There is a phrase in Costa Rica that is synonymous with "living aloha."

"It’s ‘pura vida,’ and it means ‘pure life,’ " said Davone Bess, a former Hawaii receiver who now plays for the Miami Dolphins.

Bess recently completed a two-week trip in Costa Rica, and what could have been a photo-op turned into a much bigger experience. In a small village in the Monteverde region, Bess dug ditches, cleared paths and helped fix a recreation center.

"Oh, man, we were working," Bess said. "We were digging ditches. We were chopping trees. I got to swing a machete. We were doing it all. It was the full two weeks of working hard, and I enjoyed every minute of it."

Earlier this year, Bess created the nonprofit Bess Route Foundation. He staged a charity basketball tournament in Oakland, where he was raised. Proceeds went to youth organizations in the Bay Area. He said he is planning a basketball game in Honolulu in February, in conjunction with the Police Activity League.

"I’ve been very blessed," Bess said. "I want to help others."

That was the motivation in signing up with Global Volunteers. He had heard that organization planned to help the village in Costa Rica. As part of his agreement with Adidas, Bess received apparel and equipment instead of financial compensation. He planned to deliver soccer balls and equipment to the village’s girls soccer team.

But the delivery did not go smoothly. Bess and members of Global Volunteers took a flight from Miami to the Costa Rican capital of San Jose.

"When I landed, it kind of gave me flashbacks to Hawaii," Bess said. "The mountains. The sky. At least from the airport."

He then entered into the humidity and traffic.

"There were impatient drivers," he said. "It was chaos."

Bess and his party then made the 4 1⁄2-hour drive into the mountain region .

"They didn’t have many paved roads," he said. "It was dirt and gravel. They call it the ‘Costa Rican massage’ because you just bounce all over the place, going over potholes and big rocks."

He arrived to a town with few amenities.

"The girls soccer team that represents the village doesn’t even have the proper equipment, and they go on long trips," Bess said.

Bess’ group brought electric skillets, rice cookers and heart monitors.

"It was good to see the kids smiling and full of joy," Bess said.

Bess’ group then stayed to work on the ditches and building projects.

"It felt great to work," Bess said.

After the two weeks, Bess said, "I felt very fortunate. When I look back on my life, I didn’t have much growing up. But what I had was a lot more than some of them had. They don’t have much, but they’re appreciative of everything they have. They’re not worried about what they don’t have. They taught me a lot. They taught me about pura vida."