The trip from Heredia to Monteverde was an eye-opening experience. Not only did the scenery and ecosystems change throughout the trip but so did the communities. As we got farther away from the city I began to see more and more farms and housing started to be more spread out. Some of the towns and houses also seemed to be much more poorly built and there was a lot more trash than what I had seen in Heredia. The towns that we did see were focused usually around a creek or river. The other thing I noticed that surprised me is that a lot of the cows that were grazing seemed to be very skinny and malnourished. I assume this was because it was the dry season and the pastures they were in had very short dry grass.

Since I arrived on Saturday my perspective of Costa Rica has changed quite a bit. One of the main things that has contributed to this is the weather and scenery of this country. The amount of different environments and microclimates this country has amazes me. The biodiversity in each part of the country is amazing. Over this entire trip, I have probably seen hundreds of different species of animals alone, a feat that would not be possible in such a short time in Pennsylvania. I also feel that as the trip has continued on I have been better able to understand the locals and their lives. Especially on how dependent this country is on tourism based on the numerous tours I have had and the number of people in this country who seem to understand some amount of English.

The Quaker’s influence on Costa Rica definitely can not be understated. As we learned from Don Ricardo Guindon, the Quakers moved from Alabama to Costa Rica in the early 1960s and they settled in Monteverde because of its cheaper price compared to other parts of the country. Once here they decided to set up a cheese factory. As time went on the Quakers, who have naturalist roots, realized they were depleting the natural environment and cloud forest and decided to start protecting this area. They discovered that by protecting it, they could set up ecotourism, which would be more beneficial for Costa Rica economically and a way to protect the natural environment. They then helped teach this to the Costa Ricans which allowed Monteverde to become the tourist attraction it is today.