A Touch of the Tropics

An adventure of a lifetime—two years in the making. On June 24, 38 travelers from GSCCC took off from the Norfolk International Airport. Final destination: Costa Rica.

The group started their trip in the Arenal region of Costa Rica, named for the Arenal Volcano that dominates the landscape. There, they visited a coffee plantation and a chocolate planation, complete with tastings at each site. They also hiked in Arenal Volcano National Park, kayaked on Arenal Lake, swam in hot springs heated by the volcano’s geothermal activity and trekked to La Fortuna Waterfall.

From there, they traveled by bus to the Green Mountain region of the country, where they toured the Saint Elena Cloud Forest, went horseback riding in Monteverde and soared over the treetops while zip lining. The group left a positive mark in Costa Rica as they worked together to plant a tree on a reserve.

On day six of the trip, the group headed to the Pacific coast. They hiked into the rainforest, where they saw tropical plants and exotic wildlife, including iguanas, tree frogs, and butterflies. They spent the afternoon up close with crocodiles, monkeys and birds on a river cruise.

“One of the best parts of the whole trip was getting to meet Girl Guides and Boy Scouts from Costa Rica,” Eileen Livick, the GSCCC travel volunteer, said. “Despite some language barriers, the girls got the chance to learn more about life in Costa Rica, and the scouts taught us some of their traditional songs in Spanish.”

Before heading back to the United States, the group enjoyed a traditional Costa Rican dinner, complete with folklore dancing, and went whitewater rafting on the Sarapiquí River.

For Kilani, a Girl Scout Senior from Moyock who travelled with the group, the journey to Costa Rica was her first time leaving the country. For her, this adventure was all about opportunities to meet new people, taste new foods and see new places.

Want to explore the world with Girl Scouts? Spots are still open to join GSCCC on a Mediterranean adventure in July 2018 and a trip to Scotland and Ireland in the summer of 2019. For more information, contact Eileen Livick at queenleen221@gmail.com.