We have a free day again today. It is early in the morning and many of us have walked the beach and had gallo pinto and plantains for breakfast. Some are sleeping in today, but plan to finish shopping and enjoy our final moments here in Costa Rica. We leave the hotel at 3:30 am tomorrow.
Re-entry into the real world will be difficult for all of us. We have enjoyed the company of an amazing group of people and will miss them when we go our separate ways. We have also enjoyed the more relaxed "pura Vida" lifestyle here and will find the demands of our regular lives to be a bit intense at first. However, most of us are missing the family and friends we have left in Nebraska and will be happy to be home again. PURA VIDA!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
The most beautiful place and water treatment
We have now moved to the last hotel on Tamarindo Beach. The trip was pretty eventful as we encountered a semi truck whose load had shifted on one of the curving mountain roads and lost most of the load down the mountainside. The driver was unhurt and we did not have to wait too long for the road to be cleared.
The views from the bus changed dramatically through the drive. We left a really green mountainous area that was often enveloped in mist to a flatter drier place on the Pacific Ocean.
The learning part of the day was a tour of the Papagayo development and it's sustainable practices. We were impressed by the many environmental and community-oriented programs the development had implemented. Our students seemed really engaged in the presentation and asked really great questions. Two of the people from the development office got on our bus and took us on a driving tour of the peninsula. Because only 30 percent of the land can be developed while the rest must remain in a natural state, we saw more monkeys in the development than we have anywhere else. The company's environmental practices at the marina had added 10 different species of fish that had not been seen in the area before the development. Because Papagayo is an upscale development, the company has invested in improving the schools in the area to train workers for the properties. Job creation and some of the social programs in the area have greatly benefited the people. We also visited one of the water treatment plants that recycles waste water for irrigation of the golf course and green spaces.
Back to the hotel. I am writing this from a lounge chair overlooking the ocean. It is fantastic. We ate breakfast in the open air restaurant that looks like a giant tiki hut. Students are walking and running on the beach. Some are surfing while others are going sports fishing. It is our first free day of the trip and we are delighted to hear that it is snowing in Omaha while we are here in paradise. Pura Vida!
The views from the bus changed dramatically through the drive. We left a really green mountainous area that was often enveloped in mist to a flatter drier place on the Pacific Ocean.
The learning part of the day was a tour of the Papagayo development and it's sustainable practices. We were impressed by the many environmental and community-oriented programs the development had implemented. Our students seemed really engaged in the presentation and asked really great questions. Two of the people from the development office got on our bus and took us on a driving tour of the peninsula. Because only 30 percent of the land can be developed while the rest must remain in a natural state, we saw more monkeys in the development than we have anywhere else. The company's environmental practices at the marina had added 10 different species of fish that had not been seen in the area before the development. Because Papagayo is an upscale development, the company has invested in improving the schools in the area to train workers for the properties. Job creation and some of the social programs in the area have greatly benefited the people. We also visited one of the water treatment plants that recycles waste water for irrigation of the golf course and green spaces.
Back to the hotel. I am writing this from a lounge chair overlooking the ocean. It is fantastic. We ate breakfast in the open air restaurant that looks like a giant tiki hut. Students are walking and running on the beach. Some are surfing while others are going sports fishing. It is our first free day of the trip and we are delighted to hear that it is snowing in Omaha while we are here in paradise. Pura Vida!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Hummingbirds and zip lines
Today we are still in Monteverde. We had a morning hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Our guide showed us the hummingbirds first. There were many different species ranging from some the size of your thumb to some 6 inches long. The colors were spectacular --blues, greens,whites, orange, red, pink and all with an iridescent glow. There wings made a droning sound as they zipped past you to get to the feeders. It is mating season so some of the males were quite aggressive and chased the others away.
Continuing the bird theme, we saw the quetzal. A very beautiful teal bird with red and white breast and long colorful tail feathers. Costa Rica is supposed to be one of the few places you can see them. They were one of the species that has been impacted by climate change. Our guide explained that the clouds and mists of Monteverde have gradually moved higher and higher up the mountain since the 1960s. The change in cloud patterns impacted the flowering and pollination of the avocado trees, the primary food of quetzals. So less food means less quetzals. The climate shift also changed the migration patterns of the blue jays who eat the quetzal eggs. Climate changes and the birds lose.
