Combo Tour

After I finished up some schoolwork for my classes at the University of Akron, I had some free time on the weekends to explore Costa Rica.  After all, tourism is their prime industry is tourism.   The options of travel around the country a limitless.  With opportunities do a multitude of different activities; it was hard to choose what I was going to do.  I had a limited time since weekdays are filled with class time and homework.  So the first trip I decided to take was a combination tour that would allow me to visit three beautiful places in one journey.

I booked a trip with a travel company.  They use a bilingual guide that first gives information in Spanish and then in English.  This was a perfect opportunity to listen, understand, and then correct myself after hearing the English.  A bus picked me up in Alajuela.  It was already loaded with about 10 other people who would accompany me on the excursion.

Our first stop along the way was a coffee plantation.  It was called Doka and is also known as Three Generations Plantation.   Here we had breakfast.  The pineapple was spectacular.  In Costa Rica the pineapple is so much sweeter than in the state.  Pineapple is also fourth among industry earning in Costa Rica.  At breakfast, I also consumed my first full cup of coffee.  And, despite Caity Davis’ deepest desire, I have not been converted into a coffee drinker.  After breakfast, we began the tour of the plantation.  We first walked through the fields of coffee plants, which I had never seen before.  I guess because I don’t drink coffee, I never paid much attention to the process.  We watched as they collected the coffee fruit and separated the bean from it.  They then dried the beans in preparation for roasting.  I never realized how technical the roasting was.  But depending on the type of coffee you desire, you roast it for a desired time at a certain temperature.  They then ground the coffee beans or simply packaged the beans.  And sometimes they covered the beans in chocolate.  I even tried one of these.  It did not blow me away.  Seventy percent of their coffee is exported to the U.S. much of which is bought by Starbucks.  My Costa Rican family has a hard time understanding the prices at Starbucks compared to what they pay for the same coffee.

After the plantation, we drove through the mountains towards Póas.  We arrived at Volcan Póas National Park.   Póas is one of 112 volcanoes in Costa Rica.  It is also included on the list of seven active volcanoes.  It last erupted in 2011.  Because of this a few of the paths in the national park were closed.  Also the surrounding roads had experienced heavy damage.  But the pathways to the crater lakes were opened.  I was told that this time of year is not ideal for visiting.  Because of the transition from winter to summer, there is often cloud cover that blocks the view of the craters.  By the grace of God’s the morning was clear for just long enough to view the volcanic craters.  Paths existed to take us from on crater to the other to gaze at their splendor.  Their gaping beauty was a vision of pure creation.  And the hot steam displayed the bubbling power unseen below the earth.  It was quite a sight and quite an experience.

Next stop was the La Paz waterfall gardens.  As we drove further into the cloud forest the visibility crew weaker.  The air became filled with a mist that slightly impaired the vision but refreshed the soul.  At the waterfall gardens we enjoyed a walk through a zoo that contained many animals native to Costa Rica, including an bird sanctuary that you would walk right through.  After the zoo tour, we were treated to a delicious lunch.  The best part was the grilled chicken that was smoked with coffee plant branches.  After lunch, the most beautiful adventure began.  We walked to a wet path in the middle of the cloud forest towards a powerful sound deep in the woods.  As we got closer the mist grew thicker and the pounding waters began to dominant.  The paths lead right up to the waterfalls where gallons of water pummeled the river below.  It was a sight of sheer beauty flowing intermingled with strength.  The path continued, four total waterfalls accompanied the raging river and the corresponding path, with a fifth within audible range.  They were truly wonders of God’s creation that froze me in an awestruck stupor gazing deep into the mysterious water flow.  The end of the path was depressing, because it meant the end of the journey through one of the countless marvels of God’s creation.  It also marked the end of the Adventure Combo Excursion that I enjoyed so much!

~Deep calls to deep
 in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers
 have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. ~ Psalm 42:7-8