On the fifth day of our Costa Rican adventure, we hiked along the misty trails of Monteverde’s cloud forest. The first thing that greeted us was sounds of birdsong echoing through the canopy. This acted as a living soundtrack to one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. Costa Rica, though small in size, only…
Tag: Plus 3 Costa Rica
Valley Vibes to Cloudy Climes
After many hot, sunny mornings in Costa Rica’s Central Valley, we finally made the long journey up into the mountains to Monteverde. Monteverde is around 4,600 feet above sea level. The first thing I noticed was the drop in temperature, a refreshing change from the heat we had grown used to in the Central Valley….
Coffee with the Britts
Today was our second day of site visits, and our stop was at Café Britt. This visit was directly connected to yesterday’s tour of the Doka Estate, which is owned and operated by Café Britt. While Doka focuses on growing and harvesting the coffee beans, Café Britt plays a role in the supply chain relating…
De Fresas a Café: Un Viaje del Amargo al Dulce
Today in Costa Rice we had the opportunity to explore two very different yet equally intriguing corners of the country’s agricultural landscape. One being the Doka Coffee Plantation and the other being a local strawberry farm. Each location offered a window into the lens of agriculture. While both farms share connections to the land and…
¡Bienvenidos, exploradores!
Today was our first day in Costa Rica! Today we explored Heredia on foot, visited the central Market and got a chance to interact more with our Mamaticas. So far, Costa Rica has been a wonderful experience. Being able to interact directly with the culture has been incredible. At our homestay our Mamatica greeted us…
¡Hola, chicos!
Hello! My name is Malina Cameron, and I just finished my first year at Pitt! I am majoring in Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Outside of academics, I am currently an active member in the business fraternity Phi Gamma Nu, where I serve as the director of professional development. I am also an active member…
Costa Rica, ¡Qué Tuanis!
I cannot believe that our two weeks in Costa Rica are ending. This trip went by quickly, but time flies by when you have the time of your life! I am so grateful to have been a part of this experience and gone through it with this fantastic group. On our last day exploring, we…
San Jose Tour
Today, we visited San Jose and got to experience the local culture and visit museums that delved into the history of Costa Rica. Through walking down the streets, I noticed the influence of bananas and coffee on the culture. For one, there were banana and plantain stands out on the streets, and the market had…
Day 10: A Glimpse into San Jose!
Today, we took a train to San Jose for a walking tour around the city. We went into a museum, saw different national monuments, and got to go inside a beautiful theatre. San Jose is very different than a typical city that you would see in the U.S. There are markets like the one in…
Pina y Platano
Today, we visited the Plantain and Banana plantation and the pineapple plantation. The focus today was on the sustainability of these farms. For example, at the banana plantation, we cut down our own fruit and made it for our lunch, and then the guide explained how the chopped-down tree was for fertilizer. Additionally, other plants…
Sabo Chocolate Tour
Today, we visited Sabo Chocolate to learn about the history of chocolate in Costa Rica. We learned that chocolate had only recently become an important commodity in Costa Rica since other crops were more profitable. Sabo Chocolate took a different approach, making high-quality chocolate in a sustainable way that doesn’t have a massive market but…
Service Project Day
This morning, we had a service project at a local school where we interacted with the children, practiced our Spanish, and painted the fence with them. This volunteering was very beneficial for us since it allowed us to give back to Costa Rica. We have so much to be grateful for as far as this…
Up in the Clouds in Monteverde
Today we visited the cloud forests in Monteverde and had first-hand experience with nature. We got to see a three-wattled bellbird, which was like nothing I’ve ever seen before and is apparently very rare. Also, the views of the lush mountains were spectacular. This was especially interesting to me because I am very interested in…
Living in the Mountains: Monteverde
Today we traveled to Monteverde from Heredia. This part of Costa Rica is significantly different than Heredia because of the slightly cooler temperature, differing landscape, and much less of a human population. While on the way, I noticed we were passing through neighborhoods of lower income. These areas gave me a new perspective on Costa…
Touring Cafe Britt
Today’s activities included a walking tour and an immersive experience at Cafe Britt. While similar to the walking tour of Doka, this tour was much more entertaining and engaged us at a much higher level. This is mainly due to Cafe Britt’s dedication to marketing. The tour started with two very enthusiastic guides who walked…
Coffee at Doka: ¡Que Tuanis!
Today we went on a walking tour of the Doka Coffee Plantation, and learned all about the process from picking the coffee cherries to roasting them into coffee beans as we know them. Our tour guide took us through the entire manufacturing plant, and explained all the steps in detail. The first step, picking the…
First Impressions of Heredia
We started the morning with the sun shining throughout the house and our host family making us breakfast. We had eggs, toast, and gallo pinto, which was a great way to begin our immersion into the Costa Rican way of life. We then enjoyed a walking tour of Heredia, visiting the market, the square, and…
¡Ven conmigo a Costa Rica!
Hola! My name is Natasha Montesdeoca and I am a first-year student in the College of Business Administration and the David C. Frederick Honors College, pursuing a degree in Marketing, as well as a Digital Media Certificate. I live five hours east of Pittsburgh, in Easton, PA and I love traveling and exploring new places!…
Excited for Costa Rica!!
Learning that such a small country as Costa Rica is ranked in the top 20 globally in environmental sustainability impresses me. My initial reaction leads me to believe that Costa Rica is a progressive country that strongly emphasizes reducing the waste produced via supply chains. From my limited knowledge, I know that Costa Rica’s main…
Wow! Herediaaa
My first impression of Costa Rica is that it is so vibrant and beautiful. Not only is the country vibrant but so or the people, they are so nice. As I walk through the city of Heredia people are always saying hello to you and open to talk. No matter if it’s a vender selling…