Budget Analysis

Item	Cost Each	Number Purchased	Total Cost	Total Cost (Costa Rican)
Flight to Costa Rica	$               273.00	5	$              1,365.00	₡684,274.50
Mystica (Private Villa)	$               163.85	1	$                  163.85	₡82,138.01
Ziplining	$                 35.00	5	$                  175.00	₡87,727.50
Springs Resort and Spa	$               525.00	8	$              4,200.00	₡2,105,460.00
White Water Rafting	$                 85.00	5	$                  425.00	₡213,052.50
Exploring the Waterfall	$                 10.00	5	$                    50.00	₡25,065.00
Spa (at Springs Resort)	$                        -	5	$                           -	₡0.00
Arrival in San Jose	$                        -	5	$                           -	₡0.00
Courtyard Marriot	$               126.00	12	$              1,512.00	₡757,965.60
Independence Day	$                        -	0	$                           -	₡0.00
Escazu	$                 30.00	5	$                  150.00	₡75,195.00
Zoo Ave	$                 15.00	5	$                    75.00	₡37,597.50
Technology	$                        -	5	$                           -	₡0.00
National Theater	$                   2.50	5	$                    12.50	₡6,266.25
Central Market	$                 50.00	5	$                  250.00	₡125,325.00
Walter Ferguson	$                 20.00	5	$                  100.00	₡50,130.00
Soccer game	$               110.00	5	$                  550.00	₡275,715.00
Flight Home	$               287.00	5	$              1,435.00	₡719,365.50
Breakfast	$                   8.00	55	$                  440.00	₡220,572.00
Lunch	$                 12.00	60	$                  720.00	₡360,936.00
Dinner	$                 18.00	55	$                  990.00	₡496,287.00
Souvenirs	$                 30.00	10	$                  300.00	₡150,390.00
Rental Car	$               210.00	1	$                  210.00	₡105,273.00
Gas	$                 80.00	3	$                  240.00	₡120,312.00
		Total	$      13,363.35	₡6,699,047.36
USD*501.3=Costa Rican colónes

Day 12 (September 21): Departing

           We woke up at 7:00 AM on our final day in Costa Rica. Our flight left the Juan Santamaria International Airport at 11:25 AM; from there we would arrive at the Miami International Airport at 4:25. Our second flight, from MIA to RDU, left at 8:15 PM, so we would probably land in North Carolina around 10:15 PM. After packing up and eating breakfast, we spent a half hour walking around outside the hotel and taking in the last few minutes of our Costa Rica trip. I even bought a little handmade bag to bring back to North Carolina. The weather that day was gorgeous, warm, and sunny, which was perfect for taking pictures.

         Our last Costa Rican day was bitter-sweet. We were all upset about leaving; however, we were also looking forward to going home and seeing everyone we missed. Bennie said he would miss the Costa Rican food the most while Amber and I said ziplining was our favorite activity. Vlad and Kerri said they couldn't decide what they liked best, because they enjoyed everything.  Amber took a picture of our last glimpse of Costa Rica from the plane. We will all miss Costa Rica, a beautiful, friendly, and overall exciting vacation destination.

-Hannah

Day 11 (September 20): Saprissa vs. Liga Daeportiva Alajuelense

     Being soccer deprived for over ten days was very hard on Amber and I, since we did not consider bringing a ball to play with on our trip to Costa Rica. Our only option was to go to a traditional Costa Rican soccer game, or a 'fútbol' game as the Costa Ricans say it. Lucky for us, one of the most intense rivalries in soccer was being played during our visit, Saprissa verses Liga Daeportiva Alajuelense.

                 We got to the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá stadium with plenty of time to walk around and get dinner before the 5:00 PM game. However, finding seats was our problem. The whole stadium was filled with people and we had to struggle to get through the crowd. The Saprissa's were the home team, so of course we pulled for them; however, none of us really cared who won. Saprissa's number ten was by far their best player, Esadio Ricado. Since Amber was number ten on her club soccer team, she decided to buy one of his jerseys to take back and wear in the United States. By halftime, the game was tied three to three (both goals scored for Saprissa by Ricado). I have never seen so much passion for a soccer match in my life! To add to the massive amount of people there, all the crazy fans were jumping and yelling constantly. Vlad said that attending a Costa Rican 'fútbol' game reminded him of attending an American football game. As the last three minutes of the game were approaching, number two on the Saprissa team took the ball from a Liga player and scored on a break-away to win the entire game! I was upset, because I missed the whole play; I went to the bathroom. As soon as the final whistle blew, the crazy Saprissa fans screamed, rushed onto the field, and began to run towards the players. We, however, took this time to our advantage and left immediately to avoid heavy traffic.

