SOCCER & SERVICE TRAVEL TEAM - High School Summer Programs (800) 321-4353

参与我们的当地社区服务、足球和文化体验之旅，感受这里纯正而浓烈的文化，欣赏哥斯达黎加美丽的自然风光。当你完全融入到古老的提戈村寨中时，你会感受到人们那发自内心的热忱的欢迎和接受。

热情好客的村寨
宁静幽远的乡村小镇拉巴斯坐落在引人入胜的青山绿水的怀抱之中。这里不但可以欣赏到美丽的自然风光，还可以领略到哥斯达黎加和善的文化。住在当地人家里，学习做提戈菜，去农场帮忙，学习舞蹈，参与足球比赛，都将让你亲身体验到他们独特的文化。同样，住在当地人家里还给你提供了一个练习西班牙语的绝佳时机，学习语言最佳的途径就是融入真实的语言环境，每天都说，每天都听。

愉快而有意义的社区服务
每天早上你都会参加拉巴斯和附近村寨不同的文化或社区服务计划。你将参与体验很多的活动，诸如去小学教英语课，修建足球场的排污系统，挤奶，或是种植甘蔗等等。每一天你都要准备好去参加几场足球训练，和当地的青少年球队一起练习。晚上，和你所寄宿的人家练习口语，一起跳舞，了解哥斯达黎加真正的乡村生活。

伟大的足球圣地
哥斯达黎加人民对于足球的热情可以用疯狂来形容，并且极富感染力。我们项目针对不同水平和能力的足球爱好者。不管你有没有进入奥运会的潜能，还是只喜欢随便玩玩，这个项目都很适合你。你将有机会和当地的小学生、俱乐部甚至是高水平的球队踢球。不管是小学的土球场，还是拉巴斯漂亮的绿茵场，甚至是先进的室内球场，你都有机会去体验。

来吧，加入我们吧！
如果热衷参加社区服务、体验全新的文化而且热爱足球，那就加入“拉巴斯足球、服务之旅”吧！前提条件就是你要有学习西班牙语的决心、对足球的热爱，还要有希望通过运动为语言之间搭建文化桥梁的兴趣。完全参与此项目中的服务计划，你将获得总共28小时的时间，参加当地的社区服务。

“拉巴斯足球、服务之旅”和我们所有的拉丁美洲旅游项目密切相关。
如果你有任何问题，需要更多资讯，请与我们联系。
电子邮件：costarica@rusticpathways.com.

SOCCER AND TRAVEL SERVICE TEAM

Day 1 (Tuesday) Depart United States for San Jose, Costa Rica
Upon arrival at the San Jose airport you will be greeted by your Rustic Pathways Staff. From here you will head over to the hostel rented out by Rustic Pathways where you will meet the other students on your trip and spend your first night. Good luck and enjoy your stay in beautiful Costa Rica!

Day 2-3 (Wednesday-Thursday) Homestay in the Central Valley
This morning you will head over to the quiet town of Pacayas on the hillsides of Cartago. Here you will have the chance to integrate into traditional Tico culture and lifestyle by spending your nights with a warm, friendly family from Pacayas. This carefully organized and supervised arrangement will give you a very personal and welcoming perspective on Costa Rican family life, enhancing both your Spanish skills and the cultural aspects of your trip. In addition, during the day, you will work on a meaningful service project with “Futbol por La Vida,” a foundation that engages at-risk children in a positive and educational way by organizing school projects and soccer games.

Day 4 (Friday) Rafting on the Pacuare
Today is a day packed with adrenaline and excitement as you prepare to experience the beauty and exhilaration of whitewater rafting on the Pacuare river. The Pacuare is considered one of the most beautiful rivers to raft in the world due to the lush greenery, the narrow canyons and above all, the exciting class III and IV rapids. After a full day on the river, its time to head back to your families, where you will spend the evening hanging out with your friends and reflecting on the day’s adventure.
Day 5-6 (Saturday-Sunday) Poas Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens AreaDepart from the town of Pacayas bright and early on a short bus ride to the communities surrounding Poas Volcano. The next days will be a mix between community service, playing soccer with local teams and visiting attractions in the area such as Poas Volcano and the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Enjoy delicious dinners at local restaurants and relax at the hotel with your new friends at night.

Day 7-8 (Monday-Tuesday) Arenal Volcano and National Park
Wake up early and say goodbye to your friends in the community before departing for the town of La Fortuna at the base of the Arenal Volcano. You will spend the next two days playing soccer, hiking in the rainforest, checking out the souvenir shops in La Fortuna and enjoying the natural hot springs in the evening. For the adventurous at heart, sign up for an optional zip line tour that will take you high above the rainforest canopy.

