As we drive up to Monteverde, I start to see the natural side of Costa Rica that was not visible in Heredia. There were trees everywhere, and the buildings became less and less frequent. I noticed how the houses were very spread out because they grow their own foods. There were cows roaming the fields and dogs walking along the streets. We got to see mango trees, which I loved because I love mangos. It must have been our lucky day because we stopped the bus to see 20 or more howler monkeys in the trees. Our guide says that this is a very rare thing. The baby monkeys were so cute. We learned that there are four possible monkeys to see in Costa Rica: the howler monkeys, white-faced monkey (the smartest), spider monkey, and squirrel monkey. As my ears popped going higher up the mountains, we had an amazing view of all of the mountains surrounding us. The streets were very curved. I am impressed with our driver making these turns driving the big bus.
Since Saturday, I have seen so many new things and learned so much about Costa Rica. I get to see the way the locals live and I have noticed how different it is from the U.S. Next to my homestay, there is a basketball court and I see people playing all the time. Although there are courts where I am from, I do not see this same sense of community where all of the kids from the neighborhood come to play. I also am starting to see why the market is set up the way it is, so that people can get their food items fresh since it is organic. This is much different than just going to Giant Eagle or Acme. Walking around the city, everyone says “Pura Vida” or pure life, to others. This shows me that Costa Ricans can be very sincere and have a “life is good” attitude. After learning about mañana time, I actually saw it in action. Ticos are not ones to be on time. Our dance instructor might have been on mañana time as he was late to our lesson. It could have been traffic, but for the sake of my point I am going to go with this.
After arriving at Monteverde, Don Ricardo Guidon told us about the history of his family and how they came from Alabama and settled in the Monteverde region. They were known as the Quakers. They wanted to make gourmet cheese, so they advertised for help. His family was the first to introduce cheese factories in Monteverde, and they also helped create electricity. When his family wasn’t working on the farm they would play sports such as basketball, soccer, and softball. They impacted this province greatly and are a great example of how foreigners impacted Costa Rican culture.
