Me with the landscape behind me!
This week has been absolutely adventure filled! Since it was holy week, we were given the opportunity to travel. The week began on Friday when Kirbi, Megan, and I ventured down to a town called Puntarenas. This town is at the beach and it is the port city for all of the cruise lines to come into. We had an adventure trying to find our Hostel, which was absolutely gorgeous and had a pool and a great view of the ocean. We did not find out until we were down there that a very large marathon was going to be going on while we were there, so it was really fun to watch about 5,000-10,000 people lining the beaches as well as running. The race made it onto the front page of the National Newspaper, so that was cool!
Hostel in Puntarenas
Our adventures only continued!! As a group, we made our way to Monteverde, where we went ziplining through the rainforest. The views were breathtaking and it was such a rush, literally with the wind blowing so incredibly hard! We also were able to go on a coffee and sugar cane tour, which was actually a family owned business. We walked around a plantation with our guide, who was the son of the family. He taught us about banana trees, plantain trees, the process or growing and making coffee, as well as how to grow and make candy out of sugar cane.
Each group was able to make their own candy, which was VERY sweet, and then at the end of the tour we drank a cup of coffee in the family's kitchen. It was a great experience and one that just makes you appreciate family! Our stay in Monteverde was windy but also really educational because we were able to see a butterfly house which housed many different types of butterflies from all different elevations.
Our next destination was to La Fortuna, which houses the Arenal Volcano. It was an amazing sight watching the Volcano get closer and closer on a boat crossing the Arenal Lake. We stayed in a Hostel called Grengo Pete Too, which is owned and operated by a guy named Pete from Washington State. We took the night tour of the Arenal Volcano, which included a hike and tour guide through the Rain Forest on the bottom of the Volcano, as well as a view from the side of the Volcano where we were able to see a glimpse of the lava flowing down the side. It was hard to see because it was raining and cloudy! From the lava hike, we went to a hotel where we swam in hot springs for two hours. It was amazing how the water gets so hot!
The last and final destination of our week was in Tamarindo! This is a very popular beach in Costa Rica and there were lots of Americans and other tourists. I liked it because we did not have to struggle with Spanish and wonder how well we were going get around. Everyone knew English. I learned how to surf and spent a lot of time relaxing on the beach and taking in the views!
Although this week is over, I will always remember it as the time I was able to explore Costa Rica! It was long and adventurous, but I am glad to be back in Nicoya with my host family! Three more weeks here, and I am looking forward to some wonderful adventures!