 

-Hannah 

Day 10 (September 19): Walter Ferguson

          Walter Ferguson was born in Guabito, Panama. After that, his family soon moved to Costa Rica and he spent most of his childhood in Jamaica Town, a neighborhood in Port Limon. He lived in his aunt´s house, and he began to receive organ lessons. His parents moved to Cahuita, a small town in the far South of the province, where he lives today. Walter Ferguson has been one of Costa Rica's beloved songwriters for many years. His songs have a balanced palette of form and content that shows the change of Afro Costa Rican culture, departing from their Caribbean roots. Afro Costa Rican music derives from Afro Carribean music which derives from Trinidad. Typically in this style of music, anecdotes are told to a syncopated drum beat and guitar. Walter is very common here because of the  humor and irony that his songs bring.
     We were told from various sources that Mr. Gavitt (as Ferguson is called) would be having a concert in Jamaica Town, where he spent most of his childhood; we decided to visit him. After the girls got ready (which takes an eternity), we picked up some food and left. We hopped in our rental car and drove to Jamaica Town. While there, we took a quick tour with Mr. Gavitt. He told us about his childhood and life today. He also said that the inspiration for most of his music comes from his family and fans. After about an hour and a half of listening to his interesting biography we arrived back at our rental car. We arrived back at the hotel around 5:00PM.

-Vlad

Day 9 (September 18): National Theater and Mercado Central

     The first thing we decided to do on the ninth day of our trip was visit the National Theater, known as Teatro Nacional to the locals. The theater was convenient and only a few minutes away from our hotel. We had some trouble parking our rental car in busy San José, but we managed to fit in a tight spot. We wandered towards the entrance and were greeted by the statues of Beethoven and Calderón de la Barca, a poet of the Spanish Golden Age. We read the plaque in front of Calderón’s statue to learn more about him, and we discovered his full name was Pedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño!

    
     We were all amazed by the exterior of the building. Once in the building, we realized the inside was even more intricately designed than the outside! We decided to go on a one-hour tour to find out a little more about the history of the National Theater.

     During the tour, we learned that the demand for a theater started in 1890 when a European opera company toured Central America but couldn’t play in Costa Rica due to the lack of venue. We also learned that a tax was placed on coffee to help pay for the construction. The building was designed by Belgian architects and decorated by Italian artists, giving it an unmistakable European flair. The National Theater was finally completed and first used in October of 1897. It seats 1,000 people.

     After the tour was over, everyone was pleased to hear that there was a café inside. After treating ourselves to some coffee and pastries and marveling at the beauty of the theater, we decided we were ready to move on to something more exciting.

     We exited the theater and walked about half a mile over to Mercado Central, the main market. We had heard that Mercado Central was the best place to experience Costa Rica’s culture, so it would have been a shame to miss it.

     For about two hours, we strolled through the market checking out vendors. We had been warned that Mercado Central was a popular place for pick-pockets, but we didn’t have any issues.

     While we wandered, Bennie and Vlad purchased enough food to feed them for lunch and dinner and worked on their bargaining skills. Hannah, Amber, and I were more interested in the unique, handmade trinkets for sale. Everyone bought a few souvenirs and snacks before we tried what was certainly the highlight of the market, Los Helados. Los Helados was a spectacular ice cream/sorbet place situated in the heart of Mercado Central. Everyone agreed it was some of the best ice cream we’ve ever had.

    

     We were all exhausted from standing all day, so we headed back to the hotel. On our way back, Hannah was able to take a great picture of the National Theater lit up at night.

-Kerri

Day 8 (September 17): Zoo and Intel

 

Blue and Gold Macaws from Zoo Ave San Jose, CR ( the birds that began to nourish on Kerri's hair)




