Fun In Costa Rica

Our first six days in Costa Rica have been amazing! Everything is green. I love all the plant life with little towns scattered about. We saw a sloth, monkeys, crabs, birds and raccoons. Sloths were my favorite. They're incredibly cute!

Sunday we went surfing. I stood up for about ten seconds. It was so much fun. I would love to do it again. We went to the beach twice just to swim. I taught myself to body surf. Its a great rush.

On Monday we had the whole of Manuel Antonio National Park to ourselves.
My film group is making a film on the culture of Costa Rica, so we interviewed park rangers. They were all very interesting. Today we left Manuel Antonio.

Our next stop was Carara National Park. It is right next to the ocean. Being next to the ocean is always nice. We also were able to take a tour of the park today. We saw scarlet macaws, toucans, monkeys and lizards. It was our first opportunity to trek through the jungle away from the path.

~ Arin Morse

The Beach

After filming for the past couple of days, we got to visit the beach on Sunday, which was a nice break from trekking through the humid jungle with heavy camera gear. After a hard day’s work we had an Italian lunch and changed into our bathing suits in the bathroom. The bathroom had dirty leak water on the floor and the corner was crawling with small bugs.

After changing clothes we went out to the beach to take a surf lesson. None of us had surfed before but we were all excited about trying our hand at surfing. We all practiced balancing on the surfboards on the sand and after we covered the basics of surfing we carried the boards into the ocean. I was really surprised at how heavy the boards were. It was painful trying to balance it on my head like the surf instructor said. I tried to surf a couple of times but the board was too heavy and I had no idea when to jump up on the board when the waves came. Then when the board was swept away by a wave the board broke so it was no longer attached to my ankle.

After surfing a few of us bodysurfed and had a lot of fun just screaming and trying to jump into the really big waves that came along. Hopefully we get to go back to the beach this Wednesday and I really hope the rain holds out until nighttime.

~ Rebecca Bartola

The First Few Days

The must-know day one started with a three hour long car ride to the promising Manuel Antonio Park, and I have to say, it was worth it. Unlike the usual greeting from people, we were told hello by two-toed sloths, monkeys, and crocodiles. I think that’s a pretty decent start.

As the filming began, as we were hard at work, as we tried not to get bitten by ants and mosquitoes, we were beginning a long two week journey of discovery. Day two eventually came and let’s just say surfing is not my forte and neither is it for our surf instructors… The day started out plain and simple, but with our group involved, ended a little off track, but great memories nonetheless.

Only four days have passed and I’ve met so many different and unique people and from each one, I have learned so much. From the people at Manuel Antonio Park to our own amazing guide Fernando, I have gained so much already. The scenery here is beyond incredible and still can’t get over it. I must say my Spanish is improving and my accent isn’t too bad. I’ve decided that Costa Rica is the home of the best piña and the nicest people. Minus humidity and muchos insectos, this trip is definitely out of the ordinary and exciting. There is no doubt that there is more to come.

~ Kavita Myneni

The Chicas

Name: Rebecca Bartola

Age: 16

Hello, my name is Rebecca Bartola and I'm a rising senior from Pottstown, Pennsylvania. I chose to participate in the Costa Rica Environmental Filmmaking trip because I love to travel and in the future I want to becom

e either a foreign correspondent or a photojournalist. Places I've traveled to include France, Alaska, and Icela

nd. My favorite food is pasta and my favorite song of the moment is Alejandro by Lady Gaga.

Name: Arin Morse

Age: 15

Hi, my name is Arin Morse. I come from Topeka, Kansas. I will be a sophomore at Washburn Rural High School. I can quote many movies I have seen. I love almost any kind of film. I joined the Discover the World of Communication trip to Costa Rica because I love to travel and I have never been to a place like Costa Rica. I want the chance t

o explore the culture of the country and make a film about the importance of the National Park System on the culture.

Name: Kavita Myneni

Age: 17

Hey! I'm Kavita Myneni and I live

in Mesa, AZ. I am 17 years old and will be a senior at Mountain View High School. I love watching movies and spending time with my friends and family. Photography is my passion and I love to write. I have been traveling abroad since I was 10 years old. I love to see the differences in culture and food. I'm excited to see the wild life in Costa Rica. I really wanted to participate in this trip because I love to take photos and I wanted to take photographs somewhere I have never been.

Name: Chelsea Powers

Age: 17

Hi, I live in Grass Valley, CA. I'm 17 and I will be a senior at Nevada Union High School. I'm very passionate about storytellin

g and I love getting to know people. I chose to take this trip to have the experience of a lifetime.

Name: Erika Sacks

Age: 14

Hey guys! I'm from Rochester, NY and I will be a freshman at Mendon High School. I love photography and that is why I am exited about my trip to Costa Rica. This is my first chance to shoot photographs on location in such an exotic place. I'm excited to learn about the culture and see all the animals. I love bike riding, spending time with friends, and singing.

Name: Sarah Wendt

Age: 13

Hello, I'm from Arlington, VA and I will be a freshman at Washington-Lee High School. I'm very passionate about filmmaking and the environment. I am excited to go to Costa Rica because this will be my first international trip. I am very excited to see all the wild life up-close and in their natural habitat. I love sushi, friends and Lady Gaga.

A Short Introduction

Hello Everyone!

We are very excited for this blog! This is our opportunity to share our Costa Rican experience with you. We invite you to follow us on our journey to create lasting and meaningful wildlife and environmental documentaries and photography.

We will spend two weeks in Washington, D.C. and two weeks in Costa Rica working on our projects. At the end of our trip, we will have produced documentaries that will be shown at Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica throughout 2010.

Here, you can see a short video introducing some of the places we will visit. Our group bios and first video journal entries will be coming soon. We hope you enjoy our blog as much as we are going to enjoy creating it.

Costa Rica's Chicas