2026 Costa Rica: Day 2

 

Bullis students in Costa Rica

Hello again, Bullis community!

It has been an eventful, insightful, and collaborative Day #2 in La Fortuna!

One half of our students experienced the value and impact of serving a local community and learned about the process of cheesemaking from a local entrepreneur. Across the way, the other half of our group conquered the thrilling rapids of the Balsa River, went souvenir shopping, and enjoyed some relaxing time at the hot springs. We ended our day with a thoughtful, reflective closing circle to ground us in our experiences.

Students had quite a bit to say about these experiences: 

Zoe A. '30 writes:

Pura vida! Overall, today was a great day! Because of the time difference, I woke up early, but breakfast was at 8:30 AM, so I relaxed in bed and chatted with friends. When it was finally time to get ready, my roommate Sammi and I got out of the door swiftly and took a longer route to enjoy the morning scenery, including Volcano Arenal. My first day of breakfast was great and it felt good to have foods that were familiar from home like pancakes, eggs, and omelettes. As soon as I stepped off the bus for white-water rafting, the hot air surprised me! We split into groups of five and my group was Sai, Elle, Sammi, Sophie, Ms. Rutherford, and our guide Brando. As soon as we got on the Balsa River, we faced the rapids - the hardest part of the river. Looking back on it, I enjoyed that first part being tough because it prepared me for the rest of the river. When we stopped halfway, we were offered freshly sliced pineapple and cantaloupe. It was delicious! After finishing rafting, we went to a local restaurant. I think the Costa Rican food at the restaurant was the best food that we’ve had so far on the trip. The souvenirs there were very good as well! The shop was very big, had a lot of options, and it was fun to explore. When we got back to the hotel, we went to the hot springs and the pool. The hot springs were very fun and everyone had a great time there. The time in the hot springs is definitely a memory that I will look back on nicely, and I’m excited to do it again tomorrow. It was great to have dinner with the entire group, too, since we are split up for some of the activities. After dinner, we had our closing circle, and everyone gave shout-outs to their friends and teachers for helping them throughout the day. I think that was a great end to our night and I am so excited to see what tomorrow holds. Pura Vida!

From the perspective of Seth G. '30:

The day started off as most do. Sitting at a table eating pancakes, but then something incredible happened. I tried the pineapple. And I say that was the best pineapple I ever had. I had a sore throat, and after the pineapple, it was gone. Incredible. Then it continued as most days do, getting in a van and going to a cheese farm. As we arrived, we learned of the history of the Chrisley cheese farm, and then we got to make cheese. Well, we rolled it into balls and got to try some. It was the best cheese I’ve ever had. Soon after, we went on a tour of the farm where we saw plants I didn’t know existed, chickens, piglets I named Bacon, Sandwich, and Ham, and one of them pooped on someone. Then we saw a sloth and poison dart frogs. It was awesome. Then after that, not as part of the program, but something nice happened to just me. I was spinning my sun hat and throwing it up to try to get it to land on my head and when I did someone across the street started clapping! That was nice. After all that, we went to make cement to make a sidewalk. It was a lot of shoveling, mixing, and wheelbarrows. After that, we painted a mural for the community, and it looked very pretty. Then we all headed home, went to the hot springs, and then got dinner, and now I’m about to go to sleep. Good day.

Olivia M. '30 reflects on the day:

Today we disembarked on our first day, packed with adventure. We loaded up the bus and made our way to the Balsa River. We split up into groups of five with one teacher or Global Works leader per raft and headed down the river to start our great adventure. The rapids started right off the bat. We made our way to our first level, which was pretty mild. The farther we got down the river, the more intense the rapids got. At one point, the boat I was in got jammed under a rock, and water came flooding into the sides - my friend lost her shoe, and I lost my water bottle! We were worried about them for a while, but as we got farther downstream, we found my water bottle tumbling with the white water. We stopped for lunch along the riverbank, where the guides cut fresh pineapple and cantaloupe, which was the best I’ve ever tasted. Period. The next level of rapids were way more mild, and we even got to see a howler monkey and a sloth. It reminded me that if you slow down, enjoy the ride, and take the less-walked path, you will see more things. Today was a 10-out-of-10 day, and I hope tomorrow is too.

Today's activities truly offered students the opportunity to engage with and appreciate local culture, while enjoying the beauty that Costa Rica has to offer. Tomorrow, the groups will switch itineraries and live these experiences from different perspectives. 

Please enjoy some photos from the day, and we will continue to keep you updated on our adventures throughout the week.

Pura vida! 

The 8th Grade Team









 

 

Location: Alajuela Province, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

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