Costa Rica Travel:
Volcanoes, parrots and monkeys — Linden students visit Costa Rica

Looking down into the smoking crater of an active volcano, zip lining through the trees and protecting their belongings from pick-pocketing monkeys. Those were just some of the highlights of a recent trip to Costa Rica taken by students and faculty at Linden High School (LHS).

In Manuel Anotonio National Park, Costa Rica

Spanish teacher Matt Schartow has been taking these sorts of trips that are guided by Education First (EF) Tours, who see to the safety of students and faculty, since 2003. His classes have traveled to Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Peru, Scotland and England. April 4 marked Schartow's second trip to the Central American nation with students.

“The students are forced to learn a lot, whether they like it or not,” he said. “You show up in a new place and the tour guide is giving you all this information and it disguises an educational experience because it's a blast and we have fun.”

Schartow talked about his return visit to the Poas Volcano, an active volcano in central Costa Rica that was the epicenter of an earthquake in January, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and a visit to the Arenal Volcano, another active volcano that heats a series of hot springs in the surrounding northern area.

“For me, (the Poás Volcano) was the really cool one,” Schartow said. “The first time we climbed up there, we were standing in a cloud and could not see a thing, so it took me two times going to Costa Rica to actually see that.”

Five students and fellow Spanish teacher Stephanie Hall accompanied Schartow. He displayed a slideshow of photos that chronicled the trip. He showed pictures of crocodiles taken from an overhead bridge, of the beaches at Manuel Antonio National Park, of the group zip lining from tree canopy to tree canopy and of the group dancing the “Macarena” with some local Costa Rica children.

"Costa Rica was the ultimate experience for anyone who wishes to get away,” student Chris Ward said. “I will never forget the zip line through the jungle or the climb to the top of an active volcano (the Poas Volcano). A year ago, I would have said that going to Costa Rica was a dream. Now, I can call it a memory."

Costa Rica White Faced Monkey

Schartow mentioned that theft from the natives was one drawback of their visit to Manuel Antonio National Park. He said that the local white-faced monkeys would rifle through their bags looking for food and even carry them off, if they did not stay vigilant.

“The monkeys aren't afraid of you — they're used to tourists by now,” Schartow said. “They're so not afraid of you that you have to guard your stuff at all times.”

Central Pacific Links:	National Park	Weather
Places to Stay	Manuel Antonio	Jaco
Things to Do	Manuel Antonio	Jaco
Places to Eat	Manuel Antonio	Jaco

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