Members of the Elon University football program are spending their spring break in Costa Rica as part of Elon's commitment to diversity and global engagement for its students. Throughout the week, we will bring photos and stories from the time abroad.
DAY ONE
By Antonio White
On our first full day in Liberia, the football team and I went to a beautiful football field in the city and worked with a local Costa Rica football team named the Jaguars. There were about 10 of the Jaguar football members on the field, we went through a wide range of American football drills. We taught them how to do the same drills our football team does in practice, and we also learned the way they currently play on their own team. We were able to go through the fundamentals of American football in the finest details involving the sport. We taught offensive schemes and defensive schemes and got to understand how the Jaguars played their schemes.
I was able to taste some pure coconut water at a Coconut water stand and I was educated by the gentleman who was at the stand as well. One significant aspect of coconut water in Costa Rica is that it is often consumed directly from the coconut itself, which is known locally as a "Pipa". Pipa vendors can be found in many parts of Costa Rica, particularly in coastal areas and tourist destinations. The coconut I had was freshly opened on the spot with a machete, and I was allowed to drink the coconut water straight from the fruit.
Coconut water is also used in various traditional Costa Rican dishes and drinks, such as "agua de pipa", which is a refreshing drink made by blending coconut water with ice and sugar. In addition, coconut water is believed to have various health benefits, including hydration, electrolyte replenishment, and even some potential medicinal properties.
Overall, coconut water and the use of the pipa are significant parts of Costa Rican culture, cuisine, and daily life.
DAY TWO
By Bryant Ward
The experience so far in Costa Rica has been nothing short of amazing. We have experienced so many new things that we would have never experienced in the United States. As we travel through the city of Liberia, I can't help but notice the simplicity of life in Costa Rica. There are no fancy cars, designer clothes or tall modern buildings. It seems as if everyone lives their lives so peacefully. Costa Rica has allowed me to experience a new beautiful culture.
Today, the Elon Football travelers started the day by eating breakfast in a beautiful poolside cabana. As we entered the cabana, we were struck with the appetizing smell of the classic dish, rice and beans. Rice and beans is a dish that is used for every meal of the day. You can eat it with eggs, meat or anything you can find to mix it with. The beans are very rich. Nothing like the ones we eat in the United States. As we eat our breakfast, we are entertained by many peacocks wandering around the resort. The sounds of these animals were quite relaxing. It almost felt like waking up to a rooster on a farm.
After breakfast, we loaded the bus and headed to the river to tube the rapids. This experience was something like I’ve never seen. The river was very narrow and rocky. This made the ride a lot more fun. The river was tucked in a valley with walls of rock and forest on both sides of us.. The vegetation was very different from the vegetation in the United States. It was more colorful and crazy looking. The tree branches grew all different kinds of ways and most of them had vines hanging off. This created beautiful scenery as we floated down the river and bounced around the rapids. My favorite part of tubing wasn’t the beautiful views or the exhilarating ride but rather the entertainment of watching my teammates fall off their tube in the rapids. Lou and I were floating side by side as we approached a small waterfall. We were laughing because we knew it would be a bumpy ride. Lou was a little bit in front of me and I watched him approach the waterfall. As he plummets down, all I see is his feet fly up in the air and his crocs go flying. I knew he had gone down. Shortly after I saw this, I had no other choice but to follow his footsteps. I launch off the waterfall to see Lou swimming next to his tube with his crocs floating a ways in front of him. I couldn’t help but laugh with him. The tubing experience allowed us to be one with nature while bonding with our teammates. This was an amazing experience.
After our tubing excursion, we headed to a local elementary school where we met and played with the local kids. This was an amazing experience because we could not communicate with these kids but through body language and energy, we orchestrated games to play. We taught the kids how to throw a football and in exchange, they taught us how to play soccer like a pro. I was so impressed with how good the kids were at soccer. It seemed as if that was the only sport they played. There were soccer nets in the school and on the field. They were everywhere. Some kids even had cleats and goalie gloves. I loved to see the passion out of such young kids. We also played games like tag and relay races. These kids were so full of energy and love. It seemed as if they were having the time of their lives just playing with us and their friends. This attests to the carefree vibe that Costa Rica seems to have. Visiting and learning about the local school was an amazing opportunity to learn more about the culture of Costa Rica. I enjoyed every second of today's excursions.
DAY THREE
By Chase Speicher
Costa Rica is mainly known for eco-tourism, national parks, and biodiversity, but they are very important to the success and sustainability of the country. Eco-tourism is an essential source of revenue for the country. Tourists come from all over the world to experience the unique biodiversity of Costa Rica's national parks, which provide a safe place for many species found nowhere else on earth. This tourism helps to support the conservation efforts of these parks, providing a sustainable source of income for the country. Biodiversity found in Costa Rica's national parks is also critical to the country's ecology. Many species of plants and animals are important for maintaining the health of these ecosystems. Natural resources are also found in national parks, such as geothermal energy, which provide renewable sources of electricity for the country. These resources can help to reduce Costa Rica's dependence on non-renewable sources of energy, such as oil, which can have negative impacts on the environment.
