2009 SMS Costa Rica Extended Study Trip

Crocodiles, Chocolate, Luau, Goodbye Osa, back to San Jose

2009-03-29T19:26:00.016-04:00

We had great flights back from the Osa, leaving at noon, and are now relaxing at the Best Western. Here's a quick recap of the last 48 hrs or so -- we had a crocodile tour Friday night, the Finca Kobo Organic Farm tour Sat morning, a quick afternoon (last) swim in the Golfo Dolce, a beach luau with Adonis and Killian last night, a last beach walk this morning, quick flight from the Osa, shopping and cultural excursion to downtown San Jose this afternoon, and now a quick swim in the pool before dinner tonight. That was a mouthful!

It's as busy as it sounds -- and the students, our fantastic SMS representatives, have shone brightly in this Costa Rican paradise. They have jelled as a group and gotten to know each other in many new ways. They were able to take the lessons learned in the classroom and experience them first hand. They soaked in a plethora of knowledge these past 9 days!

A message from all of the chaperones: we would like to thank Mrs McBrayer, Ms Pater, and all the faculty, students, and families of St Mary's for allowing us to be your ambassadors on this incredible journey. We have been incredibly lucky to be able to watch over these blossoming young adults. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

And a note from me, CB: it's pretty obvious that I am by far the luckiest person on this trip, to be able to help guide a second group of awesome St Mary's students to the Osa. What is so different this time for me was to be able to spend more time observing the wonder and excitement of the students. I hope I was able to capture at least a small slice of that in this blog. Special thanks to Mrs McBrayer, Ms. Pater, and the Morgans. And thanks to Mrs B for all the great computuer equipment -- still working!

We are sad to leave this great country, but excited to come back to our friends and family to share our experiences!

Pura Vida -- and for one final time,

CB out

Here's our final two student bloggers:

Ryan

In the afternoon we had a good time shopping for all the people back home (Hope everyone likes their gifts!). The blocks of stores were part of the central market that had a street opened to only pedestrians. There were clowns, street venders, ice cream shops, dance parties, magicians, and much much more. Plus the clothes were a lot cheaper than normal at most stores. I bought two shirts for only 4400 colones (eight dollars). Many other deals were found too. We found an ice cream store where we all had something to cool us off. Delicioso! The shopping spree was then brought to an end as people finished their treats. We loaded on the bus for the last time without our entire luggage. To think that our trip will end tomorrow makes me sad. Not that I won’t be happy to see everyone, but to think that we have to leave this beautiful place.

To my family at home: I’ll see you guys tomorrow and will have gifts for all. Hope you like them all. Don’t worry about Dad and I because we’ll be fine. Bye for now!

Chas

(Sigh.) Today was the last day on the Osa. We were all up early as usual because of the howlers but some of us had a late night of poker and other shenanigans. After a breakfast of fresh food and eggs, we had to do a little clean up, like cleaning our beds and what not. Thankfully we got some free time and got to chill out and replenish our tongue with a bit more of Costa Rica. Unfortunately, it was time to go and our stay at Guanabana was over. It was time for us to head for the airport literally in the small town of Puerto Jimenez. Soon we were off to the capital of San Jose, Costa Rica for our final leg of the trip. As they say in Costa Rica, Pura Vida, and that is truly what we lived.

And here's a message from Moira on behalf of the Morgan family:

The Morgan’s here on blogging duty tonight! On behalf of the entire extended Morgan Family, we’d like to express our gratitude to St.Mary School and the parents for the opportunity to share our special place on this planet with such a wonderful group of kids and chaperones. We hope that their exposure to this environment will spark a continued interest in preserving and conserving the earth’s resources. Thanks for sharing your children with us….they were so kind to each other and helpful to the adults…you would have been so proud! Their eagerness and curiosity to learn about the environment and to understand the culture was impressive. The chaperones played an instrumental role and took on various duties that were able to ensure that the trip went off without a hitch. And thanks especially to Gary Moscarino…with his previous experience as a chaperone in 2007 he was able to take a HUGE load off of Gary Morgan by being instrumental in helping to organize us all with his thought to all details and his excellent leadership and planning skills. We hope to be exposing and educating kids about the rainforest for years to come, but I’m not sure we can top this group or this trip! Pura Vida!!!!

traditional Morgan jungle lodge photos

Jerry's howler pic

Sat morning walk

birthday boy Jerry is the king of the world! the sea WAS angry that day, my friend (this morning)

scarlet macaw

downtown san jose

capt morgan

yesterday's blogger

lunch back at the lodge after finca kobo

last swim...

red snapper, getting the grill heated up

Jose Wonka and the Chocolate Farm

2009-03-28T15:11:00.006-04:00

Hi to all, we are passing back through town on our way back from the organic farm, so we are getting in a quick blog while we can. Sorry, no pictures today since we do not have time to edit all the pictures. Everyone is doing great - the day was very educational for the students and adults. Franklin is our student blogger and will give you all the details. The students are doing a little souvenir hunting while we get this blog in. Tonight is dinner early by the beach hopefully around 5 before it gets dark. Our flight out is at noon tomorrow and we hope to go downtown in San Jose to the central market after we check in to the hotel. We will post a full blog, unfortunately our last, in the evening.

