The majority of this week the other girls and I explored Costa Rica. Just like in the United States, Costa Rica is diverse depending on what part you are in. Throughout the week of holiday, Semana Santa, we traveled to Monteverd, La Fortuna and Tamarindo beach.
Monteverd is a very chilly area in the mountains. There is more precipation there so the area is much greener and lush. There is a great deal of wildlife to observe in this area. Much of the wildlife is noctunral so we were not able to see many of the animals. We also had the opprtunity to tour a sugar cane and coffee farm. On the farm we learned the ways of the local Costa Rican farmers and the traditions they have in the mountain regions of the country.
La. Fortuna is also in the mountains so the weather is much cooler than Nicoya. The main attraction in La Fortuna is the volcano Arenal. Arenal is a huge, active volcano in Costa Rica famous for its eruption in the 1960´s. We had the opportunity to hike around the volcano and at night see lava fall from the top. It was an amazing experience.
After La Fortuna we traveled to Tamarindo beach where we spent the days relaxing and observing the costal life of locals. Surfing is a much loved past time and life is nice at the beaches here. Tamarindo was the end of our travels and we headed back to Nicoya.
Traveling through Costa Rica gave me an appreciation for differences amoung the locals and differences amoung the landscapes in this country. I hope to continue learning about the coutnry as I continue into my third full week in Nicoya. Classes start back and I am ready to get into the classroom.