Today was our last day of exploring Costa Rica before we give our final presentations tomorrow! We went to La Paz Waterfall Gardens where we got to see a variety of animals and see 5 different waterfalls. As we walked through the area we got to see so many native Costa Rican animals in more…
Tag: Megan Potthoff
A Bittersweet Last Few Days in Costa Rica
Today we visited Sibö Chocolate, where we learned about the history of chocolate and got to taste how chocolate evolved throughout history! Our host George Soriano is originally from South Florida and quit his day to day job to develop a gourmet chocolate company, along with his co-owner, Julio Fernandez Amón. We learned that chocolate actually…
A Fruitful Day in Sarapiquí
Today we headed back to Sarapiquí to learn more about tropical agriculture! We started the day by touring a local banana farm and then went to another plantation that grew a variety of tropical fruits. To start our time at the banana plantation we learned a little bit about the history of bananas in Costa…
Pineapples Are No Monkey Business. Or Are They?
Today we visited a pineapple plantation in Sarapiquí! The plantation grows and exports organic pineapples from Costa Rica. Within the U.S., retailers like Whole Foods, are a major consumer of organic pineapples from Costa Rica. Since Costa Rica is the world’s largest exporter of pineapples, the production process of pineapple differed significantly from coffee. While…
Monteverde Has Been a Latte Fun
Today we got to take another coffee tour! This was our third coffee tour this trip, but this one was unique because it was a farm and very interactive. During the tour we got to plant corn, work with compost, and work directly with various farm animals. My favorite part of today was definitely getting…
Cloudy With a Chance of Sustainability
Today we started the day bright and early by visiting the cloud forest reserve. We spent the first half of the visit by hiking with a tour guide that would point out various plants and animals as we walked. For the second half of the hike, we got to explore the trails on our own,…
Monteverde is So Cool (Literally)
Today we spent the majority of the day on the bus traveling to Monteverde. As we left Heredia there was a shift from the busy city to the wide open areas of the mountains. Along with the visual change, as we got to Monteverde the weather was much cooler with the higher elevation. Everything about…
Café Britt? More Like Café Pitt!
Today we got to go to Café Britt, which is one of the most well respected coffee producers in Costa Rica. Café Britt’s primary focus is on roasting, whereas Hacienda Doka, that we visited yesterday, focuses on producing the beans. While both fall upstream in the supply chain, Café Britt falls further downstream than Doka…
A Berry Sweet Day at Doka
Today was an exciting day as we got to go on our first site visits! We started the day by leaving Heredia and ascending a volcano to see Hacienda Doka. This is one of the most well respected coffee plantations in Costa Rica and only 1% of the coffee they produce is kept in Costa…
Blooming in the City of Flowers
Today was our first full day in Costa Rica! We started the day by having breakfast with our host families where we ate eggs, ham, and toast. While it seems like typical American breakfast, it was interesting to see how something so familiar can still manage to be presented extremely differently in another culture. My…
Coasting to Rica
Hola! My name is Megan Potthoff and I just finished my freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh’s College of Business Administration. I intend to major in Supply Chain Management and Marketing with a certificate in Sustainability. On campus I am involved in Phi Beta Lambda, Women in Business, and Letters of Love. I am…