach on Tuesday.  The students began the day with Spanish class at El Ancla restaurant then spent the rest of the day kayaking, boogie boarding and surfing.