Our best to all of you,

CB out

Salutations! It is Franklin blogging from Puerto Jimenez. I am going to talk about our adventures here on the Osa Peninsula from last night and today. Last night after dinner, instead of a game, we had a wonderful talent show. There were several acts, including singing, and magic tricks. We then stargazed for a bit, and Mr. Dankenbring told us about some of the stars. We then cleaned up and went to bed. We all woke up this morning and had our breakfast consisting of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and an assortment of fruit. We then relaxed for a bit before we all hopped on to our bus and headed to Finca Kobo Farm. The farm consisted of secondary and primary forests as well as farmland. We were greeted by our guide for the day, Alex, and headed offf to the fields. While we were walking to our first destination, Alex spotted a boa constrictor in a compost pile about 30 feet away. We took a few pictures of it and continued on to our first destination. The first area we visited was a small area consisting of fruit trees and herbs, and we smelled and tasted them. While in that area, we learned that organic pineapples take 14 months to grow, while nonorganic take 9. The chemicals and pesticides used in nonorganic pineapple slice the growing time by 5 months, but can cause cancer. We then moved to a forest consisting of cacao trees, along with many other vegetation, including a giant ficus. Alex told us about the vegetation and animals in the area, and gave us a brief history of the cacao trees. We then continued along the dirt trail, which eventually moved into the open, and saw some more cacao trees, and got a chance to taste the beans. After this, we moved to an area in which Aex showed us the process that produces chocolate. We then moved back to the main building and had a snack of various fruits and chocolate sauce, which was muy delicioso. After this, we departed from the farm and headed to town which is where I am now.

Hi dad and Leah, mom and I are doing great and we are both safe. We both miss you and love you and cannot wait to see you when we get back. I hope Fallon is doing okay, also. See you soon! Adios everyone!

Students in the Mist

2009-03-27T17:14:00.013-04:00

Buenos Tardes,

The troups have just finished the zip line adventure, had lunch in town at Carolina’s and are now up the beach at the bay in town. Refer to the earlier photo from the Palms – they’re up ahead on the right side of the bay at the public beach. Adonis will guide the group into the nature refuge to view the crocodiles in their natural habitat (from a safe distance of course!). Not many pictures of the actual zipping today -- we learned why they call it a RAIN forest. The mist you see above floated right by us on the canopy platforms. What a cool adventure that Connor will tell you about.

Looks like we had a technical error on yesterday’s video blog – I missed an entire segment of Cate and Mary Kate, so make sure to go back and view it. CB must have been slacking off yesterday at the Pearl of the Osa…Also, I wanted to say one more thing about the beach experience yesterday:

The sea was angry that day, my friend.

Actually, it wasn’t, but I’ve always wanted to say that on a blog…

Ok, we keep getting questions about how the howlers sound. Well on Wed afternoon a group moved on the property and stayed until the next morning. The first part of the following video is this group on Thur morning at 5:03 am. This is the howling noise that is prevalent in the mornings at just before darkness is lifted each morning. The second part of the video is actually from Wed afternoon when I instructed the students on how to talk to the howlers. You’ll hear their barking noise that they do during the daytime. Thanks to Dirk Morgan for training me on the 2007 SMS trip!

Ok, those comments are getting better and better, but remember, I’m reading these out loud to the students each night. Many of these posts are very touching and CB must maintain his composure at all times -- what I really mean is: Mike Duncan’s jokes are bringing me to tears…

CB out

A shout out from the whole group to Papa Bob Morgan – without his foresight, this trip would never have been possible!

Today’s student bloggers are Mark and Connor:

Hello everyone! It’s Mark blogging today about our activities last night after Mary Kate and Cate’s wonderful video.
After we had enough pounding from the waves, we headed back to the lodge for homework time, dinner, and games afterward. Since most of the kids are a little behind on some of our homework, we were diligently working for an hour straight. We had another delicious dinner of arroz con pollo (rice and chicken), broccoli, chayote, and of course gallo pinto (rice and beans).
After dinner we played what we think we will be in ten years, and movie charades. After the games were over, the chaperones decided to have a little fun with the kids. They told us a story about a man who used to own the property. They claimed his wife left him and he got in a serious car crash and has terrible amnesia. Apparently he is still walking around in Costa Rica trying to find his old house in progress. He was supposedly last seen a couple miles down the beach running towards our lodge. Even though all the kids knew something was going to happen because Mr. Laudeman had suddenly disappeared. Mr. Laudeman popped out from the main hallway, with a Stone Cold Steve Austin mask on, in the lodge and aroused some very ear-shattering screams; one from Abby who looked like she jumped out of her pants. Chas tried to defend himself by throwing Cate’s homework at the strange man. It was funny to see all the girls, and even some boys screaming in terror. Also, it caused kids to go around and scare each other, making strange noises, or just running around screaming. Overall it was a very interesting night, and can be used for scare tactics in future nights.

All of us are having so much fun and are disappointed it’s so close to being over. We are all so grateful for being privileged enough to come on this life-changing trip.

