2024 Costa Rica: Day 2


Hello again Bullis families! 

It has been a colorful and thrilling Day #2 as students braved rapids on the Sarapiqui River, and spotted many different Costa Rican creatures at the Tirimbina Rainforest Center. 

Students had quite a bit to say about their adventures on the bus rides back to San Jose.

Crosby P. '28 writes: 

After being up for a whopping 24 hours, we had a full day ahead. Today began with breakfast at the hotel. I enjoyed eating and relaxing outside before we started with activities. First, we arrived at the Tirimbina Rain Forest Center. We walked a frightening, tall, and thin bridge. Some animals we encountered were iguanas, bullet ants, bats, monkeys, lizards, and birds. After our wonderful rainforest excursions, we ate a common Costa Rican lunch, which included rice, beans, and other Costa Rican desserts. During this time, I met a sweet dog. After lunch, we went white water rafting on the Sarapiqui River with our excellent tour guide, Diego. Despite falling into the water, we all had a wonderful time. We even got the chance to see horses while we were on the river. I can't wait to experience what else this trip has to offer.

From the perspective of Soshiant A-E. '28:

Day two was a very full one. We did so much in so little time. First, my group went hiking through the rainforest and saw so many cool animals and plants. We even had the opportunity to see the rare, dangerous, but amazing bullet ant. We also saw so many other things. After a great lunch, we went to white water rafting. This was by far the best thing we did. Riding down the rapids during the hottest time of the day was so refreshing. My team went from last place to winning the whole race. While we were going on the rapids, we also managed to see many birds. I can't wait to find out what we do tomorrow.

Ruby F. '28 reflects:

We made it through our travel day yesterday and were rewarded with so many incredible experiences today. In the morning, we woke up bright and early for a delicious breakfast and boarded our buses soon after. As we made our way through the diverse areas of Costa Rica, we saw amazing foggy mountains and cool rivers. When we reached our first destination, we got into groups for white water rafting in the Sarapiqui River. We learned how to paddle correctly and made our way through the bumpy rapids. Although my group's boat deflated, everyone had an amazing time and truly made lasting memories on this river. As we got off the river, we made our way to lunch, where meat tacos and an assortment of traditional Costa Rican desserts were served—everything was delicious! Following lunch, we bused over to the Tirimbina Rainforest Center where we took a long nature walk and saw amazing animals such as sloths and monkeys. After we left the rainforest, we drove all the way back to the hotel for a buffet dinner that was super flavorful. Lastly, to end the night, some of us took a walk to a local Walmart across the street and bought some of the interesting Costa Rican snacks. Today was an amazing experience in nature and I can't wait for the exciting activities that tomorrow brings!

Today's activities truly offered students the opportunity to experience and appreciate the beauty that Costa Rica has to offer. Tomorrow, we set off to Hacienda Orosi where we will take a farm tour, learn about Costa Rican coffee, relax in hot springs, and enjoy thermal mud baths.

Please enjoy a few photos from today, and some interesting facts about the Limón Province (the area in which all of our activities took place): 

The Limón Province takes its name from the lemon trees found in the region. It's also known as the "banana province" due to the banana production and industry. This province has an African-Caribbean population coming from Jamaica and Africa. Their music is Caribbean style and is called Calipso music. Although all Costarricans speak Spanish, people from this area also speak Patuá language, a mix of French and English. They also love spicy food and hot chili like in Mexico, which is not the case for people from the other provinces.

Pura vida! 

The 8th Grade Team









Location: Limón Province, Costa Rica

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