Junior members of the Elon University football team are spending Spring Break in Costa Rica as a part of the Elon Commitment to its students achieving a global experience. Check in to elonphoenix.com to view updates of the program from its athletes on the overall experience!
Tyler Campbell has the latest update about the team's recent experiences in the country.
Saturday, wake up call: 4:15 a.m. Sunday, wake up call: 5:30 a.m.
FINALLY, we were able to sleep in with a wake up call at 9:30 a.m.! After spending our entire Sunday whitewater rafting in the most serene environment I've ever seen, it's only right that we have a more relaxing day to follow. As we said goodbye to the capital city of San Jose, we made the three-hour journey to the beach town of Dominical. We took a quick pit stop along our route to try some exotic foods: passion fruit, cashews and some other odd-looking fruits. The gross-looking fruit were the better tasting and vice versa!
Just a five-minute drive from the fruit stand, we found ourselves at the Tarcoles River, home to some of the largest crocodiles in the world! These crocodiles have been known to grow up to 21 feet; even so, it's hard to grasp just how large they are until you see them in person! The crocodiles weren't the only animals that caught our attention, though as we found a few Scarlet macaws flying around adding a little color to the endless green of the forests. We didn't spend much time in admiration as we continued our trek through the mountainous province of Puntarenas.
After what felt like forever, we arrived at our beach town destination of Dominical and immediately went to a local soda (diner) for lunch. As per every Costa Rican meal, rice was abundant as well as seafood. I had two whole fish, eyes and everything, and with a splash of hot sauce it was delicioso! The rest of the day was spent poolside relaxing and goofing around with my boys!
Personally, the best part of our journey to Dominical was our stop at Jaco where mountains meet the Pacific! It was my first time ever seeing the Pacific Ocean, and it did not disappoint. One thing I didn't account for was this heat!!! The farther south we go, the closer we get to the equator where the heat is ungodly! Nonetheless, I'm extremely blessed and thankful to be on this trip and I look forward to seeing monkeys and sloths during our jungle exploration in the morning!
Pura Vida!