I want to say to Mom, Mary, Jane and John that I miss you guys a lot and am disappointed I didn’t see you on your spring break John. Hoped you didn’t mind having the ps3 and flat screen to yourself…

And now from Connor:

Today we went on a breath taking canopy tour through the rainforest. Due to bumpy road conditions, we had to leave our bus on the way to the Canopy Tour Bosque Mar and take taxis the rest of the way. After our harnesses were on and a brief demonstration, we were ready to embark upon an astonishing zip line canopy adventure. The zip line was divided into seven different sections, the longest being about 1,200 feet. The great views of the valleys and hills through the trees were an amazing sight to behold. The ride itself was also very exhilarating. While I was zipping, I could hear distant high pitched screams. I know now that the girls were having a screaming contest, of which Mary Kate F. was the winner. Even though our canopy adventure was interrupted by a sudden downpour, we still had a great time. And despite the limited visibility due to the rain, we were still able to see a toucan and a tree sloth. It was an amazing experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. Right now we are having lunch at Carolina’s, a local restaurant in Puerto Jimenez. And after this we are going to a public beach by the bay and to a nature reserve where we hope to see some crocodiles.

To Mom, Michael, Morgan, and Patrick: I am having a great time in Costa Rica. I miss you guys and can’t wait to see you. Dad and I are both healthy and happy here.. I love you guys. See you in three days.

Today’s chaperone blogger is Senor Tom Dankenbring

Whoops, not him... but he did carve this!

Here's Tom...

Buenas Viernes de Guanabana,

Since it is Friday morning and no wild activities have transpired since yesterday’s blog, this one will be a big picture swath of the past week at Morgan Jungle Lodge and environs, with some daily detail sprinkled in.
This morning we were awakened at 4:53 a.m. (6:53 EDT) by a cacophony of Howler Monkey calls. This is a standard wake up time for the monkeys. Yesterday they were very close around the camp, beginning at the south end, and like a wave cheer at a football game, they passed their sounds along a 200 meter tree top balcony to the north end of the camp. Today they sounded like they were about a half mile in the distance.
The typical schedule has been like this:
After the Howler Monkey alarm about 5 a.m. the papaya colored sun arises on its path behind the mountains of Panama across the Golfo Dulce to the east. Individual shadowy figures of bleary eyed 8th graders emerge from their cabinas and make their way to the showers and sinks. Maybe a McCaw screech will break the new morning silence. At 7 the meal bell is rung and breakfast is served. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, French toast, cereal, and chunks of fresh fruit are the general fare. The native crew of Vlad, Jackie, and Fabio do most of the cooking and cleanup. Then the activities begin. Today the students are buried into their books and journals; spread out on hammocks or circled on outside tables 15 meters from the beach. At 10 this morning we will load the big white bus, capably driven by Fabio, for the 1 hour bump-along the gravel road ride to the Zip Line. Morgan’s Jungle Lodge lies about half an hour drive from Puerto Jimenez, on a rough gravel road frequented by large timber trucks hauling harvested teakwood. Most of the roads diverge from Puerto Jimenez, so the students are now familiar with the path. Yesterday Fabio spotted a Crocodillo (crocodile of course) at a local pond, so we all stopped and checked it out with binoculars.
After lunch which includes sandwiches, a local dish of pinto gallo (rice and beans), tortilla chips, and more fruit, activities including homework, beach walking, kayaking, soccer ball kicking, and cabina cleaning take place. On Wednesday, approaching storms from across the gulf provided an opportunity for a first hand lesson in weather patterns and thunderstorm formation, from yours truly. Corollary subjects of ocean tides, navigation basics, and some airplane tidbits ended the half hour on-the-beach lesson.
At 4:30 the students are instructed to go to their cabinas to do a “critter check” and grab their flashlights, as sunset is soon upon us. As the Morgan Lodge is carved out of the jungle, unwanted critters can infiltrate the tent-like cabinas, so being aware of one’s surroundings is paramount.
The sunset is a slow shading to blackness as it descends behind the layers of trees to the west, a total contrast to sunrise. By this time, around 5:15 pm, the students are all gathered around the large table in the lodge, socializing or studying.
Dinner at 6:30 is introduced by the standard table prayer by one of the students. I think previous blogs have included the dinner entrees.
Post dinner activities have included multiple interactive games such as charades. Tonight the plan is for a talent show. These last until about 9pm when the students quietly (?) make their ways to their cabinas, after brushing their teeth, and washing their faces of course.
We have painted a somewhat vacation-like picture of this trip in previous blogs, yet there are challenges involved in the day to day activities of course. My main point for everyone to take note of in this blog is this: the “Love Spoken Here” motto of St. Mary School has definitely been infused into the students. I, and all of the chaperones, have been impressed with how each student cares for the others. There have been multiple challenges where the students have conquered their fears, and each has helped the other. They are a rich group of 8th graders, with talents and personalities. All of you who are associated with them should be proud of these young men and ladies.

Now, on a personal note: hello to Mindy and John, Jane and Mary. Sorry we missed you John. Thanks for your messages.

