16 Days in Costa Rica

And just like that we're home. Here are some final comments from the kids about the trip.

1) What was your most memorable part of the trip?

Huy - One of the most memorable parts of the entire trip would be the first time our guide for the Corcovado park used their telescope and that made the experience very different from other places with wildlife. Another part would be spending time with the Boruca scouts and it really changed how I thought about scouts groups in other places and how similar and how different scouts groups can be. It also showed me that even scouts can reach many places, even in small communities like the Boruca one.

Hunter - The most memorable part of the trip for me has to be all the animals. I have always wanted to see animals like tapirs and macaws in the wild, and now I have. This experience was something I have never done before and may never do again, but I will never forget it. 

Yumi - The most memorable part for me was the food and the weather. I really liked the food there— it was different from the food I had in Canada or other countries I've been to, but it was really good. I especially liked the fried rice we ate in Corcovado. The weather was also very different from Canada, but somewhat similar to Taiwan's. It was so hot that I sweated a lot and had to change my clothes every day (I didn’t bring many clothes). The rainy day was fun and I enjoyed running around the beach and getting wet.

Rika - Everything that I have experienced on this trip was memorable, but the most memorable part was hanging out with the Boruca scouts. I loved the two days we spent with them because unlike some of the other places we went to where there were a lot of tourism services, what I saw was their real life in the village. I visited one of their houses, the local museum, and a waterfall where their lifestyle and tradition was shown. I played some games and talked a bit with the kids, and even by that, I learned a lot about how they see themselves as Boruca people, which I couldn't learn from the museums. This visit to Boruca was very special for me because I also celebrated my birthday with both their scouts and our scouts, which was an unforgettable experience. 

Stephen - The most memorable part for me was our time at Boruca. I love seeing the other scouts do things similar to us, and also how they do their own unique things around there. I loved the waterfall that they took us to, and how they welcomed us with their oath and some delicious food and drinks. The boruca masks were my favourite souveneir on this trip. They are beautiful and intricate and will remind me of the great times I had there in the future.

Devon - I loved the trip as a whole. Every part of it had something special, whether it was seeing wildlife up close, learning about conservation, or just spending time with everyone. If I had to pick one thing, I’d say visiting Reserva Playa Tortuga really stood out. It was amazing to see the work being done to protect the environment, and it made me think a lot more about how even small actions can make a difference. Plus, just being surrounded by nature and seeing so many animals in their natural habitat was incredible. This is why I love traveling. Each step or thing we do is like one puzzle peice. Each part is meaningful, but you only truly appriciate it when everything is snapped together.

2) What was the most challenging part of the trip and why?

Huy - I think the most challenging part would be the planning of the activities in Costa Rica. They are difficult to plan especially since we can't plan a lot of big activities while we are there so we have to book a lot of things, got refunds if something happens, and in our case with the San Jose volcano, it's also hard to get information about what's happening while you're getting to Costa Rica. There were also problems and Boruca where we had to improvise giving our gifts because some of our gifts required teaching, so some of us had to come up with something and It all worked out in the end. ╰(*°▽°*)╯

Hunter - I think managing the heat was the most challenging part of the trip. Although it was only 25-30 degrees the whole time, because of the humidity it felt way hotter. even though it was really hot, we enjoyed the trip and made the most of everything. No matter if it was going to the pool, beach, or even swimming in a waterfall, we always enjoyed swimming in the refreshing water when it was especially hot. 

Yumi - The most challenging part was hiking in the hot weather. I think we hiked for almost six hours that day in Corcovado. We were either eating or hiking all day, and I was so tired. But we saw lots of animals, and it was fun, so it wasn’t too bad. It was fun.

Rika - The most challenging part of this trip was to make decisions on where or how to spend my individual money. Before this trip, I didn't have a lot of chances to make my own decision on spending money because my parents did it for me most of the time. Making decisions is not my strength, especially on this trip where there was a lot of the time we had to think about it, I struggled with it at the beginning. I decided to save money on things so I could buy something I really want at the end. So, I started to think about my priorities, like food wasn't the most important thing for me, so I didn't buy any snacks. But after saving the best I could for several times, I realized that the price of things is not the most important thing to consider. I realized what really matters is to make the best memories for myself. A lot of the time I was feeling challenged because I was thinking about the price, timing, and is there any replacement, and I seemed to forget the most basic thing, do I want it or not. 

Stephen - The most challenging part of the trip for me was not getting enough sleep. This made performing tasks well more difficult and the days more tiring, especially during reserva. It made it a little harder to stay concentrated and focused, but I managed to get all of the tasks done during our trip.

Devon - The hardest part for me was adjusting to the heat and humidity. It was a lot to handle at first, and I felt drained at times. But once I got used to it, I realized it was just part of the experience. Another challenge was making quick decisions, whether it was about money, food, or what to do during free time. I tend to overthink things, so I had moments where I wasn’t sure if I was making the right choice. In the end, I learned to just go with it and enjoy the moment instead of stressing too much.

