Welcome!

Welcome to our 2017 Costa Rica travel blog!

Pura Vida and welcome to the official Alice Deal Costa Rica 2017 blog! This blog will keep parents informed of our adventures as we travel to San Jose, Arenal, Monteverde, and the Central Pacific Coast! While most of this blog will be written by Mr. Rottman, we hope to have several students and teachers as guest authors. Our goal is to update at least once per day, but it is likely we will miss a day or two due to internet scarcity.

EF Tours map of our adventure

Many thanks to the students, families, chaperones, and Ms. Cuffee for leading such a wonderful meeting yesterday! We appreciate your questions and how incredibly supportive you've been as a group. We know our students are in for a safe, fun, and educational adventure!

 Ms. Cuffee wows the crowd with her presentation skills!

This year, Deal was able to give out just shy of $50,000 in scholarships with funds from the Alice Deal Community Association (ADCA), DCPS, and EF Tours. We appreciate the support the Deal community and DCPS give these trips as they make the trip available to students who may otherwise be unable to attend. This trip is a life-changing adventure for all our students, as you will see as this blog follows our journey.

If you or your student want to know more about what they can expect from the trip, please have them read the blog posts from previous adventures. You can also check out our film from 2 years ago here:

The 2015 Costa Rican adventure!

I will close our first post with the much-touted FAQ! These questions and answers have been skillfully curated over the years by Ms. Cuffee and should address your most pressing concerns. If you haven't memorized the answers already, please read through!

Costa Rica FAQs

1.    What should I wear?

Please note that the weather will be nice. It will be warm and we will spend a majority of our time outside. With that being said, this is a school trip, so ALL clothes must comply with the dress code. (For girls, stores like Marshalls, Ross, TJMaxx, etc. will have capris, lightweight pants, and longer shorts. It might be beneficial to purchase a few pair low-priced jeans and cut them at that knee to avoid dress code issues. Long gym shorts are an option as well. No leggings, biker shorts, etc.) The golden rule is: If you wouldn’t wear it to school, do not bring it on the trip. No crop tops, strappy tanks, no mono-kinis, bikinis without a cover-up, etc. Cover-ups should not be the see-thru crocheted type.) Please let me know if questions/concerns still linger on this issue.

2.    What should I pack?

Please check the packing list document attached to the email you received. I would suggest a light wind-breaker/hooded sweatshirt as it might get chilly at night and the buses have working AC.

3.    What if I am a picky eater?

Food is served buffet style and comes with a plethora of options including salad bars, meats, veggies, pastas, etc. If you cannot find anything you like, do not hesitate to tell a chaperone.

4.    How will I get to the airport?

All students should arrive to the airport no later than 3 hours before the flight. We are travelling internationally with a very large group. It is imperative that all students arrive on time so that there is plenty of time to check bags, get through security and arrive at the gate. All parents/students are responsible for getting themselves to the airport. Please plan accordingly and contact Srta. Cuffee if there is a change of plans or a delay in your arrival time.

5.    Are seats on the flight assigned?

Seats on the flight will be automatically assigned as students check in at the airport. These seats are not permanent. Once we have securely gotten all students and staff on the flights, students will be permitted to swap seats. We will enforce a “girls next to girls” and “boys next to boys” policy.

6.    Do boys and girls share rooming assignments?

Absolutely not! Students are separated into quads and triples during the trip. Boys are not permitted in girls’ rooms nor are girls permitted in boys’ rooms.

7.    What if I get sick?

If you are feeling sick, please tell a chaperone immediately.

8.    What type of currency is used in Costa Rica?

Colones are the currency used in Costa Rica, but the US dollar is accepted as well. There is no need to exchange money ahead of time. Please note that when paying with US currency, change will be given in colones. The approximate exchange rate 1 US dollar = 500 colones. (This will fluctuate daily.)

9.    What if I didn’t sign up for an activity and decide that I want to?

Last min sign-ups will be permitted. So please do not worry if you did not sign up in advance. The sooner you tell Srta. Cuffee the more likely we can find a way to accommodate you. This works in the opposite direction as well. If you no longer want to participate in activity please let Srta. Cuffee know as well. The tour guides and tour directors need to relay this information to the companies and businesses ahead of time.

10. Can I bring my phone, camera, or other electronic devices?

Absolutely! Please note that on the bus, a kindle, nook, or cell phone may be a source of entertainment. However, please also note that we are travelling and chaperones will not be responsible for holding onto your belongings. There aren’t any ports on the bus for you to charge your devices. Apps like “Find my iPhone” may not work effectively in Costa Rica nor can the trip be derailed to find missing items.  With that being said, if you have an international plan or want to take pictures and upload them to your social media accounts, you are more than welcome to do so!