Today we went and experienced all of these necessities of Costa Rica. In the morning we hiked the national park, Rincón De La Vieja. The national park is located in the Guanacaste province and is home to an active volcano, hot springs, and stunning waterfalls. We started the journey walking through a vast variety of vegetation. Many of the trees and plants are like none other I've seen anywhere. The best one in my opinion is The Strangler Fig tree which is commonly found in Costa Rica and throughout the tropical regions of the Americas. The Strangler Fig tree is a plant that grows on a tree and sends its roots downwards eventually reaching the soil and taking the root of the tree. As it grows the Strangler Fig will wrap its roots around the host tree and overtake it. Over time, the Strangler Fig will grow and strengthen and eventually kill the host tree. As the host tree decomposes the Strangler tree takes its place growing around the original tree and becomes its own new tree. While the Strangler Fig may seem like a destructive force, it plays an important role in the ecosystem by providing food and shelter for a variety of wildlife, including birds, bats, and monkeys. While on the topic of monkeys, at the beginning of our journey up the volcano we were able to see numerous monkeys as they followed us through the trees above. The mud pits and hot springs were another awesome sight to see. The smell around them wasn't very pleasant due to the amount of sulfur in the air. I would compare it to bad eggs, but they were a very cool experience. As we got to the climax of our hike the views were fantastic, as you could see for miles. Overall, a trip to Rincon de la Vieja is an unforgettable way to experience the natural beauty and wonder of Costa Rica. With its combination of volcanic activity, hot springs, and waterfalls, the park offers something for everyone.
DAY FOUR
By CJ Ford
Today is our second day at Flamingo beach and it could not have gone any better. We started our day in the morning by helping contribute to the beautiful community we’re fortunate to visit. We enjoyed serving this community by cleaning up the shoreline of the beach. We brought gloves and trash bags and spent a good portion of the morning finding any loose trash we could find to discard it. While participating in the cleanup I noticed that it wasn’t just a chore or a task that needed to be completed, but my teammates and I truly enjoyed doing this service and we had a good time doing so throughout the morning. After we completed this service act we did not have any scheduled team functions planned. In other words we had the entire rest of the day to have a good time and hangout.
About half of us went to get a beachside massage directly after the cleanup. I’m not exaggerating when I say it was the best massage I’ve had in my life and many of us will be returning the next few days. Later in the day we decided to go ATV riding as a group. This was very fun and along the way we got to get a more intigrated and close up look of the local community passing homes, businesses and small shops. During our ride it began to pour down rain. This made the experience even better. What surprised me the most is that our group turned what most would think is disappointing weather into an opportunity to embrace the moment and have a good time regardless. We got soaked and muddy but we loved every second of it and the rain made our tour even better. This trip, and today specifically, has definitely brought us closer as a team and closer to the community in Costa Rica.
DAY FIVE
By Dylan Tucker
Today was an eventful day for the Elon Football team. To start the day we had breakfast at the buffet in the beautiful Margaritaville Resort. Of course there was rice and beans, eggs, plantain, sausages, pancakes, and many other things as well. After that we hung around the pool for a little, played darts and pool, and waited for our departure for the catamaran.
Following a little bit of down time we then left for the catamaran so we could enjoy the gorgeous waters and experience snorkeling. For those who don't know, a catamaran is a sailboat with two twin hulls and a deck connecting the two, it is very similar to a regular boat. We arrived at the catamaran and our adventure started. There was ample space for everyone to hang out comfortably, speakers for music, and there was even a drink bar for anyone that was interested. Once setting off for the location of snorkeling, the scenery was beautiful. The ocean was a clear blue that had a slight reflection of the sun, dolphins swimming around the catamaran, the waves weren't too strong to rock us much, and we could see the beauty of Costa Rica from a distance.
Once we arrived at our destination for snorkeling, we had landed near a small island with a beach and a cave that went straight through the landmass. We grabbed some pool noodles, snorkeling gear, and big flippers so we could set out and see marine life. On our way to the island it was difficult to see anything in the water, and it wasn't until we got close that we saw fishes, reefs, and lots of rock with algae and seaweed on them. It was a little difficult to get to the shore from where we were, but eventually a few of us made it through and got to see a group of crabs running up the walls! After we were content that we had seen as much as we could, we left and headed back towards the catamaran. On our way back to land, we listened to music together, enjoyed some delicious chips and handmade pico de gallo, rice, chicken, refried beans, and other snacks and refreshments to keep us energized. We took some pictures and watched the sunset until we eventually made it back to land. After that we set back out for the resort, and enjoyed the rest of our night.
