I cannot believe that our two weeks in Costa Rica are ending. This trip went by quickly, but time flies by when you have the time of your life! I am so grateful to have been a part of this experience and gone through it with this fantastic group. On our last day exploring, we…
Tag: Rylie Banks
Day 10: A Glimpse into San Jose!
Today, we took a train to San Jose for a walking tour around the city. We went into a museum, saw different national monuments, and got to go inside a beautiful theatre. San Jose is very different than a typical city that you would see in the U.S. There are markets like the one in…
Day 9: Muy Rica! 🍍🍌
Today, we went to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica for an organic banana and pineapple tour. During our banana tour, we walked around the plantation, learning how they produce their bananas. At this plantation, they create produce with their bananas and want to have it, so they process their own and other farmers’ bananas….
Day 7: Life is like a box of Sibö Chocolates
Today, we visited the Sibö chocolate farm for a discussion about the history of chocolate and how they make it. The word chocolate comes from the native Indians from Central America. As the discussion went along, we had a tasting of the seven different chocolates. This was a good way to stay engaged because after…
Day 6: Simón Dice Paint🎨🖌️
I started the morning with a yoga session overlooking the beautiful nature in Monteverde. Today, we got to go to a school and paint a mural with the kids. This was my favorite part of the trip so far because all of the kids were so excited, and it was so fun to hang out…
Day 5: Hiking the Cloud Forest – If we can Toucan
Today, we went to the Cloud Forest and hiked for three and a half hours. It was beautiful. We saw a toucan, hence the title, along with other birds and some monkeys way up in the trees. After our hike with the tour guide, we were able to venture off on our own. I went…
Day 4: Monteverde Monkeys 🐒
As we drive up to Monteverde, I start to see the natural side of Costa Rica that was not visible in Heredia. There were trees everywhere, and the buildings became less and less frequent. I noticed how the houses were very spread out because they grow their own foods. There were cows roaming the fields…
Day 3: Café Con Salsa 💃☕
Today, we venture off to Café Britt for a second coffee tour. This tour was much more interactive as we later found out that our tour guides were actors, and they gave us false names. The betrayal. They made the tour a really engaging experience, and they were hilarious. We learned how the different temperatures that the…
Day 2! Doka Café ☕
Today, we visited the Doka Coffee Plantation and learned all about the coffee process. We went through all the stages, from the coffee plants to roasting the coffee beans. At Doka, they only use arabica coffee for its flavor. The coffee in Costa Rica is considered premium, and because of this, it is said that the best…
Day 1! Heredia Exploration
On our first full day in Costa Rica, we explored Heredia. We met at Central Park, where a church opens to a big space where Costa Ricans hang out in their leisure time. There was a pavilion where we saw people breakdancing, which was cool because I had only seen dancing outside in New York…
Off to Costa Rica!
My name is Rylie Banks, and I am from Akron, Ohio. I am a business student pursuing a major in human resources, possibly continuing my education in law school. I am very excited to go to Costa Rica as this is a fantastic opportunity. I immediately applied after hearing about the Plus 3 Program in…