Day 8: Last Day in San Jose and Travel Home

Hola a todos!

After a long two days, the Schenectady High School Women's Choir and the College of St. Rose Women's Chorale are all home safe and sound. But, not without making the best of our last day in San Jose!

We woke up a little bit later and enjoyed a relaxing breakfast at "El Vesuvio" for the last time. Juan Carlos, our chef, has been absolutely amazing and we could not have asked for a better experience! We will miss him very much! Following breakfast, the SHS girls decided they wanted to go down to El Mercado (the market) for a few last minute souvenirs. Along the way, we walked through the park, where they were setting up for an art festival called Transitarte! Check out some pictures :)

When we returned to the hotel, we all had lunch at "El Vesuvio" and it was here that Ms. Hawk gave her famous trip speech. It was a fine blend of laughter and tears and we all realized how amazing this trip has really been. Each girl was recognized for how they have grown and shown their beautiful characteristics during this trip.

After lunch, some of us spent time packing and relaxing at the hotel and some of the others went to get some gelato from a nearby shop. How yummy! Some of us were also lucky to go back downtown to see what was happening at the festival. Lots of art, music, dance and even some boxing! 

In our last hour at Hotel Vesuvio, we all finished up getting ready and got in some last minute rays of sun. Then at 2:30pm, we loaded up the bus and made our way to the San Jose airport. From that point, we went through many long hours of travel. Check out some pictures from our travel...

After a long 16 hours of travel (3:00pm to 8:00am with clocks ahead), we finally made it back home with parents waiting anxiously to pick up the girls. Finally home!

In the end, it was a very bittersweet day. It was wonderful to get back home to loved ones, but so hard to say goodbye to Costa Rica and our traveling comrades. We will always be able to look back at our pictures and remember the life-changing experience that we all had in Costa Rica.

Thank you all for following the blog and we look forward to our next excursion with the Schenectady High School Women's Choir and the College of St. Rose Women's Chorale!!!

Pura Vida y Hasta La Vista!

-SHSWC

Day 7: Zarcero, Iguanas and the Tabacon Thermal Resort!

Hola, familia y amigos!

Today was an incredible day in paradise! Although it started out a little slow, we made it to our final destination, the Tabacon Grand Spa and Thermal Resort. This morning, we woke up bright and early to get on the road. We ate breakfast around 6:30am and loaded up the bus to leave for 7:30am. After a few hours of driving, we stopped in really amazing place called Zarcero. In Zarcero there was another beautiful "Iglesia de San Rafael and a garden of sculpted bushes that you would not believe! We even met the man who takes care of them! Such talent. Here are some pictures for you...

La Iglesia de San Rafael

SHS girls being goofy!

The sculpted bushes

Following our stop in Zarcero, we went to have lunch at a restaurant named "La Finca." Our lunch was a "typical" Costa Rican meal that we all really enjoyed! After the lunch, we went to see our second attraction of the day: HUGE IGUANAS!!!

Lunch at La Finca

Iguanas!

And now the moment we've all been waiting for.....our day at the Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort. As you will see from the pictures below, Tabacon is an incredible place where we were able to just relax and enjoy the peaceful hot springs. There were a variety of areas to sit and let the water massage your back. In addition, we enjoyed a big warm pool with a slide and a "swim-up bar." If you are ever in Costa Rica, this is an absolute MUST. Enjoy the pictures!

Being that it is one of the final days of the trip, the SHS girls decided that they would get together and do something for Ms. Hawk for all of her hard work and dedication to them and this trip. So, they put together some money and got her a 1-hour long Swedish massage at Tabacon! What a well-deserved experience for her! The kids were wonderful and Ms. Hawk was completely shocked and thankful.

Where Ms. Hawk had here massage!

At 5:30pm, we were all changed and ready to sit down for our dinner, which was a Mexican-style buffet. The food was outstanding! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and had plenty to eat. Not only was it delicious, but the presentation was absolutely gorgeous! Check out the dessert set-up :-)

Well, we hate to have to even think about it, but tomorrow is our last day in Costa Rica and we will be heading to the airport to travel home at around 2:00pm. Chances are likely that the last blog of the trip will be on Sunday, after we all get home. Be sure to check back one last time to recap the end of the trip. We have all had an amazing experience and we definitely don't want to leave this beautiful weather for the snow at home! With that being said, we all have loved ones at home that we are anxious to see as well. We will be back soon enough!!!

Pura Vida!

-SHSWC

Day 6: Poas, Doka Coffee, Grecia and Sarchi

Hola from Costa Rica!!!

Day 6 has been another fun-filled day! Many of the St. Rose travelers decided to do various things on their own, but the SHS girls along with a few of our St. Rose friends did a lot! Our tour guide, Alberto, joined us once again and we left for our first destination, the Poas Volcano!

Along the way, we stopped at a Costa Rican supermarket to grab drinks and snack for the long day ahead...

