Whilst on a four week expedition to Costa Rica this summer, students from Churston had a chance to experience a diverse range of activities. After transporting essential supplies across a creek to their lodging place, they undertook nine days of (mostly muddy) project work in the jungle, enhancing the environment of the area where they were staying.

During this time they also managed to complete their BCU 1-Star Kayaking Award, on the Caribbean Ocean and the local creek, and o trekking in the jungle with local guides. The locals here were very welcoming, and on one night cooked the group a traditional ‘run down’ – fish and crab soup in a large pan over a fire on the beach – a memorable night under the stars.

Other activities that the group organised while in-country were white water rafting the Pacuare river, zip wiring through the cloud forest canopy, and a day long ‘group challenge’ journey across the continental divide – from active volcanoes to the Pacific coast. Here some people took a surf lesson with a Costa Rican pro, while others chose to ride horses and get a free mud pack at the local waterfall.

Plans are now up and running for the C.F.G.S Expedition to Peru and Bolivia in the summer of 2006. Ask Miss Davis or Mr Lewis for details.

During the second week the group travelled, via bus and a VERY rickety bridge, down into the northern region of Panama, known as Bocas del Toro.

Here they all completed their PADI Open Water SCUBA diving qualification, and can now dive to a depth of 18 metres anywhere in the world. There was nature a-plenty during this part of the venture, as you can imagine.

Everyone returned to the UK at the end of the four weeks with fourteen close friends (and hopefully a new outlook on the accompanying teaching staff!), and agreed that the expedition had been well worth the fundraising, training and effort.