One of the monkeys at the Zoo Ave

     The plan for today was to visit the Zoo Ave and then visit technological companies in the area.  Zoo Ave is the national zoo of Costa Rica and is full of many exquisite animals and birds. The zoo is about 30 minutes from San José, so we took the Pan American Highway to the Atenas exit. Upon arrival at 10 AM (we planned extensively), we decided to go to the bird section.
     The bird collection (which happens to be the largest in Central America) includes numerous toucans, cranes, curassows, parrots, and more than 100 other Costa Rican bird species. Most of the birds there were native to Costa Rica, but we did see a Silver Pheasant, a bird native to Southwest Asia. We were also thrilled to find out that the zoo is one of two in the world to contain quetzals, very small yet exotically colored birds. After about 3 hours of viewing the birds, we decided to go see the animals that could not fly. However, before our departure from that section, one of the birds wanted to say a proper goodbye. I decided to crack a joke and Kerri began laughing. One of the blue and gold macaws noticed us and came out of his cage (one of the zookeepers had left it open.) Thinking of Kerri's hair as nourishment, it began to poke at Kerri's hair incessantly. The rest of us began cracking up. Needless to say, Kerri was not a happy camper. The manager apologized heavily and gave Kerri her refund. Kerri was happy after that, and we were able to move on.
     Besides the avian section, the zoo contains large iguana, deer, tapir, ocelot, puma, monkeys, river turtles, monkey exhibits, and a 3.6 meter (twelve feet) crocodile. Zoo Ave houses only injured, donated, or confiscated animals. We thought that was cool, because the animals are in such good condition. Also, they have a breeding program at the zoo where animals are bred and put back into the wild where they belong.
It took about 2 hours to walk through the zoo's paths and visit all the exhibits.
     We had lunch and then began the second part of our day. A few days prior, Amber and I had researched the growing technology business in San José, Costa Rica. We had scheduled an appointment with the Intel Public Affairs Manager, Gabriela Llobet. She had agreed to give us a tour of the facilities and explain to us the technology and the technological sciences in the region.

Mrs. Gabriela Llobet

     Upon arrival, at around 4 PM, the tour began. The facility closed at 5 but because of Ms. Gabriela, we were given VIP access. Ms. Llobet told us that Costa Rica ranks third behind powerhouses India and China as the most competitive offshore destination, according to a 2005 report on outsourcing by two consulting firms. This is significant for a country roughly the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined and whose population of just over 4 million is less than half the size of Los Angeles.  We were curious as to why Costa Rica was so economically sound and why many American technology companies were investing so heavily in the region. Basically, we found out that "Costa Rica invested in its people ", according to the Chamber of IT in the region. Because of this investment, the people of Costa Rica attracted millions of dollars in investments from American IT companies. This is because Costa Rica is closer to the US and also the lure: lower costs, an educated, bilingual workforce, political stability, and fat tax incentives. HP (also based in the region) plans to implement 3,500 jobs in the area within two years making it a win-win for Costa Rica. Today, Intel has grown to be Costa Rica's largest high-tech employer, with 2,900 workers.  English conversations are prominent in modern facilities and the uniform cubicles of the firm's gleaming campus outside the capital.  The Costa Rican facility beat out other Intel sites last year to get 150 new jobs in an area known as financial shared services, Mrs. Gabriela informed us. The group performs tasks such as software development, circuit design, procurement, and financial services for the rest of the company.  This is proof the Costa Rican operation is globally competitive and capable of jobs beyond testing and assembly. While we questioned Mrs. Llobet, and happily consumed her information, Bennie and Hannah remained in the kitchen happily consuming tamales and frescos. Mrs. Llobet told us about the jobs of the workers as we walked through the halls and by cubicles.
     We eventually finished and went to a café because Amber, Kerri, and I were quite hungry.  Bennie and Hannah weren't, because they had been eating the whole time.  We drove to the hotel, checked the time, and saw that it was 8 PM. We washed ourselves, talked for a while, and prepared for tomorrow's adventures.

~ Vlad

Day 7 (September 16): Escazu

 

  

     On the seventh day of our trip, we decided to let Vlad decide what we should do.  He insisted that we visit the Costa Rica Country Club in Escazu, so we did.  When we first got there, it was beautiful.  There was a swimming pool, a golf course, and many other things to do.  We decided to play golf first, so we all picked out the color of our golf ball.  Bennie chose blue, Vlad chose red, I chose orange, Kerri chose green, and Hannah chose purple.  As we went to the first hole, we had to decide the order.  Vlad said he wanted to go first to show us how to play, because he was a professional.  We all doubted that, but we gave him a chance.  As Vlad walked up and got his ball ready, he got into a stance that made all of us laugh.  He said, "That's the stance of a winner", but we didn't believe him.  As he took a swing, we couldn't believe what happened. Vlad's golf ball hit another person's golf cart, and it broke the wind shield! We all laughed and told him that he was a professional. Vlad had to go and talk to the people about it.  Unfortunately, the cart belonged to the manager of the whole country club, so he kicked us out of the golf course. Luckily, we could go visit other places in the club, but so much for golfing.