Franklin's photo -- three toed sloth in just outside the front door of the lodge!

beach find on CB and Jerry's 4 mile walk this morning -- saaweeeet!

high schoolers...

CB sharing the daily blog post

Cameron and his lizard friend -- he'd love to share with Ashley's first graders...

before zipping

after zipping...

should he just throw the shirt away?

out of the rain...

lunch at Carolina's -- dirty but hungry crew...

Pearl of a Day

2009-03-26T15:54:00.022-04:00

Ok, so I'm not blogging from the Palms today... with that incredible view. I'm at someplace even better! And I'm not alone this time -- we're all here at the Iguana Lodge in the Pearl of the Osa restaurant. The students have finished lunch, their 45 minute waiting period, and are back out in the water for a second time.

This morning Adonis came out to the Morgan Jungle lodge and we took a short half-mile hike up the beach to find more creatures and nature. He did a great job finding things we've overlooked and has incredible knowledge of the ins and outs of the Osa.

Adonis and his son have also joined us here at the Pearl of the Osa for lunch. The waves are big and perfect for body surfing. Of course, the students are required to swim with life jackets and with chaperones at all times. And yes, plenty of sunscreen!!!

Well, that's it for now. Need to get the rest of this post ready for you...

CB out

P.S. Kim and Sam, we miss you more and more and we send our love -- can't wait to see you on Monday. And hey! to our family and friends in Cincy, Cleveland, Italy, Erie, and Bradenton! -- Ryan and Gary

Here's our student bloggers for today -- Cate and Mary Kate

And now from our SMS faculty member and chaperone -- Mr Sean Laudeman

Greetings and salutations from paradise,
Every morning I step out of my cabina and seems as though I am stepping into a postcard. Blue skies, crashing ocean waves, and wonderful Costa Rican coffee are the first three things that await me here at the Morgan Jungle Lodge. It is a wonderful life here at the Osa. Staying at the lodge is like living an article out of a National Geographic magazine. It is a science teachers dream to be able to sit in an Adirondack chair sip his coffee and watch a whiptail lizard hunt for his morning leaf cutter ants. The field guides that the students made with Adrian B. were nearly filled the first day we were here. We did have to wait six days to see the three toed sloth and hairy beach crab. There is so much to see in just a small area. I have been walking the beach for six days and have seen some wonderful flora and fona but it was nothing compared what Adonis opened our eyes to on our guided beach hike this morning. I can not wait to come back and share the wealth of information we have gather while we have been here. There is no way I can thank everyone enough for the wonderful experience I have had here. I want to give a shout to my Laudeman ladies, my mom and dad, and all my amigos at SMS. I miss you all and can’t to tell all about our adventures.

And from all of us -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNEMARIE!!!

Buenos Dias from the Osa
Mr. L

lunch at pearl of the osa

body surfing

internet cafe: cafeinternet del sol star fish

beach walk with Adonis

iguana

webn tree frog

halloween crab

howler monkey

pizza place from the night before

hairy beach crab

cutting open a coconut

husking a coconut -- tough work!

Osa...Flora...Fauna

2009-03-25T17:02:00.017-04:00

Well, I’m back at the Palms right now. Today has been one of the hottest days we’ve had, although right now a raincloud is rolling straight into the bay. Probably sunny and dry at the lodge…Gary, Jerry, Sean, and Joe are all in town with me -- running errands and getting our dinner. It’s a surprise for the students – pizza! Oops, power just went out in town…back on again. Close call for the blog.

Today was our educational interactive day at Morgan’s Jungle Lodge. The day started for me with a beach walk at 5 am where I came upon a group of howler monkeys in the palm trees. Then I was joined by some chaperones and a couple of students for an expedition to gather some fishing bait. The rest of the troups were sleeping in a bit and resting up from our last 3 adventures. After breakfast, the students spent two hours on their homework packets, and then before lunch they participated in scientific observations of the 700 year old fichus tree and nature trail here on the property. The afternoon is being spent further working on homework and resting up – siesta time for some who need it.

We’ve seen some great plants and animals over the last few days, so we’ve gathered up many of them from all of our cameras and are showing them to you today. The below photos are what this trip is all about. Enjoy.

Tomorrow morning will be a short beach walk followed by a bus trip to Iguana Lodge for lunch and exploring the sandy beach up there.

The comments are getting better and better !! ..can’t believe we have over 1600 unique group or individuals following this blog. I’ll make rock stars out of these students yet…

CB out

P.S. if anyone needs to contact us for any reason, you can call Jerry’s phone at 513-673-9902

Here's today's video bloggers -- Abby and Cameron. They made this in one take -- I was blown away. If any talent scouts see this we may have to get them agents...

