Every two years my father, Noblesville High School teacher Kevin Cole, takes a group of Spanish class students on a tour to a Spanish-speaking country. But this year was the best trip, because in addition to five NHS students and two other NHS teachers, he took my mom, brother and me with him!
My dad has used the tour company Education First for his past three tours. Students should definitely travel with EF, because all of the tour directors are very educated. For example, our tour director, Tavo, knew everything from plants and animals to culture and history. It’s easy to know exactly why my dad has used EF tours, because everyone there is so nice and understanding. EF is good with all age groups. Our tour consultant, Emma, was wonderful at helping out, and she was just joyful to be around. Tavo was funny and fun to be around as well. Everyone is just amazing; the trip would not be the same without EF!
On our trip (June 18-27) we did many activities. We went to the Volcano Poas, kayaked and also saw a beautiful waterfall where we were able to swim. One of the highlights of the trip was zip lining. There were 11 different zip lines. The very last one was 990 feet in the air! It went really fast, and went through the clouds. But that isn’t all – there was also a Tarzan swing! They attached you to a long rope and from there you jumped off of a plank and swung over the trees! It was an amazing experience. Another activity was white water rafting. We had a blast riding through the different rapids. We also hiked through the mountains and the rain and cloud forests and saw many different kinds of plants and animals. We saw monkeys and sloths, and we even saw toucans and macaws.
I learned many different things about the Costa Rica culture – for example, the foods and the different styles of dance. We learned a style called Merengue. We danced the night away, Merengue style! The art in Costa Rica is very beautiful. They use vibrant colors.
I recommend taking a school trip to Costa Rica. It was the best vacation ever!