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As the early morning sun rose, the campers of Dreamsea Surf Camp of Costa Rica loaded our various sized surf boards on top of the shuttle, and piled into the van headed for an all-day surf trip to the historic Playa Avellanas. On the way to the beach, we could look out at the bumpy dirt road and see a side of Costa Rica that some of us had never seen before. We could see locals sitting on their porch, while colorful clothes hung drying on clothing lines. As the drive progressed, a light rain rolled down the windows, and everyone started to become more talkative, awake, and excited for the surf.
We arrived at Playa Avellanas around eleven after the 40-minute bus ride. Everyone excitedly jumped out of the bus and untied their boards from the shuttle racks. A light mist hit our faces, but for the most part the weather felt cool and crisp. We walked to a unique looking tree, and put our stuff around the low hanging tree limbs. Many of the campers started waxing their boards to prepare for the large surf. Some of the non surfers went swimming in the white water and tested the strength of the powerful waves. There were several rocks on the edge of the water, which acted as a perfect seat to watch the surfers.
After some time passed, many of us laid out surf boards that were not being used, and started playing a board game on top of the long flat surface. The game was called ¨Bananagrams¨ and was similar to scrabble. This game was interactive that could be played in all languages. This reiterated that campers were always willing to learn and try new games and activities from different cultures. We have many bonding experiences that can be shared between all of us.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”75″ back_image=”52578″ overlay_color=”accent” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Lunch was prepared after many of the surfers came out of the water, hungry from all the energy they had just expended. Some campers took control of cutting and preparing the fresh avocado and tuna wraps. Everyone demolished the chips and salsa during this time of preparation. After lunch, we laid out our towels and attempted to digest the meal on the dark sand beach. The clouds opened up a little and we felt a couple drops of rain. At this point several of us decided to explore around the area, and find a famous bridge we were told about.
When looking for this bridge, we actually ended up walking passed it and walked another half mile until we noticed our mistake. Once we found the bridge, it lightly started to sprinkle. The rain actually made the look of the area much more atmospheric. The narrow wooden bridge went over a swamp, and was surrounded by dead trees. The combination of the misty rain on the bridge reminded me of a scary movie. We took many pictures of this bridge, but I felt none of them captured the eerie look of this unique swamp. We stayed at this bridge for a while, but then decided to make our way back to the meeting area. As we reunited with our friends the rain started to pick up.
Back at the tree, almost everyone decided to go back surfing and swimming. The rain did not bother anyone, in fact we actually enjoyed having the refreshing rain splatter on us. Swimming was followed by sunset yoga, taught by our teacher, Teresa. The combination of her soothing voice mixed with the sound of waves breaking, created a calming atmosphere easy to get lost in. The water reflected the pink and orange colors of the sunset. Everyone was covered in sand after this yoga session. We took a refreshing shower to attempt to get the sand off before getting into the van. We couldn´t take our eyes off the beautiful sunset. It was hard to tell where the ocean ended and sky began. We drove off as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.. A perfect ending to a perfect day.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”80″ back_image=”52585″ overlay_color=”accent” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”7″ top_padding=”2″ bottom_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”0″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_size=”h3″ text_space=”fontspace-731609″ text_font=”font-762333″ text_weight=”500″ text_transform=”uppercase” text_color=”color-jevc” separator=”yes” separator_color=”yes” sub_reduced=”yes” text_align=”text-center” text_serif=””]BLOG CREDITS[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_column_text]THE WORDS: This article was written by the fearless and remarkable Wesley Bonnin, who is from Charlotte, North Carolina, and is constantly exploring the limits of travel while engraving her influence on the places and people she encounters. You can follow her incredible adventures via her INSTAGRAM.THE VISUALS: This video was shot and edited by the gifted Belinda Martinez Solis, who hails from Ovideo, Spain and is traveling the World while speaking the language of art through her camera lens. Her journey and subsequent art can be followed via her INSTAGRAM.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_custom_heading text_size=”h3″ text_space=”fontspace-731609″ text_font=”font-762333″ text_weight=”500″ text_transform=”uppercase” text_color=”color-jevc” separator=”yes” separator_color=”yes” sub_reduced=”yes” text_align=”text-center” text_serif=””]WANT TO JOIN THE DREAMSEA SURF CAMP OF COSTA RICA TEAM?[/vc_custom_heading][vc_empty_space empty_h=”2″][vc_column_text]