Gravity-defying flights through the air. Adrenaline fueled trips through raging waters. Gag-inducing, bug-eating snack times. These are the things that awaited Jordan’s Spanish students in Costa Rica.

For the 24 students, parents and chaparones who made the trek from Jordan to Conoce, Costa Rica, it was the trip of a lifetime.

Here are some of the highlights – and lowlights – from some of the people who went on the trip, in their own words:

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The trip was amazing. The students used their Spanish and were so fearless! They tried all of the new foods we were offered, participated in all of the activities, and were enthusiastic about everything! They were also very patient and supportive of each other.

For me, the most exciting part of the trip was the zip lining and Tarzan jump. (They hooked us up to a rope and bungee and pushed us off a 30-foot tower so we could swing like Tarzan.) The whitewater river rafting was also incredibly fun! The most interesting thing that I ate was a termite – it tasted a bit like mint and pepper. The best food for me was the rice and beans, because it reminded me of the time I spent living in the Dominican Republic.

Amy Peters,
Spanish teacher

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My favorite part of the trip was either whitewater rafting or zip cording. We had an awesome guide for rafting, but the view on the zip cording was amazing. The worst part of the trip had to be the flight down there or one of my rooms flooding. The flight down took forever and was very tiring. And one night our room flooded and we had to move practically in the middle of the night. The weirdest thing was when I ate the termite – it actually wasn’t too bad.

Sadie Read

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Whitewater rafting was pretty fun. The thing I liked most was the zip line. The first zip line was kind of scary, but after you did the first one, they were fun.

Hannah Hooper

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Definitely the waterfall! I loved it! We got to swim right next to the fall, and I was nervous at first, but our guide told me that the current wasn’t strong and that I would be fine. He lied. The current was strong, but it made the adventure even more fun. We got to swim around the waterfall and the little rapids that was connected to the fall.

Heidi Graham

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Traveling with the kids from Jordan High School was quite an adventure! They all did a terrific job of trying to communicate with the Ticos. There were many firsts for everyone – whitewater rafting, boating, swimming in hot springs, and the ocean. The most breath-taking adventure was going on the zip line through the cloud forest. Mrs. Leary and Mrs. Peters did a great job of coordinating our wonderful trip.

Toni Graham

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My favorite part of the trip was whitewater rafting. It was scary at first when we went through the rapids, but it was a blast when we got a hang of it. I liked it when we took a break from rafting and we got to jump off a cliff into the river.

The most interesting part was when someone in the room next to us took a shower and their water wouldn’t turn off. The hotel didn’t do anything about it, so the water started flooding into our room. We had to switch rooms at almost 11 p.m.!

Victoria Swiontek

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My favorite memory would either be whitewater rafting or zip lining over the cloud forest.
The weirdest thing I did was when I ate a cocoa bean right from the fruit.
The worst experience I had there was when we were driving from place to place on bumpy roads. One trip took five hours. The plane ride there wasn’t fun either. The ride from Dallas to Panama City and then to Miami was a little long.

Erin Zahler

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My favorite memory was either whitewater rafting or zip lining through the rainforest. They were both really fun. The weirdest thing I did was ate a termite. The worst part of the trip was probably having beans and rice for almost every meal. The flight down there also wasn't too fun. Overall, the trip was a lot of fun. It was a really good experience.

Nicki Krautkremer

I had a lot of fun while I was in Costa Rica. We all made lots of memories to laugh at now. The most fun thing that we did was whitewater rafting and the zip line through the rainforest. There were amazing views over the canopy of trees. The fruit down there was very good. All in all, I had a very good trip.

Shannon Wick

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My favorite memory is when we went whitewater rafting. Our raft kept getting stuck on the rocks when the water was shallow but going really fast. The reason why this was my favorite memory is because I almost fell out of the raft and feared my life. Just kidding – it was such a rush.

Anthony Hull

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The best parts were all the outdoor activities we did, especially whitewater rafting, zip lining and swimming in the huge waterfall. We ran into lots of interesting creatures – large bugs, bats and iguanas – on the sidewalks and in our hotel rooms. Some of our bus rides through the country were hot and bumpy, but definitely worth it to see the gorgeous scenery (rainforests, hills, rivers, and the ocean).

Melissa Kreuser

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The best part was jumping from 30 feet up.

Todd Kidd

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For more on the students' trip, go to: http://www.jordannews.com/news/outdoors/jhs-costa-rica-trip-more-pictures-8190  or  http://www.jordannews.com/news/schools/jhs-costa-rica-trip-cast-8184