Davis School District Spanish Immersion

Don't worry Rita we have upgraded our Transportation

Day 1 - Arrive and Drive to Paraiso (Sanchiri Hotel)

Today we will meet you outside of the San Jose (SJO) Airport where your private driver and guide will take you to the Sanchiri Hotel. This is located just outside of the city of Cartago and has excellent views of the Orosi Valley. This is a great spot to spend the first night after a long day of travel. They will have dinner waiting for the group at the hotel. Depending on the hour of arrival, we'll have a short meeting introducing the staff for the week and getting everyone excited about the next 11 days! (Meals: Dinner)

Day 2 - Travel to Sitio de Mata Tour Village (Homestays)

Great Views & Costa Rican Family Owned

Today we will make the 1 1/2 hour drive to the village of Sitio de Mata. Here the kids will meet their new families. We'll gather as a group in one of the communal areas where everyone will be introduced to their family. The kids will also have a list posted to know where to find their friends all of which are in very short walking distances from each other. We will be arriving at lunch time and the kids will have a couple hours to get settled and break the ice with their new family. In the afternoon we will all walk as a group so everyone can get their bearings of where things are located from the school, pulpuria, church, soccer field, and the two different sections we have the houses divided into.

After the tour of the village we will meet back up and give the kids some journal time. We like to get the kids journaling from the start to reflect on their first impressions of the people and the village. We will also be discussing some of the plans for the rest of the week going over the itinerary and having our first dance lesson of salsa and merengue. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 3 - Community Service in Morning & Recycled Crafts in Afternoon (Homestays)

Note: 2 hours of Spanish in Afternoon before Craft Class

Tour the Town

After breakfast today we will start our community service project. The community service project can be from a number of different things. There is much to be done in the community in terms of labor or we can offer service in the form of education, such as English classes for the kids or whatever it might be. We'll dedicate this morning to giving back and it will be much appreciated!

In the afternoon after everyone has lunch in their homes we'll have a Recycled Crafts class where the kids will learn how to make some great souvenirs to bring back home. Dona Fressy will head up this class in her home and we will have plenty of trash on hand so the kids can make things like wallets, purses, crafts, and a number of other ideas Dona Fressy comes up with.

In the evening we will meet at a communal area where the kids bring their journals and write. After a little journal time we will have an evening activity planned which usually entail a number of games that are used a lot at social gatherings all over Costa Rica. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 4 - Community Service in Morning & Soccer Game in Afternoon (Homestays)

Note: We can have 2 hours of Spanish classes today before the game.

Another day of community service; we will spend the morning giving back. We can continue the project we started the day before or we can have a completely new project planned. After giving back for the morning we will take our skills to the soccer field. The local kids love showing off their passion for playing futbol and it is always a fun game just to get out on the field, mix the kids up, and play a game of soccer.

Dona Fressy

In the evening we will have dinner in their homes and then meet again for more journal time and maybe some cooking classes. Since this will be after dinner we will be teaching the kids to make a local dessert from some of the delicious tropical fruits of the area. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 5 - Bus to Turrialba and Town Scavenger Hunt & Ridge Hike in Afternoon for Sunset (Homestays)

Note: We can have 2 hours of Spanish classes today before the Ridge Hike.

One of our favorite sites is all the kids waiting outside their homes for the public bus. The village is so small the public bus is only full of family members that you will already recognize and know from spending four days in the village. Our adventure today will be to ride the bus 20 minutes down to the larger town of Turrialba. We will be traveling as a group and once all gathered in the central park we will divide the kids up into smaller groups. We'll give each group a list of things they need to find.  It might be in a hardware store, grocery store, municipal office, candy store, or wherever. It will be a real live test using their Spanish in a Scavenger Hunt that will of course have an excellent prize for the winning group! 

After the Scavenger Hunt we will head back to the village where we will have an hour or two of down time with the families. We will then head to the nearby ridge which offers breath-taking views as far as the eye can see. We will make our way to the top of the ridge so we can enjoy an unforgettable sunset as the sun drops down behind the smoking Turrialba Volcano. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 6 - Whitewater Rafting Adventure of Pacuare River (Camp)

Thanks for the Support!

Note: We could do 2 hours of Spanish classes before departing for the River.

National Geographic has this river listed as one of the top five most scenic rivers on the planet. We like it so much we raft down half way and then stay at our river lodge located with astonishing views of the surrounding tropical rainforest and the Pacuare. This is not roughing it by any means. Everyone has their private showers and bathroom and it's just a truly special place to spend the night and enjoy nature.

In the evening we organize activities with our river guides to keep the kids engaged and we even find a way to get the journals to the lodge nice and dry. All your meals are prepared by your guides. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner) 

Day 7 - Raft Pacuare River and Drive to Caribbean beach Punta Uva (Villas Caribe)

Note: No Classes

Rafting Pacuare River

Today you will wake up to the sound of the jungle and we will raft the second half of the river. This is a great day of fun rapids and the most scenic part of the river. We will take out of the river around noon and make the drive to the Caribbean beach area. The area we will be visiting is called Punta Uva and is one of the nicest beaches in all of Costa Rica. Your group will be staying in Villas Caribe which is a great hotel with balcony's on your room looking out at the ocean. This is a fun, safe, and quiet area and great for student groups.

Here we will begin to learn about the different culture of the area as we give you the opportunity to learn a little calypso music and hear the native language of the area. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 8 - Beach Day & Drive to Sitio de Mata (Homestays)

Note: No Classes

Today will be your day to play in the sand. We always pick a fun and safe beach just to relax for a bit. After some fun in the sun and sand we will make the drive back to Sitio de Mata where you will be reunited with your new family and friends. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

Day 9 - Classes at Local High School in Turrialba (Homestays)

Caribbean Beaches

Note: 2 hour of Spanish in the Afternoon

Well it looks like it is back to school for everyone! Today we will be students at a local high school in Turrialba. We will spend half the day learning as the locals learn and getting an understanding of how the educational system works and the feeling of being in a foreign classroom.

This is a great experience and always makes for great conversations getting the kids together to talk about their experience. In the afternoon we will have some free time and we can mix up dinner and maybe do a pizza night in the town of Turrialba if you think the kids would enjoy. We can also organize a visit to the nearby church giving the kids an experience of visiting their church abroad.  (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner) 

We are Ready for Davis School District! PURA VIDA!

Day 10 - Final Day with Families & Practice for Talent Show! (Homestays)

Note: 2 hours of Spanish in Morning 

Today is the final day with the family. You will have time to do a last minute practice for the talent show and we can include another activity but we thought we woud leave a day open incase you have other ideas in mind that we left out. In the evening we will surely enjoy one of the best fiestas in all of Costa Rica as we say farewell to our new family and friends!

Day 11 - Travel to San Jose Airport & Fly Home!

Today we will make the transfer to the San Jose Airport! (Meals: Breakfast)