Today was the first day of our expedition and Costa Rica lived up to its reputation — it was a great day. In the morning we stopped at a beach that was not only gorgeous but also completely pristine; there was nobody there, just the sand and the forest. This beach is named Playa Celestia because of the beautiful turquoise color of the water. At Playa Celestia some of us just enjoyed the beach, while others did a hike to look for wildlife. The walk was very pleasant and some guests even spotted monkeys.

After lunch we visited a different beach called Playa Huevos. There we enjoyed Zodiac rides through the mangrove forest, with great bird sightings. We also had a walk in the forest, where we spotted several bird species and learned about the “gallery forest” of this ecosystem. Swimming in Playa Huevos was so fantastic, the white sand and the warm waters made it difficult to leave.