Today we journeyed to Monteverde, a town around four hours north of Heredia. During our drive, I enjoyed looking at the scenery of mountains and other small towns. There were many chances to look at new plants and wildlife as well, including mango trees and cattle. Jorge, our guide, spotted a group of howler monkeys in nearby trees, and he even let us stop on the side of the road to get a better look! Halfway through the drive, we stopped at a souvenir shop and petting zoo that had other animals, including the goat in my featured photo. We also passed several stands selling local fruits set up on the side of the street. I love that this area makes me feel a sense of community, even as a tourist.
After arriving in Monteverde, we had the chance to hear from Don Ricardo Guindon, a son of the founder of Monteverde. He told us the very compelling story of a group of Quakers from Alabama that moved to Costa Rica in search of a more peaceful life. This group had a large impact on the community around them, both economically and culturally. After the Quakers decided to live in Monteverde, they began a cheese business in order to make money. At that time, Monteverde did not have electricity. So, to power the machinery, they built a hydroelectric plant. This became so successful that the Quakers were able to sell electricity to neighboring towns. In addition, Quakers improved the roads in this region, as they needed to be able to efficiently transport their cheese to the Central Valley. Culturally, the Quakers and Costa Ricans formed a strong farming community together. For entertainment, many nights were spent square dancing They also began celebrating “Monteverde Day” on April 19 by having a potluck dinner. This ensured that everyone was included in celebrating their community.
These first few days have definitely changed my perspective of Costa Rica, especially travelling to a more rural area. Before dinner, we went on a night walking tour, where we saw birds, snakes, tarantulas, and frogs in the cloud forest. Our guide was very knowledgeable about all of the wildlife in the forest, and he told us about how Monteverde is focused on its conservation. He also discussed that this conservation would not be possible without tourism, which was a point of view that I had not though of before. I did not know that people in Costa Rica welcomed tourists this much and were thankful to have them until I heard this perspective.
Tomorrow, we will be revisiting the cloud forest for a hike in the daylight. Hopefully I won’t see any more tarantulas!