3) Thinking about all the preparation ahead of time, is there anything that you would like to be more involved with in a future group trip? Is there anything more we, or you, could have done to prepare better?

Huy - I feel as though we got through how to pay for the trip well, but I think we also would have benefited from doing more research on what to expect on the trip and to have more assignments that would help us understand what we should expect, since Julie did mention and talk about how the shuttle drivers didn't really know that much english, despite having transported many tourist. I think we weren't as prepared as we could've been because we had watched a few videos, but I think we should've asked some people who have done similar things to what we were about to do.

Hunter - I think we did good at helping with everything we knew how to help with for our trip, but now with our experiences from this trip we could do more. We still definitely need assistance, but I think the more we do things like this, not specifically to foreign countries, even just with camps, we will get better at being more independent in our planning. 

Yumi - On this trip, I think I should have learned more Spanish because I didn’t use it much. Also, we should have made some time for lunch. Other than that, everything was good.

Rika - I think we were well prepared as a group, but I would like to work on my own preparation before trips. To be more involved in this trip, I shouldn't have set a limit to myself. For example, even if I can't book a flight, I could go through the process with my parents. For this trip, I have done the basic research of Costa Rica and Boruca village in general, but I could have done more about the current situation of Costa Rica. Because when they were talking about how global warming and human garbage are impacting the animals in Costa Rica, I realized my unwarness. I thought I could be a more responsible volunteer if I have done that research, and clearly know the purpose of volunteering. 

Stephen - I could have done a little more research on the places we were going to. Before I left, I knew the names of the places we were going to, but I did not check maps to see where they were, what things there were to do around, how far apart they were, and what the landscapes and climate were like.

Devon - I think we were really well-prepared as a group, and I appreciate all the work that went into making the trip happen. If anything, I think I could have done more research beforehand to understand more about Costa Rica and the places we visited, despite the constant effort we put in. Learning about things as we went was great, but I feel like I would have connected even more if I had known more going in. We could have also practiced just enjoying the trip. Thats something I forget. Live. The. Moment.

4) If you had the power to go back to the past, would you change or redo anything during the trip? Why or why not?

Huy - I wouldn't really change anything about what activities we did in Costa Rica. I found all of the activities that we did and planned were something that I liked to do, but also something that everyone else felt like they wanted to participate in as well which I also find important, since it's hard to enjoy things when someone is also not enjoying things. The only thing I would do differently would be to not put my stuff inside a trailer and get it locked up until the next morning. (at least I got my stuff back).

Hunter - Everything we had control over went perfectly. We can’t control hikes being closed, trees falling, turtles hatching an hour after we leave (although that one hurt a bit), drivers being late, or anything else of that nature. There is nothing I would change if I were to redo it. 

Yumi - I would bring my headlamp because it was very dark without one. I had to walk in between people who had headlamps, which wasn’t very convenient.

Rika - I would not change anything on this trip. Even though there were some unexpected problems, and were challenging for us, especially the scouters, we tried our best on everything we could. I loved this trip and every moment is important for me. I believe we could come back with a big smile on our face all because of the experiences including those challenging moments we had. And I believe this is the best version of this trip we could get.

Stephen -  I have learned some things from this trip I would do differently next time. Leaving most of my money in one bag was a bad idea because when the situation came when I could not access it, I had to take a loan to buy food. I also think I could go by bringing less clothes and just washing them more. Having a bit less weight on the bags would help.

Devon - I wouldn’t change anything. Even the tough moments made the trip what it was, and I learned a lot from them. One funny thing I noticed after visiting Playa Tortuga was how much more aware I became about little things, like turning off lights and fans. I kept going back to my room just to make sure everything was off, which is something I never really thought much about before, or made the extra effort of tripple checking to the point where I started to get paranoid. It just showed me how much of an impact the trip had on my habits and mindset.  

5) Please add any additional comments you have about the trip.

Huy - I really liked doing a trip like this, since I had never travelled with friends before, this was a very different experience and I enjoyed it. It was super fun to participate in these activities and planning of the trip. I also got to experience a lot of "Pura Vidas" first hand which taught a lot about improvising on the spot and helped me prepare myself for events like these. 

(～￣▽￣)～

(o゜▽゜)o☆

Rika - The only thing I have is that I loved this trip and appreciate the scouts, my teammates, and the parents who supported us. I know this was challenging, but I would like to do a trip like this again in the near future.

Devon - Overall, I’m really grateful for the experience and for everyone who helped make it happen. I learned a lot—not just about Costa Rica, but about myself and everyone else too, despite knowing everyone for years. The friendships, the experiences, and even the challenges made it unforgettable, and I’d love to do something like this again in the near future. The friendships, the experiences, and even the challenges made it unforgettable. I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Thanks a million times over.