Now here’s an update from the lodge in-house physician, Dr Jose Hellman:

From Dr. J

Buenos Dias from the Osa. Day #5 at the Guanabana Lodge is another beautiful day with a light breeze and lots of sun. The group just finished almuerzo of gallo pinto, jamon e queso sandwiches, fresh fruit and more. Everybody has been eating great commensurate with the high level of activity. After three days of snorkeling, horseback riding, and creek hiking, today is a planned low key recovery day to lick the wounds. The students worked hard on school work this morning with curious capuchin monkeys 5 feet overhead and noisy Macaw birds higher. At times the monkeys would drop sticks to get attention from the studious kids. Mr. L. then proctored a study of a huge 700 year old fichus tree while Mr. D, Mr. J and I had an unsuccessful attempt to catch dinner from the sea in a kayak and a canoe

Report Medica from Dr Jose or in the language of Mr. J. El Doc-toro. I am happy to report overall everyone is doing great, (healthy and happy). Lots of minor scraps, blisters and sunburns. As mentioned, this afternoon the kids are taking it easy. Hydration and hygiene are repeatedly reiterated. Cameron gets the award for biggest heel blisters that are now healing beautifully. The few with minor over sun exposure include, Ryan, Joe K, Cameron, Alex, Danielle, and Abby, with Anna taking the prize. All are out of the sun today with lots of lotion and hydration. Most band aids used goes to Max. Loudest scream was from Danielle at the sight of harmless Halloween crab in her tent. MK is feeling much better after a mild off day yesterday. All the students are in good spirits without being homesick. As we all do, Mr. L misses his spouse and daughters and shows us the pictures his wife sent to open each day

I am very proud of each and every one of the students. They really watch out for each other and unconditionally include everybody in every activity. NO DRAMA.

Finally, Abby and I miss our family terribly and are very appreciative for the sacrifices you have made to allow us to come on this trip. Grace, you are La Commandera in Abbys absence. Be nice to your sisters. Claire, I hope you are over the strep and feeling better. Emma, I miss your smile. Keep helping mom. Gwen, I can not wait to get back and read the night time books with you. Karol, I miss you and think of you before any dangerous extra curricular adult activity Mr. D is trying to get me into. Keep blogging, It is nice for Abby and I to hear from you. Hasta luego for now.

Love Dr. J and Abby

Here's the Flora and Fauna:

Blue crayfish

Poison dart frog -- mom, I promise I washed my hands (first AND last name withheld) vultures...

cashew

palm seeds

observation studies with Mr L

ginger

cheap labor...

elusive squirrel monkey (he's there... can you find him?)

the backwards running stream -- water is coming at you. we entered a new dimension...

Marcos' tortuga

blue morpho butterfly

banana flower

female Baird’s Trogon

male Baird’s Trogon

Costa Rica national flower -- purple gardenia

plains of Africa? No, the Osa pasture land

toucan

desktop wallpaper

scarlet macaws

clay flats

blind crustacean for fishing bait

Conch for breakfast

female blind crustacean

tidal pool -- great for lobster hunting...

iguana

bubbler or fiddler crab -- good with butter and garlic
howler monkeys

studying

Underwater Snorkeling Adventure

2009-03-24T17:09:00.012-04:00

Hi everybody! This is CB and Jerry in the town of Puerto Jimenez sending the blog today. We switched internet café’s to the Palms, scene of the 2007 blogging adventure. The view is better here – looking out over the bay … well, look at the picture…you can see why Jerry volunteered to be assistant blogger!

Yesterday was a great day – we finally wore out the students enough that they went to bed early and slept in until the howlers at 5. The highlight of our evenings is dinner together and reading YOUR comments! It’s an interesting way for us to communicate – we send pictures and you send all those great words of encouragement. Last night us chaperones watched the students play movie charades – classic fun and nobody was shy.

The snorkeling tour was fantastic – the American boat captain, Bob, took us across the Golfo Dulce to a secluded bay that had a beautiful beach, palm trees, and a reef teaming with interesting underwater creatures. The students donned their life jackets and snorkeling gear for over 1 and a half hours in the water. Then our guide from the creek walk, Adonis, gathered up some coconuts and cut them open for all to drink coconut milk and eat the fruit inside. Adonis brought his son, Akillian, 15 years old, and the students interacted with him in Spanish for most of the day. Akillian did not need a life jacket and dove to the bottom of the reef to scare out some colorful fish and retrieve shells, starfish, and coral. The kids then had lunch and ate about twice what they normally would eat. Everything we brought was gone! Then we went up a river lined with mangroves and saw a crocodile – it was easily startled and dove into the deep muddy water. On the way back, we jammed to reggae music and the kids danced. It was an awesome day on the water!

Well just another day in the Osa…Tomorrow is our interactive day at Morgan’s Guanabana Lodge. We hope to catch up on our blog with all the creatures and plants that we have been observing over the first half of the trip. Everyone is happy and healthy – keep them comments coming!!!

Jerry and CB out

Here’s today’s student video bloggers – Anna and Randy!

tree frog

red snapper anyone?

Adonis gathering a snack

Monkey Madness

2009-03-23T17:26:00.011-04:00

Hey we're briefly stopping in town on the way back to the lodge from the horseback ride day 2. Remember, the group that did the creek walk (below post) did the horseback ride today.
Everybody on both trips is healthy, happy, and a little bit tired. Later we'll share more of the incredible photos we have of the wildlife we've seen -- fantastic shots of birds, monkeys, plants and other animals. Well, got to go, we need to get dinner started before dark in 1 hr...