11. How much money should I give my child? How much money should I take with me? What if I run out of money?

Although we cannot advise on how much money to bring, as each family is different, most students spend their money on snacks and treats throughout the day. Please remember that they enjoy three structured meals each day. All meals are buffet style and students can eat until they are content. Many students will purchase t-shirts and other small trinkets. As discussed at the meeting, it might be best to setup a separate account attached to a debit card. If a students runs out of money, they can turn to Srta. Cuffee for assistance.

12. Will my child get lost? The group is so large, how will you know that you have everyone accounted for?

Each bus leader, chaperone, tour guide, and bus driver has a list of the students and everyone’s bus and rooming assignments. Bus assignments WILL NOT change during the trip. Also, students share a bus with their roommates, so there will be a buddy system in place. Prior to leaving one location and moving to another, a head count will be performed.

13. How will students be supervised during outings in the various locations?

Depending on the location, students may/may not be permitted to travel in unsupervised groups. If this is the case, they will have check-in times and locations. In other locations, students will be divided up among the chaperones and will be instructed to stay with that chaperone until they return to the bus.

14. Is there a curfew? Are there room checks and wake up calls?

Yes, yes, and yes. Curfews will change depending on the following day’s activities. On days with early morning planned activities, students will be asked to go to their rooms earlier. Behavior also plays a role in curfew. Depending on the size, layout, and vacancies in the hotels, students may be instructed to go to their rooms by a certain time but have plenty of free-time in their room prior to “lights out”. Room checks will be performed every night by chaperones. Once room checks have been completed, students may not, short of an emergency, leave their rooms. Wake-up calls will be done each morning about an hour prior to breakfast. Students will have plenty of time to get up, shower, get dressed and enjoy breakfast, if they chose to, and be ready for the day’s adventure.

15.  Will there be Wifi?

Yes, some of the hotels will have Wifi, however it is shared amongst all guests and the signal will more than likely be quite weak. While students will attempt to take advantage of the Wifi, students should not expect to have Wifi access during the trip.

16. Is there assigned seating on the bus?

No, there will not be assigned seating on the bus unless a student’s behavior dictates a seat change. Each bus will have a leader who is in charge of that bus’ seating.

17. Should my child pack snacks?

Yes, snacks are encouraged. Packing snacks is not mandatory as students will purchased things during the day, but a few snacks packed in their checked bag(s) may prove beneficial.

18. What should I tell my child to avoid?

Contraband! Not only will pipes, pocket knives, and drug paraphernalia be sold in stores, but other items that should never be in the hands of minors will be accessible to your children. Please note that any child who purchases, carries, or is seen/caught with these unmentionables will be reprimanded and serious consequences will follow. Not only are these items harmful, but they are against Alice Deal School Policy and will cause hold-ups and delays at security checkpoints. 

19. Should I pack sunscreen?

Absolutely! We will spend a majority of our time outside exploring cities, climbing volcanoes, canoeing, horse-backing riding, and enjoying the beach. Please protect your skin!

20. What about dirty clothes, swimsuits, and wet clothing?

Bringing a trash bag(s) might be helpful here. Students will not have access to washers and dryers and will not want to mix their dirty clothes, which might start to smell, with clean items. Also, we will visit the hot springs and the beach early in our tour. Wet bathing suits and clean clothes do not mix.

21. Should I bring bug-repellent?

Yes, bug repellent will be useful during the trip. Please remember to put your bug spray, sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc. in your checked bag.

22. Should I put an international plan on my child’s phone? How often should I check in with them?

If you chose to invest in an international plan for your child, please feel free to do so but it is not necessary. While I understand that this will be the first time most of these students are travelling without their parents, there is not need to call them constantly to check up. Students will have very busy days filled with interactive activities. Also, international plans can be quite pricey. If you need to get in touch with your child, for any reason, do not hesitate to contact Srta. Cuffee. I will provide my personal cell phone numbers closer to the trip’s departure.

23. How will I know what my child is up to?

Blogging last year was such a success. (Thank you, Mr. Rottman!!!). We will take pictures each day and post them to a blog. The blog’s info will be sent out prior to the trip’s departure.

24. What if my child gets homesick?

While it is possible for students to get homesick, they will be completely ok. If they need to check in with you, they are more than capable of doing so. Friends and Alice Deal staff will be available to aid them if they need someone to talk to.

25. Will my child have to hold on to their passport?

No, passports will be collected once students make it through immigration/security in Costa Rica. They will not see their passports again until we arrive in the United States.

26. What can I do to assist my child?

Please place a piece of masking tape on the back of your child’s passport with their first and last name.

27. What if I have a question that hasn’t been answered here?

While I have tried to cover the basics, please send any questions/concerns to dealspanishclass@gmail.com. Another FAQs document may go out if valuable questions/concerns arise and haven’t already been answered.

28. How do I get in touch with Srta. Cuffee?

I will provide my personal cellphone number for parents. Please limit communication to emergencies only.