Beaches of Costa Rica

 We went to a few beaches during our trip in Costa Rica. The water was almost lukewarm, and the sunsets were bright red. This is different than back home in Anmore, where the water is cold, and the sun would disappear into the mountains before the beautiful sunset colors could reflect off the ocean. 

The beaches in Costa Rica remind me a lot of the ones in California and similar places I have been to. However, these beaches were much cleaner. There was almost no litter. The water was also very clean. During sunset, the water was like glass, reflecting the sky.

Some beaches were not safe for swimming, like the one at reserva. The beach and water was muddy, making it a great habitat for caimans, crocodiles, and other creatures. These types of beaches may not be too much fun for us, but they are very important for the wildlife and the nature around.

The beaches at Corcovado were amazing. There were birds running around in the shallow sea water, the barks of the howler monkeys from the nearby forest, and we even saw a tapir taking a bath. The sand was coarse and sharp though, which would not make it a great beach for humans.

  

We went to a beach where a whale-tail cape would form when the tide was low. Both sides of the whale tail had shallow water which was great for swimming. 

Ventanas Beach was small, with big waves and "windows" in the rocks.

Overall, the beaches were fantastic and beautiful in their own ways. Some had clean water and silky smooth sand, making them amazing for swimming. Others were able to hold lots of wildlife and had biodiversity we would not be able to find back home.

Chocolate tour

 Author: Huy Pham

History

    Cacao originated in the entire continent of America, which is the main ingredient for chocolate. Nobody knows which civilization started using cacao, but we do know that it was very widespread. People used cacao in 3 different ways: eating the fruit since it had a sweet and citrus taste, but mostly contained seed; as a currency to trade with; as a beverage that would be used in many religious ways.

    When the Europeans came however, that's when chocolate bars would start to get mass produced with factories. They used to make 100% chocolate, but once they figured out how to produce bars with sugar in them, everyone would start to relate chocolate with a surgery candy.

    Moving on to present time, there have been more brands that have been making more dark chocolate, which is good for everyone, as when artificial ingredients have been put into cacao, it loses a lot of its health benefits.

Cacao farming

    When cacao farming, we usually go through a process of farming and maintaining the cacao trees and fruit, to fermenting and getting rid of all the sticky fruit stuff to end up with just cacao beans. These beans go through a 6 day fermentation process where they sit in dispersed sun and in wood boxes. After these 6 days, they're transported fully into a green house where it get extremely hot to get rid of the rest of the fruit, just so that the bean is all that's left.

    Getting the trees to produce cacao, is just as much as a challenge as it is getting the beans. Years ago, there was a fungus that would infect the fruits on cacao trees, and it would make the fruit and beans useless. The fungus couldn't be stopped by any means, so they sent what cacao they had left to grow in Africa.

    There, the cacao trees would mutate into a lot of different sub-species and even have over 200 of them. when they were brought back into America, all the species where tested to see if they grew resistant to the fungus, and only 7 of them were able to resist the fungus. Soon these 7 trees were pruned and cloned to produce more cacao.

Hand making chocolate

    The first step of making chocolate, would be the roasting step. We all poured a little bit of cacao beans onto the bowl that was over a small fire. We all had to mix the beans to make sure that they wouldn't burn and go bad.

    The next step was to peel the skin off so that we would get the edible part of the bean. Throughout this process of making chocolate, we were allowed to taste a bit of for every step of the way. Once the peeling was finished, we had to grind the beans into a paste like how the Native Americans did back then.

    We all had to use this antique stone bowl and grinder to get the beans into a paste. Here during this process, the oil would get released and get the dry beans into a paste. The technique was interesting and the guide was able to grind it down very quick. Typically, they would do this for 35 hours to get rid of all the bean nibs.

    Now we had a paste and we mixed it with milk in a kettle over the same small fire. Everyone got turns to mix together the cacao and milk, until it became hot chocolate. This one didn't have any extra sugar, so at first it tasted very bitter. We were given banana to add some natural sugar, and we put some paste on it. It was very strong at the beginning, but when we mixed more the banana in, it became a lot more bearable.

Conclusion

    The chocolate tour was very cool, with lots of doing, not just showing. I learned a lot of new things that day, and I now know a lot more about chocolate than just the sweet candy bars that you get on halloween.

Cultures of Costa Rica

With only two days left in Costa Rica, I have learned various cultures here so far, especially from the Boruca village. As one of my biggest goal for this trip, learn and tell the culture of Costa Rica, I will be sharing some things about cultures I’ve learned here (with some extra research because I couldn’t remember everything) in the post.