We send our best to all.

CB out

Message from Capt. Morgan -- this is the best crew we've had by far! Amazing students with a thirst for education and adventure!!!

Hola! It’s Max! Today we went on the most amazing hike ever in my life. We went on a tour of a creek in a primary forest. Our guide, Adonis, is an Indian native to Costa Rica. When we went on the hike, we saw a lot of animals. There were a ton of amazing waterfalls, including one that we jumped through. We went through the creek, which had a few deep spots and saw some Capuchin monkeys in the water. We were all of the sudden surrounded by a troop of thirty monkeys. It was almost like we were in the zoo and they were looking at us. It was the most amazing thing that any of us, including Adonis, had ever seen. About five snarled at us and scared us into shock for about twenty seconds. We had to wade in water that came up to our chin. We had to climb over five waterfalls and many rocks. It was amazing!
To the followers of Max
Mom, Dad and Lindsay, I am doing fine and I thank you for your support. Uncle Sandy thank you for following me and Happy Birthday Will! The Clipsons I am doing fine and thanks for looking out for me. To everyone else I am living the “Pura Vida!” or “Pure Life”.
Adidios Amigos!!!!!!!!!!

Connor, Adonis, and his machete

Awesome!!!!!!!

creek walk

dinner at the MJL

Gringo's in the Rainforest

2009-03-23T09:56:00.013-04:00

Hi everybody, it’s about 6pm on Sunday night as we write up the next two blogs. Remember that half the group did the horseback ride and half on the creek walk and on Monday we will reverse. You will hear about Sunday’s adventures on the next two blogs. Right now it’s dark, all the students and chaperones are gathered in the lodge talking, playing Euchre with Sean, chatting in the lounge area, or helping to prepare dinner. It was a long day of great adventures that are now being shared by the two groups.

P.S. the first photos are of our morning walk on Sunday...

CB out

First you’ll hear from Danielle about the horseback riding adventure:

Hey Guys!!!!! *Danielle talking*
All goes well here in Costa Rica. So, this morning there was a short tropical downpour and we woke up to loud rain pounding on our cabinas. Thankfully, most of us stayed dry, except Mary Kate and Emily’s cabina got a few drips. Though the rain may have happened, we still got to go horse back riding and creek hiking. I was in the group that went horse back riding, so I’ll tell you about our trip. So first we took a bus to the town and we got picked up by a tractor. The ride took two hours!! But it was still fun. Then, when we finally got there we got assigned our horses. They were all pretty short so no one had to worry much about getting up on them. The trail was AMAZING! The milieu (notice the vocab word Mrs. Wabler) was so beautiful. The trail was also around two hours and it was really hot as well. Afterwards we got to go to the creek and just relax and cool off. On the tractor ride home we sang lots of songs.

To my family:
Hey guys! I am having so much fun and I really miss you guys. I hope Miles and Hogan are doing well too. And it’s good to hear that everyone is feeling well and not missing me too much. I can’t wait to go home and see you guys. I love you all and keep blogging to me =) it makes me happy =)

Hola!

This is the el dinero controller Jerome. My Spanish is a little weak so I just put “el” before English words and muddle throughJ This trip is fantastic! It is a wonderful experience for everyone. We are experiencing Costa Rica from an amazing perspective – truly feels like we are like we are living as natives at the Jungle Lodge which allows us to explore, slept in the outdoors, eat native food,etc. We are “all in” Costa Rica!

Yesterday I did the creek hike with half the group. It was truly educational as Gary brought along a native guide (Adonis) that pointed out several interesting facts about the land, animals as well as his personal life experiences. The sighting of about 15+ monkeys playing in the creek was an unbelievable experience, almost like they were entertaining us. The zoo will never be the same!

The kids are wonderful and having a great time. They are all so polite, respectful and inclusive. We have really enjoyed watching them together …we play group games each night and there are lots of loud cries of laughter on the beach and in the Costa Rica Jungle. Last night Sean helped the kids organize a prayer service for the group. Anna, Abbey, Mark and Kate led the service with songs and scripture readings. It was a special way to celebrate God’s blessings in our lives in such a beautiful setting.

Probably the most interesting fact of the trip is that Jeanne’s hair has gotten about an inch shorter each day as it curls up in the humidity. We are all fascinated to predict where this science project will end.

Adios amigos! Michael, Morgan and Patrick – Be good. I miss you guys and can’t wait to tell you stories when we get back. Keep the blog comments coming!

Senor Jerome

morning walkers

crab hole and tracks

We ran into Tom Hanks in town and he left us his friend Wilson on the beach...

homework

bus trip to town for the horseback ride

Rio Nuevo horseback ride -- tractor blazing at 6 mph

a flying insect

Mr L and the Golfo Dulce in the distance

post ride cooling off at Rio Nuevo Lodge

strangler tree -- 300+ years old

Sunday Horseback and Creek Walk

2009-03-22T17:22:00.002-04:00

Hi everybody, today we´re just passing through town on the way back from the horseback riding adventure. Unfortunately we don´t have the laptop or time enough to get our full blog in, so we wanted to pass the message along for you to look for the full blog in the morning. I´ll try to get it ready to post on our way back through Puerto Jimenez tomorrow morning if the internet cafe is open.