Day 9 (Wednesday) Transfer to Samara
Enjoy an early breakfast and play a full game of soccer on Fortuna turf before boarding the bus to the Nicoya Peninsula. Upon arriving in the town of Samara, hang out in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean and catch one of the spectacular sunsets that the Nicoya Peninsula is known for. Eat dinner near the beach and fall asleep to the soothing sound of the waves softly crashing against the shore.

Day 10-13 (Thursday – Sunday) Surf the Pacific
For the next couple days, you will be based in the chill beach town of Samara. Play beach frisbee with the group, soak in the sun and take breaks to jump into the surf. There will be regular soccer practice and drills, and several service projects with nearby communities. There will also be time to take surf lessons, get in shape by running on the beach or simply read a book and chill out in a hammock.

Day 14 (Monday) Sailing Tour to Tortuga Island
Wake up bright and early to board a 71-foot Catamaran that will take you on a tropical cruise through the calm waters of the Gulf of Nicoya, where you can see dolphins, sea turtles and aquatic birds. Your destination is Costa Rica’s famous palm-studded, white sand beach at Isla Tortuga, where you can sunbath, play volleyball or relax in a hammock. Chill out on your own private paradise before returning to spend the night in Puntarenas.

Day 15 (Tuesday) Back to San Jose
After breakfast and a final jump in the ocean you’ll board the bus and return to San Jose. En route you may have the opportunity to do an optional bungee jump! Make sure your parents have signed the permission form if you want to do this thrilling activity (cost: $65). Now its time to get a good night’s sleep since tomorrow you’ll be heading home or off to new adventures.

Day 16 (Wednesday) Homeward bound or onto another Rustic Pathways adventure
If you are heading home, you must say your last goodbyes to your new friends and head off to the airport bright and early in the morning. If you are heading off on another Rustic Pathways adventure in Costa Rica, get ready for more fun and excitement!

*** PLEASE NOTE: The itinerary above is not set in stone and may be changed by the staff running this program as they see fit. It is designed to give you a good idea of the day to day schedule and activities that the students will be participating in.***

Food and Accommodations
During the Traveling Soccer & Service Travel Team program students will stay in hostels and hotels throughout northern Costa Rica. They will eat light breakfasts, picnic & restaurant lunches, and dinner at small Tico restaurants. During their time in Pacayas, they will stay with host families and eat home-cooked meals prepared by their family.

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Students participating in this program will be asked to perform service work for the benefit of the communities they visit. While this program’s emphasis is on soccer, not service, there will still be times when the students will be asked to perform physically challenging work. Students may get muddy or wet performing the tasks asked of them but will be rewarded with the knowledge that their hard work was for a great cause. They can earn up to 32 service hours for the successful completion of the service work on their trip.

Spanish
Motivated students wishing to practice their Spanish will have opportunities to speak both with the Rustic Pathways guides and the villagers they meet along the journey. The amount of Spanish practice a student receives is directly related to the amount of effort they put in.

Soccer
Soccer experience and skill level of the players on this trip will vary greatly since it is a coed trip with students 14 to 18 years of age. Students are expected to be respectful of all participants on this program regardless of their playing ability and should expect to play with students, staff and Ticos of the opposite sex, all ages and all skill levels. Staff will split up the group at times according to skill level or sex in order to better improve the students’ soccer skills. Soccer is a large component of this trip and students should come prepared to play.

Injuries
Rustic Pathways will not be responsible for any injuries sustained on this program. The staff will do their best to ensure the safety of all participants, however playing soccer can be a dangerous activity and at times injuries occur. Students are asked to take reasonable safety precautions such as wearing shin guards and proper footwear. There will be times when playing on the beach that students will be playing without shin guards or shoes and they are expected to play with extreme caution in these instances. In all cases, if injuries do occur, the students will have access to good quality medical care at hospitals or clinics nearby.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-Latin America
TRAVELING SOCCER AND SERVICE TEAM

1 - How long is the flight to this country?
1A – Direct flight from Newark to San Jose takes approximately 5.5 hours.
Direct flight from Houston to San Jose takes approximately 3.5 to 4 hours.

2 - Will there be a flight leader to this country?
2A – Yes. All flights between Costa Rica and the USA will have a flight leader starting in both Newark and Houston. Return flights to the USA will also have a flight leader as far as Newark and Houston. Flights between Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua are also escorted by a Rustic Pathways guide. Flight from Costa Rica to Peru and Mexico will not be escorted.

3 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
3A – Students from the United States and Canada will be automatically issued a 90 day tourist visa upon entry into Costa Rica.

4 – What Costa Rican province(s) does this program pass through?
4A- 5A – During Traveling Soccer and Service Team, students will visit the San Jose, Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste and Puntarenas provinces.