Boruca Masks 

As we were visiting Boruca village, we got a chance to paint our own masks. David, our guide there also explained for us about the importance of it. La máscara de Boruca, the mask of Boruca is a traditional mask made of wood, which is used by Borucan people and souvenir for tourists. I learned that there is usually a person who carves the mask to its shape, and they past to the next person to paint it. We met the mask carver, who is David’s cousin, and he shared to us about how he makes the masks. He said that they use balsa wood to make the masks because it’s soft enough to carve. We asked him about how he decides what to carve on them, and he told us it depends on the customer’s preference and purpose, so each mask is unique. David told us that the masks are for strong soldiers of the village. There are different meaning behind each one, but a lot of them shows fight to protect their families. I also saw many masks at a museum for sale. They were all very colorful and unique, and all of them seemed to have a theme. Some of them had animals on them, such as jaguars, butterflies, frogs, birds, and even some combination of those. A lot of them were scary faces of people, with some decorations of feathers. The masks were all so beautiful and I really enjoyed learning about them.

Pura Vida

One of the most unique word to Costa Rica I found is Pura Vida. Pura Vida translates directly to “pure life” in English, but it’s a phrase used in various situations in Costa Rica. I saw it everywhere here; a sign at the airport saying “Pura Vida means welcome”, in posters at hotels we’ve been, big signs by the roads, and on souvenirs like hat, badges, and shirts. I also heard it a lot, mostly from locals. For example when I said “Gracias(Thank you)”, they reply with “¡Pura Vida!”. At first, I didn’t know when or how to use this phrase, but I figured it out that it is a spiritual word for Costa Rican, where they share their positivity and energy with each other. I love this word so much and I hope to have one like this in Canada too. I found out that Pura Vida is a word that connects people in Costa Rica together, and remind them their proud as Costa Rican. Another word that is unique to Costa Rica is Tico and Tica. It is a word that Costa Rican call themselves, and Tico is for boy, Tica is for girl. I found it on the menu in a restaurant we went, "Ticos Gallo Pinto" was the name of the meal. I really enjoyed having these unique and happy words flying around.

Tamales 

When we visited the Boruca scouts, we asked them what their favourite food was, and all of them got the same answer, "Tamales". I was very curious what kind of food it was, since I never heard of that before. Fortunately, we got a chance to make Tamales by ourselves in the village. The scouts took us to a small neighborhood, and a lady told us how to make the Tamales. First, she mixed salt and oil with rice, and cut the pork into small pieces. She didn't have a recipe, but she knew exactly how much amount to put since she has been making it from long time ago. She mixed some seasoning with the pork like Achiote. When it was our turn to make it, we first pick up a big leaf of plantain, and scooped a spoon of rice, a piece of pork, and another scoop of rice. Finally, we wrapped it around with that leaf, and it's finished. Tamale is a traditional food in Costa Rica, espacially in Boruca where the recipe has been past down from grandparents to parents, and to them. I was suprised by how well this traditional food has been kept for, and how the kids still love them a lot. Because I know there is a lot of food from other countries like America and Mexico around Costa Rica. Even though we didn't get to taste the Tamales, I still enjoyed making one with the Boruca scouts. 

Stone Spheres

As we entered the Museo Comunitario de Boruca (Community Museum of Boruca), we saw a big round stone in the building. According to David, these stone spheres are not only found in Boruca, but the whole Diquís Delta and on Isla del Caño areas. And the stones are made by Diquís. They were discovered by Americans in 1930s when they came for business. Because they were planting banana trees, they had to cut the original plants so they have space. They found the stones while doing that, and were suprised by it. For a while, the stone spheres was a mistery, but after researches, we found out that they were made by Diquís culture. The stones are a cultural symbol for the Diquís, and they were made to put beside their front door to protect them. I was suprised how round and big the people could make the stone to be, because I believe they didn't have much tools to use at the time. It is an interesting history of Costa Rica, and I would like to explore more about it. 

These four are mainly the cultures I have learned and discovered in this trip. I feel like we focused more on wildlife and the environment then culture or history of Costa Rica on the trip, but I still saw a lot of unique cultures here. I was amazed by how well they are keeping their traditions and cultures, and I would like to keep their Costa Rican spirit forever. Even though we only have a few day left at Costa Rica, I will enjoy every moment we get until the last minute! ¡Pura Vida!

By Rika

Corcovado - Better than a Zoo!

Do you know how birds, monkeys and other animals play or communicate with each other? In Corcovado we saw lots of animals. We saw monkeys, birds (there were lots of different kinds of birds), tapirs, coati, agouti, sloths, a snake, black pigs, iguana, an ant eater, and many bugs.

I liked monkeys and tapirs the best. I enjoyed observing the monkeys playing and the tapir walking around and drinking water. I like monkeys because the squirrel monkeys were so cute and the spider monkeys were fun to watch. The spider monkeys play with each other by climbing around on the trees and the ground, chasing each other. It’s very rare to see them play on the ground, it means they are very comfortable and sure that there are no predators around such as cougars and other big cats. I like the tapirs because they are so cute and they looks different with other animals. It has long nose but it’s different with an elephant. 

It would be a great memory and it was even better than a zoo.

