Our first stop on day 1 was a tourist site called INBioparque. It would be the equivalent of a zoo for us, but with a focus more on insects and plants. I think the highlights were the two and three toed sloths and the butterfly tent. It was a nice quick overview of the biodiversity within Costa Rica. One thing that struck myself and some of the kids were the living conditions that the people endure. Razor wire and metal fences were found everywhere with bars on the windows and doors. Apparently crime has been on the rise since the 90’s due to illegal immigration from other Central American countries. In addition, slum like housing was also visible.
Our second stop today was a coffee plantation on the slopes of the volcano Poas, a shield style volcano with a large crater or caldera. Our tour director gave an informative talk about the history, growing and harvesting process in coffee production. I personally purchased some to try at home. The espresso that I tried was awesome!
The drive up to the Poas volcano was typical Costa Rican driving apparently. The traffic backed up, so we drove in the wrong lane to reach the parking. Not to worry, we were the biggest thing on the road. We weren’t the strangest!
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