Costa Rica is known as the country of the pure life, "la pura vida!". When you approach a Costa Rican and ask them how they are doing, very seldom will you hear a response of: fine, sad, sick, etc. Instead, they will respond with, "LA PURA VIDA" and maybe even couple it with a thumbs up. La Pura Vida is not just an expression, it is also a way of life and an attitude. In other words, regardless of how life may be treating them in the moment, they are ok, they are cool, they are happy and content. No matter what, life is good.
Sunday, I was able to experience this pure life for myself. Myself, Tatiana along with Danielle and Sheronda had the distinct privilege of taking a tour of a volcano. We visited the volcano named, Poas. There are 112 volcanoes in the country of Costa Rica. Yet, only 7 are active. It is important to note that at any moment, any of the dormant volcanoes can become active because at any moment, they can have an eruption. During our time, we were able to see the volcano "burp." It was a moment we will appreciate for the rest of our lives. We only hope the photographs can tell a portion of the experience.
However, our day excursion was not limited to the beautiful sight of the volcano. We were also exposed to a lake; the most serene and picture perfect that we've ever seen. We were fortunate enough to be blessed with a gorgeous day free of the usual cloudy and foggy sky. Ordinarily, those who come to the sight, are unable to see both the lake and the volcano due to the fog. We can gloat because we saw both! We were worn out by walking up the mountain and going above sea level but the beauty we experienced was well worth it. Along our tour, our wonderful tour guide, Miguel who preferred to be referred to as, Miza, pointed out some beautiful plants and flowers special to Costa Rica. We learned a lot of interesting facts.
Our tour ended with a tour of a coffee field. Turns out, Costa Rica is number two in the world for having the best quality coffee. We learned the entire process of coffee making. Included in this explanation was how the beans start off, how they're planted, how the bushes are cared for, how they peel the beans and so much more. Miza even showed us the cover that is placed over the bushes to avoid rain exposure that will damage the coffee beans. One fun fact is that the coffee beans come from bushes and not trees. The trees in the fields merely serve the purpose of shade. The beans on these bushes can provide coffee for up to 50 years! As mentioned previously, Costa Rica is second in the world for quality with Colombia being number one and Jamaica number three. In terms of quantity, other countries produce more, however, Costa Rica does not compete for quantity, their biggest concern is quality. We were sure to make purchases to bring back to the states! :)
Indeed, our experience thus far has been one of, THE PURE LIFE!!! ;)
However, our day excursion was not limited to the beautiful sight of the volcano. We were also exposed to a lake; the most serene and picture perfect that we've ever seen. We were fortunate enough to be blessed with a gorgeous day free of the usual cloudy and foggy sky. Ordinarily, those who come to the sight, are unable to see both the lake and the volcano due to the fog. We can gloat because we saw both! We were worn out by walking up the mountain and going above sea level but the beauty we experienced was well worth it. Along our tour, our wonderful tour guide, Miguel who preferred to be referred to as, Miza, pointed out some beautiful plants and flowers special to Costa Rica. We learned a lot of interesting facts.
