Going up the mountain resulting in some very fun views, like when I woke up, looked out the window, and saw the 50 foot drop right next to us because we were crossing a 2-foot-wide bridge in a coach bus. On our perilous journey through the mountains, we saw clusters of small communities seemingly isolated on their mountains. We also saw the construction that will bring the industrial sprawl into their small communities and desolate the lush green mountains. The differences between rural communities and more urban neighborhoods in Costa Rica are very similar to those of the US, just with the cultural aspects that make up Costa Rica, like the architecture and tight-knit communities. One of the key differences is that the rural communities have much less tourism, which contributes to the poorer lifestyle visible when driving by. Especially in Costa Rica, where a vast section of the economy is made up of tourism, this lack of capital influx makes a drastic difference in the local economy and thus lifestyle.

I definitely did not expect Monteverde to be settled by Quakers from Alabama. However, after hearing from Don Ricardo, the impact of foreigners on the Costa Rican economy and culture is quite apparent. Initially, the Quakers brought in the first main cheese factory in Costa Rica, adding a new industry. They brought their culture, present in the school and community they set up in Monteverde. To me, the most impressive part is setting up an entire community on a previously uninhabited mountain in a new country, in just two generations. They also brought in cultural aspects from around the world, such as the German cheesemaker and Dutch Spanish teacher. The multicultural community has had a great impact on Costa Rica, from industry to environmentalism, and have made Monteverde a small yet important piece of Costa Rica.