We went back to the hotel for lunch and to get ready for the zip line s at Selvatura Park. Some of the group had decided they did not want to take the plunge, while others were excited. A few hoped to be able to see the first line before making a decision, however that was not possible. In the end 21 brave souls walked through the door for the canopy tour. We signed a waiver and then got fitted for helmets and harnesses. Thick leather gloves with additional padding on the palms were part of the gear. They took us by vans to the top of the mountain for a short safety demonstration. We learned about the proper positioning, safety rules and breaking. Then we climbed the first tower. A few decided not to go when they looked over the edge, but 20 went ahead with it. We did 13 different lines high above the trees. Some were so high above the forest canopy. We did the longest line last. It was 1 kilometer long and very high. We went in tandem and traveled at about 45 miles per hour. So high, so fast and with great views. We all felt a rush of adreneline and a sense of accomplishment.
The last piece was the Tarzan swing. Tarzan wanna-bes climbed to the top of a high platform and then jumped strIght off. The pendulum effect came into play and the students swung baack and forth until the park spotters could stop them. Screaming, swearing and prayers were heard as the group completed this task.
Back on the bus to compare notes on who was bravest and back to the hotel for dinner and sleep.
Continuing the bird theme, we saw the quetzal. A very beautiful teal bird with red and white breast and long colorful tail feathers. Costa Rica is supposed to be one of the few places you can see them. They were one of the species that has been impacted by climate change. Our guide explained that the clouds and mists of Monteverde have gradually moved higher and higher up the mountain since the 1960s. The change in cloud patterns impacted the flowering and pollination of the avocado trees, the primary food of quetzals. So less food means less quetzals. The climate shift also changed the migration patterns of the blue jays who eat the quetzal eggs. Climate changes and the birds lose.
We went back to the hotel for lunch and to get ready for the zip line s at Selvatura Park. Some of the group had decided they did not want to take the plunge, while others were excited. A few hoped to be able to see the first line before making a decision, however that was not possible. In the end 21 brave souls walked through the door for the canopy tour. We signed a waiver and then got fitted for helmets and harnesses. Thick leather gloves with additional padding on the palms were part of the gear. They took us by vans to the top of the mountain for a short safety demonstration. We learned about the proper positioning, safety rules and breaking. Then we climbed the first tower. A few decided not to go when they looked over the edge, but 20 went ahead with it. We did 13 different lines high above the trees. Some were so high above the forest canopy. We did the longest line last. It was 1 kilometer long and very high. We went in tandem and traveled at about 45 miles per hour. So high, so fast and with great views. We all felt a rush of adreneline and a sense of accomplishment.
The last piece was the Tarzan swing. Tarzan wanna-bes climbed to the top of a high platform and then jumped strIght off. The pendulum effect came into play and the students swung baack and forth until the park spotters could stop them. Screaming, swearing and prayers were heard as the group completed this task.
Back on the bus to compare notes on who was bravest and back to the hotel for dinner and sleep.
Winding roads, narrow bridges and streams forded
Today we left La Fortuna to go to Monteverde. Our driver asked that we leave no later than 9 am because the roads would be rough and he thought we would be better off leaving early. We left on time but should have taken more notice of his cautions. The first part of the trip was pretty mild as we drove around the Arenal Lake. It is at the base of the volcano and is quite large. The volcano has been something to watch. It has had a ring of clouds encircling and hiding the peak. At times it is so covered in mists so that it is completely obscured. The Montana de fuego seems too big to just be missing from the landscape. It would be the perfect physical landmark to get your bearings except for the fact that you can't always see it.
Back to the roads. We twisted and turned through mountain roads that were not much different than others we had traveled until the asphalt disappeared and we were on dirt roads. then we hit the bridge that was narrower than any we had seen before. The driver asked one of the Spanish speaking students to get off the bus to help him thread the bus onto the bridge. We had to pull right up to the edge of the bank and then back up to the rocky mountainside. It took a couple times to get the bus just so before we slowly crossed the bridge only to make a sharp turn on the other side. Our driver stopped on the other side and then went back on the bridge to help another tour bus driver across. it was fun to watch because this other driver didn't line his bus up as well as ours did. The other driver had his group get off the bus and walk across the bridge. They all took their cameras so imagine how stressful it must have been for the driver as he backed up and pulled forward again and again. We were taking pictures from our bus too. He finally got lined up and slowly came across. He did get applause and we were on our way again.
After more twisty roads we came down one hill to see a spot were a bridge should be--just a stream flowing over the road. It looked to be about a foot deep and the road bed was big rocks. The stream was about a bus length wide. We stopped to watch an SUV cross successfully before our driver did it. He had to take it slowly and in some parts the wheels spun a bit until the tread found the rocks, but we made it. The rest of the trip was . uneventful unless you count the two caballeros on horse back herding cattle down the road in front of our bus.
