Last stop - Costa Rica, Pura Vida...

Costa Rica, pura vida :)) It was once described to us as ‘the Disneyland of Central America’ as well as the most expensive country in Central America. Whoopeeeee. However, it is also home to numerous sloth sanctuaries and cloud forests and has become quite well-known for its recent efforts to become more green which is lovely. The border crossing between Nicaragua and Costa Rica was one of the most difficult ones we had encountered up until now. After waiting a long time in customs on the Nicaraguan side, we then had to walk for ages to the office in Costa Rica where we queued for who knows how long. We had to have our plane tickets stating when we were planning to leave the country on hand, so after some sly shuffling of papers and an argument with some elderly women who kept cutting in front of everyone, we were approved and weirdly bumped into the rest of the girls when boarding the bus! Our first taste of how expensive costa rica was going to be was when the bus stopped at a petrol station and we all got off to buy snacks, only to find that our small bags of milka and cadbury’s chocolate (I know its bad but you don’t understand how hard it is to come by good chocolate in Candelaria!!) amounted to about $20...Yikes...The bus rides flew by due to our much appreciated rendition of 90s girl band hits at the back of the bus and the stunning views out the window. The higher we climbed into the mountains of the Puntarenas province, the more the climate changed until we started to feel a little chilly for the first time in the 5 months that I have been out here. It was getting dark as we arrived in Monteverde and were greeted by our quirky hostel host who showed us to our rooms which had HOT SHOWERS. Heaven.

Monteverde is internationally known for its cloud forests, created by such high levels of humidity at 1.6km above sea level. The surrounding rainforests are bursting with life, home to over 500 species of birds and 420 orchid species, as well as endless monkeys, jaguars, poisonous frogs and sloths. We saw our first sloth during the first night in Monteverde, after our host Diego came running in, frantically explaining how there was one in the tree at the bottom of the road. We were even happier when we were able to spot another one during our day out at Extreme Ziplining, they are so sweet and smiley ugh you can’t help but love them. Having never been ziplining before, I was relatively nervous, but the guides were great fun and reassuring, and flying out over the valleys and treetops, up high with the macaws in the clouds is something I will never forget. I didn’t think it was possible, but my day just kept getting better when some friends who we had thought he had said a final goodbye to in Nicaragua surprised us back at the hostel - I don't think I have ever been left feeling as speechless as I was in the moment that I saw the car roll up behind the bus :’))

Monteverde was lovely, but after ziplining and visiting the cloud forest, there isn’t much more to see, so after a family dinner and a morning sorting out university applications, we left for Jaco. Before setting off, the host Diego warned us to keep our wits about us when in Jaco and after a bit of research I understood what he meant; Jaco is known for its surfing, beaches, and incredible sunsets, but also for its nightlife and being a destination for those seeking drugs and prostitution so we decided not to spend a long time there. Nevertheless we had a wonderful time and the hostel was amazing - Room2Board was perfect, well equipped with much needed aircon as the heat was almost unbearable and the owner was lovely, going out of his way to organise a little something for our friend’s birthday.

Next stop was Quepos. Like the other parts of Costa Rica we had visited, it was beautiful. The drive from Jaco was so easy, and the smooth roads and the luxury of having a car meant that we could really take in the surroundings; luscious green rainforest lined the road and the stunning coastline followed us the whole way. We were in Quepos in time to celebrate another friend’s birthday which was perfect, and as it was our final stop before we headed to the airport in San Jose to fly back home to Honduras, it was the perfect way to end our travels. We spent the days at a hidden beach, drinking from coconuts and swimming in the warm waters, spotting sloths and howler monkeys in the canopies above. We even met a rather confident raccoon who could be found snooping in people’s bags when they weren’t looking...I have to take a moment to acknowledge how lucky I have been over these last few months.

Not only is my life in Candelaria more than I could have ever dreamed of, but the opportunity to travel throughout Central America was never something I ever imagined being able to do. The things I have seen and been able to do have been incredible, and I am beyond grateful, however it is the people I have met along the way who have been truly special. I have been constantly taken aback by how welcoming locals have been; their generosity and kindness has been heartwarming, and their curiosity and genuine interest in what I am doing has been lovely. Their respect and gratitude for the time I am spending with the children in my Honduran community has been overwhelming. As well as this, other travellers have really made up a huge party of my experience and those I have been fortunate enough to meet and spend time with along the way are ones I will remember for the rest of my life. These people have become so important to me that the thought of having to leave them so soon was heartbreaking.

My final night was spent with some of these wonderful people in the best possible way - celebrating a birthday and a goodbye over a home cooked spread, so big thank you to Sam who has taught me that you can always trust an Aussie to do a BBQ right ;))

Bags packed, final hugs and tearful goodbyes said, we got in the car and made our way to San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, to catch our flight. After possibly the hardest goodbye of all on the front steps of the airport, Esther and I checked in and met the rest of the girls at security where a couple of us broke down in tears. Not only were we saying goodbye to the people we had met, the places we had been and some of the best experiences of our lives, but we were also preparing to say goodbye to each other. Soon we will all be back in our own projects, and while the thought of being back with my host family in my little Honduran village makes me so happy, it’s hard not knowing when the next time I will see the other girls will be. With that, we boarded the plane and flew to San Salvador. As I am writing this, it's hard to stop my tears, especially as I can look out the plane window and down over Ometepe, just one of the many places with some of my most treasured memories.

Soon I will be home with my host family and my students and happier than ever, and will be able to look back at all of this in amazement x