By Yumi

Corcovado in a nutshell

 For my post about Corcovado I didn't want to do it all on my own, so I asked everyone for a bit of help on a subject. I am talking about the animals, Stephen is talking about the birds, Yumi is talking about the food, Rika is talking about the accommodations and briefly about the climate, Huy is talking about the travel to and from, Julie is talking about the hiking, Devon is talking about the challenges, and Sumomo is talking about the human impact.

Animals:

By the time we got to Corcovado we had already seen lots of animals and I had checked off most of my bucket list but the two animals I still really wanted to see were tapirs and sloths, spoiler alert, we saw both. Some of the animals we already saw but I wanted to see again were monkeys, macaws, and caimans. All the animals we saw in order are toucan, coatis, caiman, snake, spider monkey, grass hoppers, squirrel monkeys, more spider monkeys, howler monkeys, sloths, bat, basilisk, tapir, another tapir, macaws,
more spider monkeys, green iguanas, and last but definitely not least, peccaries or wild pigs. With all this said, I successfully checked off all the animals on my bucket list as well as everybody else on the trip.

Birds:

Stephen said he was looking forwards to see birds he had never seen before and learn about them. He was hoping to see them doing well in the wild, their natural habitats, and a healthy population of them. The bird he was most looking forwards to seeing was a macaw since he had never seen one before. While we were in Corcovado we saw many birds. Wild turkeys, hawks, owls, and even some toucans. Eventually we found a macaw hiding high up in the trees. Despite hearing them all day, we only saw 2. He said that he thinks its a good sign because this means they are good at hiding from predators and like to stay far away from humans. A fun fact he learned is that toucans are actually terrible because they destroy other birds nests and eat the eggs inside. Overall, Stephen is happy that the birds have not become too close with humans, and their wilderness is preserved.

Food:

Yumi said that before we got on the boat to Corcovado, one thing she was looking forwards to was the food because the food had been amazing everywhere else in Costa Rica. Some of the meals we had in Corcovado was fried rice as lunch the first day. For dinner that day we had rice, beans, salad, and meat as well as a really good dessert, we couldn't quite figure out what is was. For breakfast the next day we had a traditional breakfast of gallo pinto as well as yogurt and granola.

Accommodations:

Rika said that before we left she thought we would be staying in a small and simple station because it is in a national park and surrounded by wilderness. She thought there would be less people sleeping in the room with us but more animals around the building. When we arrived she was surprised by how big and crowded it was, as I think most of us were. Unlike her or any of us were expecting, there were about 80 beds in total, 50 in one room and 30 in the other. The building looked simple because it's made of wood but it was very clean. The station was opened widely, there were many chairs facing outside where we can sit and relax while enjoying the view. There was a shop in the building as well where some of us got juice, ice cream, cookies, and badges. She got a good sleep even though it was a big room with 50 people. She did here some birds and bugs at night, but there was no insects around her because everyone had an individual mosquito net around their bed. She said the staff at the station was all really nice and friendly, so it was really enjoyable to stay there at night.

Climate:

Rika said that she was expecting Corcovados climate to be hot and humid like the rest of the places we stayed in Costa Rica as well as more rain since it's close to an ocean. She thought the hikes would be under the hot sun where it was really hot. When we arrived she was pleasantly surprised because although on the beach and out in the open it was very hot and humid, once we started walking in the forest under the tall trees it wasn't too bad. Our entire stay was hot and sunny, aside from a minute or two while on the boat back. It was a little too hot for her but overall she enjoyed the weather there.

Travel to and from:

Huy said that when he heard we where taking a boat there he didn't know what to expect, but we definitely didn't expect "a really fast banana boat that skimmed almost perfectly across the waves". He also didn't expect to see dolphins but we did see some on the way back.  Although we didn't see any wildlife on the way there we did see some dolphins on the way back and we got to stop and watch them as they followed our boat through the water. We also stopped at a big rock about 10 minutes away from Corcovado both ways. the rock had a pig nose shape in it and there were birds that clearly stayed there often and some even had nests on the rock in the middle of the open water. 

Hiking:

Julie was looking forwards to seeing how hiking differed from in the Costa Rican rainforest from what we have at home. Some things she wanted to find out was how dense would the forest be? How careful do you have to be when you step to make sure you don't step on any dangerous animals like snakes and insects? When we where there she learned that there were lots of similarities with the hiking itself, the roots on the trail, crossing muddy terrain and staying on the trail to avoid erosion of plants. We went on multiple hikes over the course of two days. Each time we hiked 2-4 hours but never made it too far because every few minutes we stopped to view and learn about different plants and wildlife. She noticed that there is a lot more variety of animals on the trail from what we see at home. Some differences she noticed where that at home we have lots of birds, squirrels, and the occasional bear, but here we saw so many different animals. At the very beginning of out time there the guide asked us what animals we most wanted to see and throughout the trip we saw them all, plus many others, some of which we didn't even know they had here. 

