Poly GIP Costa Rica 2024

 Will and Elias: Today, we started by waking up around 730 to attend breakfast at the neighboring Ms Miriam’s #1. After an appetizer of fresh fruit we had the selection of Pancakes, Beans and Rice, or Eggs and Toast. After a filling breakfast, we headed to a historical tour of Tortuguero led by our knowledgeable guide. As we finished, we headed to a presentation on the Cacao fruit, and then a historical background on the making of chocolate and cacao! We were even lucky enough to get to sample the fruit right out of the pod. We then were given a demonstration on how the indigenous people made their chocolate beverage which involved lots of frothing and heating. Then we were all able to have several cups with a variety of spice mixtures.  It had a rich bitter flavor very similar to coffee or non sweetened hot chocolate. We learned there were different flavor combinations created by the indigenous people and the Europeans. Our next destination was a lunch place that served many ...

 Today we ventured throughout the tortguero forest. Starting in the morning, we all hopped in small canoe boats (powered by electrical energy to limit pollution) and explored the forest by water. We got to see caymans (small crocodiles), countless birds, a bunch of monkeys, and a few igunanas. After we ate a delicious lunch, we had the opportunity to explore the national park through a beautiful trail. We saw more monkeys here, and got the chance to see a poisonus tree frog and a sloth! we ended the trail on the beach and did some pollution clean up. Tonight, we plan to take a walk and try our luck watching turtles nest or catching a glimpse of a jaguar! Today was such a wonderful beginning to nine more days of experiencing nature in beautiful Costa Rica. Charlotte: On the second day of your adventure in coasta rica we woke up bright and early to enjoy a nice canoe ride through the jungle. Our lovely guide pointed out several species of native and migrating birds, lizards, and...

Liam: Starting at one in the morning, we boarded a 6 1/2 hour flight to San Jose, and painstakingly sat for an extra hour and thirty minutes for the connecting flight. After we left the airport, we boarded a bus and met our Envoy instructors, John Michael and Pablo. The bus ride was also very long, but felt quicker than the flight because I caught up on sleep that I lost. Our last mode of transport for the day was boat. It was nice to see the jungle and rainforest, but we were once again traveling for hours. When we arrived at Tortuguero we were assigned our rooms and roommates (mine is Mateo). Persevering through a long day of travel, the group staying at Miss Miriam’s hotel started to explore the area. We walked in 2 directions and ended at a bench, where we played games. We met up with the other group and found somewhere to eat dinner. Matteo: I was luckily able to get a bit of sleep during the long plane/bus rides today. We eventually arrived at a location on a large river, and mov...