Goodbye Civilization

Written by: Joshua Brown

Today was a great way to end our time here in the capital of Costa Rica. This morning we went to visit the Paos volcano, one of Costa Rica's many volcanoes. Before we headed to the volcano, we went to eat breakfast at a small little restaurant where we met a volcanologist. He joined us for breakfast, and took us to the volcano.

During the trip, he told us a variety of facts about volcanoes. He demostrated how they work, how they are created, and the effects that they can have on civilization. We visited 2 different craters, and both were located at about 8,000 ft above sea level. The air was thick, but we made it. The first crater looked a lot like a desolate wasteland, with no vegetation. The crater itself was filled with highly acidic water, and it gave off a lot of gases which made the area smell terrible. The second crater was one that was formed thousands of years ago. It is located to the east, which means that the acid doens't get to it as much because the volcanologist told us that the wind normally blows west. This crater was a giant lake that was surrounded by vegetation, which is understandable due to its less acidic environment.

Later, we returned to the same restaurant as before. This trip, however, turned our spirits around. After eating endless amounts of rice and beans daily, we were treated with a delightful fried fish, salad, and MASHED POTATOES! Not rice, but something that a majority of the people actually liked to eat. They were covered in butter, and they were delicious. I am not normally a fan, but anything besides rice was acceptable to me.

To finish off the day we visited one of the most popular mask makers in all of Costa Rica. He is known internationally for his traditional masks, and performances. It was truly an amzing experience to see this man in action. He allowed some of us to wear the masks and dance around in them. He also let some students make their own mini-masks out of clay. It was amazing how the man danced, and it was a shame to hear that no one was willing to pick up the tradition.

Well that is it for our time here in San Jose. Now it is time to go off to the rain forest!