Our learning for the day happened at the Monteverde cheese factory. We watched them make cheeses as we toured the factory. The milk comes from local farms. Different cheeses are made by using different cultures with the milk. The cheeses are also finished differently. The operation is pretty sustainable as they had their own water treatment plant and the whey was used to make caramel candy and the rest fed to pigs that later became sausage--you'll never guess what they did with pig wastes. But that is another story.
Back to the roads. We twisted and turned through mountain roads that were not much different than others we had traveled until the asphalt disappeared and we were on dirt roads. then we hit the bridge that was narrower than any we had seen before. The driver asked one of the Spanish speaking students to get off the bus to help him thread the bus onto the bridge. We had to pull right up to the edge of the bank and then back up to the rocky mountainside. It took a couple times to get the bus just so before we slowly crossed the bridge only to make a sharp turn on the other side. Our driver stopped on the other side and then went back on the bridge to help another tour bus driver across. it was fun to watch because this other driver didn't line his bus up as well as ours did. The other driver had his group get off the bus and walk across the bridge. They all took their cameras so imagine how stressful it must have been for the driver as he backed up and pulled forward again and again. We were taking pictures from our bus too. He finally got lined up and slowly came across. He did get applause and we were on our way again.
After more twisty roads we came down one hill to see a spot were a bridge should be--just a stream flowing over the road. It looked to be about a foot deep and the road bed was big rocks. The stream was about a bus length wide. We stopped to watch an SUV cross successfully before our driver did it. He had to take it slowly and in some parts the wheels spun a bit until the tread found the rocks, but we made it. The rest of the trip was . uneventful unless you count the two caballeros on horse back herding cattle down the road in front of our bus.
Our learning for the day happened at the Monteverde cheese factory. We watched them make cheeses as we toured the factory. The milk comes from local farms. Different cheeses are made by using different cultures with the milk. The cheeses are also finished differently. The operation is pretty sustainable as they had their own water treatment plant and the whey was used to make caramel candy and the rest fed to pigs that later became sausage--you'll never guess what they did with pig wastes. But that is another story.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Hiking the rainforest and mai-tai poolside
We took a hike today in the rainforest even though it was raining. We went on the hanging bridges tour this morning. Our tour was guided by Oscar and the group had Juan Carlos. We hiked on a trail up and down the mountain. There were 15 bridges to cross during the 2 1/2 hour hike. Our guides pointed out interesting plants, birds, howler monkes, hummingbirds, vipers and frogs. The biodiversity was amazing! We learned a lot about how plants adapt to the environmental conditions of their surroundings. Even though we could hear it raining quite hard the density of the rainforest canopy kept us from getting wet. The bridges were over canyons. We could see ferns that had fronds that were 15 feet long. There were many jokes regarding Jurassic Park and Romancing the Stone. Two professors conquered their fear of heihts to walk the highest swinging bridges. The best line of the day was on the highest bridge when one of the students said "Now I know why the university required us to buy insurance!"
It rains in the rainforest!
We have moved to the Arenal Volcano area near La Fortuna. Before arriving at the volcano we visited Doka Estates, a coffee plantation that sells 90 percent of their production to Starbucks. we learned about the life cycle of the coffee plants and the way in which the coffee "cheeries" are harvested. We all felt that we would not be able to keep up with the pro pickers. We learned how the coffee is dried on concrete for 5 days. It is raked every 30 minutes to promote even drying. Finally we went to see the roasters. We were surprised how small they were, but learned that Starbucks buys green beans and roasts them. Our drive through the mountains gave us some adventures as some of the bridges were so narrow the bus cleared the sides by mere inches. Our driver is amazing! We arrived at the hotel after dark and enjoyed a good dinner in the open air restaurant and then to bed listening to the soft rain.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Our time on Earth
Our visit today was to Earth University. Earth is a private nonprofit university located near Guacimo, Costa Rica. Our drive there was through lush green mountains enshrouded in mist. We first heard a lecture on Earth's programs. Students study sustainable agronomy there. Innovative aspects of the program included the requirement that all students must conceive and launch a business at the end of the first year. Aloyce, a student from Kenya talked to us about his team's project. We then went to the banana processing plant to see how the bananas sold at Whole Foods are processed. We learned about the life cycle of bananas out in the field. At lunch we were entertained by Earth students dancing the native dances of their countries. We watched dances from Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, and others. Next we went to visit the business of one of the student teams. They gave us a very informative tour of gardens that were designed for small spaces and limited resources. We were impressed by their creative use of recycled materials. What a great day at Earth!
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