Today, we made the four hour trip to Monteverde. We’ll be staying here for the next two nights. The trip here, while very long, was very eye-opening and I learned a lot about the geography of Costa Rica. When I first arrived in Costa Rica, I was shocked by how busy and concentrated Heredia and the rest of the Central Valley was. This surprise led me to believe that all of Costa Rica was that urbanized, which I now realize how very naïve that was. Costa Rica is mostly protected land and nature reserves, so of course it’s not going to be filled with malls and sodas and people.

The drive here took us through many different parts of Costa Rica. We left the Central Valley for the first time since our arrival here. I got to see the Pacific Coast and finally the mountainous region of the country. It’s very rural and much more of what I initially expected before I arrived in the country. The scenery also indicated the importance of tourism in Costa Rica, as billboards advertised beach destinations and adventure activities and souvenir shops were everywhere.

After we arrived at our beautiful hotel, we had the opportunity to learn about the history of Monteverde from one of the Quaker emigrants that lives here. I had no idea there was an American settlement in Costa Rica and this was a very fascinating discussion. I think the fact that the Quakers left the United States and were easily accepted by the Costa Rican people says a lot. The Ticos are consistently welcoming and friendly, and this situation is no different. I’ve only been in Monteverde for a few hours, but I can see why the Quakers decided to settle here. It’s beautiful and incredibly peaceful.