Today we got to visit a banana plantation near the Caribbean, which was a lot of fun to say the least! Our tour guide and speaker was super funny and loved to present the banana production process to us in a very fun and interactive way. He taught us a lot about banana production and…

Today we visited ICAFE which is a national coffee institute associated with the government to oversee all of Costa Rica’s coffee production and exportation companies. ICAFE works really hard to develop new coffee varieties that are resistant to different fungus, pests and diseases. They also focus heavily on sustainability and work hard to recycle coffee…

Every day we spend here I am in awe of the mystical nature that is all throughout Costa Rica. Today we took a hike with tour guide Sergio in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve where we saw millipedes, the famous bird species, the resplendent Quetzal, and the magical surrounding trees. The preservation of this forest…

Spending the day at Life Monteverde was incredible, as it gave us the opportunity to see what it is like to be a Tico farmer. We took a tour with farmer Don Guillermo of the entire farm and then we went to a local school to garden and paint the children’s playground! At Life Monteverde,…

During a long and windy bus ride, I noticed how different Costa Rica is on the pacific coast and the mountain rainforest regions from the town of Heredia. Once we were far away from the city and driving along the coast, there was so much more natural greenery and much more rural areas than from…

San Jose in Pittsburgh have a lot in common in my opinion, especially the rain! On our bus ride on the way to San Jose, I was surprised to see a lot of trash along the train route and within the city because of Costa Rica’s strong initiatives toward a sustainable environment. However, for most…

Today we got to visit two coffee companies, Doka Coffee and Cafe Britte. Doka Coffee is a major coffee supply company in Costa Rica that produces and sells beans to American chains like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and McDonald’s. On the other hand, Cafe Britte is a major manufacturer and distributor of gourmet coffee that sells…

Today was an amazing day of diving deeper into the Costa Rican culture! We had the opportunity to hear from guest lecturer Dr. Laura Ramirez about culture and diversity, and in the afternoon we had a salsa dance lesson which far exceeded my expectations. In the morning, Dr. Laura Ramirez began by talking about Costa…

My first day in Costa Rica consisted of eating amazing food, gaining a great understanding to the culture and geography of Heredia and quickly getting used to the humidity here! We were able to visit some of the main landmarks of Heredia and really learn a lot about Costa Rican culture, which were definitely different…

Hello everyone! My name is Abby Coffman and I’m interested in studying Marketing and Supply Chain with a certificate in Digital Media. At home I work as a barista for a local coffee shop, so I’m super excited to travel to Costa Rica and learn about the coffee and banana industry (feel free to check…