Today was the last full Day in Costa Rica, and it has been an amazing experience! I have learned and loved so much in such a short time. I am not excited to leave, but I am ready to get some sleep. As an engineer, I expected to be mainly interested in the engineering aspects…

The days of this trip are winding down, and I see the end in sight. I DON’T WANT TO LEAVE!!! It could just be that Costa Rica is so different from any place I have seen before, but I am in awe of everything (other than the trash in some locations). The houses are colorful,…

Today, we visited a banana and pineapple plantation in Sarapiqui. We first visited the banana plantation. The banana plantation we visited makes banana flour. The flour made contains no gluten. During Covid, they wanted to find something else they could sell. The solution was to produce mixes of banana flour for people to make banana…

Today, we visited Sibö, a company specializing in the production of chocolate. We learned about the history of chocolate and a tasting of several chocolates. Despite the heat, I enjoyed the presentation. In addition to some of the chocolate being the best I have ever had, the presenter was hilarious. We heard a lot of…

Today was my favorite day so far. We visited a local school in the morning for our service project. We were split into groups for a moment to talk to the young students. It was fun communicating with them and playing games. All the kids were happy to speak to us and excited to spend…

Monteverde is AMAZING! Our day began early, as we wanted to get the Cloud Forest hike in before the crowds. The tour guide pointed out bugs and animals, and we got a good look at some of them. We saw howler monkeys like yesterday. There were toucans, Costa Rican raccoons, and birds. It was breathtaking…

Today, I had to leave my Mama Tica and the homestay in Heredia as we traveled to Monteverde. The homestay in Heredia has started to feel like home. We have had long conversations with Mama Maria and have played many games with her. We will return in a few days, but I will miss these…

Today, we visited Cafe Britt. Before our tour, we had time to look around. We got a preview of the information we would learn more about on the tour, and we got to pet goats and sheep. The tour was fun. The tour guides were some of the most enthusiastic I have ever seen. We…

Today, we visited a coffee business called Doka and got a tour of the plantation. We were welcomed with a small sample of coffee at Rancho la Cajuela, which was the second time I had ever had coffee. The first time was yesterday, which I did not enjoy much. Sorry, Mama Maria. Today, however, I…

Today was my first full day in Costa Rica and my first birthday away from home. My host, Mama Maria, served us patacones with beans and cheese on top for breakfast. It tasted amazing! After finishing up, Maria played “Popurri ‘Las Mananitas’” for my birthday and started singing. She was very happy for me, which…

My name is Jake Chinchar, and I am a computer engineering student from New Jersey. I am excited to go to Costa Rica because I love trying new things. I look forward to every meal, tour, and visit. I want to try chocolate, bananas, and coffee and learn about sustainable business practices. I am especially…