Men's Basketball Blog: Costa Rica Final Days

Written By Zane Hackett

We awoke in the morning to an unfamiliar scene; air conditioning and hot showers.  The luxurious Studio Hotel with all of its amenities was a far cry from the howler monkey alarm clocks and Eco-Lodges that we had experienced the past two days.  It was a refreshing change.  A breakfast buffet was served at the hotel at 7:45 a.m. and tasted just as good as the fresh fruit,   scrambled eggs and crisp bacon looked. 

At 8:45 a.m. we left the hotel and ventured just out of the city to a scenic location that featured two waterfalls, known as Los Chorros, that both dropped just over two hundred feet to the canyon floor.  A ten minute hike down to the bottom and we had front row seats to one of the most breathtaking views we had ever experienced.  Looking up at the falling water gave all of us yet another glimpse into the true beauty of Costa Rica. Walking a short stint upstream revealed the second of the falls.  Each were equally as impressive and powerful, pounding down water with intense force.  Everyone waded in the pools at the bottom of the falls and posed for numerous photos.  It was truly a great experience and some even called it "the highlight of the trip."

On the way back to the hotel we stopped for a bite to eat at La Casona Del Maiz, a local restaurant that served common Costa Rican rice dishes. Then continued on our way back to the hotel for a needed afternoon rest.  

The restaurant of choice for our pre-game meal was a smoothie bar and sandwich shop just a couple blocks down from the hotel.  A round of delicious smoothies washed down yet another great meal to prepare us for the evenings game against last years runner-up in the Costa Rican pro league; San Ramón.   The game tipped-off at 8:00pm and after a very rough first half we battled back but couldn't cut the margin to less than six.  A seven point loss was the result.  We then headed back to the hotel to rest before our day of travel back to the states tomorrow. 

Although we suffered a loss on the final game of the trip, in no way did it put a damper on the amazing, once in a lifetime journey, that was our trip to Costa Rica.  We are very grateful for our awesome tour guide Tom and bus driver Johnny.  They were both invaluable in planning and executing a phenomenal trip for Behrend Basketball.