Imagine with me, you're lying in a hammock on the beach, you feel the soft sand running through your fingers, you look up to see a pair of scarlet macaws flying through the blue cloudless sky, you smell the fresh clean air with the scent of newly bloomed flowers and you can hear the waves rolling in and crashing down. Now you peel your yummy, sweet banana and take a bite...you bring it to your mouth for another bite, but a monkey swoops down and takes it! Honourable judges, teachers, fellow students and guests today I will be talking about a place where all your senses come alive, Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a beautiful place and last summer I had the privilege to visit it. Let me tell you about my travel to get there. My mom, brother, dad and I started off our journey on a big plane, and when we got to San Jose we switched over to a small plane, it was small and only seated six people. At first I thought, there is no way I am getting on that plane, but I had to. After it took off it wasn't that bad, it was actually fun. When we landed in a town called Puerto Jimenez, about one hour later we switched again to an open jeep. We sat in the back under a canopy for about two hours, while it drove us on a dirt road through the rainforest and rivers to our destination, a jungle eco-lodge.

When we got to the eco-lodge we just sat back and admired how beautiful it was. It was nestled in pure rainforest overlooking the warm Pacific Ocean. It's truly where the rainforest meets the ocean. I learned all about the eco part of the lodge, environmentally friendly is what comes to mind. The lodge was solar powered with a limited impact on nature's playground. There's a quote, "take only pictures and leave only footprints."

The lodge is on the Osa Peninsula which national geographic calls "the most biologically intense place on earth."

I went with Stepout Experience, which happens to be my uncles company. Stepout really allows you to open your eyes, remove yourself from everyday life and experience new things in this exotic adventure.

When I was in Costa Rica I attended a kids eco camp with kids from all over the world. We would go off to camp in the morning and meet up with our parents at lunch. At camp we did all kinds of activities, we went to a farm up the road called Finca Exotica. At Finca they grow all sorts of cool fruits, plants and animals. We also went to help built the turtle hatchery for the endangered sea turtles. We even got a see a sea turtle lay its eggs. Boogie boarding was also something we did quite regularly. I learned a lot from the other kids at camp and the leader. I even learned some Spanish & Dutch!

I have many memories to last a lifetime, but I can only share a few. One very interesting experience was when I went to an animal sanctuary. I got to see monkeys, sloths, and many other animals that had been mistreated, but were being nursed back to health and re-introduced into the wild. Another exciting experience was when I went on a hike into Corcovado National Park. When I entered, I remember looking all around me and seeing green, lush rainforest. On my hike, I saw monkeys and many other plants and animals that lived in this habitat. Corcovado has more plant and animal life than in North and Central America combined.

I had an amazing trip and learned so much in Costa Rica. I wish I could have stayed longer.

Can you imagine now that you are lying in a hammock on the beach and all your senses are coming alive.

I really did stepout and experience Costa Rica.

By: Kayley Wynne, age 11 years old

Labels: green and sustainable vacationing