5 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
5A – Rustic Pathways does not make recommendations regarding immunizations. We strongly suggest that you consult with a travel doctor or your family physician for medical recommendations based on the area where the student will be traveling (as listed above). You can also check the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov for more information. Yellow fever vaccinations may be required to enter Costa Rica if you have traveled to some international destinations including Peru prior to your trip to Costa Rica. Please check the Center for Disease control website for more information.

6 - How does this program connect to other programs?
6A – On Tuesday night students will have a final group dinner and stay the night in Heredia at the hotel. Wednesday morning students will meet with their new group and guides at the same hotel where they stayed and go off on their new program.

7 – How long is the drive from San Jose to this program?
7A—Students will be traveling through a variety of different locations. Bus rides will vary between a one hour drive to a 5 hour drive.

8 – What is the climate in the region where this program takes place?
8A— Students will visit a variety of different locations but most of the time, students should be prepared for hot, humid weather in the 80’s and 90’s during the day with a daily afternoon rain shower. When the students are in the Cartago province and the region near Poas volcano, the climate will be slightly cooler.

9 - Is this a good program for students interested in practicing their Spanish?
9A— Students will work with local Spanish speaking communities, however the focus of the program is introducing students to a new culture and friends through soccer and community service. The possibility of practicing conversational Spanish will exist during community service activities and the home stay experience.

10- What service projects will I work on and how are the projects identified?
10A-. Rustic Pathways works with local community leaders to identify and prioritize the needs of each community. Students will work on small scale construction projects that will help improve community and school infrastructure. Students will also facilitate educational and cultural projects with local children and youth identified by the Futbol por la Vida Foundation. During the first two weeks of July, Costa Rican school children are on vacation, so students should expect to work with students in more informal environments.

11 – How physically strenuous is this program?
11A- The Traveling Soccer and Service team is appropriate for athletic students that enjoy playing soccer and are prepared to engage in service work that may require some moderate physical activity.

12- What costs are not included on this trip?
12A- The majority of costs associated with the program are included on this trip. Students should have extra allowance money if they wish to buy souvenirs or additional snacks or sodas from the local grocery stores. Students should bring extra money if they choose to participate in optional activities that are not included in the trip costs.

13 – What are the optional activities available at an additional cost on this program?
13A-Optional activities are:

Extra trip to the hot springs: $35
Surf lessons: $25
Zip line trip: $70

Please note that these optional activities are subject to change. Occasionally Rustic Pathways staff identify new opportunities throughout the summer that we feel will enhance the students overall experience. Optional activities may also be canceled.

14 - What kind of food will we be eating? Where?
14A— Students will be eating at local restaurants as they travel throughout Costa Rica. The food will vary between traditional Costa Rican food and occasional American and international selections.

15 - Can we cater to specific diets?
15A-Rustic Pathways can cater to most dietary needs on this program. Vegetarian diets can be accommodated.   Please know that while we are happy to accommodate alternative diets, many of the special diets common in the United States are not common in other parts of the world and travelers must be patient and understanding in having these needs be met. Please contact costarica@rusticpathways.com with any questions regarding special diets or allergies.

16 - Will the kids be drinking bottled water?
16A—Costa Rica water is generally potable, so students should feel comfortable drinking tap water unless otherwise advised. They can also purchase bottles of water in the local grocery stores.

17 - What will the accommodation on this trip be like?
17A— Students will be staying in hotels during their travels. The hotels are carefully chosen according and are clean, comfortable and safe. Students will also stay several nights with host families in the town of Pacayas.

18. What are the bathroom facilities?
18A- Hotels all have bathroom facilities with running water, American style toilets and showers. Host families also have modern bathroom facilities in their homes.

19 - How many girls and boys are usually on this trip?
19A – There are typically more girls than boys however the exact numbers vary from week to week

20- What is the ratio of guides to students?
20A- Rustic Pathways generally strives to maintain a ratio of approximately 1 guide for every 5 students. Our guides go through a rigorous selection process including interviews with our program managers and a full background check.

21-Is your staff qualified in First Aid?
21A- Because safety is our number one priority, all of our programs have staff that is certified with First Aid and CPR training. Many of our guides are also qualified Wilderness First Responders, EMTs, Wilderness EMTs, or Life Guards.

22 - How often (if at all) will students be able to do laundry on this program and what will it cost?
22A—Students should pack reasonably for this program. Laundry is available once a week and the cost is $5-$10 depending on the amount of clothes. Those that will be connecting to another program will have access to another laundry service in San Jose at the end of their program for a cost of approximately $10-$15.

23 - How often will they have access to phone and internet?
23A-Students will have limited access to internet during their program when they visit towns with internet cafes. They will be able to purchase international phone cards in Costa Rica from the guides or at local convenience stores which can be used to call home from the public phones.