¡El Fin! (The End)

Barcelo Resort on Langosta Beach

Well, it is a little bittersweet (MUY POCO) but my days in Costa Rica has come to an end. I can honestly say that I have learned so much from this study abroad experience. I have learned that the Costa Rican culture and traditions are enveloped in strong family values, which form the foundation of social and cultural life in Costa Rica. The "Ticos" as the people call themselves, are generally very friendly, happy and content, and they are also extremely well-mannered and polite. The large scale developments in Costa Rica in recent years have been improving both the desirability of traveling to the country as well as increasing tourist demand. There is still some debate as to whether future tourism developments should continue to focus on the more traditional smaller eco-tourism hotels or whether the approach will be more of mass tourism similar to Cancun with plane loads of visitors staying in large mega-resorts. For now it seems they are trying to accommodate a bit of both. 

The physical features of Costa Rica and its natural geography are nothing short of spectacular. With its diverse physical makeup, the Costa Rican landscape flows from

Geographical Sketch

teaming mountain peaks, scattered with volcanoes  waterfalls, and hot springs and on through to its mystical cloud forests. The lush green valleys and verdant rain forests provide an incredible backdrop leading down to the beautiful, beautiful beaches. With its diverse geography, there is some variation based on location, with regards to the climate of the country. Costa Rica actually has over 11 different micro climates (MUY CALIENTE!) and is home to many thousands of different types of unique species of both plant and animal life. The amount of biodiversity in the country is astounding.

Well, these are all of the topics that I have learned while in Costa Rica for my ten day adventure. Before coming on this trip I had many doubts about traveling to another country by myself. There was always a bit of paranoia that remained at the back of my head that something TERRIBLE was about to happen. However, that was never the case. Gabriela, the director of Costa Rica tourism, and Fernando, our tour guide, made itself assuring that nothing bad was going to happen (FINGERS CROSSED). I really needed the reassurance from them because you are here amongst strangers and anything tragic could happen at any second. Overall, I am very glad that I participated in this program because if not I wouldn't have made so many new friends and learned so much about Costa Rica. PURA VIDA MIS AMIGOS!!!!

 

"Pure Life"