2025 Stevenson Costa Rica Service Adventure

Day 7

¡Hola, hola!

I’m Elle, back again to write about our final full day here in Costa Rica! Following our wonderful “Chocolate Workshop” yesterday evening — where we were able to make our own delicious chocolate bars, and learn about the history and production of cacao — we feasted on delicious Papa John’s pizza.

We woke up after the first night in our new hotel in Alajuela to a nice breakfast and began our journey to an ethnobotanist for a presentation of medicinal plants in Costa Rica, where we able to try several interesting leaves and fruit while learning about the healing properties they have. Highlight: learning about a plant the indigenous in Costa Rica used as a form of lipstick and tried it ourselves.

After that we headed to our lunch spot where it was a sweltering 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I had great barbecued chicken with a salad, plátano, and rice. Others also had the same sides coupled with a pork chop instead.

Afterwards we journeyed to the Sarapiquí river where we spent two hours and over 6 miles rafting! This had to be one of my top highlights of the trip — there’s nothing that can be compared to the thrill of hitting the rapids and getting drenched in water with your crew as you yell “¡Pura Vida!” We were spoiled with fresh Costa Rican pineapple, watermelon and cookies halfway through and were able to get off at certain spots to jump or swim in the deep water.

Signing off! Thanks for following along with our Costa Rican adventure!

– Elle

Day 6

Monday June 2, 2025. To the excitement of many the disappointment of some, we started the day with a bus ride to Manuel Antonio national park. As we walked along the wooden path, we got to see the cute sloths resting atop the trees and red crabs everywhere on the ground. We stopped in the middle for delicious smoothies and it was interesting how the restaurant was in a cage due to the risk of endangering the diets and habits of surrounding animals. Next, we walked to the beach to swim in the ocean. It was slightly rocky and I took a walk on my own down the coastline and saw fascinating tide pools with different species. The view was spectacular: the ocean a bright hue of blue.

After lunch, we headed back on the bus to our next hotel. On our way, we stopped by the side of a major highway and got to take photos of a river of crocodiles while we stood on the bridge. We also stopped by a big souvenir shop, where I purchased souvenir gifts for my family and friends as well as a delicious pineapple smoothie. The smoothie was made out of vanilla ice cream, pineapple, coconut, and a fresh banana. Finally, we hopped back on the bus to for the final leg of our journey to the hotel, where chocolatiers awaited us for our chocolate making activity. We got to taste each part of the chocolate making process from the cocoa bean to the finished product of a 75% cocoa before we started to make our own chocolate bars. There were various toppings of coconut, nuts, bananas, guayabana syrup, coconut syrup and much more. I put coconut and nuts in my chocolate bar and started designing the packaging, naming it “Chocolate de Vida”. Overall, I’ve been having a reflective experience so far and this trip is fulfilling my inner child and has inspired me to be excited for similar opportunities.

– Jessica

Day 5

We started off the day with a delicious breakfast buffet at the hotel. After breakfast we got dressed and walked 5 minutes to the beach to begin our surf lesson. We walked through the trees to the beach with the warm sand and started our surf lessons. We put on rashguards and started with practice in the sand. Then split into groups and jumped in the water.

Almost everyone surfed for the whole time minus the quick break with delicious fruit. Some chose to continue to surf after or to lay out in the sun. As we wrapped up the lessons we headed over to some food shacks and got smoothies, coconuts, and other yummy drinks. We then walked back to the hotel and got changed for lunch, which was another 5 minute walk from the hotel. There we ate delicious food like fajitas, burgers, and enchiladas.

Even though we were tired from surf lessons, we continued the day by walking 3 miles to Uvita beach, where the ocean splits in a beach that looks like a whale tail. We trudged through the sand bar to the end of the tail and took in the sight of the beautiful shoreline.

We walked back through the water and the jungle and arrived back at the hotel. Some chose to go in the pool and some chose to rest before heading down to the hotel restaurant for dinner.

