To kick off day 4 of our trip, we took on a long bus ride to Monteverde!! On our way there, we were able to see two very different ecosystems of Costa Rica: the Pacific coast and beach near Puntarenas and the cloud forest of Monteverde on the continental divide. Seeing these ecosystems first-hand was astonishing. With each day that goes by, I still can’t believe how beautiful of a country Costa Rica is. I was able to take pictures of the large mountains and the clouds that surrounded them near the top. It was so cool to see! I can’t wait to hike the Cloud Forest soon!!
During this bus trip to Monteverde, we were lucky enough to witness something super special in the middle of the forest!! MONKEYS!!!! After feeling drowsy on the bus, I woke up to the sound of our tour guide Jorge saying that we were pulling the bus over for a little while to catch sight of these hilarious and cute Howler monkeys!! They lay on the branches and move around only slightly, if anything at all, because of the intense heat and their consumption of drowsy-inducing food. Nothing more relatable than a food coma… I guess we have something in common!
As we continued to drive through Costa Rica, I was able to reflect on the many activities we have already completed together in only the past four days that we have been here. This experience has been incredibly inspiring and eye-opening already, I am seriously so grateful to have participated in this program. Since our arrival on Saturday, I have been able to take in the culture and typical living style of Costa Rica. Everything I have seen and learned about is so much better than I imagined. The host moms and communities in which we are staying are so tight-knit, genuine, and welcoming. The people are very happy and being here makes me so joyful!!
Once we arrived at Monteverde, Don Ricardo Guindon chatted with us to share his family history and explain how some Quakers from Alabama settled into the Monteverde region. He spoke on the many attributes and traditions that the Quakers have and how they contributed to the start of cheese factories here in Monteverde. This greatly increased the Costa Rican economy! According to Don Ricardo, people went from substance living to better conditions and being able to work in the cheese factory. The settling of the Quakers also contributed to the improvement of the roads and the implementation of electricity!!