2024 Costa Rica: Day 5


Hello again Bullis families and community! 

It is our final evening in Costa Rica, and emotions are bittersweet. Students and chaperones had a lovely day at Playa Mantas and Rainforest Adventure, where students zip-lined, rode the Aerial Tram, and observed the Butterfly Garden.

Three students reflected on their final day exploring Costa Rica:

Olivia W. '28 writes about the day: 

Today, we spent our last day in Costa Rica to the fullest. Starting off with a delicious breakfast at our 2nd hotel, then hopping on the bus to go zip lining. My group went first, and it was amazing. There were 14 different lines leading up to the final one, where we dropped straight down. We then stopped for a snack before heading into the butterfly garden. On the way, we saw a toucan and many iguanas crawling around. We even got to see bats that were hidden under trees. The butterfly garden was beautiful. We saw all types, from a classic blue to yellow spotted. Next, we spent the afternoon with beach time. We jumped in the ocean or tanned on the scorching hot beach. Then, some of us bought ice cream from a pop-up shop at the hotel. We then had our very last dinner in Costa Rica. Finally, we ended the night with pool time.

Joyway W. '28 reflects on Rainforest Adventure:

Everyone is excited but sad at the same time to spend our last day together in Costa Rica. Group B quickly finished breakfast and headed to Rainforest Adventure. After putting on the equipment, everyone boarded the cable car to the top of the mountain with different emotions: excited, scared, anxious, and eager to explore. After finally arriving at the top of the mountain, I didn't stop to see the amazing view from above. I speed-walked to the first platform to begin my zip-line journey. As the guide gently pushed me forward, I started flying like a free toucan in the Costa Rican rainforest. I opened both of my arms to get a better feeling of being a bird, as the breeze blew by my side. The chirping of the birds in the forest and the sound of flowing water from the waterfall made the experience even better. Unconsciously, we reached the last cable, and the guide told us there is a surprise waiting for us at the end of this fantastic journey. The surprise was mini bungee jumping. This was my first time ever doing this, and I was scared but eager to try at the same time. I took a deep breath and stepped forward. The first second, I thought I was going to fall and break my leg, but the next second, the safety lock caught me and slowly dropped me to the mat. This was one of the most fun experiences I have had in my educational life. I can't wait for our next time to do an activity like this.

The day from the perspective of Raeka Z. '28:

Today is the last day of this trip. At 7:30 a.m., we went on the Aerial Tram to go zip lining and visit the butterfly garden and bats. After the guide explained to us the precautions, we took the cable car to the top of the mountain. When I was on the cable car, I was both excited and scared because I'm actually afraid of heights, but I still wanted to experience it. But in fact, it's not scary at all, and I enjoyed the process of zip lining. When I got on the zip line, the strong sun shone on my body, and I felt an expected sense of weightlessness. The wind gently scratched my face and brought a cool feeling. The local butterfly garden is very beautiful, like the collision of crystals and insects - the wings of butterflies are sparkling blue and gray, and bats sleep under the leaves. They are a little scary. At about 12 o'clock, we went back to the hotel to enjoy our lunch. In the afternoon, we went to the beach, and I built a sand sculpture with Yolanda. After returning to the hotel, I went to the underground ice cream shop to buy a super big and delicious ice cream! Then, it was time for dinner. Although the journey is very cheerful and pleasant, I still miss the soft hug from my bed.

Tomorrow we will spend one more breakfast on our final morning in Punta Leona before heading to the airport in San Jose.

Please enjoy some photos from the day, and look out for one more email tomorrow before we fly back to the US.

Pura vida! 

Best,

The 8th Grade Team



 










 

Location: Punta Leona, Costa Rica

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