Final blog post! Yesterday we got to pick strawberries and explore the waterfall gardens at La Paz. We saw animals like toucans, frogs, sloths, and monkeys and got to see some beautiful views. After, we attended a fútbol game in Alejuela. It poured and we left at half time, I don’t know who won. The…
Tag: Alexis Shafer
From Café to City
Today, we took the train into the center of San José. Before it was a city, San José had many coffee farms, but as farmers shifted to more ideal climates, the rural area shifted to urbanization. The railroad through Costa Rica is a direct result of the coffee trade. For quicker export to Europe, it…
Pining for Piña Coladas!
Today we visited two fruit plantations in Sarapiqui, on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. The first plantation we visited grows and exports bananas. Costa Rica is now the third largest exporter of bananas in the world, but the fruit was not initially intended to be an export. During the construction of Costa Rica’s railway,…
Sweet Treat Saturday!
Today, we went on Sibö Chocolate Tour. We learned about the history of chocolate from how it originated with the Native Americans in Central America to how it got Europeanized into the modern product we know and love. Initially, chocolate was a bitter drink, or used as a savory sauce. It traveled to Spain as…
Brushing Up on Sustainable Farming!
Today we visited Cafe Monteverde. To start the day we did a service project with a local school, and painted the gate outside of the school. We added a mural with letters, numbers, flowers, trees and the handprints of the children. The teachers emphasized that this would be an experience for them to remember. After…
Monteverde Wins a Coati-ara For Sustainability!
Today we hiked the cloud forest at the reserve in Monteverde. Two percent of the world’s species live in Monteverde and we got to experience this firsthand. We saw toucans, insects, baby birds, coati, and monkeys, and got to hike to the continental divide for a gorgeous view. After having some lunch and taking a…
Monkeying Around in Monteverde!
I think Costa Rica is the coolest place ever. Today we traveled four hours from the Central Valley to Monteverde. The roads were very curvy and for the first time in my life, I experienced motion sickness. The scenery was different from in Heredia. The communities were smaller and more rural. The houses were simpler…
Costa Rica Gives Me Mariposas!
Today we went on the Cafe Britt Coffee Tour! When we first got there we were greeted by a very talkative goat and some creepy and maybe charming statues that kept us entertained while we waited for our tour to start. The tour itself was interactive with audience participation and chocolate rewards for correct answers…
Excited for Expresso!
Today we toured Doka Coffee Estate! We drove through a beautiful landscape with valleys, trees, rivers, and even volcanos. The estate itself is elevated up the slope of a volcano because this is a more ideal climate for its growth. Upon arrival we tasted some iced coffee and even though I’m not a huge coffee…
Buenos Días Heredia!
After arriving late last night and meeting our host family and their cat, we went to bed so that we would be ready for our first full day today. We woke up and had breakfast with our host abuela. She made us toast, omelettes, tea, and watermelon. I’m not a huge egg person, but it…
Going Bananas for Costa Rica!!
I’m Lexi Shafer, and I am an electrical engineering student from New Jersey. I am also pursuing a business minor, so this program was perfect. I am so excited to be going to Costa Rica and I can’t believe that we leave so soon! Since arriving at Pitt, I knew that I wanted to participate…