 

   

  We decided that we needed to get some exercise, so we went swimming.  The girls went into the hot tub while the guys went down the waterslide about forty times.  Hannah, Kerri and I decided to swim some laps in the pool, because everybody had left except the lifeguard. As we were swimming, Bennie came up behind us and did a cannon-ball into the pool. The whole pool looked like the ocean on a stormy day, and Hannah almost drowned.  We never trusted Bennie again in the pool. 
     We only had about an hour before the country club closed, so we decided to play racquetball.  We split into teams.  It was Bennie and I verses Vlad, Hannah, and Kerri.  Bennie and I made a plan to let me do the running, because Bennie almost passed out while running one lap around the track. It was a close game, but Vlad's team won.  Bennie and I said that it was because they had three people on their team, but we knew that they were just better than us.  Everyone was tired so we took a taxi back to the hotel and took showers.  We ate dinner and then went to sleep to get ready for tomorrow's exciting day! 

~Amber Blanton

Day 6 (September 15): Independence Day



The Courtyard Marriott in San José


    The adventures that we had in La Fortuna were amazing. From the spa to the waterfall and everything in between, we were all happy and relaxed.  On the morning of the sixth day of our stay, we once again change hotels. Bennie wanted to visit a shack with no running water because of a girl that lived near it. The ladies and I eventually convinced him that since my Dad was a Courtyard Elite Member, we would stay at the local Courtyard Marriot in San José. Much to his displeasure, Bennie eventually agreed. We checked into the Marriott, dropped off our luggage, and prepared ourselves for the day's festivities.
-Vlad
    


     We were fortunate enough to be in Costa Rica for September 15, a national holiday. It was on this day in 1821 that Costa Rica became independent from Spain. After we explored our new hotel rooms, we met in the lobby; everyone was eager to begin the Independence Day celebrations.

     We asked around in the hotel lobby and discovered that the excitement had already begun the night before! A hotel employee explained to us that a torch had been carried from Guatemala to the Costa Rican city of Cartago, symbolizing when the news of independence was spread throughout Central America in 1821. At 6:00 PM the night before, every radio and TV station had broadcasted the Costa Rican national anthem. Each year, every Costa Rican is encouraged to sing along to the anthem, despite their location or situation. We all would have liked to hear the Costa Ricans spontaneously burst into song! After the national anthem was played, sirens sounded, signifying the beginning of the parades.

     Seeing as it was a national holiday, the parades took place all over Costa Rica on the morning of the 15th. People dressed in the national colors (red, white, and blue). Luckily, we all had something red, white, or blue to wear.

     We simply had to walk out onto the street in front of our hotel to witness the festivities. Bands were playing, floats drove by, and local students performed; Bennie and Vlad’s favorite part was the ubiquity of pretty girls!

     Some of the natives had also set up stands where you could purchase Costa Rican food. One especially friendly vendor allowed us to sample some of the items, free of charge. We tried arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), cabbage slaw, and tres leches (three milk cake). Everything was very good, except for the cabbage slaw. It was thick and felt like glue; Bennie tried to swallow his, but ended up sneaking off to spit it out in a bush! We thanked the vendor by buying some delicious arroz con pollo, and proceeded to stroll down the street.

     Further down the street, we were given homemade candle lanterns by a small boy named Fernando. Not understanding why he was giving them to us, we asked what the lanterns were for. Fernando explained how carrying lanterns replicates when people walked with lanterns in 1821 to spread the word that Costa Rica had declared independence from Spain. We thanked Fernando for the lanterns and asked for a picture of him before we moved on. He accepted excitedly, and Hannah took a great picture.

   

  As we walked, we talked about how Costa Rica is an incredible and special place. Costa Rica has no military whatsoever. According to a book in the hotel lobby that Vlad had been reading, nearly 95% of the population can read and the average lifespan is longer than that of the United States. We also commented on how everyone we’ve seen so far on our visit has been incredibly friendly. Even Fernando, who couldn’t have been more than eight years old, seemed polite and friendly towards us. The great attitude of the Costa Rican people was emphasized on Independence Day, and it certainly made for a fun time.

     After all the festivities, we were all exhausted. We ate the arroz con pollo for our dinner, and returned to our rooms early to rest and relax.