It was a long, but fantastic day so far -- up at 4am with a rainshower, howlers at 5 am, beach walk at 6, breakfast at 7, and depart for our adventures at 8. For the horseback ride we had 13:
Alex
Randy
Cameron
Ryan
Danielle
Mary Kate
Anna
Emily
Sean
Jeanne
Moira
Mary Cate
Gary -- CB
The ride was awesome -- the kids had some great excitement with some galloping through the rainforest!

The rest of the group did the creekwalk and Gary Morgan just picked us up with some fun stories on that adventure. More details soon...

Well, we´ve got to go now. Need to get back and cleaned up before dinner and our prayer service tonight near the beach. We send all our love - the kids are thriving -- enjoying each other and the Osa.

CB out

Osa Beautiful!

2009-03-21T18:29:00.015-04:00

As I sit here writing this blog in the lodge main room, it’s quiet – the students and chaperones are getting a safety tour of the Jungle Lodge grounds from the Morgan family. I’m listening to some traditional Costa Rican music on the solar powered sound system. There’s a great breeze today and it’s unbelievable for us to be here in paradise. Kind of like something you’d see in a movie. Make sure to check out some of the pictures below I took with my waterproof camera case – not perfect, but it’s cool to float around not having to worry about ruining the camera. Keeps me closer to the students for some better pictures – and they all are having a blast so far. They got in a quick swim before lunch and homework time. I think they’ll sleep well tonight…

The flights went well – incredible views that one of our bloggers, Emily , will tell you about. You will also hear from Alex in our first ever video blog. Alex will host a tour of some of the amenities here. You will also hear from one of our chaperones, Jeanne Ruggieri and get her perspective on this adventure.

CB out

p.s. Kim, check your email

Hey everyone its Emily. We went to a local place for dinner last night and we had really good sea food. After dinner we went shopping for a little bit to some local shops. When we went back to the hotel we all went in the hot tub for a couple minutes before it was bed time. We all went up to our rooms around 8:30(Costa Rica time).
The next morning eight people woke up at 4:30 to go to breakfast and catch a puddle hopper flight at 6:00. The rest of us woke up at around 6:00 to eat breakfast and get on our plane ride at 8:30 to Puerto Jimenez. The plane ride was very fun and exciting. When we started it was a little bumpy but once we got above the clouds it was all good from there. Once we got there we were greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Morgan. We all got on a big bus and took a ride around the town. When we finally arrived to the Jungle Lodge we all gathered around the big table and had a little safety talk regarding to the lodge its self.
I just wanted to say hello to my mom, dad, and brother Brad. I am having so much fun with everyone. I am having probably one of the best times of my life and I am just so excited to have nine more days of sunny and hot weather.

Alex's video blog -- SMS Cribs

Our chaperone Jeanne

Spectacular! That is the only word I can use to describe this morning’s plane ride from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez. I had been worried about that flight since I accepted the position as a chaperone. After a few bumps (until we got above the clouds) it was smooth sailing.

This trip has been a wonderful respite from the real world. As you can see from the pictures, the Golfo Dulce has been entertaining as well as refreshing.

For all you parents out there- you have all obviously done something right along the way because this group of kids have been sensational! All of them are getting along great, including each other in the activities and having a great time. Thanks to all of you back home for trusting us with your children. They are making our jobs too easy.

To Alan, Leah, family and friends- Franklin and I are having a magnificent time. We love you and miss you. We will have many stories to tell. How lucky we are to be able to make this trip together. Day 2- still rodent free!

HELLO... SAN JOSE!!!!!

2009-03-20T19:11:00.012-04:00

We are on the ground in Costa Rica! The trip was as perfect as could be -- we left Cincy on time, the flight landed 30 minutes early in Atlanta, we left on time for San Jose and landed according to schedule. The weather was perfect for both flights. Upon landing in San Jose, the lead flight attendant made an announcement and commended "the awesome 8th grader's from Cincinnati" who were so well behaved, and wished us well on our "adventure to the jungle lodge". She also wished the chaperones much luck, as they "might need it".

In case you don't know me, this is a hello from Gary Moscarino -- I am the chief blogger and since there are two Gary's on this trip, I will henceforth be known again as CB, the Chief Blogger. You will hear from all of our students and chaperones in the coming 10 days. Today we have two student bloggers who will tell us about our first exciting day! Joe Kanitz will tell us about the trip down, and Joseph Keating will tell us about our activities on the ground...

Ryan and I send our love to Kim and Sam -- we miss you and are having a great time!
CB out

Hi everyone it’s me Joe, Today I am going to tell about our flights to Atlanta then to San Jose! We first arrived at Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport at 5:30 in the morning. Our plane left Cincinnati to go to Atlanta at 7:00 A.M. Our flight to Atlanta was about one hour long. After we arrived in Atlanta we got a short time to do what we wanted then we boarded the plane to go to San Jose Costa Rica. The flight to San Jose was incredibly long it was around three and a half hours long. The way we entertained ourselves on the flight was to watch the movie the plane had we also worked on homework and we took pictures of all the places we passed by. Those places were The Florida Keys, Cuba, Grand Cayman, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Finally we landed in San Jose.