Challenges:

Devon knew that this trip would be difficult because of the dense jungles and hard trails, but he was excited to experience what it is like to be in such a wild and remote place. A big thing he wanted to learn was how people live and work in places like that especially with all the physical challenges and tough conditions. He knew the physical challenges of Corcovado would push him to his limits but he was also curious about how other people did it. The challenges where way harder than he thought. Although we where in one of the coolest places on earth the heat and humidity as well as the steep, slippery, and super tiring trails made it difficult to enjoy what we where seeing in the moment. At night it was difficult to sleep while surrounded with 49 other people, most of which are strangers, and only a mosquito net in between everyone. After everything he was proud of himself for getting through it and making the most of harsh environments. 

Human impact:

When Sumomo was preparing for this trip she was excited to see all the amazing animals and plants. Afterwards she reflected on how humans are impacting the environment. She said this was truly a special experience for her from the boat we took to the accommodations we stayed in. The thing she learned most wasn't jut about the animals and plants there but the environmental changes and how people and the government are making efforts to protect nature. Sumomo as well as everyone else learned that human "activities such as cutting down trees and building on the land have impacted the environment and wildlife. Sometimes these effects are invisible and take a long time to become noticeable in the ecosystem, however, humans are small compared to nature; we should not try to own or control it for our own benefit. Instead we should share this world with other species and protect them at the same time."

Everyones favourite parts of Corcovado:

Hunter/me - I really enjoyed seeing all the amazing animals. Some of them seemed unimaginable to see. If you told me 2 years ago that on a random Monday morning I would see a tapir on a morning walk at 5am in Costa Rica I would have thought you were crazy. Besides the animals, the rain forest was beautiful. The trees that reach up into the sky so high they are hardly visible, and flowers so bright they’re almost neon.

Stephen - My favourite part about corcovado was how well the nature was kept there. In the primary forest, the animals seemed to stay far away from us, which is a good sign since we know that they are not too comfortable with humans/they remain "wild".

Yumi - I really liked the food they made and the animals we saw, especially the squirrel monkeys were so cute.

Rika - My favourite part of Corcovado was walking around the beach. I saw some heron flying, big birds finding fish, and hermit crabs with their colourful shells. There was even a black tapir walking around at the beach. I also enjoyed just sitting on the send and watching the waves washing off our footprint. I loved the beautiful view of ocean in Corcovado.

Huy - My favourite part was when the guide used their telescope to zoom in on animals and get details that you wouldn't be able to see with just looking at it with your naked eyes. This made the experience a whole lot better since on most nature views, you don't get to look at animals up close and see things you normally see.

Julie - My favourite part was seeing all the different animals and learning about their importance to our environment

Devon -  loved the environment and nature of the whole thing in general. The Coati were amazing to see and a really nice touch to the trip. I think it was a great experience because everything was so uniquely different from the national parks we get at home.The biodiversity of Corcovado with something truly amazing that I found incredibly special about this trip. Every corner we went we found a new thing from Coati to Sandpiper to Sloth. Everyone found the things they wanted to see and found things that we never thought we would've loved so much.

Sumomo - I was really happy to see unique animals, but overall, I enjoyed everything. If I had to choose, I would say I enjoyed the food and swimming the most.

Everybody enjoyed this trip a lot and had lots of fun. The memories we made in Corcovado and Costa Rica as a whole will be ones we remember forever, and amazing stories to tell anytime no matter if its next week or decades later.

- Hunter

Volunteer Travelling

After a week of volunteering at Reserva Playa Tortuga, we asked the kids a few questions about their experience.

1) What did you get out of the volunteer experience?

Devon - I got experience with helping others and it can help me to figure out what kind of travelling I can do and what my preferences are. I know that I can't go somewhere without helping in someway,  even if it's not much. 

Rika - I got more experience and knowledge about animals here, but most importantly, I realized that there is a lot of things I can do to improve the earth, such as wildlife and environment even if I am not volunteering. I felt that the best thing I can do is to continue to remember that we are a part of nature, and that helping the environment is helping us. The workers and volunteers all had a huge love of nature and kindness. Their hard work and passion inspired me a lot, and I would never want to forget their strong thoughts and this memory. So, the most important thing I got out of this experience was how to find a way to help more, and the message of protect and improve our world. 

Huy - I think that I got more knowledge on what it would probably be like when you volunteer for this type of cause. I think this experience is good for me as it could help me make decisions on whether or not I would want to volunteer at a place or not if I were to ever travel.

Hunter - I got a lot out of the experience but I think the biggest thing I got out of it was realizing how much I can do at my age. We did a lot to help the animals and the ecosystem at the reserva even though we are just teenagers, and we were able to do all the fundraising and a portion of the planning for the trip itself. Even though we had a lot of assistance planning this trip, I think next time something we do something like this, we will be able to do more of the little details of the trip. We put a lot of work into this from the very beginning with picking the perfect destination, to the end with picking what activities we do in our free time, and I think it all paid off. 

