Pura Vida: Verano 2012- My Adventures in Costa Rica: Doka--Poas--La Paz

Coffee Cherries

Today has been an absolutely amazing adventure. Woke up at 6am to get ready for my trip to a Volcano! We left so early that our mama tica didn't make us breakfast. About 15 of us loaded onto a small bus a began the 2 hour trek to Alajuela just north of San Jose. The distance from San Jose to Alajuela isn't that long but here in Costa Rica it takes a VERY long time to get anywhere by car. Due to poor road conditions, heavy traffic, and variable terrain something 20 miles away can take nearly an hour to get to.

The first stop was made at the Doka Coffee Plantation. Sadly we only stayed about an hour, just enough time to learn a little about how they grow their coffee, see some coffee plants, and buy a little coffee. The Doka Plantation is grown on the side of the Poas volcano so the soil produces very good coffee. Doka produces a French Roast, Breakfast Blend, Espresso Blend, and Peaberry. Needless to say I bought 2 pounds of coffee (for less than $20) and a traditional Costa Rican coffee brewer called a "chorreador." The grounds are put in a "coffee sock" and warm water (not boiling) is poured over the top and the coffee drains into the cup below. The sock is better than normal paper filters at home because it allows the oils from the coffee to soak through which enhances the flavor.


Chorreador

Sadly, my time at Doka was short lived but the coffee was delicious. The next leg of the trip brought us nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, the Poas Volcano. Up in the cloud forest on the side of the volcano we hiked from the visitors center to an outlook above the crater to see the crater lake. Sadly, due to our altitude the crater wasn't visible because it was a cloudy day. However, this adventure was not hopeless, the hike to the outlook was a beautiful example of Mountain and Cloud forest habitats and the views were spectacular. We descended to a lower outlook and the clouds started to clear a little and we were able to see a little of the crater. But I am hopeful because tomorrow we are going to another Volcano, Irazu.


My friends Kas, Kerby, Jes, Alejandro and myself at Poas Crater

Our last stop of the day was to La Paz (The Peace). La Paz is like a natural resort that people can stay at or visit. We ate lunch there and then explored the resort. We came across a garden of Hummingbirds. They were everywhere but we had to be careful because they are territorial so every once in awhile one would dive at your head. We also went into a butterfly garden. It was so cool, the butterflies would land right on your hand and try to suck nectar off of you. I had a butterfly land on my head and stay there for quite some time. When I got out of the garden I took off my sweatshirt and found one hiding inside. After, the butterflies we entered the aviary and saw Tucans. You could actually have them land on your arm. However, the highlight of La Paz was the waterfalls. 5 beautiful waterfalls can be found along a river running through the resort. They were absolutely beautiful but I only have a couple pictures since my camera died (lots of picture taking today).

All in all today was a ton of fun. Its great to explore new places with my new friends, la ganga, as we call ourselves. I have yet to introduce them so really quick here they are. Alejandro is my housemate and member of la ganga. He is from RI and studying alternative medicine. Kasandra (left in the picture above) is from Ottawa, Canada. We call her Kas because her favorite drink here is Cas (a fruit kind of like an orange that is often made into a juice. Kerby (R of Kas) is from Tampa, Florida and just graduated high school. Kerby is a bundle of fun but often times doesn't know where she is. The final member of la ganga is Jes from Jersey. Jes has truly traveled the world and knows lots of Spanish. We are in the same Spanish class. She can be crazy but is a sweetheart. These are the people I'm spending free time with along with 250 other students from the United States. I've already met 2 other people from MN.