Men's Soccer Travels to Costa Rica, Day One Recap by Junior Nathan Weick

 

By Nate Weick

With a journey beginning at 2:00 a.m., the Juniata's Men's Soccer team landed in the San Jose International Airport in the province of Alajuena, Costa Rica on the afternoon of August fifth to commence our ten-day long team trip in preparation for the upcoming fall season. The team was welcomed with a late lunch and an orientation presentation from the Costa Rican soccer program who will host us on the trip. Fun fact: Costa Rica is home to 110 volcanos! We were able to try chifrijo, a native Costa Rican dish composing mainly of arroz (rice) and frijloes (beans) as our first meal in country and learn key cultural differences together.

 

To our surprise, Chifrijo was just a small taste of the pura vida in Costa Rica that we would experience that night. Later on, we went to a nearby restaurant for a buffet-style dinner and a show with a stunning view of the country. Local performers demonstrated dance routines native to the Guanacaste and Limón provinces, which the team was even able to join in on! We also made a great new friend with the restaurant's dog, Junior.

 

Tomorrow, we will have our first training session coached by a Costa Rican professional, visit the National Stadium of Costa Rica and the San José Historic District, and even take Zumba dancing lessons!