2026 Costa Rica: Day 3

Bullis in Costa Rica


Hola Bullis Community!

Another beautiful and action-packed day in La Fortuna comes to a close! As mentioned yesterday, students were able to switch itineraries today. All of the students were eager to participate in community service, cheese-making, and white-water rafting after hearing from their peers how wonderful the experiences were.

Our nightly closing circle provided students the opportunity not only to reflect, but to use their newfound knowledge about Costa Rica to approach challenges the next day with confidence, problem-solving skills, and a greater sense of teamwork. They are truly traveling with purpose!

And as a special surprise, our amazing Global Works leaders organized a traditional Costa Rican dance performance! Not only were students able to witness internationally acclaimed dancers perform, but they were also invited to dance along with them at the end of the performance.

Here are three reflections on today's events from our young globe-trotters: 

From the perspective of Chase D. '30

The day began with waking up bright and early and having a delicious breakfast. After we had seated our groups and boarded the bus, we left for a local community to help build a sidewalk and continue painting our mural. It was very interesting to see their culture and how they live. We helped dig up rocks and dirt to clear space for the cement. After a couple of hours, we had a great lunch that consisted of beans, rice, vegetables, beef, and potatoes. After we ate and worked for about 90 minutes, we went to the Crisley cheese farm and Crisley told us about the origin of the farm and who owns it and how it came to be. We made some cheese that tasted outstanding, and they had a little snack that included the cheese we made. We went to the back of the building and saw cacao beans. They were tasty and the beans were very cool. After that, we went to see the piglets they had and got to pick them up! We looked at different types of plants and trees local to Costa Rica and pointed out what we thought they were called. We also got a point for each one we pointed out correctly. We also got lucky enough to see a sloth in the tree, which was very interesting. We headed home, where I would chill out with all my friends, and we talked and had a great time before we went to dinner. At dinner, we ate and chilled out until we were blessed with a surprise in our meeting hall. We got to see some of their traditional dancing, and got to dance with them for about 5 minutes until we had our usual closing circle. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s activities!

Jan-Luc K. '30 writes about the day

The day started off with us going to the Crisley cheese farm to learn how Crisley makes his cheese for his business. The cheese was very good, and we also got to explore the farm and see different animals like baby chicks, five-day-old piglets, and even a sloth and her baby! Then we went to lunch, where there was a nice salad and ground yucca that was fried and stuffed with the same cheese! Afterward, we went to the Santa Ana community to get our hands dirty. We had to clear some space next to their main building to help lay cement and build a sidewalk. This is to make sure students can get to the school bus safely. It was a really fun experience! Finally, I spent some time relaxing in my room and ate dinner. It was an exhausting day, but also a really good day.

Luisa F. '30 reflects on the day

Costa Rica: Balsa River (White Water Rafting): An uncharted adventure. As my tour guide explained the safety rules, I looked out at the river and saw nothing but white foam. The exhilaration and excitement fuelled my curiosity as I could not wait to go whitewater rafting. As soon as we got to a testy spot, all I could hear were screams and shouts. But not those of fear and doubt - those of happiness and excitement. We twisted, and we turned, we bumped, and at the end, we also burned; but nothing can compare to this experience. As we stopped to take a break, all of our tour guides took out knives and sliced delicious and mouthwatering fruit. At first, it didn’t seem extremely sanitary; however, once the pineapple danced across my palate, I forgot all about the previous worries and concerns. The rush of excitement took over me in the last five minutes. The nature surrounding me, the palms dancing with the wind's vocals - it all completed my day with such enjoyment and pleasure. It was such a beautiful experience that I will never forget. Pura Vida!

Tomorrow, students will have the opportunity to ride the aerial tram and go zip-lining as their final activity in La Fortuna. After that, we travel to our second destination - the picturesque coastal town of Uvita. 

As always, please enjoy some photos from the day. 

Pura vida! 

Best,

The 8th Grade Team 









Location: Alajuela Province, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

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