Written By: Dray Cottingham
Today was our first encounter with Costa Rican wildlife. Waking up at the crack of dawn (as usual) we set out to an early breakfast which consisted of rice and beans, and scrambled eggs. After our meal we headed to one of Costa Rica's national parks where we hiked for a half an hour uphill through the "cloud forest" to get to the zenith of the Poas Volcano. The smell of rotten eggs and beauty given off from the volcano and its surrounding vegetation really took my breath away. Actually being in the presence of a volcano is something that none of us can, or will, ever forget.
After our excursion to Poas, we stopped for lunch and continued on our way making a few stops. Our first stop was to a souviner shop which sold fresh Costa Rican strawberries; which by far have been the most delicious fruit I've ever tasted. The second stop we made was to a coffee plantation which held what seemed to be millions of coffee plants. Our last experience of the day was to the home of a local mask maker where he shared with us the tradition of mask making in Costa Rica and the significance it has in Costa Rica history. During our time at the mask maker's home, we were able to wear some of the masks and dance to traditional Tico music and Charlene, Jasmine, and I were able to create our own masks in a mask making competition against each other. After all of these festivities, our group headed back to Las Orquideas for our last night in San Jose.
Tomorrow we will be making our way to our eco-lodge in the rainforest. No technology for six days! This should be a great experience.
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