– Mary and Olivia

Day 4

I woke up around six in the morning and made sure I had all of my belongings before we left for our next destination. I had a really nice breakfast that was rice, beans, eggs, and a banana. Once I had said goodbye to my host family I went on a twi hour bus ride to the Nauyaca Waterfall.

Everyone enjoyed the swim and lunch there and then it started to rain a ton. We stayed there for a total of 3 hours. I then got back on the bus to El Tecal.

– Hunter

Day 4

Our final morning in San Jeronimo, we woke up extra early to meet at 7:30 to say goodbye to our host families and start Part 2 (Adventure!) of the Costa Rica X-Term. Host families will very much be missed, with lots of hugging and well wishes upon both the families and students.

At our new destination, we got on tractor carts that dropped us off at the trailhead and we walked the rest down to the Nauyaca Waterfall. All swam, some swam against the current to sit underneath the waterfall, and many said that this was their favorite part of the day. The scenery was truly remarkable, with students laughing when jumping in the cool water. Rain started pouring down (hard) at 1 PM and didn’t stop until around dinner time. After a rainy hike back and a tractor ride back to the visitor center, students patiently waited for the bus to Uvita. Once arriving in Hotel El Tecal in Uvita, students were able to take warm showers and swim in the pool.

We ended the day with dinner at the hotel restaurant and trivia!

– Claire

Day 3

Being in Costa Rica has been an incredible experience so far. Yesterday, we worked at a local church, where we helped fix the drainage system and pulled out a lot of weeds. It was really hot and exhausting, but I felt proud seeing the place looking cleaner and more organized.

Today, I woke up around 5 a.m. to the sound of roosters, stayed in bed for about an hour, then got up, took a shower, and enjoyed the view of San Jerónimo. Then we had breakfast with our host families — a delicious plate of rice, beans, eggs, plantains, and cheese.

Just before 9, we walked to the tourist center to continue our community work, this time repainting the building blue. I had never painted an entire building before, so it was a new experience for me. One of my main tasks was reaching the higher parts of the walls because of my height, and I also placed tape along the edges of the walls and the fence to avoid getting paint where we didn’t want it. Even though it was a lot of work, I had fun doing it with everyone.

At midday, we had lunch — rice, beans, an onion dish with sausage, tortillas, and homemade pineapple fresca.

After lunch, we went back to work and finished painting the building. What stood out the most to me was how satisfying it felt to step back and see everything we had accomplished together. I didn’t think I’d enjoy community service this much, but it made me feel useful, connected to the community, and satisfied knowing that what we’re doing is going to make a difference.

Now we’re back home getting ready to celebrate and share time with our families at a farewell party. Gracias San Jerónimo

-Jamen and Laird

Day 2

We had an epic first adventure en Costa Rica today! We stayed the night with our families in a little town, San Jerónimo, maybe 6 or 7 hour drive from San Jose where we flew in yesterday morning. At the Corrales house, Doña Mirella made us gallo pinto (beans and rice) with scrambled eggs and onions for breakfast, and the best coffee!

The coffee here is so good! I don’t like coffee much but it’s so good and sweet here I have it black. We got ready for the day, and walked up the road about 5 minutes to the church where we met the rest of the group. We met up with our profes and walking tree guides, and met our community project guides/helpers for the day, Miguel y Diego.

We split into groups, some pulling weeds in the garden, some getting rocks from the river to build a new flower planter, and some of the boys and me went to dig a drain. It wasn’t too hot just super humid, and the work was fun but hard. The pick axes we were using split right through the rocks! Delara brought her speaker and we listened to music, old classics and country. We switched around jobs soon and I went to pull weeds. The sun wasn’t quite out yet but it was still so beautiful, and everything was so green and fresh.

