Day 3
It was a very humbling day three in San Jose, Costa Rica for the Bulldogs.
The squad made their way by bus to the south side of the capital, one of the poorer districts of the city, to visit with kids at a public school.

Upon arrival, the smiles of the five and six-year old dressed in their light blue school uniforms were infectious. 
 
To get things started, everyone gathered in the small playground area where the team and the children interlocked hands while being directed into cheerful song and dance.      
 
Next up, the Bulldogs split into groups setting up different basketball drill stations – passing, dribbling, shooting, etc.  As the kids rotated to each station, the smiles remained permanent on their faces.  They were permanent on the team's faces as well.
 
Senior guard Derric Jean summed up the hour best. 
 
"It was a great experience seeing these kids.  Very humbling.  They are not exposed to a lot.  They are not able to do a lot of outdoor activities.  It was great to come and have fun with them, see the joy on their faces.  Hearing their stories, it warmed my heart being able to spend time with them today."
 
The squad left with a lot on their minds, seeing and hearing of the struggles that the school children deal with on a daily basis. 
 
LA Tech will now have to get into game mode as they make the hour-long trip to San Ramon, Costa Rica to take on San Ramon ARBA at the Gimnasio Gabelo Conejo at 9 p.m. CT.
Day 2
After an overcast first day in Costa Rica on Saturday, the Bulldogs woke up on Sunday morning and were greeted to a sunny San Jose. 
 
The team had a full spread of breakfast to get the day started prior to venturing to the capital's vibrant downtown. 
 
Along the way, the squad's main guide Josh educated everyone on the country with information like population, economy and geography along with interesting facts such as Costa Rica not having a standing army. 
 
The charter bus drove through the 'Dogs by San Jose's "Central Park" area that was, despite it being a Sunday, filled with locals walking and playing games like soccer and handball.  The bus also drove by the National Stadium of Costa Rica that was completed in 2011. 
 
Next was to experience Costa Rica first hand – on foot.  The Bulldogs walked the streets, going down Central Avenue and partaking in some local cuisine and some souvenir shopping at Artisan's Market while checking out local landmarks like the National Theater and National Church. 
 
After two hours of being spent among the locals, the team headed back to their hotel for some down time before getting into game mode with pre-game meal and then off to BN Arena to take on the Costa Rica National Team at 8 p.m. local time (9 p.m. CT).
Pura Vida.
Day 1
 
After bussing to Houston on Friday night, the Bulldogs woke up on Saturday more than ready to say hola to Costa Rica and begin their week-long foreign tour. 
 
A classic hotel breakfast was first on the menu with your usual options – eggs, pancakes, bacon, cereal, pastries, etc.  The it was on the charter bus, passports in hand, for a quick ride to George Bush Intercontinental Airport. 
 
After a lengthy group check-in (naturally), two gate changes and about a 30-minute delay (also, naturally), the #CostaDogs set off at 12:33 p.m. on a Boeing 737-800 to Central America.
 
Rough weather over the Gulf of Mexico forced the plane to deviate off course slightly.  Reaching peak altitude of 39,000 feet at a cruising speed of about 580 miles per hour, the flight path went southeast over the Yucatan peninsula, then over Honduras and Nicaragua before landing in the country's capital San Jose at 2:38 p.m. local time.
 
Three hours and five minutes in the air were spent mostly snoozing by the players, but they were wide awake to a welcoming mountain view of Costa Rica and perfect 75-degree weather with a slight breeze. 
 
The following hour was spent going through customs and security before piling into another charter bus where they team learned the Costa Rica saying "pura vida" meaning pure life. 
 
An easy 15-minute drive to the hotel and some down time ensued.  Then it was off to a familiar setting – a basketball court – where the squad spent about an hour doing some light shooting and drills at BN Arena, site of Sunday night's game against the Costa Rica National Team. 
 
Capping off the long first day was a team meal at a taco bar before calling it a night. 
 
Pura Vida.