Today we drove to Monteverde, which means we spent about 4 hours in a bus seeing many different areas of Costa Rica. So far we have stayed in pretty much the same area the whole time, so it was really nice to see some different parts of the country and be able to gain more perspective on what it is like to live here.
Overall, there wasn’t anything extremely different about it. It was mostly mountains and forest, which was absolutely beautiful to see. There were also some residential areas or little towns with stores, restaurants, schools etc.
My perception of Costa Rica has definitely changed since arriving. At first, I felt a bit overwhelmed with how different and unfamiliar it was. I was really excited to spend more time here, but it was very new. This is no longer the case. I can’t even believe that it’s only day 4, because everything already feels so natural and familiar that it feels like I’ve been here so much longer. I’ve become more familiar with the culture, way of life, and general area, which has given me a much deeper understanding of the country and its values.
We got to learn about the background of some of the country today during our lecture with Don Ricardo Guindon. He explained how the Quakers, who value living without violence, migrated to Costa Rica when America started to require enlisting for the war. They ended up landing in Monteverde, where they formed their little community and began to influence the local area. One major influence was the cheese factory that they founded. This caused great economic success and was even a point of interest for potential tourists. This tourism increase also led to economic growth, and helped Monteverde become the popular tourist destination that it is today.