COSTA RICA

Finish… Rooming Phone Chart Fundraising follow up Pass out books – new round Money - $10 Jenny - $10 – Emily Excursions – horseback – beach – idea Passport Copies Activate pre-paid phone cards (start w/$5) Car Pool – meet at High School 9:30 (parking hotline for airport: 1-800-642-1978) Packing Items

General Info Time difference = they are an hour ahead of us Parental authorization forms Children under the age of 18 require a parental authorization form to be signed and notarized within 30 days of the tour departure date. EF will send you the form a few months prior to your departure date. Please ensure that your child brings the form on tour because it is required to get through customs in these countries. 1 USD = 561.060 CRC 1 CRC = 0.00178234 USD EF Visa Travel Card EF makes it easy for your child to manage money on tour with the EF Travel Card, a prepaid, reloadable Visa® that cardholders can use everywhere Visa® is accepted. The card is ideal for students, because it is prepaid so spending is limited to the amount of money parents load onto the card 20-30 dollars a day for spending About $9 per day for tipping = $90 – bring to next meeting

Getting There Please call the airline to confirm your flights at least 24-48 hours before departure. This way you can be sure of any time changes to your flight itinerary. Most EF travelers will get e-tickets, which means you only needs to bring your passport to the airport for check-in. (parking hotline: 1-800-642-1978) When the group lands abroad, students will have to go through immigration and customs. The group will then find an EF representative in the arrivals area. They will be holding a sign. We will then wait for the other schools in our group and we will get on a bus to get to our hotel.

Flight Info 4/3/09 4/12/09 April 3rd (Friday) – April 12th (Sun) Plan to arrive at the airport at least three hours prior to departure. This mean by 11:30 am on Friday the 3rd. We’ll probably eat lunch at the airport. American Airlines (AA) 4/3/09 # 949: Departs Detroit @ 2:30pm Arrives in Miami @ 5:35 pm #2141: Departs Miami 7:30 pm Arrives in San Jose @ 8:15. 4/12/09 #2166: Departs San Jose @ 9:10 am Arrives in Dallas Fort Worth @ 2:20 pm #2312: Departs Dallas Fort Worth @ 6:55 pm Arrives in Detroit @10:35pm

Airport Run-Through Ticket American Airlines You can check one bag: 62 in/157 cm 50lbs/23kg You can carry on one bag plus one personal item per passenger as long as: They weigh no more than 40 lbs The bag is no more than 45 inches and the personal item is no more than 36 inches when you add the length + width + height so that it fits in an overhead bin or under the seat Personal item - includes: backpack purse, briefcase, laptop OR a similar item such as book bag or tote that does not exceed 36 inches (length + width + height) and fits under the seat. Don’t Carry On

Liquids Examples Of Liquids/Gels/Aerosols The following items may be transported in carry-on baggage only if in a 3.4-oz container or smaller and transported in a one-quart clear, plastic, zip-top bag. Otherwise, these items must be packed in checked baggage. Toiletries – shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, perfume, shaving foam, aerosols, deodorant, eye care products Cosmetic products – perfume, hair spray/gel, lip gloss, mascara, nail polish, makeup removers/cleansers, foundation Liquid soaps, sanitizers, bath oils, bubble bath Any creams, ointments or lotions Can’t use electronic devices (phones etc.) on plane.

Arrive in San Jose Get some sleep!

Day 2: Arenal Region Visit to INBioparque: Butterfly Garden lagoon The park consists of many, many beautiful trails exhibiting native plant life, insects, butterflies, birds, fish, reptiles and mammals - with many of the animals walking or flying freely within the park. INBioparque is an Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad de Costa Rica interactive theme park designed to teach visitors about Costa Rica's unique biological diversity. Butterfly Garden lagoon

Next stop: Poas Volcano When the mist and clouds part you'll see the sulfuric, bubbling, green rain fed lake at the bottom, surrounded by smoke and steam rising from fumaroles. Water from the lake is constantly seeping through cracks in the hot rock, evaporating and building pockets of steam. When the pressure in these pockets exceeds the weight of the water above, the steam breaks through in geysers that rocket up to 820 high. Don't worry about getting a shower though, the crater is 1,050 feet deep. At almost a mile across it's also the largest active crater in the world. Still –active volcano. Hot sulfurous lake changes color with volcanic activity.

And then to the Hot Springs! Natural hot springs water heated by nearby volcanoes

Day 3: Arenal Region See mountains, windmills and the arenal volcano

La Fortuna Waterfall

Day 4 Arenal Region - Monteverde

Visit to a local school Interact with Costa Rican students. Optional Horseback riding excursion to explore the natural beauty of Monteverde.

Day 5 Monteverde Santa Elena Cloud Forest Plant a tree This forest is constantly covered in a soft mist, making for some otherworldly plant life. The cloud forest averages twelve feet of rain annually! Look for bromeliads, orchids, and brightly colored quetzals, and even plant a tree—your grandchildren will appreciate the oxygen!

Canopy tour

Day 6 Monteverde – Central Pacific Coast Visit to Carara Reserve

Rest of Day 6 and all of day 7: Transfer to the Central Pacific Coast Optional: Manuel Antonio National Park

Other Free Time Options Manuel Antonio includes some of the Pacific Coast 's best swimming and snorkeling beaches. The Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most famous of Costa Rica, due to its coastal scenery and amazing variety of flora and fauna. Sun, sea and sand · Eco-tourism · Diving · Fishing · Surfing · Bird watching · National Parks Tours from Manuel Antonio.

Day 8 Puntarenas Region Transfer via Sarchi Folklore Evening

Day 9 San Jose Whitewater rafting excursion

Day 10 Return Home!