I would also like to tell everyone back home in Cincinnati that I miss them and I hope that they are having just as fun of time as I having. I want my family to know that I love and miss them the most. Until next time, Adios from Joe.

Hi everyone, this is Joseph blogging to you from San Jose, Costa Rica! The flights went great as you have heard in Joe’s blog, but I am here to talk to you about after the flights in San Jose itself.
After landing the second flight from Atlanta, Georgia to San Jose, we were able to take a bus over to the Best Western Hotel (Irazu) around 2:30 P.M. United States time. We then went to Subway for lunch and had to even order our sandwiches in Spanish. The workers there did not know much English, so it was a difficult time for us and the employees. The hardest part about staying here so far would be getting used to the money system. We are allowed to spend American money here, but our change is given back to us in colones, which are the Costa Rican currency. 500 colones would equal 1 U.S. dollar, which is the hardest part when getting change.
Getting back from lunch, we all went to the pool located in the center of the hotel that is outside and very beautiful. We have even gotten to see some unique plants and birds that would touch down right by us. The first day here at Costa Rica was great and I am definitely looking forward to the next days that we will be staying.

I want to dedicate this section of my blog to my family and friends back home. Mom, Dad, and Lane, I got here great and I am really having a great time. No problems with the flights or security if you were wondering. I’m really glad I came and I love you all. I know some of my friends back home would also like to hear me say. . . . . . . Ergyah! Be back soon.

Costa Rica Mountains

Nicaragua

Cayman Islands

Grand Cayman

Cuba

Florida Keys

Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, and Anna Maria Island...

CVG 5:30 am

Where Are We Going?

2009-03-19T18:42:00.004-04:00

Friday we'll be going through Atlanta to the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose. Saturday we'll go from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula.

Bon Voyage Dinner

2009-03-15T19:55:00.008-04:00

We had a great dinner to celebrate our upcoming adventure. Thanks to everyone who helped make this a fun time, especially Jeanne Ruggieri who coordinated this event!!! And special thanks to Father Paul for his blessing of the travelers.

CB

Happy Birthday Mary Kate and Emily!!!!

Is Everyone Ready?

2009-02-28T18:51:00.007-05:00

Just a short walk down the beach from the Morgan Jungle Lodge...

"Hey you. Yeah, I'm talking to you -- don't forget the bananas."

We'd like to hear from you, so please post a comment! Please tell us your name (i.e. From: John Smith) at the top of your post. Thanks from the SMS team.

2009 SMS Costa Rica Activities

2009-02-28T18:09:00.005-05:00

Day	Date	Morgan Jungle Lodge Costa Rica 2009 March 20-30, 2009 Costa Rica is on Central Time and does not observe daylight savings Activity




Friday	20-Mar	Depart Hyde Park by 5am Fri 20MAR DELTA 55 LV CINCINNATI 700A AR ATLANTA 849A Fri 20MAR DELTA 411 LV ATLANTA 945A AR SAN JOSE COS 1147A Lodging: Best Western Irazu 506-290-9300, 5 quad rooms, 1 three person room. Lunch @ Subway, dinner nearby TBD.
Saturday	21-Mar	Free Breakfast at Hotel. Depart San Jose in 2 groups, 6 and 8:30 am for Puerto Jimenez. Mid-day arrival at Morgan's Jungle Lodge. Settle in, tour, water safety, etc. Science/math session in afternoon.
Sunday	22-Mar	Horseback ride with guide with lunch @ Rio Nuevo -- half of group Creek hike with guide with lunch @ Martina's -- half of group Science/math session in afternoon.
Monday	23-Mar	Reverse of Sunday's groups. Science/math session in afternoon.
Tuesday	24-Mar	Students make own sandwiches, Boat/Snorkeling trip, depart 8-8:30am. Reef and shoreline excursion, return ~2pm. Science/math session in afternoon.
Wednesday	25-Mar	Interactive day at Morgan's Jungle Lodge. Environmental project with local school. Have lunch with short beach/green corridor hike afterwards. Possible dinner at Pearl of the Osa Science/math session in afternoon.
Thursday	26-Mar	Guided beach hike to Iguana Lodge for Lunch. Three hour hike there, lunch, taxi ride back. Science/math session in afternoon.
Friday	27-Mar	Zipline/crocodile swamp tour/town shopping and dinner. Lunch at MJL Science/math session in afternoon.
Saturday	28-Mar	Finca Kobo Cacao Plantation Tour -- am. Afternoon at MJL -- hike south on the beach/swim/relax.
Sunday	29-Mar	Depart Puerto Jimenez at 12 noon to San Jose. Relax at hotel. Cultural tour downtown San Jose, shopping, etc. Science/math session in afternoon
Monday	30-Mar	Free Breakfast at Hotel Mon 30MAR DELTA 414 LV SAN JOSE COS 800A AR ATLANTA 206P Mon 30MAR DELTA 56 LV ATLANTA 550P AR CINCINNATI 720P