Today, we made our trek up to Monteverde. As I slept for most of the trip, I am not too sure of what much of the scenery looked like, but as we got further up the mountain, I awoke from my second slumber to see beautiful, lush green mountains. The communities we drove through had a more rural situation. Their houses seemed to be made of more “found” materials, and they had all kinds of livestock. I also noticed that many more people had motorbikes of some sort, and I would guess this is because of the small, winding mountain roads. My perception of Costa Rica was already shaken up when we arrived on Saturday, but now I am even more surprised. I first imagined Costa Rica as a beach area, but after arriving in and staying within Heredia, I changed this perception, and now coming to the mountains has changed it even more. I am in awe of the beauty of Monteverde.
The talk with Ricardo Guindon was extremely interesting. He talked about his family moving from Alabama to Costa Rica to escape violence and war. The foreigners have had a huge impact on the economy, as they established Monteverde as what it is today. The Quakers created a life and community so large that they are now the minority, especially here, as there has been so much mixing and moving in the last 75 years.
Tomorrow is our first full day and I am buzzing to see the beauties of Monteverde.