Today we traveled a couple hours up the mountains to the lush town of Monteverde! The drive up showed the different ways that locals live in Costa Rica. Each section of the drive was very different from one another. In Heredia and the area around the “Tectonic depression” the houses are very close together and have gates around them. A lot of people were moving about. As we began to move north the houses grew farther apart and the forestry increased. We saw more rainforest and a couple rivers. There were less people around but definitely lots of wild life! An hour outside of Monteverde we spotted a large group of Mono Congo’s sleeping in the trees. Once we got to Monteverde we even saw a Coatimundi right outside our room.
My perception of Costa Rica has changed a lot since being here. I didn’t realize just how much Spanish was spoken. I knew that Spanish was their official language but I figured that more people spoke English and it is beautiful to see just how strong the Spanish language is here. I have experienced the wonderful hospitality and it is very clear that Costa Rica prides themselves on being a welcoming country. Something that surprised me is that for a country that relies strongly on tourism they have a lot of interest with Americans. I have noticed staring, trying to have conversations and honking over the past four days whenever we are out. I understand that we are very obviously tourists but I had assumed they would be more accustomed to seeing tourists around. It is also very clear how important conversation and protecting the earth to them is too.
Foreigners have had a very large impact on Costs Rica. We learned from Jorge that Costa Rica has learned a lot from foreigners coming in and sharing information. We learned today that a group of Quakers from Alabama founded the town of Monteverde and are responsible for the Cloud Forest reservation and bringing biologists to Costa Rica. These efforts allowed new species of plants, animals and insects to be discovered that revealed that Costa Rica rainforests needed to be protected, which encouraged tourism. This group of quakers started by being dairy farmers as there was not any producers of fine cheeses in Costa Rica in the early 50’s when they arrived. Both of these initiatives boosted Costa Rica’s economy and continue to do so as it brings people to experience the wonders of Costa Rica. Like Us!
Monteverde is beautiful and I am extremely excited for our time here! Hasta Mañana!