The Supermarket

Then we continued to the top of the volcano. Before we reached the top, we stopped at a local shop on the side of the volcano called "Freses del Volcan". At this shop, many of us purchased some souvenirs, especially sweatshirts and ponchos for the cold and rainy tour of the volcano. As you can tell from the pictures, it was pretty wet.

Fresas del Volcan

GIANT vegetation on the volcano

When we got to the top of the volcano, we looked out and unfortunately only saw a bunch of clouds. On the bright side, we got a pretty group group picture in our rainy weather attire! Check it out....

The top of the Poas Volcano

When we decided that the rain and clouds was enough, we walked back down the side of the volcano and made our way to our next destination: the Doka Estate (coffee plantation). Along the way, Alberto stopped and got us some of the local cheese and strawberries! So delicious!

Cheese and Strawberries! 

Upon arrival to Doka, we went to the cafeteria and had a buffet lunch with all of the food and drink you could want (including COFFEE, Mmmmm). After lunch, Alberto gave us a tour and explanation of the coffee plantation. We were able to see all of the different processes that take place over the course of coffee production. It was really amazing to see all of the old machinery that still works after being in use for three generations! While on the plantation, the girls found a friendly dog and he got a lot of loving attention. :-) After the tour, we were able to see the plantation's Butterfly Garden! Another beautiful sight to see! Check out the pictures from our time at Doka...

Lunch at Doka

The plantation tour...coffee beans drying in the sun

One HAPPY puppy :-)

The way to the garden...

Monarch butterfly

Following the butterfly "experience," we loaded up the bus with a bunch of crazy people and headed back to Grecia, where we had performed one of our concerts earlier this week. This time, we were able to get a tour of the cathedral and we learned about the history of the cathedral and it's Belgian roots. When we were all done in Grecia, we went to the Costa Rican center of wood carving, Sarchi. While in Sarchi, Alberto showed us the largest Ox cart in the world! It holds the record in the Guinness Book of World Records! He also gave us the history of the local wood workers and artists, which was VERY interesting. At the end, we had more time to shop for souvenirs. So much to do! We have lots of pictures for you today! Enjoy!!!

the crazy bus ride

The Cathedral in Grecia

Man offering rides in an ox cart!

The WORLD'S largest ox cart!!!

Cathedral in Sarchi

The incredible woodworking inside the Sarchi Cathedral

Alberto showing us the wood working shop

More wood working!

Alberto explaining the development of the ox cart wheel

More wood working!!!

Tomorrow we head to the Tabacon Hot Springs at the base of the Arenal Volcano. We hear that it is a paradise and a heaven on earth!!! Come on back to check out the blog tomorrow!


Hasta Luego!

-SHSWC

Day 5: Punta Leona Beach and Resort!

Hola Amigos!

Day 5 of this amazing trip has been jam-packed with fun and relaxation!!! Before we began our day, some of us decided to head over to the hotel restaurant to grab some breakfast. But at 8:00am, Alberto met us once again at the hotel to take us to another part of Costa Rican paradise.

Today we spent most of the day at an incredible beach at the Punta Leona Hotel and Club. Some say that this beach is the BEST beach on the Costa Rican Pacific coast. There is no doubt that this was a beautiful beach and lived up to our expectations.




On our way, we stopped for some breakfast provided by the "Hacienda", which they did a great job with. They whipped up the typical Costa Rican cuisine, serving eggs, rice and beans, fresh fruit, and they even had some delicious cheese! Delicious!!!

Right after eating our breakfast, we went for a walk across a long bridge. Under that bridge were a bunch of crocodiles!!!! It was SOO amazing to see these creatures just laying out in the sun and enjoying their muddy water habitat.

If that wasn't already enough, we then headed to a little more of an up-close and personal encounter with nature with the Crocodile Man Tour.

The tour was breath-taking, to say the least. We all climbed into a boat with no clue about the things we were about to see....

We saw wildlife, birds, iguanas, insects, and now the crazy part....OUR BOAT DRIVER GOT OUT AND STARED A CROCODILE IN THE FACE!!! He literally walked up to the edge of the water with a piece of meat, and lured the crocodile to him. We all couldn't help but move closer to the center of the boat while holding our breath. Not only did he do it once, but TWICE. The man looked the Croc in the face, took his life in his hands, and fed the hungry beast. It was a sight to see and he got a big round of applause after words. INSANITY!

Following the crocodile adventures, we loaded the bus back up and made our way to Punta Leona, where we would spend the day enjoying the sun and beautiful water. The beach was simply stunning and it was an afternoon in paradise. Below are some pictures of the club, the ocean, and the girls enjoying their time in the sun :)

There isn't much more to add to what you see. We all had a wonderful time and it was a well-deserved time to relax after our five great performances. Tomorrow we all head out for another great tour and you are sure to see some great pictures next time.

Hasta Luego!

-SHSWC