Yumi - I learned some Spanish, about the animals as there were lots of animals in Costa Rica. And the foods are really good here.

Stephen - The reserva uses a system where at different times of the day, different groups of volunteers would do different tasks. This made it so that there was less work on individual people. Previously, I have attended a volunteering job where everyone had to work every hour. If I ever organize something, I will definitely use this system.

2) What did you most enjoy about volunteering?

Devon - I got to get a feel for how I'm helping from a first hand experience. I love to be able to make a difference.

Rika - What I enjoyed the most when volunteering was talking with different people from different backgrounds. I like to learn about different languages and cultures from different areas, so I was very glad that I had this opportunity to talk with other people including staffs and volunteers in this reserve. I really enjoyed spending time with different people while volunteering. I also felt very happy because no matter what kind of experience we had, or where we were from, we all worked together toward the big goal of making the world a better place.

Huy - I enjoyed being able to go through different activities which all offered a different experience  from each other. This made things not as boring and since you get grouped with other people, you can learn a lot about other people and where they came from.

Hunter - I really enjoyed meeting all the different people at the reserva. We met so many people from all around the world and even though we only knew them for a few days saying goodbye was hard. We hung out with them for days straight and did lots of jobs with them. The volunteer coordinator, Sara, was so nice and it was especially hard to say goodbye to her. On our way out we gave her a gift of maple syrup from Canada and our trip badge. She was very grateful and we were very happy to give it to her. 

Yumi - I enjoyed to meet with people from other places and talk with them.

Stephen - I enjoyed helping out the staff and workers during our hikes and data collections. I had the opportunity to measure a baby caiman and write down the measurements of the different body parts. During the first few days, the staff were collecting all the data and I felt like the volunteers were just there for emotional support. I am glad that we eventually got to collect some data and help out.

3) What was the hardest part of the volunteering?

Devon - At some points it was hard to want to stay committed during the more boring parts. I quickly realized that its important to stay committed.  I remembered about the purpose of the trip and that helps me want to commit to volunteering. 

Rika - I found this volunteering experience very enjoyable, and I didn’t feel anything hard specifically, but I realized how limited my work can help the world. I found out that what we worked on in the reserve everyday was only a small step to make a change. For example, we did hatchery check everyday to increase the sea turtle’s population, but to really help sea turtles to have a better habitat, all of the people in the world have to work together. I found this hard because I thought if we work hard and care about the environment, we could solve problems, but that is not how things are. I found this part hard because it sometimes take years for the consequences of our hard work been show. And sometimes when I was working on these things that seemed small to me, I got lost. But I believe if I keep working on what I can, it would make a difference.

Huy - I think the hardest to volunteering might be doing tasks that could make you feel uncomfortable (like getting water in your rubber boots), but apart from that, I am not really sure about other volunteering opportunities as they have different goals and fight for different causes.

Hunter - I think the hardest part of volunteering was the long days. Some days we would have to be ready for a 6am turtle check, and then not be done the day until 10 o’clock when you get back from looking for crocodiles. We had long breaks in between shifts so we could take a nap but because of all the noise and the heat it was pointless to try. Even though we were very tired, the excitement of all the new experiences was enough to keep us going.

Yumi - Sometimes you have a job at late time or early time so you will have to get up early.

Stephen - Having two time tables: one for the hatchery checks and one for the volunteering shifts, was difficult to keep track of. Sometimes, there would be hatchery checks right before a volunteer shift. We needed to make sure to check the schedules every day. 

4) Do you think you might be interested in volunteering when you are older?

Devon - 100%. Volunteers build community and everything involved. Even if someone gets paid to do the exact same job, it's just not the same. This is exactly why I will volunteer in more than just community events back home. I believe that everyone should volunteer. I encourage you, the reader, to get out there and volunteer.  No matter your age, restrictions,  or anything,  I believe that you can make a difference. 

Rika - Yes, I will definitely plan another volunteer trip in the near future. I found this volunteer experience very purposeful, and it inspired me a lot. I realized how shallow my other trips were, and how volunteering can make a trip more enjoyable and purposeful. This volunteer experience helped me learn a lot more about Costa Rica and I couldn’t learn these without it. Before this week, I didn’t know how this experience would be like, but I am very thankful that I had this amazing opportunity. I believe this is just a start point of me as a volunteer, and I would do more and more of this in the future. I also promised the staffs in the reserve that I will come here again by myself when I turn eighteen, so I want to make sure I start to prepare for that from now.

Huy - I think that I would be interested in volunteering in the future as you get to meet a lot of new people from different places, and while you know that you are contributing to a cause, even if it’s small. It’s also a good way to spend time when travelling, especially if you’re a single traveller, or you have a budget to fit within.

Hunter - I would love to do something like this when I am older with my friends. I think going to the same place would be cool but it would also be cool to go somewhere else. I really enjoyed our time at the reserva and maybe coming back in a few years to see what it looks like then would be cool, but it would also be great to learn about a new place. I think next time I volunteer somewhere like that I will stay longer because while it was amazing to experience all the different jobs they have there I would like to get good at them and be able to be more independent in my work.

