Three days in to the Costa Rica trip!

On the third day of the trip, we woke in a new hotel that has hot pools outside. These pools bring much tourism and is supported as eco-tourism. These pools are heated from geo-thermal activity outside and they bring the heat from inside the ground to warm the water. When we woke up we were able to eat a refreshing breakfast. This breakfast was either pancakes and fruit or rice and beans and eggs. This trip will include rice and beans in most meals so something to prepare for. For each meal, though the rice and beans are prepared differently and are much different for each meal so it stays diverse. After eating we packed our bags for the day and were able to drive up to the mountains for a hike. On this hike, we were able to walk through a forest, what you would imagine when thinking of the tropics. Luscious leaves all over with much life throughout the forest. There is many animals and different types of insects with very diverse plant life. On this hike, there is hot pods that are being heated from geo thermal that are heating the pots. This is similar to yellow stone but still different. We were able to visit one hot pot that was full of mud and it looked like a big mud bubble bath (Very mesmerizing). Walking through the forest we were able to see different types of butterflies, army ants, a monkey. So much life that is happening all in one forest. This was a very surreal experience that makes you realize you really are in the Costa Rica. This is not something you would see anywhere else in the world. One of the most beautiful hikes that I think anyone had been on. Everyone in the group seemed to be very surprised with the different species of life and the things that you are able to experience all in this hike. After we were able to enjoy a nice lunch with the group and get to know each other even better. This has opened many opportunities to communicate with peers in the same field as you. As a class, we are able to get much closer with the Professors and get to really know them outside of class. This has made it possible to ask any questions you can think of and really get a good feeling for what it means to be sustainable. This country shows a great example of this with different types of recycling programs throughout the country. They have at least 4-5 different bins that are each labeled for plastic, garbage, bio waste everything that can be separated is in different bins throughout Costa Rica.