The day started quite early with a four hour bus ride to our hotel in Monteverde. On the trip we passed many communities and mountains. The one thing that stood out to me about the communities is in every one I saw a school with children in uniform playing soccer. It was very cool to see across the country people playing the world’s game even at recess in uniform. Leaving Heredia, there a was a noticeable difference in the amount of tourist and American influenced restaurants. These were replaced by mountains and a soda or two every once in a while.

Upon arrival we were shown our incredible room and had a lunch included with our stay. We continued to a presentation about the life of Don Ricardo and his father settling Monteverde and helping create the community as it is today. It was really interesting to learn the history and hear the land was actually settled by American Quakers to escape volunteering for war. They established a community with a school and succeeded by building a cheese factory. Most of the settlers were either farmers or biologists studying the immense wild life here.

The Quakers and other foreigners have had a positive and a negative influence on Costa Rica. The Quakers helped establish a community and sustain wildlife with the help of the biologists. Originally they were chopping down a lot of trees and teaching people how to use chainsaws. With this positive change the foreigners were able to help preserve the wildlife. As tourism becomes increasingly popular, it pumps money into the Costa Rican economy, but at a cost. Space must be provided for these tourists with causes trees and wildlife to be destroyed. Overall, tourism helps bring different views to the country through the Quakers and their involvement of cheese and helps boost the countries economy.