Yumi - Yes, it was so fun and I get to know different people. Also it’s cheaper to stay so if I don’t have lots of money, I can do volunteers.

Stephen - I saw some older volunteers at this camp. When I am older, I would like to volunteer in other countries or other places. I don't like the idea of returning to one place for volunteering, since I want to have different experiences and explore a bit more.

5) What would you recommend (tips + advice) for someone interested in volunteering?

Devon - Start simple and find you passion. Volunteering is broad. What is something you enjoy or care about.  Volunteering doesn't need to be with a big group of organization. Go to a local event or even just start on your own. Care about bees? Plant pollinator plants in your garden. Care about litter? Pick up trash or make sure garbage bins are up in parks.

Rika - I would say it is important to always remind yourself the purpose of volunteering. Because when you are working on something or having a busy day while volunteering, you might forget about what the works are for. So you have to remember what and who are the works are for, so in that way, you can always have positivity and porpoise when volunteering.

Huy - I would recommend volunteering as a single traveller, or with friends if you all agree that it’s okay to spend a week volunteering. But if you were travelling with family, it would probably be safer not to volunteer, unless you know for certain that everyone would do it.

Hunter - Don’t be shy! Hang out with the other volunteers, they are also probably looking to meet new people. Also don’t be afraid to ask questions about what you are seeing or experiencing. If you are unsure about how to do something, ask. If you want to know something about the animals you are working with, ask. And most importantly, if you want to learn about another volunteer or person working there, even just to make a friend, ask.

Yumi - I will recommend them to check the weather and wear the right clothes. But sometimes even it’s hot there, you will need to bring long sleeves because of the mosquitos

Stephen - Asking questions is important because you need to be sure before you do something. I found myself asking more questions to the staff than I usually would have, since I wanted to make sure I didn't miss any shifts or collect any data wrong. Being flexible is also important. You never know if you will be given an extra task or your shift time will be changed. This was not much of a problem at this volunteering job sonce there was a lot of free time, but it is important to keep note of for other jobs.

Crocodile and Caiman Hunting

    Crocodile and caiman hunting: wet, muddy, and soaked. No one would willingly want to be any one of those options, in the dark, wearing regular clothes, with rubber boots that should've been water proof, except there were holes in them. (Pura Vida!)

    But why would we do all of that just to NOT hunt for crocodiles and caiman. In fact, when it was our turn to go crocodile and caiman hunting, we found 2 juvenile caiman: one close to adulthood, and one that was quite small; which I even got to hold! All of this might sound exciting, or scary, but there weren't many times where we actually experienced catching caimans and getting chased by caimans. Despite the title, both the group I was in and the other group, didn't see a single crocodile and only saw caimans.

    Recognizing whether or not the giant lizard was a crocodile or a caiman was pretty easy since all we had to do was shine some white light at their eyes: crocodiles would have yellow eyes; caimans would have red eyes. Catching them however very much depended on the size of what you were catching. Us volunteers didn't actually do any of the catching, but we were tasked with measuring young crocodiles and caimans if they hadn't already grown 2 ridges on their tail. If they did though, all we had to do was tag it if it hadn't already been tagged.

    Now moving on to what mostly happened when I went croc/caiman hunting. Doing a quick summery, we went to a river first where we found and CAUGHT our only 2 caimans. The first one being already tagged, and the second one being a lot smaller so we had to do some measurements. I was even able to hold it, which the skin felt like a weird blend of smooth plastic, and bumpy surface.

    Instantly when going into the warm water of the river, some people had a sock soaking issue. Despite everyone wearing "water proof" rubber boots. Some people had holes in their boots that weren't patched up at all. I was VERY "lucky", and got the 1 pair of boots that EACH had a hole in them. Despite having the obviously inferior boots, it didn't really matter in the end as everyone would have to go through near waist high water.

    Once we had experience trekking through the cleaner, non-muddy water of the river, we went to the beach, which was at low tide, but not low enough for us not to get soaked socks. After a little bit of walking and wading through on the beach and through the water, we got to the truly muddy areas to go searching for crocs and caimans. Through out this whole adventure, there was this one moment where we had to cross a particularly muddy and deep section to get back to solid dirt. The thing was, there was a fully grown 2 meter caiman at least 5 meters from where we needed to cross. While everyone was crossing, the caiman went into the water and everyone went into a sort of hushed panic.

    Everyone was going a little bit faster through the water, while also avoiding pockets of mud that would suck you to the ground. Fortunately no one was hurt nor traumatized.

Well, that was my experience with croc and caiman hunting: miserable for my socks, feet, and pants; very cool and dopamine inducing for my brain. It was lots of fun finding a lot of caimans, lots of suck, finding mud everywhere.

Signing off,

Huy