Looking back at our trip to Costa Rica, I’m so glad I got to
spend it with a great group of friends and professors! It was such an amazing experience being able
to travel to one of the most sustainable countries in the world, as well as having
a “Pura Vida” mindset the entire trip.
Our tour guide and bus driver (Miguelito and Carlos) really went above
and beyond to make this an incredible experience and shared with us an impeccable
amount of Costa Rican knowledge. We were
able to visit and stay at many different cities and hotels, while learning a
lot about the people and culture in such a short time. By the end of the trip, I definitely increased
my awareness of sustainability efforts and how to make those changes at home. 
We started off the trip with a coffee plantation tour and a
steep hike up a mountain during the Highland Fruit Tour. Being able to stand at the top of a mountain with
an amazing view of Costa Rica was a great way to start off the trip. I also ate my first avocado ever during the
fruit tour! Learning about the coffee
process, from how they start as coffee cherries to the roasting process, definitely
increased my coffee addiction. I would
have to say this one of the best days because we were able to meet Jonathon who
was super passionate about eco-tourism and living a sustainable lifestyle. It really puts into perspective the amount
that Costa Rica actually strives to be eco-friendly and how much they appreciate
their environment.
The next few days were very active as we had the opportunity
to go on more coffee tours, visit fruit farms, dole banana plantation, chocolate
plantation, tabocan hot springs, and even got to go zip lining and white water
rafting! At each location, we learned
the ways in which they practice sustainability whether it be growing their own
vegetables, to recycling the outer shells and waste of coffee beans. The last day was definitely an adventure when
we all went white water rafting. The
scenery was beautiful and it was super fun until we hit a large rock…and
flipped over. Even so, we got back into
the raft and within a few minutes were laughing about it- at least we got really
funny pictures out of it.
Overall, I had one of the best times during our week stay in
Cost Rica and I learned so much valuable information. I can’t wait to take everything I learned
while there and implement sustainable practices here at campus, at home, and
within our community. To hear more about our adventures and continue to
learn about sustainability follow us on twitter @BRYANTMKT412!
-Cassie Tracey
No comments:
Post a Comment