Over the course of my trip to Costa Rica, I have been able to learn so many new things that I knew absolutely nothing about. I’ve never been very interested in agriculture, but this trip has opened my eyes to how truly complex the industry can be. While on the farms I had the opportunity…

As one of the final parts of our immersion experience in Costa Rica, we toured Sibo Chocolate, a small chocolate-making business that started back in 2008. The co-owners of this business, historian Julio Fernandez Amón and journalist George Soriano, essentially gave up everything they had to start this chocolate business all those years ago. Our…

Today we got the opportunity to take a different route to the lowlands of Sarapiqui due to the excessive rain we had last night. While it was longer, the scenery was very beautiful and was amazing to see in the morning when it’s the brightest outside. At Sarapiqui, we got to visit a banana farm…

After a great day to relax and go to the beach, this morning our class made its way to the Sarapiqui, the lowlands of Costa Rica where they grow one of their main exports, pineapples! If you didn’t already know, fresh pineapple is absolutely delicious here in Costa Rica, the taste is so much sweeter…

Today was our last day in Monteverde where we learned so many things about sustainability and saw so many spectacular views and interesting species. After checking out of our hotel in the morning, we went to what might have been my favorite activity so far in Monteverde, maybe even our entire trip! Life Monteverde is…

After an early morning and breakfast at the hotel, we began our day with a guided tour around Monteverde’s famous cloud forest! This forest is part of the land that the Quakers worked towards conserving based on the level of biodiversity present. On top of what we learned yesterday about the conservation effort of this…

Today we took a long drive to Monteverde, a small community 4,600 feet above sea level in the Puntarenas province that is quite charming even when it’s raining. As we travelled from the Central Valley towards Monteverde, I began to notice a distinct change. On our way out of the Valley I found it interesting…

After another fabulous day surrounded by the smell of coffee and rain, Costa Rica shows us what exactly makes them such a unique place to visit. Today we took a short bus ride to Cafe Britt where they roast coffee to sell in 11 different markets through their partner Morpho. While coffee may not be…

Today we got to visit two different farms in the high altitudes of Costa Rica’s Alajuela and Heredia provinces. We ascended the Poás Volcano for about an hour to reach the Doka Estate which sits at an altitude of about 1,300 meters (which is around 4200 feet). We were greeted with a small cup of…

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Costa Rica is genuine character. It is a country that not only has beautiful landscapes, but is also rooted in a rich, deep culture that permeates through my interactions with the people. The host family that we are staying with doesn’t speak any English,…

Hi everyone! My name is Genevieve Echternach and I just wrapped up my freshman year at Pitt with an intended double major of Accounting and Marketing! Additionally, I am pursuing a Certificate in Leadership and Ethics which is a perfect fit for our upcoming trip to Costa Rica and I am a proud member of…