While driving from Heredia to Monteverde it would be difficult to miss the lush mountain scenery. Driving though the varied mountain landscapes it was interesting to see the different kinds of vegetation, rocks and land formations. When we were closer to Heredia I noticed that the soil was orange and lose but as we got closer to our destination the soil turned gray and rocky. I found it especially interesting to see the change in landscape. Also, the closer we got to Monteverde the more rural the communities became. The houses were less modern and were constructed either out of wood or corrugated metal. Additionally, the houses were much more spread out. These mountain communities were much more engrained in nature than those in the central valley, its clear to see that the people who live here live a much simpler life than those in the city.

My perception of Costa Rica Didn’t change much while driving this trip because I have explored the country before. I came on a vacation to Costa Rica a few years ago with my family and visited Manuel Antonio, a similar mountain town. I did find it interesting to see the similarities and differences between the two towns. For example, Monteverde has a ton of stray dogs and has more of a downtown area while Manuel Antonio is a little more spread out and has monkeys. Manuel Antonio has more of a jungle ecosystem while Monteverde is more forest like. Even though these two locations seem vary similar upon exploring both I was able to notice something unique about each location. It’s clear to see that Monteverde is directed towards tourists. There are posters and fliers for zip lining and many restaurants have very American names. Also, when we visited the supermarket many of the prices were in American dollars rather than colons to target tourists. Although there are many tourist attractions Monteverde isn’t overbearingly cheesy, the city still feels very ingrained in nature. Although my impressions of Costa Rica didn’t change, the impressions that I did have were verified by seeing another beautiful place in Costa Rica.