The dirt was so red! Around 11:30 we stopped to rest and wait for lunch. A group of us tossed around a soccer ball and the rest chatted and rested. Then our families came with the food they’d cooked and brought us for lunch, and profe Higgins said it was like DoorDash but better! Our family brought us more gallo pinto (we eat a LOT of that here. Like a lot. Like every meal), a little salad of tomatoes and cucumbers, chips, y Fresca de Maracuyá, which is like water with passion fruit juice and sugar. I also had some mango and papaya that Chanel’s host mom brought for her and Carmel. The food here is so good! Tan rico! After lunch we worked some more at the church, plastering a wall and pulling more weeds.

And then it started raining! So hard! There was thunder, and we stopped working to wait for it to pass. Some of us went out in the rain. So pretty. By the time the rain let out it was almost 3pm so we gathered to discuss tomorrow. We also met Tasha, who has been living here in San Jerónimo since July, working with the community as part of the Peace Corps. Super cool. She’ll work with us tomorrow painting a building in town. Our walking tree guides Verny and Laura invited us all to meet at 4 at the supermarket and walk to the river where there is a place to swim. We dispersed, walking back to our houses, changed into bathing suits, and hung out with our host families, Claire and I talked with them on the deck, the girls still in their school uniforms and their mom and aunt tired from their day’s work but so kind and patient with us.

At 4 we met at the supermarket, I bought a mango, and we hiked up and then down to the river. We passed mandarin trees, platino trees, coffee trees. It’s so tropical and fresh and beautiful. The river felt really good, and we swam for maybe 30 minutes and then hiked back up. After sweating so much today — SO much — the water was so nice and I felt so refreshed.

On the way up I peeled a mandarin, and one of the owners of the land, Marco, who was with us on the hike, cut some branches of platinos and Elle and I carried them up the hill. At the top, those of us who were in the back (me) and Los Profes stopped at Marco’s house, where his dad, Freddy, and Verny told us about how they harvest and make coffee beans. Marco let us take some platinos for our host families to cook for breakfast, and we walked back down and split off to our host families while the sun set.

The sunset was so pretty. This town is so pretty, the houses lit up all through the valley and dotting the mountains like fireflies. Now I have showered and eaten dinner with my family, more gallo pinto and a soup with chicken and cilantro and spices, delicious, and the littles are making bracelets and the adults are taking and watching the news. It is lovely.

– Hannah and Chanel

Day 1

I’m Elle, one of the 24 Stevenson students currently in Costa Rica! While it’s late, I was invited to give a recap of our first few days here.

After departing from Pebble Beach for SFO at 3pm, we arrived somewhat around 5pm and found ourselves with 6 hours of free time before our flight at 11:30, with an arrival set at 7:15am, and a flight time of around 6.5 hours. Yes. Six hours of time before our flight.
So, in search of something to do, some friends and I journeyed across the myriad of terminals to find some Filipino food! Best airport food I’ve ever had at Terminal A – highly recommend.
So then began the long wait, but eventually we boarded our flight with no issued, and arrived in a hot and very humid Costa Rica. We boarded our bus with all of us, including our wonderful staff we just met — Laura and Verny — and began our 5 hour drive hour drive from San Jose to San Jerónimo (which is currently where we are staying with our families). Interesting fact from Google Maps: the distance from Pebble Beach to San Francisco is about the same distance as our bus ride, just with a very big difference in travel times.
Along the way we were able to stop at a small market for food and picked up some snacks for the road — I had plantain chips (which were  quite good), but others had chocolate, local drinks and other Costa Rican snacks. We also had Chikys, a popular chocolate cookie.

We learned about the country, popular slang terms, safety measures, and our itinerary. “Mae” (pronounced ma-ay) is our new favorite word — it’s basically “bro” or “dude.”

After driving the city and through the rural areas, we arrived at our lunch spot on top of a mountain, which is the typical terrain in the country for the most part. There we tried many foods involving chicken, potatoes, rice and beans (gallo pinto), y plátanos fritas (fried plantains).

After more driving, we finally arrived in the community, where we all met our host families and had dinner! My group had gallo pinto and chicken with coconut cake, and gave our host family our gifts. It has been great to interact with them — there has not been a large language barrier, and thus it has been great getting to know them.

Thanks for following along! On to the next day where someone else will write!

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