Costa Rica Travelers and Parents:
Here is some final information for Costa Rica......
What you should remember to bring to the airport:
1) Suitcase
2) Instrument - Flutes, clarinet and oboe packed in luggage or carry-on - everyone else will have theirs ready to check. This includes the percussion equipment, which each percussionist will have one piece and the flutes/oboe will also have one piece. Do not forget these instruments, please!
3) Music - packed someplace
4) Any other musical needs (extra reeds, oils, etc) - packet in instrument case or checked luggage. As far as valve oil for trumpets, if you are carrying on your trumpet, that oil would fall into the "needs to be in a 1qt baggie" rule, so it might be easiest if you just put your valve oil in your checked luggage.
5) Carry-on
What we will have for you:
1) Your passport (and copy)
2) Your plane ticket
Performance dress:
Just a reminder that performance dress is a blue TG school uniform polo and kahki pants (and if we decide, you may be able to wear kahki shorts). Make sure that these items are packed!
Finally, where and when to meet Sunday morning:
Please be at the Main Terminal (Terminal 1) no later that 7:30AM - we will meet as a group on the lowel level (not the normal ticketing level, but the level below that). It is the group travel check in area, and it is also labeled ground transportation (since that is the level with the car rental areas as well). Once on that level, just look for us and check in with your chaperone (listed in the information packet). If you get there and have troubles, by cell phone number is: 612-210-7085.
I think that is it - if you have any other questions, just call me or email me. My email is
tim.hoffman@totinograce.org
Here we go!!!!
Pura Vida from Costa Rica! In case you did not know Pura Vida is a slang term used in Costa Rica. It means hello, goodbye, life is good, etc. We landed in San Jose at 7:43pm Costa Rican time. We landed to a clear sky, warm weather, and a light breeze. Everyone made it through customs with out any problems. This is what we did today with 2 music performances to look forward to tomorrow! Well I have to go because the directors are making me wake-up at 5:30am tomorrow. See you later!
FYI: The time change from Minnesota to Costa Rica is only 1 hour. Costa Rica time is 1 hour behind Minnesota time.
Hola, como estas? Well down in San Jose, Costa Rica we are all doing just fine. Today we had 2 school exchanges. The first one was at Conservatorio de Castella High School. The second one was at LaSalle High School. Both performances went very well, but I think that everyone liked the performance at LaSalle High School better. Both schools performed traditional Costa Rican dances for us, and LaSalle had there band perform for us also. This evening we had time to relax in the hotel. I think that we had about 3/4 of the people go to the pool. Starting tomorrow we start the tourist activities, which in the morning we go to Volcano National Park and in the afternoon we go to Deka Coffee Plantation. Now I have to get some sleep because my director is making we wake up at 5:45 (which is 15 more minutes than yesterday).
FYI: In Costa Rica the traffic is so bad that they do not measure driving distance in KPH but in time. Think of that next time you are waiting in rush hour traffic.
Buenos noches from Arenal Pariso Resort and Spa. If you did not know this resort is at the base of the Arenal Volcano, which you read the volcano has lava flowing out of it. Today we had loads of fun. First we saw an active volcano and we were able to go to the rim of it. That volcano is active but it has been pretty quiet for the last 15 months. We got to it just in time because the clouds were closing it up. After that we went to Deka Coffee Plantation. We go to see how Costa Rica makes there coffee. After the tour we got to buy coffee in the gift shop and most people bought 2-4 bags. When we left the coffee plantation we had a 3 hour bus ride to our resort. At the resort we got to swim in hot springs where the water was heated from the volcano. Tomorrow we have lots of fun planned ahead. We have zip-lining and either white water rafting or horseback riding. Well I have to get some sleep because of all the fun activities planned ahead.
FYI: There is over 875 different species of birds in Costa Rica.
Pura Vida from the base from the Arenal Volcano. I know I started off my posts with this phrase before, but I have said this word more times today than any other day. Today we had probably the most than any other day. We started off the day with a beautiful view of the volcano, we were able to see the tops of it. Our guide said that most of the time you cannot see the top. After that we went zip-lining in the rain forest. We got to go down 8 different lines and some people go tup to speeds of 80 Kph. After we went zip-lining the group split into 2 groups. One group went horseback riding. Before they went riding they had lunch in a nice restaurant. After lunch they rode for about an hour through open fields, rivers, rainforest, and then they swam under a waterfall. After swimming they rode another hour and went back to the stable. While they were riding the rest of us went white water rafting. We rafted for an hour through rapids that went up to class 3 rapids. Then we had lunch on the river with insanely fresh fruit. After lunch we rafter for another hour and then went back to the resort. Tomorrow we have a 5 hour bus ride to the Atlantic coast. We also have a public performance at the resort. Well I have to go, not because my director is making me wake up early but because I want to go and look at the stars.
FYI: The longest zip-line we went down was 1/2 mile long.
Ask yourself these questions:
What is the weather like?
How warm is it?
Have you done anything special this week?
Ponder these words carefully?
Well I can tell you while I'm drinking my Coca-Cola and sitting on the beach, is that everyone in Costa RIca is doing just fine. Today was not a very active day. Today we started out by souvenir shopping in La Fortuna. After that we had a 4 hour bus ride to Punta Leona Hotel. Our hotel is on 2 beaches, the beaches are Playa Blanca and Playa Mantas. We also had our public performance today. We had around 40 people listen to us. We also had the chance to go swimming in the Pacific Ocean. Tomorrow we have many things going on. First in the morning we have the opportunity to either go zip-lining, snorkoling, or spend time on the beach. In the afternoon we all get to hang around at the hotel and either go swimming, play soccer, or just hang around.
FYI: There are crocodiles in Costa Rica. Also it is not a good idea to feed them because they will fight over the food. Also we discovered natures alarm clock, the howler monkey.
Just keep swimming swimming, just keep swimming swimming TOUCAN! Today was the relaxation day. In the morning we had three options to do stuff. The first was to go zip-lining, canoeing/snorkeling, or a morning at the beach. In the afternoon everyone had a free afternoon. Most people went swimming in the ocean. Also everyone got some sort of sunburn. Tomorrow we have a long day ahead, we have a 3 hour bus ride followed by a very long plane flight. We will see you tomorrow night in Minneapolis.
FYI: The national bird of Costa Rica is the Thrush.