In many ways, it feels like we have transitioned to a brand new country with today’s journey from Heredia to Monteverde. It is not a country that is bizarre or unfamiliar, mind you, but it does have a very different vibe. In a lot of ways, the drive up to Monteverde reminded me of our shorter journey to the Doka plantation, as both saw a stark transition from the dense pedestrian-heavy city streets to a road-dependent, high-altitude rural area that is more dependent on crops. I’m aware that it is not uncommon for countries to have such stark differences in the feels between their urban and rural areas (I’m one to talk considering how incredibly diverse the United States is), but I can’t help but assume that the average person living in Heredia has more in common with a citizen of Mexico D.F. or Lima than they do with someone from Monteverde, considering how geography can often shape our lives much more than laws, borders, and nations.

Specifically, those living up in the mountains in Costa Rica appear to own up to their sense of isolation. Whereas American small towns are still generally well connected through the interstate system, the insanely intricate winding road connecting Monteverde and Heredia clearly defines a changing of worlds. Monteverde citizens, or at least, the handful that I had to meet today, seem to be equally friendly (a.k.a. very friendly), though with a bit more of a laid-back approach to things. I suppose that this does line up with what was briefed in the pre-departure meetings, as “Tico time” is supposedly much more prevalent as one gets more and more rural. One thing that particularly struck me about the road itself is that there were several vendors selling fruit on the side of the road in areas that were otherwise completely isolated and uninhabited by nearby buildings. I’m aware that fruit sellers are common between Nicaragua and Panama, but they seem to be more frequent (at least, per capita) and at much less sensical locations up here than in the city. I suppose that this could be an indication of the level of importance that agriculture has on those in the mountains, many of whom must work in fruit crops, themselves.

It is also worth noting that Monteverde is unique compared to most small Costa Rican towns due to its historical significance for the Quakers. Being settled by a large group of these migrants from the United States in the 50’s, Monteverde is disproportionally non-Tico, at least in terms of ethnicity. Considering how pacifist the Quakers were/are, it is worth crediting that they made significant efforts to assimilate and refrain from anglicizing the area, which was highlighted by Don Ricardo’s dedication to the Spanish language, despite English upbringing in both Ohio and Alabama. The fact that the Quakers specifically chose Monteverde due to, in part, its plain natural beauty, it probably is not a pure coincidence that this is one of the disproportionately visited areas by tourists who are attracted by the same features. These mean that, at its core, it seems to be that Monteverde can be considered to be a tourism town through-and-through. This can arguably be the main difference between it and Heredia, which was packed full of people working and living their normal lives.

I’m very curious to see how Monteverde compares with La Fortuna, as both are rural towns that may or may not prove to have very different economies. ¡El único camino es para esperar y ver!