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Costa Rica
May 2 - May 4, 2008
Last Call of Port… last country on our visit around the world… the last trips, the last memories, the last time leading a group of students into a new country to learn new things… Welcome to Costa Rica.We have been at sea for 10 long days and nights.Exams, reading, programming, closing information and the end of the academic year… they are all here at once.
Today we pulled into Costa Rica at 8:00 a.m. SHARP, as usual, ready to go.The best part about Costa Rica arrival was the RD's and I did not have to do anything with immigration and customs.They checked passports themselves and we had the ship cleared by 8:30 a.m., ready to see the sites of our last country.
HOT, FUN and BEACHES is what we saw as we exited the ship.I was leading a trip this morning to the Coffee Plantation Factory with 30 students.We drove through the country and beach area to get to the coffee plantation.We drove on the Pan American Highway a round that runs from Alaska, through Canada and all the way through the USAand down through Mexico and into Central America.How cool is that… this road was built many years ago to allow easy access to the countries for everyone!!
We arrived at the Coffee factory and we knew we were there by the smell of the coffee around us.When we arrived we got a nice taste test of some different coffees from their plantation.After that the tour guides took us around the plantation to see how they grow coffee, pick it and then get it ready for distribution around the world.Starbucks actually buys their coffee from this plantation!!How cool was that.After going through the tour, and of course going through their souvenir shop to purchase bagsof coffee, we were off to lunch.
LUNCH… oh the food.We headed downtown to our restaurant and when we arrived were all greeted by our servers ready to go.We had a nice buffet style of salad, rice, black beans, chicken, steak, plantains and flan.The food was so good…. I had two to three servings of everything. The plantains were the best, of course.After lunch, we did some more shopping and then heading back to the ship.
After a long day of being out with the students, some of the RD's and myself went out for dinner downtown for our last meal together in country.It was fun to think back only 4 months ago not knowing anyone and seeing how far we have gone.
Go figure, we came complete circle.Our first country that we visited was Puerto Rico, beaches, Spanish speaking, great Spanish food… and now ending in Costa Rica.You can't ask for anything more ofthe circle of life and things coming to an end.
The following day, I lead a Canopy trip for 30 students.Today, we zip lined through many different elements swinging from tree to tree in the rainforest of Costa Rica.I cannot even begin to describe this experience.It was so much fun.. so exciting and unbelievable doing what I was doing today.I just love the new things I have been able to do with my life!!!
We went through 8 different zip lines, swinging and gliding across the rainforest overlooking a river and other great scenery from high above.We had one zip line that was 5 football fields long and took about 60+ seconds to get across.This zip line kept on going and going on forever.The entire experience was great.Costa Rica has many Canopy adventure tours that you can pick.They were the first countries and places to invent Canopy and I got to experience it today.
Well, we are leaving Costa Rica tonight.It should be interesting to get the students on the ship in an orderly fashion.They are done with finals, done with school.They were told to be on time and to be ready to go.Lets see how that all goes tonight.
Well, our next stop is through the Panama Canal on Tuesday, which should be fun.Then after we cross into the Caribbean Sea, we will be heading directly to Miami for our re-entry to the USA.
Stay tuned for my final blog and journal from Semester at Sea.
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