- Kerri

Day 5 (September 14): Spa

      
     On the last day in La Fortuna, the girls and boys spent most of their time apart. The ladies first awoke at 7:00 AM to go to the spa, but the boys decided to sleep in for another hour. After waking up at 8:20 AM, the boys went to find the girls, but got distracted by the buffet, the Tres Cascadas. Twenty minutes later, Hannah, Kerri, and Amber found us destroying the Tres Cascadas. They joined us, and we had a full-service gourmet buffet. We all finished eating at 10:00 AM. Kerri wanted to leave earlier, but we insisted on staying until the buffet closed. Vlad and I ate so much food that a crowd formed around us, cheering us on. The manager joined the crowd, but deep in his heart he knew we were going to eat everything on the buffet; he was going to lose a lot of money. Once they had their share, the girls went back to the spa for their facials, massages, manicures, and pedicures. Vlad and I went to hang out in the game lounge. After regaining our strenth, we decided to have a cocktail and head back to the lunch buffet. The girls met back up with us in the buffet at 12:00 PM.
     An hour later, we were all done eating and had begun to pack up our things in order to move on to the next hotel the following morning. Everyone was dealing with the packing well; however, Vlad claimed all of the moving was bringing intense displeasure to his life.

-Bennie

Day 4 (September 13): Exploring the Waterfall



La Fortuna Waterfall



     After the fun anemities that we were provided at the spa and also yesterday's wonderful white water rafting trip, we were ready for some more action. Bennie and I slept very well, but it was somewhat distracting hearing the ladies and their drama in the next room.  We awoke the next day and ate at a local cafe; the Costa Rican cuisine was rather spicy and enjoyable. We had tortillas along with frescos, the local healthy fruit smoothies made with milk. The breakfast was bueno!
     We decided that we would take a trip to the famed La Fortuna waterfall.  The waterfall is located about 6 km from the center of the city, so we took a taxi on an unpaved road.  The hike down to the waterfall is a short but tiring one. It takes about twenty minutes to go up (it took Bennie thirty minutes!). It took us about 10 minutes to go back down to restart.  The La Fortuna Waterfall offered a gorgeous view. There is a seventy meter ribbon of water falling into a great swimming hole, surrounded by lush tropical forest, which is protected by the local conservation project.  The water is a greenish-blue, so we were blown away by everything. Even though we were tired, it was well worth every single drop of sweat. All of us enjoyed the fun. After a brief swim in the pool, we took a taxi back to our hotel. Once we washed up, we decided to visit the local restaurant El Novillo del Arenal where we again enjoyed some Costa Rican food. Gallo Pinto is the basis of all foods but unlike breakfast, it is not really served with eggs. The ladies decides to have some paties mini pies of spicy meat and Bennie and I devoured Cerviche, which is fish cooked with lime and served with fried plantains. We ate our food, chilled at the hotel for a while, and went to sleep. We were ready for tommorow's adventures.
 - Vlad



Ceviche, some of the  local cuisine of Costa Rica



Day 3 (September 12): White Water Rafting

 

     We left the hotel around 9:00 AM the next day with one thing on our minds: white water rafting. After yesterday's exciting ziplining adventure, we were hungry for more. Amber, Kerri, and I were a little concerned, as the weather was foggy and full of intense rain (we were later told that it rained 5 inches that day). An hour later, we found ourselves standing on the edge of the Rio Toro River ready to go with our paddles and life jackets. We then met our friendly tour guide named Jorge, who brought out a six person, blue raft. Before we left, Jorge taught us basic first aid and safety rules. Jorge, who saw that we were concerned, comforted by us saying that the rain would just add to our fun. Everyone was delighted. Vlad, of course, wanted to sit next to Jorge at the front of the raft, while the rest of us piled into the back. The whole experience was a rush, and by far one of the craziest things I have ever done in my life! It wasn't until Amber almost fell out of the raft that we realized how cold the water really was. After almost five hours of bouncing and getting splashed, we returned to the rental cabin and said goodbye to Jorge.

     About half way through our rafting trip, we decided to take a break for a few moments to rest. We stopped and walked around the edge of the Rio Toro river, exploring just some of Costa Rica's beautiful nature. Bennie found a tiny orange frog; Jorge told us that it was a Poison Arrow Frog. Near the Poison Arrow frog was a Yigüirro, which happens to be the Costa Rican national animal. Luckily, I remembered to bring my camera and was able to take a photo of him before he flew off into the lush green forest.

     After leaving Rio Toro exhausted and shivering, all five of us went back to the Springs Resort and Spa. Kerri had been begging to try out the Treetops Grill located in the resort, so we met at the grill for dinner after we showered. The Treetops Grill overlooked a 1,000 ft waterfall, the view was stunning. You could see miles of trees located along the volcano, almost as if you were on top of a mountain. The only thing better then the view was the food. I had a seafood dish, and the shrimp was all of our favorites.


-Hannah